K-2 Philosophy:

All students learn from a balanced approach to literacy, one that includes a responsive approach to the teaching of reading, writing, and phonics. Students learn to self-assess, set goals, work with partners, and receive and apply feedback. Students learn to use the writing process to write for real purposes and audiences, write the kinds of texts that they see in the world, and to put meaning onto the page. Students develop their oral language, write daily, and create pieces of writing across the genres of narrative, informational, and opinion.

As readers, students engage deeply with texts by having daily opportunities to read high-interest, accessible books independently, in partnerships, small groups, and book clubs. They start off learning foundational skills such as concepts of print, phonemic awareness, phonics, and story language to reading with greater independence using reading strategies to read with more accuracy, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary development. Students have access to increasingly complex texts appropriate for their grade level. This starts with read-aloud and shared reading texts in kindergarten and first grade and moves toward independent reading of complex texts by second grade.

Phonics is a daily component of balanced literacy that focuses on phonemic awareness, features of phonics, high-frequency words, spelling, and vocabulary. Students have many opportunities to transfer phonics learning to their daily reading and writing work.

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade begin to develop an understanding of the four disciplinary core ideas: physical sciences; life sciences; earth and space sciences; and engineering, technology, and applications of science. In the earlier grades, students begin by recognizing patterns and formulating answers to questions about the world around them. By the end of fifth grade, students are able to demonstrate grade-appropriate proficiency in gathering, describing, and using information about the natural and designed world(s).

In second grade the elements and principles of art are reviewed, utilized, and expanded upon as students develop their knowledge of vocabulary, art production, appreciation, and critical judgment. Through a variety of activities and artistic media, students learn to compare and contrast different art styles, differentiate between cultural art forms, and distinguish between historical periods. Second graders further demonstrate their understanding by creating quality works of art, utilizing a variety of materials and techniques to express themselves.

Students go to Physical Education class for 35 minutes twice a week. Students continue to work with their Gross Motor skills, spatial awareness, and coordination. They will explore the principles of eye, hand, and foot coordination through a variety of activities. Students continue to develop traditional team sports based skills through culminating activities and game play.   They will be assessed in certain skills throughout the year. Students will develop positive characteristics and attitudes, a sense of fair play, teamwork concepts, and cooperation with others. At this level, there is an increased emphasis on cardiopulmonary fitness, muscular strength, flexibility and coordination through the T.R.O.Y. Fitness Program. Students are assessed twice a year in Continuous Jog, Jump Roping, Plank, Sit and Reach, and Flex-arm Hang. Every student will have a personal fitness log that they will set goals for themselves in each of the fitness tests. After every assessment, student will reevaluate their goals and set new ones.

The English language development program helps ensure learning for all students, specifically students who are multilingual and in the process of acquiring English as an additional language. The ELD specialists provide small group instruction for English language acquisition outside the grade level classroom with frequency based on the students’ unique instructional needs. They also support access to classroom content by pushing into grade level classrooms.