February 04
4th Grade Parents Social
February 05
Winter Music Recitals
February 06
Sustainability Committee
February 07
LS Grade Rep. Meeting
February 09
Park Service meetings
Morning Coffee with Kara Tignor--Speech/Language Pathologist
February 10
Math Homework Help for Parents of Children in Grade 5
February 11
2nd Grade Parents' Social
Children come to school with a boundless curiosity. Park's task is to engage them in experiences that will sustain their joy in learning. Skills of reading, writing, science, and mathematics form the core of the Lower School curriculum. To teach these primary skills and to meet the individual needs of each student, teachers draw upon broad expertise in subject areas and extensive knowledge of child development.
From the youngest ages high-quality children's literature is the primary reading material at Park. Through reading and being read to, children learn to respond to and comprehend the various elements of a story. They also become accustomed to the notion that language is used in many ways to convey information and to express ideas and feelings. Our library programs extend children's exposures to quality literature and promote independent reading. In regularly scheduled class periods librarians read aloud, conducts book talks, tell stories, and teach library skills. The Resident Author Program brings a noted author or illustrator to the school each year, giving students a chance to meet a working writer or artist face to face. Lower School librarian Laura Schlitz won the coveted 2008 Newbery Award for Children's Literature for Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!, a collection of monologues written for Park's fifth grade children to perform as part of their study of the medieval world.
At Park, effective writing is emphasized throughout the curriculum. Children advance from fledgling efforts to fully polished pieces, by using writing as a mode of communication and discovery in all subject areas. A distinguishing feature of writing at Park is the social context within which it occurs. Children are expected to collaborate and confer with others. There is a strong awareness of writing for an audience; constructive reactions from peers are seen as integral to the writing process.
In mathematics, from early exploration of the properties of numbers and shapes through complex problems of fractions and decimals, the aim is to build children's mastery of basic computational skills as well as their conceptual understanding of mathematics. They measure, weigh, build, and work with a wide array of hands-on materials to explore numerical and spatial relationships. These concrete exposures are used to anchor abstract concepts, giving children many opportunities to experiment in solving open-ended problems and to apply mathematical skills to real purposes.
Students also apply mathematical principles to other disciplines. For instance, teachers extend the study of patterning to science, music, and art. Social studies and science provide numerous opportunities for integration of mathematical concepts. Fifth graders studying Gothic cathedrals naturally use geometry, and fourth grade students building simple machines employ their knowledge of measurement and balance. As they create graphs and analyze statistics, do scale drawings, study topographical maps, and use math skills in cooking and measuring activities, children understand mathematics as a vital and useful part of their world.
For Park children science is a process, a way of questioning, a mode of thinking, not just information gathering. It is part of students' everyday lives. A Lower School science resource teacher works with children and other teachers to develop the interest and capacity for future science learning. The classroom is extended by use of Park's 100-acre campus as a "living laboratory", where children collect and sort stream bed samples, observe the migration of butterflies, identify seasonal changes in plant life on nature trails, and analyze plankton and water samples from the pond.
Science is directly integrated with other academic areas through thematic studies, design, and research projects. The fifth grade study of the Middle Ages is just one example. Children studying the Middle Ages observe the night skies as early astronomers did; apply principles of mathematics and physics in the construction of medieval structures from around the world; and plant, tend, and harvest a medieval herb garden.
Children learn best when they see the connections among ideas. Our Theme Studies curriculum weaves together history, social studies, geography, literature, science, math, and the arts. Through an integrated study of a particular theme, students gain a rounded and rich perspective while honing their math, writing, and conceptual skills. In kindergarten and first grade, six-to-eight week theme studies capture the imaginations of young children in a developmentally appropriate framework. Second graders explore the concept of community, moving from the local landscape of their classroom to a world wide tour in which children "travel" through non-fiction literature and apply their math, writing, and conceptual skills. A year long study of cultures very different from their own captures the imagination of third, fourth, and fifth grade students. Third graders explore the relationship between the early settlers and the Woodland Native Americans through research and hands on activities such as designing tools and building shelters. Ancient Egypt provides the canvas for the fourth grade theme study of ancient civilizations. Fifth graders travel to the medieval world, where they build catapults, investigate medieval trades and customs, and perform Laura Schlitz's Newbery Award winning monologues depicting the lives of medieval children.
Music, art, dance, and drama are woven into the curriculum at all grade levels. While all Lower School students take music twice a week, about 100 students participate in the instrumental music program, taking lessons in a wide variety of instruments and playing in the string or band ensemble. Children's art enlivens both classrooms and hallways; dancers and musicians perform at assemblies for classmates.
Teachers guide Lower School students as they build independence and responsibility. Classrooms serve as model communities where issues are discussed, differences in perspectives are welcomed, and people work cooperatively. Students learn first how to act effectively as members of the classroom community, with exposures extended as they proceed through Lower School to the broader school community and beyond.
