Lower School curriculum guide
Lower School
Big Ideas Grow Where Imagination Meets Inquiry The Lower School has three overarching goals in its approach to educating young children: inspiring a love of learning, encouraging creative exploration, and empowering young minds. As curricula and programming are designed and implemented, these goals are pursued vigorously and with a student-centered focus. Inspiring a Love of Learning • Blending academic growth and achievement (in reading, writing, arts, math, digital technologies, science, language development, etc.) • Offering a hands-on, experiential, and inquiry-based learning environment • Learning about our interconnected and diverse world • Providing a relevant and personalized learning environment that stimulates curiosity • Offering multimedia resources with rich content for enhancing knowledge • Realizing the art and beauty of storytelling and creative expression • Creating an interdisciplinary curriculum where thematic focus helps students make sense of their world
Empowering Young Minds • Developing a global understanding with empathy for others • Exhibiting knowledge with an understanding of voice, point of view, and audience awareness • Developing reading and research skills for content exploration • Learning to be a self-directed learner and a curator of individual portfolios • Building authentic relationships between teachers and students and equity in the community • Working collaboratively with individuals with diverse views • Valuing and celebrating individual strengths and interests • Understanding self and responsible decision-making
Encouraging Creative Exploration • Working through the Creative Design Process to solve real-life problems • Learning to take risks and using a variety of problem-solving skills • Applying the STEAM disciplines for creative problem-solving • Exploring the Lower School Garden as an open-ended laboratory • Learning with mixed grade levels in ColLabs to study the environment and explore an engineering problem • Offering choices and opportunities for individual interests • Using creative expression to expand possibilities for a deeper learning experience
Learning by Questioning Central Questions and Integrated Curriculum In the Lower School, teachers take an interdisciplinary approach to curriculum design. This approach allows students to develop a deeper understanding of the different disciplines. Brimmer teachers create meaningful, relevant, and challenging content that helps students make connections to the real world. This allows students to be more successful and achieve mastery in the classroom. At each grade level, a Central Question is presented at the beginning of the school year to frame students’ learning goals throughout the year. The Central Question serves not only as a lens to explore key concepts, themes, and ideas but also as the thread that interweaves multiple disciplines. Students are challenged to think critically and make connections as they discover and explore science, math, literacy, and history. This approach to learning prompts students to strive for a higher level of learning and academic engagement.
Becoming Citizens of the World Global Focus The Lower School begins the educational process about the world and seeks to initiate student engagement with it through interdisciplinary study. At each grade level, teachers introduce students to geography, history, language, cultures, and customs. Teachers work with students to develop cultural awareness and understanding; to present different perspectives; and to spark imagination, empathy, and curiosity about the greater world they inhabit. This global focus enables students to expand their understanding of what it means to be citizens not only of the School and local community but also of an interdependent world.
students to create and to design prototypes with human needs in mind. Students learn that part of the Design Process is to take the user’s needs and desires into consideration. They discover that empathy is what drives innovation forward and propels all to be better designers and better people. Students are also asked to be thoughtful about the materials they choose. They are challenged to consider the properties of materials and the purpose they will serve in their prototype. Reflecting on design choices is also a cornerstone of the STEAM Program, and the debriefing session is an essential part of the Design Process. This reflective process fosters the students’ ability to reason with evidence and explain why their prototype worked the way it did, and to learn about different design Designing for Problem-Solving ideas from peers. As students grow this skill, Creative Design Process they begin to calculate their design choices and While foundational skills in literacy and numeracy learn from their experiences. are central components of the curriculum, so too are habits of mind that encourage critical Technology thinking, collaboration, communication, The effective use of technology enriches problem-solving, and creativity. The Lower student learning experiences across disciplines School develops these skills and habits of mind and promotes higher-order thinking skills. through the STEAM Program and design work. Laptop computers, iPads, and 3-D printers The Design Process is an iterative one, which are used as learning tools to support includes generating ideas to address a problem, classroom curriculum, develop research, designing and brainstorming solutions, making writing, design, and presentation skills, and a plan, testing a prototype, revising one’s plan as create interdisciplinary projects. Skills from needed, and finally, sharing and showcasing the keyboarding to coding to navigating the work. Through this iterative approach, students internet safely are developed at appropriate learn scientific and engineering principles, as age levels from PK - Grade 5. Students explore well as the essential skills of problem-solving, and use a variety of creative content to author, persevering, and sitting with the confusion and build, and share their final products with messiness of deep, generative learning. classmates and the community. Multimedia The STEAM curriculum reflects the projects are designed as interdisciplinary Lower School’s educational philosophy and enterprises, and targeted use of applications implementation of the whole child learning provides greater familiarity and facility with the model. This focus on empathy prompts use of technology for learning.
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Authentic Assessment: Exhibitions, Project-Based Learning, and Portfolios Presenting Our Progress Exhibitions of Knowledge Exhibitions are a hallmark of a Brimmer education. Students in the Lower School take part in Exhibitions of Knowledge that allow them to demonstrate what they have learned either in a unit of study or over the course of the school year. In and across several disciplines, students learn how to research, prepare, and present what they know with poise and creativity. These exhibitions promote active learning by encouraging students to think and work both independently and collaboratively and to approach learning with enthusiasm and confidence. Exhibitions are an important assessment tool that allow teachers to evaluate how students integrate the skills they have learned and students to demonstrate their understanding of concepts and their depth of knowledge. Project-Based Approach to Learning Our Project-Based Approach to Learning promotes student engagement with learning in concrete ways and includes both the achievement of content learning objectives and the acquisition and development of core skills. Hands-on and multifaceted projects inspire students to apply what they’ve learned to the deeper exploration of a topic. Throughout each Project-Based Approach to Learning experience, teachers incorporate formative assessment to guide and develop students in their work. Teachers use multidimensional assessment, including providing meaningful feedback, asking guiding questions, and offering coaching assistance to promote student understanding and success. They also encourage student self-reflection to assess progress and to promote student selfassessment as they advance through a project. While completing their project work, students learn to engage in risk-taking with excitement and see mistakes as learning opportunities. Teachers engage the ProjectBased Approach to Learning to empower students and support specific and general academic success. Frequently, students
demonstrate their understanding and achievement before an authentic audience in an Exhibition of Knowledge for classmates, students, faculty, parents, or the larger School community. Revealing Growth Over Time Portfolios Throughout their Lower School years, students select work from multiple disciplines or interdisciplinary projects that demonstrate their growth, learning, and achievement. They include this work in a portfolio that moves with them from grade to grade as they progress. The portfolio also includes student reflections on individual pieces and year-end reviews. The portfolios are shared annually with the community at the end-of-year Portfolio Exhibitions. As a dynamic form of assessment, portfolios serve as both documentation and self-evaluation for Lower School students. In addition, portfolios are alternative forms of assessment that teachers use to help them understand student growth and progress throughout the year and from one school year to the next. Learning by Experience Field Trips The Boston area offers numerous educational resources and opportunities for young students to learn about science, history, art, culture, and many other topics. Throughout the school year, teachers plan field trips to a variety of local sites to augment and enhance their students’ classroom learning. Experiential Learning Lower School students have many opportunities to engage in experiential learning through classroom-related activities, field trips, community service, and Signature Programs. These programs are described in the pages that follow.
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Fostering Success Together: A Team Approach to Learning Support The Lower School provides academic support through a combination of strategies, systems, and dedicated personnel. Academic support is provided through direct instruction; inclassroom observation and feedback; evaluation and recommendations; and consultation around organization, study skills, and strategies. Teachers and specialists provide direct support to individual students or small groups in the classroom as a part of the Lower School’s teaching model. If more support is needed, teachers may also solicit the help of: • the School Nurse; • School Counselor; • the Lower School Student Support Team (SST); • Lower School administrators; and • the Director of Academic Services. The Lower School SST includes the Lower School Head, Assistant Head of Lower School, Assistant Head of School, Director of Academic Services, Director of Teaching and Learning, School Nurse, and Director of Counseling Services. The Lower School Learning Specialist works to support student academic progress and provides support to classroom teachers in several ways: • observing classes and offering feedback to teachers; • lending expertise on learning strategies and insight on appropriate and effective learning resources for instruction; • preparing learning profiles for students with educational assessments that indicate a range of learning differences; • measuring and interpreting student progress on and against a variety of standardized testing instruments; • teaching sections for specific academic support (e.g., reading literacy) as needed; and • meeting with students individually on an interim basis to help them with organization and study skills, learning strategies, academic goal-setting, and self-reflection. Putting Our Values into Action Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Social and emotional development is an integral part of the Lower School curriculum.
The Lower School’s vision statement for socialemotional learning (SEL), which aligns with the SEL core competencies identified and promoted by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), reads as follows: The Brimmer Core Values serve as the foundation upon which the Lower School community strives to authentically and actively practice respect, responsibility, kindness, equity, and honesty. To foster a sense of belonging, our community aspires to be inclusive, welcoming, and safe, where everyone’s contributions are valued and respected. SEL skills are built in an age-appropriate way: • Early Childhood SEL Skill Development includes becoming responsible friends, developing listening skills, cooperating, sharing, being kind and respectful to others, and building empathy and self-awareness among others. • Upper Elementary SEL Skill Development includes continuing to develop Early Childhood SEL Skills, building community, developing independence, finding and using one’s voice, and problem-solving. We seek to cultivate an environment where students feel safe and supported at school to achieve their personal best academically. Our Core Values, Buddy Groups, and the Share Assembly programs are designed to address this need. Additionally, students work to model the Core Values in all shared spaces. The Core Values in Action provide consistent ways we work together to model each of the Core Values. Under the guidance of the School’s mission, Lower School faculty work to develop social skills, promote ethical behavior by emphasizing individual responsibility and citizenship, and inspire personal integrity, compassion, and fairness.
Global Community Connections Integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) with community engagement helps students become empathetic and responsible global citizens. By participating in Buddy Groups and Share Assemblies, students learn to collaborate, lead, and empathize with their peers, creating a supportive learning environment. These activities serve as a foundation for understanding and addressing local and global issues through the lens of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through hands-on projects and discussions, students gain awareness of challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate action, fostering a sense of interconnectedness and responsibility. As students engage with the SDGs, they apply their social-emotional skills to real-world contexts, enhancing their ability to empathize and take initiative. They participate in projects that address community needs, such as clean-up drives and awareness campaigns, developing a deeper understanding of their impact on the world. This approach not only strengthens their SEL competencies but also nurtures proactive individuals who are committed to caring for their local and global communities. By connecting SEL with community engagement, we prepare students to be thoughtful, compassionate, and active contributors to society.
School community. In addition, service-learning opportunities support the development of social skills and empathy and an understanding of self and others. Community service also provides an opportunity to learn how to build rewarding relationships with peers, teachers, and other community members. We have a partnership with a local food pantry, and students visit multiple times a year. Our youngest start by providing notes of kindness, while our fifth graders take on the larger responsibility of working on the day of distribution. In addition, each grade level engages in service-learning work that connects to their grade-level curriculum.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Together with the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, the Lower School DEIB Committee, consisting of Lower School faculty and staff, develops and facilitates DEIB programming that focuses on identity, culture, representation, and experience. DEIB programming includes a global curriculum that begins with the study of self and community in Pre-Kindergarten and the world in Kindergarten and culminates in the Grade 5 study of Native Americans during the early colonial period. Throughout the Lower School years, students’ understanding and appreciation of cultures and communities around the globe broadens and Community Building and Service Learning deepens with each unit of study. The Lower School engages students in Beyond the academic curriculum, students community building at micro and macro levels: are also able to participate in DEIB-focused in Buddy Groups, in the classroom, in grade-level Share Assemblies, lunch groups, and after activities and programming, in Share Assemblies school clubs (when offered). Lower School and all-Lower School events, in all-School events, faculty participate in ongoing DEIB trainings and through community service with populations and professional development throughout the and organizations beyond the School campus. year, which equips them with the knowledge, Community building is important for young understanding, and language to engage learners who need a comfortable, safe, and with each student and to create equitable supportive educational environment to have the classrooms, where personal identity and selfopportunity to grow and reach their personal expression are valued. best in their academic work. Community service projects also play a vital role in the life of students and reflect the School’s mission, which promotes reaching beyond the brimmer.org 6|7
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Building Identity Through Self-Expression: Creative Arts and Portfolios The Creative Arts program provides students with hands-on activities that explore creativity and encourage self-expression. The art, drama, and music curricula are process oriented. Lessons are designed sequentially to develop literacy and essential skills. Classroom activities focus on students’ enjoyment and creation of art with one another. Students are introduced to aesthetics, historical context, cultures, and genres using prints, artifacts, music, and literature. The teachers integrate the creative arts curriculum with the academic curriculum and incorporate the use of technology for student learning and enrichment. Opportunities to share and exhibit creative expression are built into the year. Visual Arts The Visual Arts program begins in PreKindergarten and Kindergarten with exploration, enjoyment, observation, and selfexpression. From the very first days, students are welcomed into a cooperative studio environment where creativity is celebrated and every artist’s unique voice is respected. Through hands-on experience with the core elements of art — color, line, shape, form, texture, and space — young students explore a wide range of 2-D and 3-D materials and techniques including painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, and sculpture. Art is woven into the broader school experience through ongoing collaboration with classroom, music, and drama teachers. As students move through the early elementary grades, the program shifts from exploration toward greater self-awareness and independence. By Grade 2, students begin contributing their own ideas and recognizing themselves as creative thinkers. In Grade 3, the curriculum expands to include the principles of design — pattern, composition, and balance — and students start to observe and assess their own work alongside that of their peers. This growing critical awareness helps them appreciate there is no single “right” outcome, and each artist brings a distinct perspective to the same creative challenge. By Grades 4 and 5, students draw on a rich foundation of skills and are ready to apply them with real intention and independence. The guiding principles evolve to emphasize observation, abstraction, invention, and expression, and students are encouraged to make their own material and process choices based on accumulated experience. Informal critiques become a regular part of studio
life, where students articulate the strengths and challenges in their own work and offer constructive feedback to classmates. Connections to art history, community, and society deepen, and families are invited into the process through occasional research and journaling assignments that extend learning beyond the classroom. Drama The Drama program begins in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten by tapping into children’s instinct for imaginative play. At these earliest stages, the focus is on understanding the difference between pretend and reality, developing confidence, and building communication skills through movement, gesture, sound, and storytelling. Students are introduced to foundational theater concepts — character, setting, and story — and begin learning what it means to be both a performer and a respectful audience member. Throughout, drama is closely connected to classroom themes, reinforcing learning across the curriculum. In Grades 1 and 2, the program moves into the Theatre, where students grow increasingly comfortable sharing their work on an actual stage. Lessons deepen their storytelling skills, expand their listening and communication abilities, and place a growing emphasis on cooperation and ensemble work. Students continue to bring stories to life through roleplay while also beginning to create original theater. Reflection and self-assessment are gradually introduced, helping students develop awareness of themselves as young artists within a creative community. In Grades 3, 4, and 5, students take on significantly more complex and independent
theatrical work. Grade 3 introduces scripted dialogue and culminates in a formal French play production. In Grade 4, students develop skills in improvisation, memorization, and playwriting, and collaborate with Grade 5 on a full dramatic musical. By Grade 5, students bring their cumulative theatrical experience to bear across multiple performance opportunities—navigating auditions, rehearsals, and full productions while keeping reflective journals to deepen their character work. At every stage, the drama program fosters not only performance skills but also community, creative confidence, and thoughtful artistic self-reflection. Music The Music program begins in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten by honoring every child’s natural responsiveness to sound. At these earliest stages, students explore foundational musical concepts such as steady beat, high and low pitch, loud and quiet, and the difference between a singing voice and a speaking voice. Learning happens joyfully through singing games, expressive movement, active listening, and improvisation. The repertoire is intentionally broad, drawing from traditional children’s songs, folk music, classical music, and a wide variety of world cultures — reflecting the idea that music is a universal and deeply human experience.
As students move through Grades 1 and 2, musical engagement deepens and becomes more structured. Concepts expand to include melody, form, dynamics, and timbre, and students begin learning to read, write, and decode music using traditional notation. The soprano recorder is introduced in Grade 2 for melodic performance and note reading, and students get their first introduction to concert band and orchestra instruments. Throughout these grades, ensemble skills are increasingly emphasized — students learn what it means to listen to one another, cooperate, and contribute to shared musical expression. By Grades 3, 4, and 5, students bring a solid musical foundation to increasingly sophisticated work. Notation skills continue to develop, and students compose music using modern technology alongside traditional instruments. The curriculum broadens further to include folk dances, singing games, and participation in the Grades 4 and 5 Creative Arts Performance and Chorus concerts. Beginning in Grade 3, students also have the opportunity to join the school band: a meaningful milestone that introduces ensemble performance as a yearlong commitment. By Grade 5, students engage with music as confident, well-rounded young musicians who can listen analytically, perform expressively, and create with both imagination and skill.
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Anywhere Can Be a Classroom. Here, Everywhere Is. Growing Daily Discoveries The Lower School Garden The Lower School Garden is a fully functioning garden and outdoor classroom where students learn about ecology and connect with nature, learn about healthy eating and where their food comes from, and learn to take care of the environment. Each grade level, PK - 5, helps maintain this green space through various hands-on activities such as planting and tending vegetables and flowers, tilling soil, weeding, watering, pruning, and harvesting. The garden is integrated into the Lower School curriculum and allows Brimmer students to engage in authentic scientific observation and inquiry in an outdoor setting, right on campus. The garden expands classroom lessons and gives students opportunities to think critically and apply content knowledge to the natural world. The garden is pesticide- and herbicidefree and features raised vegetable beds, raincollecting barrels, and compost stations. It also contains a beautiful collection of native perennial plants that support the pollinator population. Preparing for a Complex World Library and Digital Literacy The Christopher Jones Lower School Library, located in McCoy Hall, serves students in PK - Grade 5. The library program focuses on fostering open-minded, diverse readers and critical thinking and research skills. Library lessons connect to what the students are learning in the classroom and reinforce the Core Values. All students visit the library once a week during a scheduled class focused on building information and digital literacy skills and growing their love of reading and literature. Research and information skills are taught in an age-appropriate way to build a strong foundation for later academic work and research in middle and high school. The Lower School Librarian works closely with classroom teachers to support the work happening in the classroom and to collaborate on research projects throughout the year. The librarian also helps students develop literacy skills that
apply directly to the project work students are completing in language arts, science, and social studies. In the library, students learn how to sift through library resources and the vast amount of information available, how to evaluate the information they find, and how to use it effectively in their classwork. Fostering Healthy Habits Physical Education Brimmer’s Physical Education (PE) Department seeks to provide all students with a safe and friendly environment so they can develop and enhance their movement skills. Teachers instill the importance of rules, safety, values, and sportsmanship. They prepare students for the future application of skills and encourage regular exercise and sports participation for healthy living and enjoyment. The PE program begins in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten by introducing students to the joy of movement and the foundational idea that physical activity is good for both the body and the spirit. At these earliest stages, the emphasis is on fun and exploration: students engage in a wide range of movement activities and games that build comfort, coordination, and a positive relationship with physical activity from the very start. As students move through the elementary grades, the program steadily grows in depth and complexity. In Grades 1 and 2, individual movement skills are developed alongside cooperative play, and students begin learning what it means to work with classmates in structured activities, games, and introductory sports. In Grades 3 and 4, activities increasingly require strategy, tactics, and teamwork, and students are introduced to a wider range of fitness and movement experiences. In Grade 5, students engage with a broad selection of sports and fitness activities — both individually and as part of a team — and begin to develop the physical confidence and versatility that will serve them well in Middle School. Throughout all grades, sportsmanship is consistently emphasized alongside the goal of making physical activity fun, rewarding, and enjoyable.
Interscholastic Athletics For students in Grades 4 and 5, the Athletic Department offers an optional after school interscholastic sports program across all three seasons — soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and baseball/softball and ultimate frisbee in the spring. These programs provide students with their first meaningful experience of competitive athletics, including structured team practices, working with a coach, understanding game rules and strategies, and the responsibilities of sportsmanship in a formal setting. Grade 5 serves as a bridge to the fuller athletic offerings of Middle School, where interscholastic team sports become available to all students throughout the year. Building Fluency—and Empathy World Languages The Lower School’s World Languages Program focuses on the importance of beginning instruction at an early age. French is introduced to Lower School students in Pre-Kindergarten and continues through Grade 4. In Grade 5 students rotate between three languages: French, Mandarin, and Spanish. The program begins in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten by capitalizing on a young child’s natural capacity for language acquisition. French is introduced through music, games, puppets, stories, and structured play, with a strong emphasis on ear training and oral communication. The philosophy behind this early start is rooted in research: the younger a child begins engaging with a second language, the more naturally and deeply that language
takes hold. Building familiarity with French at this stage lays the groundwork not only for future French proficiency but also for broader language learning throughout a student’s life. From Grades 1 through 4, the curriculum builds systematically using the Story in Action program, which teaches French through storytelling, songs, role-play, and real communication situations. A distinctive feature of these years is the Gesture Approach, which pairs vocabulary with physical hand signs, making language learning accessible across different learning styles. Classes are conducted almost entirely in French, immersing students in the language during every lesson. As students progress, all four language skills — reading, writing, listening, and speaking — receive equal attention. A highlight of the middle grades is the annual French play in Grade 3, a rich interdisciplinary production that brings together world language, drama, music, and visual arts in a genuine celebration of the school’s collaborative curriculum. Grade 5 marks a pivot point in the program. Rather than continuing solely with French, students spend a trimester exploring each of three world languages — French, Mandarin, and Spanish — along with the cultures, geography, and traditions of the regions where those languages are spoken. This exploratory year is intentionally designed to broaden students’ global awareness and help them make an informed choice about which language they will pursue in Middle School, sending them forward with curiosity, confidence, and a meaningful foundation in world language learning.
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Early Childhood (PK - Grade 1) Discovering Self, Family, and Community Teacher-guided lessons are balanced with hands-on, multisensory learning activities and imaginative, exploratory play. Students’ academic learning is supported by the explicit teaching of social-emotional skills, including Brimmer’s Core Values of Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Honesty, and Equity. Intentionally small class sizes allow us to offer a personalized approach that moves fluidly between individual, small group, and whole group instruction. Recognizing that there are distinct social, emotional, physical, and intellectual characteristics that define each stage of a child’s development, the early childhood curriculum is developed with these considerations in mind.
Pre-Kindergarten CENTRAL QUESTION: What is my role in my community?
community, Pre-Kindergarten students are guided by Brimmer’s Core Values of Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Honesty, and Equity.
Thematic Studies The Pre-Kindergarten curriculum is centered Overview around thematic studies that integrate the The Pre-Kindergarten program offers a joyful different subject areas and incorporate and inviting entry into school. Each fall, the children’s literature, imaginative play, guided teachers welcome students into the classroom lessons, and hands-on exploration. Different and work intentionally to build a sense of themes focus on the young child’s everyday life community among them. Through Drop-Ins and and begin with an exploration of self, health Share Assemblies, Pre-Kindergarten teachers and wellness, and one’s unique identity. Moving establish warm, supportive relationships with beyond oneself, students explore their families, students and collaborative partnerships with their communities, and the natural world, families. Recognizing that young children learn particularly animals of interest. Thematic studies best when the connection between home and integrate reading, writing, science, and STEAM, school is strong, teachers take time and care in and they allow students to explore topics of establishing these relationships. interest and pursue them in greater depth. The Pre-Kindergarten program offers a rich, integrated curriculum that reflects the Language Arts developmental characteristics of four- and The Pre-Kindergarten language arts curriculum five-year-old children. Teachers establish daily focuses on developing a love of books and routines and schedules that match the natural reading and introduces students to foundational rhythms of young learners and provide a sense skills in literacy, including rhyme, alliteration, of predictability. Through teacher-guided phonemic awareness, and story elements. Songs lessons, songs, and games and intentionally and games during circle time and hands-on designed learning centers, children are invited activities in literacy centers reinforce these skills. to explore a range of activities across different High-interest fiction and nonfiction literature fills disciplines. Hands-on learning experiences offer the classroom and is used to launch thematic freedom of movement and exploration and studies, teach science and math concepts, build opportunities to engage in science and math social-emotional skills, and enjoy a wonderful curricula. Throughout the day, students may work story told. Through shared read-alouds and independently, with a friend, in a small group, or independent “reading,” students are made with the whole class. While navigating different familiar with the basic concepts of print. centers in the classroom, circle activities, and At the start of the year, teachers introduce both indoor and outdoor play, students learn to students to the names, forms, and sounds mediate conflict and negotiate with peers. As of the letters in their own names to support members of the classroom and School their emerging understanding of alphabetic
principles. Through hands-on, sensory activities, students build fine motor skills and continue to explore the forms and sounds of the uppercase alphabet. With daily practice writing their names and free drawing across the curriculum, students refine the accuracy of their letter formation, letter sound associations, and their representational drawings. Social Studies The social studies curriculum is integrated into the Pre-Kindergarten thematic studies and is focused on the Central Question: What is my role in my community? Through literature, teacherguided activities, and free, imaginative play, students explore a variety of themes focused on self, family, community, and the natural world. Inquiry into one’s own identity helps students develop an appreciation of the rich diversity that exists among them and an honoring of their differences. Curriculum is developed and materials are selected through a culturally responsive and anti-bias, anti-racist lens. Math The Pre-Kindergarten math curriculum introduces early numeracy through storytelling, nonfiction literature, hands-on activities, exploration of the natural world, and relevant experiences. Students explore concepts such as counting, sorting, comparing and classifying, patterning, sequencing, measuring, and interpreting student-created graphs. Students build number sense through meaningful, realworld experiences and spatial awareness and simple geometric concepts through art and imaginative play, including building with blocks and constructing with 2- and 3-D materials. Engineering design challenges further these skills and students’ critical thinking as they imagine, plan, construct, test, modify, and invent solutions. Science and STEAM The Pre-Kindergarten science and STEAM curricula build on the natural curiosity and wonder of young children. During teacherled walks on campus, recess on the newly
designed playground, and time spent in the Lower School Garden, students actively explore and develop an appreciation for the natural world. In the classroom, through hands-on experiments, inquiries, and design challenges, students are guided to observe, make predictions, test hypotheses, gather information, and think creatively. Whether collecting bits of nature to create self-portraits, coding KIBO robots to provide locomotion to student-designed transportation systems, or studying the life cycles of different animals, students are actively engaged and exploring scientific concepts using all their senses.
Kindergarten CENTRAL QUESTION: What can I learn from the world around me? Overview The Kindergarten program offers a rich, integrated curriculum that reflects the developmental characteristics of five- and six-year-old children. Students at this age are both imaginative and literal. They learn best in an environment where they are free to explore and, at the same time, understand boundaries and expectations. Classroom activities reflect the growing energy and enthusiasm of the emerging six-year-old while also providing the support and consistency required of the more cautious five-year-old student. As cognitive skills grow, so do their physical beings, curiosity, and fine and gross motor skills. The Kindergarten curriculum integrates the different content areas into an overarching theme: the world. Subjects are taught interchangeably and without boundaries so students can explore topics in greater depth and detail. Students can be found practicing math concepts while immersed in the social studies curriculum, building literacy skills using educational technology, or discovering the wonders of science through social studies and STEAM-related design projects. Our program builds on the magical and ambitious thinking of brimmer.org 12|13
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children at this age while also introducing them to more formal learning. Language Arts The Kindergarten language arts curriculum focuses on developing a love of reading and building foundational skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Throughout each day, Kindergarten students interact with rich, engaging literature that helps to build vocabulary, knowledge of story elements, and comprehension skills, including sequencing, making inferences, predicting, and connecting with different texts. Explicit, teacher-guided phonics and writing instruction is balanced with shared read-alouds, book discussions, guided reading groups, independent reading, open responses in journals, hands-on activities in literacy centers, and literacy-related art and drama experiences. Students work on building decoding and encoding skills, including sound-symbol relationships, phonemic awareness, rhyme, and syllabication, while also building knowledge of specific sight words and comfort and ease with inventive spelling and written expression. Fine motor activities throughout the day help to develop hand strength and handwriting skills. Morning meetings, read-alouds, and cooperative learning group activities help students become active listeners and build confidence in expressing their ideas. While students participate in daily reading and writing lessons, language arts learning is incorporated into every subject and is prevalent throughout each day. Social Studies The Kindergarten social studies curriculum launches students on a journey to becoming global citizens. The year begins with an exploration of maps, highlighting the continents and the countries where students have personal connections. Through the Where Are We Traveling? curricula, students begin to develop an understanding of identity, diversity, community, and social activism, as well as early understandings of globalization and
interdependence. Through hands-on activities, authentic stories, Share Assemblies, virtual field trips, artifact museums in the classroom, and a variety of design projects, students “travel” the globe learning about each of the seven continents. With an anti-bias, antiracist approach, students explore family life, language, geography, education, celebrations, and animal habitats. Students simultaneously build social-emotional skills, including selfawareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decisionmaking. Science and STEAM The Kindergarten science and STEAM curricula are designed to foster curiosity, exploration, discovery, and a love of the natural world. Embracing the unique characteristics of fiveand six-year-old learners, science knowledge and skills are built through engaging, hands-on activities across different content areas. The science curriculum incorporates the question “What makes up the Earth?” and is integrated into the yearlong study of the continents. As students visit each continent, they learn about diverse habitats and ecosystems with a focus on endangered species. They also study the states of matter and the life cycles of different flora and fauna as they travel around the world. Across the curriculum, students are guided through experiments and STEAM-related design challenges that encourage observation, inquiry, data collection, and analysis. Through the Design Process, they develop problemsolving skills and find increasing comfort with using their own creativity to iterate and solve simple design challenges. Math The Kindergarten math program focuses on building number sense, utilizing multiple approaches to solving mathematical problems, and communicating mathematical reasoning. Students build their knowledge and skills in the following core content areas: • representing, relating, and operating on whole numbers;
• creating and extending patterns, collecting data, and constructing and interpreting graphs; and • describing, categorizing and sorting 2-D and 3-D shapes based on attributes. Throughout their explorations, Kindergarteners utilize manipulatives for problem-solving, explaining their mathematical thinking, and following multistep directions.
Grade 1 CENTRAL QUESTION: What is courage? Overview The Grade 1 curriculum reflects the curiosity, excitement, and growing cognitive abilities of six- and seven-year-old students. While teaching specific academic skills, teachers also focus on the social-emotional learning (SEL) of students through circle activities, SEL-based design projects, and cooperative learning experiences. Because relationships with peers play a vital role in the daily experience and healthy development of early childhood students, teachers work intentionally to develop problem-solving skills and comfort and confidence with navigating conflict. The Grade 1 curriculum is extensively integrated. This allows students and teachers to delve more deeply into topics and build their understanding of areas of study through explicit, teacher-guided instruction, as well as hands-on experiences in learning centers, in the Design Lab, and across a variety of disciplines. The school year is marked by significant development in the areas of literacy and numeracy, as well as in a student’s ability to think more broadly and deeply. Language Arts The Grade 1 language arts program focuses on continuing to build a love of reading, as well as more advanced early reading and literacy skills. Explicit, teacher-guided phonics and writing instruction is balanced with shared read-alouds,
book discussions, guided reading groups, independent reading, open-response writing activities, and hands-on activities in literacy centers. Across activities, language arts instruction focuses on phonics, reading, and writing skills. Teachers use a variety of texts, including fiction and nonfiction, to meet the needs and interests of individual readers. While following a sequence of specific reading comprehension strategies, teachers also organize smaller guided reading groups to differentiate instruction and provide each reader with the appropriate level of challenge. Formal and informal assessments are performed throughout the year to respond to students’ strengths and areas of challenge. Teachers use the writing workshop model to help students express their ideas in writing and develop specific writing skills. Students practice letter formation, writing in complete sentences, and crafting a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Conferencing with their teacher and sharing their writing with peers help students learn to edit and generate new ideas. Social Studies The Grade 1 social studies curriculum focuses on the peoples and the geography of North America, including the United States and Mexico. With an integrated and anti-bias, antiracist approach that incorporates language arts, science, and social studies subjects, students explore the genre of biography and learn about the courageous individuals who demonstrated perseverance in the pursuit of a just, equitable world. Students engage in the study and creation of diverse maps, analyze and compare the different regions of the United States, and delve into the geography and cultural traditions of Mexico. Math The Grade 1 math program focuses on building foundational math skills and concepts. First Grade students build their knowledge and skill in the following core content areas: • understanding addition and subtraction with a focus on developing number sense brimmer.org 14|15
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and utilizing strategies for solving problems involving addition and subtraction; understanding whole number relationships and place value, including grouping in tens and ones; exploring linear measurement with both standard and non-standard units; reasoning about the attributes of and composing and decomposing 2-D and 3-D geometric shapes; and telling time to the nearest hour and half hour.
In addition to explicit, teacher-guided lessons, students explore math concepts in daily math centers that address the needs of each learner. Math center activities include interactive math journals, hands-on learning opportunities, and cooperative games. Science and STEAM The Grade 1 science and STEAM curricula are focused on developing skills and knowledge in the areas of physical, earth, and life sciences, as
well as scientific inquiry, technology, engineering, and the Design Process. While studying simple machines, first graders learn about force and motion, and they also collaborate with Grade 5 buddies and science “experts.” In their study of the elements of the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars, they explore a variety of hands-on activities, fiction and nonfiction literature, and artintegrated projects. Moving closer to home and an area of particular interest, our young scientists study pond ecosystems of the Northeast, as well as the life cycle of frogs. Throughout their studies, including units on coding, students learn about the scientific process. They make and record observations, hypothesize, make predictions, plan and carry out investigations and experiments, and draw conclusions. Consistent with their experience with the Design Process, students engage in inquiry-based handson projects, problem-solving, and iterative practices.
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Grade 2 Connecting Across Cultures and Communities CENTRAL QUESTIONS: What makes us different? What makes us similar? Overview Children come to Grade 2 inquisitive about the world and stimulated by the wealth of information provided by the written word. The teachers’ goal is to create a diverse environment in which children feel empowered to take risks and experiment with the world around them. The curriculum is designed to help students recognize their unique talents and interests and to promote enthusiasm for learning. As in all the Lower School grades, teachers are committed to educating the whole child. Language Arts The Grade 2 language arts program is a balanced literacy block consisting of fluency, comprehension, writing, and word study. Through the reading workshop model, students are exposed to daily mini lessons that develop and enhance reading strategies. Students engage in small, differentiated literature groups, which focus on decoding, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and expression. Students are also exposed to a variety of genres in their reading selections. Read-alouds are often utilized to model good reading practices and to connect to and support a unit of study. Independent reading activities allow students to apply learned skills. Similar to the previous grade levels, explicit teacher-guided phonics and writing instruction continue to grow already established spelling and phonics skills. A writing workshop model is used to enhance writing projects, including narratives, personal journals, opinions, and expository reports. Students participate in writing exercises across all subjects. They learn to use writing conventions and mechanics and are encouraged to enrich their stories with additional details. They start to develop skills in editing for basic punctuation, spelling, and clarity and begin to revise their writing for content and structure.
Social Studies Grade 2 begins the school year exploring maps and defining important terms such as city, state, country, and continent. Students learn about Massachusetts and its various geographic features, and they make connections to its history. To continue building their sense of global citizenship and to explore how another culture and place is both similar to and different from their own, students spend the second half of the year studying Brazil. They examine the country’s culture, peoples, history, and geography. To demonstrate mastery, students showcase their knowledge to the Brimmer community in the Grade 2 Brazil Exhibition. Opportunities for verbal and written expression are presented throughout the curriculum. Math The Grade 2 math program focuses on extending and securing foundational math skills and concepts. Second Grade students build their knowledge and skills in the following core content areas: • extending understanding of base-ten notation; • building fluency with addition and subtraction; • using standard units of measure; and • describing and analyzing shapes. Students develop fluency, flexibility, and problem-solving strategies through teacher-guided lessons, independent practice and small group explorations. They engage in hands-on activities focused on developing connections between concrete, representational, and abstract ideas. Science and STEAM The Lower School Science and STEAM programs are dynamic, hands-on curricula that utilize authentic experiences to build skills such as critical thinking, inquiry, collaboration, and empathy. Through the STEAM program, students learn to think like innovators and develop problem-solving skills using the Design Process. Students engage
in engineering tasks that are reflective of their curricular content. For example, students design erosion barriers to prevent a building from collapsing during the study of soil. The science program captures children’s curiosity through hands-on investigation and exploration. Students in each grade level cover the three major science disciplines: life science, physical science, and earth science. Topics covered include soil, the human body, light and color, and engineering. Using an inquirybased approach, students learn to ask scientific questions and find answers to these questions as they construct their understanding of scientific concepts. Students have opportunities to investigate a problem, search for solutions, make observations, ask questions, test their ideas, and draw conclusions. Students plan and investigate collaboratively to uncover data that can be used as evidence to answer a question. The science program is rooted in the notion that scientific concepts are best learned when students’ curiosity is heightened when they feel empowered to take charge of their own learning. In the spring, second graders team up with third graders for an engineering ColLab. Students have an opportunity to engage in fun engineering tasks with a mixed cohort. It is also a wonderful opportunity for the students to get to know a future Grade 3 teacher.
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Grade 3 Discovering How Place Shapes People CENTRAL QUESTION: How do geography, climate, and natural resources affect the way people live and thrive? Overview The Grade 3 program develops each child’s intellectual, physical, social, and emotional skills. In the classroom, teachers seek to build communities in which all children feel accepted and respected. In this atmosphere of trust, the focus is on building each child’s sense of confidence and responsibility. As students explore the continent of Africa throughout the year, they continue to develop their understanding of community, near and far, and how communities live and thrive relative to their geography, resources, and culture. Through carefully scaffolded hands-on projects and authentic learning opportunities, third graders grow to overcome challenges and ask inquiry questions to develop their own understandings while navigating a path to independence. They become active stakeholders in their own learning as they move into the highly integrated curriculum of the Upper Elementary grade levels. In Grade 3, students explore the question: How do geography, climate, and natural resources affect the way people live and thrive? As students navigate the water forms around the world, explore the unique adaptations of insects and plants, construct homes suitable to the different African regions, and consider the ways climate change affects the water cycle, they engage in open discussions, written reflections, scholarly research, and scientific discovery to delve into how communities of peoples, animals, and plants strive to live and thrive in their surroundings. Language Arts The Grade 3 language arts program balances critical thinking, active listening, and meaningful reading and writing activities. Students continue to build on their fluency, decoding, written expression, writing mechanics, and grammar skills. However, this approach is used
not only in language arts classes but also in the integration of the reading and writing programs with other curricular areas, specifically science and social studies curricula (this includes both fiction and nonfiction reading and writing). Students develop their inferencing and critical thinking skills as they respond to the literature in writing and by sharing ideas within their Literature Circles. A wide variety of reading experiences are offered in Grade 3. Developmentally, third grade students are transitioning into the stage where they are reading to learn. Third graders learn to summarize information, identify causeeffect, make predictions, compare and contrast information from different sources, and connect prior knowledge and experience from their own lives to information found in a text. Literacy skills such as making inferences, reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and critical thinking continue to grow as students work toward independence. Teachers provide opportunities for oral reading and discussion, sustained silent reading, and shared reading. A writing workshop model is used to help students continue to sharpen their writing skills. Written expression focuses on the craft of writing, which includes organization, idea development, word choice, and writer’s voice. Topics included in writing mechanics instruction are grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Students engage in different genres of writing, such as narrative, opinion, poetry, and expository, to fine-tune their ability to write topic sentences, develop full paragraphs, summarize and identify main ideas, and express themselves clearly and creatively. Students work with level-appropriate word sort exercises to build their knowledge and understanding of different word patterns. Social Studies Throughout their school year, students focus on the Central Question: How do geography, climate, and natural resources affect the way people live and thrive? As students explore the various units in social studies and science, they develop an understanding of what living things need to live and thrive on Earth.
The social studies program in Grade 3 helps students think inquisitively about the world. Students explore the continent of Africa through the perspective of geography and how it affects the way people and animals live. Throughout the year, students examine different cultures and communities and how their surroundings affect the way they live and how they survive. Much of the social studies content is integrated with the language arts program. Relevant novels and primary and secondary resources serve as tools to teach students about perspective and point of view. The students learn note-taking strategies, how to present their research in written form, and how to deliver information in their first public speaking exhibition. Math The Grade 3 math program reinforces and extends the foundational math concepts introduced in the younger grades. Third Grade students build their knowledge and skill in the following core content areas: • understanding multiplication and division and utilizing strategies to solve problems involving multiplication and division within 100; • interpreting and representing fractions, with a focus on understanding and manipulating unit fractions; • understanding the structure of rectangular arrays and finding the area and perimeter of rectilinear shapes; and • describing and analyzing two-dimensional shapes.
Through guided instruction, hands-on learning, and strategic problem-solving, all learners work to gain a strong conceptual understanding and build mathematical flexibility and fluency. Science and STEAM A hands-on inquiry-based approach is the foundation for the Grade 3 Science and STEAM programs. Students in each grade level cover the three major science disciplines: life science, physical science, and earth science. Students are encouraged to ask questions, explore concepts, collect data, and develop inferences based on their observations. Students study insects and plants, the role of water on Earth, and mixtures and solutions. Using an inquiry-based approach, students learn to ask scientific questions and find answers to these questions as they construct their own understanding of scientific concepts. Students have opportunities to investigate a problem, search for solutions, make observations, ask questions, test their ideas, and draw conclusions. As in all the grades in the Lower School, STEAM projects are integrated into each grade-level curriculum. Students rely on the Design Process thinking routine to build and test the prototypes they create. Third graders are encouraged to approach each new task with empathy and ingenuity. In the spring, third graders team up with second graders for a monthlong engineering ColLab: an opportunity to engage in fun engineering tasks with a mixed cohort.
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Grade 4 Understanding Culture, Identity, and the World CENTRAL QUESTION: What is Identity? What is Culture? Overview Grade 4 students immerse themselves in the study of Asia. Two important questions— What is Identity? What is Culture?—help frame the students’ inquiry of the vibrant and unique cultures, traditions, and peoples of this continent. Students achieve a deeper understanding through carefully designed learning experiences that blend multisensory activities, opportunities for trial and error, and individualized instruction to achieve clearly established goals. A thoughtfully integrated curriculum affords students the opportunity to delve more deeply into topics, to problem solve, and to interpret concepts. With teachers as guides, fourth graders engage in a variety of learning experiences that foster cooperation, respect, independence, and perseverance. Personal responsibility is the cornerstone of the school year; the curriculum instills the tenets of the School’s mission to foster lifelong learning to prepare students to be global and ethical citizens. Language Arts The Grade 4 language arts program is a literature-based curriculum that weaves reading comprehension, research, and writing together. The “reading to learn” concept continues its trajectory in Grade 4. Students become active participants in the integrated theme study by exploring a variety of literature throughout the year. Numerous nonfiction and fiction texts are introduced to students as they develop a deeper understanding of culture and identity. Students begin to dissect their readings and dig deeper, moving beyond recall of plot events and main characters. Moving beyond the recall of basic details related to plot, students begin to examine text at a deeper level by making inferences, interpreting imagery and themes, and analyzing characters. Response journals are utilized to develop and practice written expression. These skills are developed through class discussions, as well as
response journals where students incorporate new and theme-related vocabulary. Students begin to look at the material they are reading not just as readers but also as writers. Published works serve as mentor texts for developing writers and as models for a variety of genres: folktales, opinion writing, poetry, and expository writing. Mini lessons focus on elaboration, organization, revision, mechanics, and grammar. Students become active proofreaders and editors of their own work as they move toward a deeper understanding of the writing process. As in Grade 3, students work with level-appropriate word sort exercises to build their knowledge and understanding of different word patterns. Social Studies Grade 4 students engage in an integrated study of Asia throughout the year. They consider the various elements that shape culture and identity, and they observe and interpret the connections between these elements. Students use literature, both fiction and nonfiction, to learn about the various people and places that make up the continent of Asia. They engage in a variety of writing projects and have opportunities for reflection as they move through the timeline of Asian history. Students examine the culture and environment of Pan-Asia through informational readings and integrated projects. The annual FourthFest celebration highlights the history, geography, culture, and traditions Asian countries. Finally, students end the year exploring the cultural and social contributions of all immigrants to America with a special focus on the AsianAmerican experience. Math The Grade 4 math program supports students in utilizing foundational math skills to solve increasingly complex problems, with a focus on the following core content areas: • developing understanding and fluency with both multi-digit multiplication and dividing to find quotients involving multi-digit dividends;
• understanding fraction equivalence, addition and subtraction of fractions with like denominators, and multiplication of fractions by whole numbers; and • analyzing and classifying geometric figures based on properties, such as having parallel sides, perpendicular sides, particular angle measures, and symmetry. Through guided instruction, hands-on learning, and strategic problem-solving, all learners work to gain a strong conceptual understanding and mathematical flexibility. Science and STEAM Throughout the Lower School, science investigations require that students become actively engaged in experiments to help them better understand the scientific process. Students in each grade level cover the three major science disciplines: life science, physical science, and earth science. Through an inquiry-based approach, students learn to construct their own meaning of scientific concepts. Students have opportunities to investigate a problem, search for solutions, make observations, ask questions, test their ideas, and draw conclusions.
Through the course of the year, students study geology and investigate the characteristics of rocks and minerals as they learn how to identify various specimens. The electricity and magnetism unit introduces concepts in physical science that relate to energy and change. Through hands-on investigations, students explore the concepts of positive and negative charges, circuits, and alternative energy. Fourth graders also study one of the most complex machines ever created—the human body. The students learn the cellular makeup of muscles as well as how muscle filaments make the muscle contract or relax. Equipped with this knowledge, students are challenged to design a prototype of a robotic arm. The year culminates in an Environmental ColLab where students from Grades 4 and 5 collaborate to find solutions to a range of environmental problems faced by the global community. Grade 4 students are well versed in the Design Process. Applying science concepts and content knowledge from other disciplines is automatic. Students design engineering projects to meet challenges, learn the fundamentals of coding, and actively apply technology skills to a variety of theme-based ideas. brimmer.org 22|23
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Grade 5 Growing as Leaders, Thinkers, and Citizens CENTRAL QUESTION: What is strength of character? Overview The Grade 5 program is robust and highly interdisciplinary; the teachers encourage students to think creatively and challenge themselves to reach new levels of achievement. The comprehensive curriculum is integrated across disciplines, embodying academic rigor and creating innovative approaches to motivate and challenge each child and engage every student’s learning style. Different elements of the curriculum are connected by the Central Question: What is strength of character? Over the course of the year, students analyze this question as it relates to themselves and to others. The pedagogical approach, termed “Windows and Mirrors,” fosters a thoughtful understanding of oneself and others and how we connect with people and events in literature, history, math, and science. Through the lens of strength of character, students explore the path to the United States’ Revolutionary War. They delve deeply into the research and reflect on the qualities that embody strength of character. In this way, fifth graders practice reading, writing, creative arts, technology, and presentation skills through an interdisciplinary approach in which teachers connect their coursework to these topics and the following themes: change, community, and character. As leaders of the Lower School, students reflect on these themes, strengthening self-knowledge and taking risks that allow for greater confidence as they transition to Middle School. Language Arts The Grade 5 language arts program is a literature-based curriculum that is integrated with the social studies program. Students continue to develop and strengthen their vocabulary, comprehension, and written and oral language skills as they prepare for Middle School. Literature explores the traits and motivations of why and how a character demonstrates strength of character. Students develop strategies to help them understand
written text. A gradual shift toward more advanced text and analytical thinking continues in the program. Students learn to read a text closely and examine it on many interpretive levels. Reading is practiced both orally and silently. In addition, students enjoy and benefit from having novels read aloud to them by their teachers. The goal of the language arts program is to encourage students to express themselves creatively and to understand the commitment that successful writers must make to their writing. The writing process continues to play an important role in how students engage in writing projects. In their writing, students work on organizational structure, idea development, language conventions, and revision of work. Social Studies The Grade 5 social studies program is designed to help students develop an understanding of the American past, as well as to promote awareness and reflection of how the country came to be where it is today. The Grade 5 social studies curriculum focuses on the central theme of “strength of character” as students explore early American colonization and the road to the American Revolution. Research skills are incorporated into the study of the history, geography, and economics of these time periods and events. Critical thinking skills are promoted as students learn to observe, compare, classify, predict, and think reasonably and reflectively when looking at different examples of strength of character throughout history. Students begin to understand the perspective and experiences of the many people who composed and built early America and consider the impact on today’s world. They conduct various exhibition projects during the year, including a Mars Colony Exhibition and a final project, the Grade 5 Capstone Exhibition, a culmination of students’ work in the Lower School. Students are assigned a topic and asked to analyze and identify the characteristics of an individual or group who demonstrates strength of character.
Math The Grade 5 math program focuses on deepening students’ understanding and application of foundational mathematical concepts, preparing them for the more complex work of middle school. Fifth Grade students build their knowledge and skill in the following core content areas: • operations with fractions, including building fluency with addition and subtraction of fractions and understanding of multiplication and division of fractions; • operations with whole numbers and decimals to the hundredths, building fluency and extending division to include two-digit divisors; and • understanding volume. Through guided instruction and exploration, students deepen their number sense and develop algebraic reasoning and strategic problem-solving skills. Science and STEAM Throughout the Lower School, science investigations require that students become actively engaged in experiments to help them better understand the scientific process. Students in each grade level cover the three major science disciplines: life science, physical
science, and earth science. Through an inquirybased approach, students learn to construct their own meaning of scientific concepts, investigate a problem, search for solutions, make observations, ask questions, test their ideas, and draw conclusions. Grade 5 students continue to learn the scientific method using a hands-on, inquirybased approach. The Grade 5 science curriculum is designed with several objectives in mind: to understand that science is all around us, to develop critical thinking skills and the ability to communicate scientific concepts, to develop cooperative and purposeful work habits with peers, and to empower students to be responsible for their own learning. Students explore the concepts of simple machines, astronomy, and living systems. The year culminates in an Environmental ColLab where students from Grades 4 and 5 collaborate to find solutions to a range of environmental problems that face the global community. In addition, students in Grade 5 work both independently and collaboratively to create several interdisciplinary STEAM projects using the Design Process. Students design engineering projects to meet challenges, learn the fundamentals of coding, and actively apply technology skills to a variety of themebased ideas.
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Signature Programs Embracing Learning Through Experience The Lower School Signature Programs enhance the core curriculum and provide students with an opportunity to apply what they have learned to interdisciplinary problem-solving. These programs include project work using the Design Process (see earlier “Lower School Approach” section) with an experiential education component. Teachers encourage students to use their experiences to enhance their classroom learning. ColLabs Engineering ColLab The Engineering ColLab is designed to promote collaboration among students in Grades 2 and 3. Units are focused two-week, hands-on experiences that help students develop an understanding of engineering. Units have included: • Bridge Building • Hot-Air Balloons (understanding how they work and building one) • Bouncy Balls (making balls that can bounce as high as possible) • Dog Biscuit Carriers (made with recycled materials) STEAM/Environmental ColLab The STEAM/Environmental ColLab is an inquirybased science program for Grades 4 and 5 that promotes active learning by challenging students to think and work both independently and collaboratively. During this two-year interactive program, students explore eight topics relating to nature and the environment. Topics are Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Climate Change, Gardening, Composting, Water Use, Animal Biomimicry, and Water Filtration. Units are focused (as above) two-week, hands-on experiences that bring the current environmental concerns to life for the students. Design Lab The Lower School Makerspace is a space that allows students to be collaborative, innovative, flexible, persistent, and self-motivated. The students engage in design and STEAM projects using the Design Process. Students build the skills of empathy and apply foundational knowledge to create and to develop solutions for real-world problems in the Design Lab. Through the STEAM program the students gain a deeper understanding of the world, think
creatively and critically, collaborate and share ideas, and apply knowledge to create innovative designs. With all its resources, the Design Lab is another place where students are nurtured and challenged to use their heads and their hands to solve problems. It is a space in the Lower School where a child’s imagination can soar as they explore different low-tech and high-tech tools with the guidance of their teacher. The various materials available allow the students to create, design, and construct an understanding of how things work. In the Design Lab, students can share ideas, collaborate on a project, and experience the rewards of persistence. Share Assemblies Share Assemblies are held on most Fridays throughout the school year. At Share, Lower School students come together for performances by students and special guests. Additionally, Buddy Group events are held during Share Assembly time. These weekly Lower School gatherings and activities • build a feeling of community through shared experience; • present the opportunity for students to learn how to be part of an audience during a performance; and • help students engage appropriately and successfully with their peers during Buddy Group activities. Enriching Life Beyond the School Day Extended Day The Extended Day Program provides children with a warm and relaxed atmosphere that fosters sharing and cooperation. The program provides a supportive play environment, creative activities, and a quiet time for study. The Extended Day Program is a true extension of Brimmer as it follows the School’s mission of promoting collaboration and a sense of personal responsibility.
The Extended Day Program begins at the end of the academic day and operates weekdays until 5:30 p.m. from the opening day to the last day of school in June. • Students PK - 2 enjoy a snack during opening meeting and then have supervised playtime on the playground or can partake in a craft or choice of games in our indoor space. • Students in Grades 3 – 5 begin the day with a quiet homework period before their opening meeting and then can choose to engage in outdoor play or stay inside for board games or creative projects. Extended Day entrusts the older students to find the appropriate balance between doing homework and having fun with friends. The staff offers students choices among a variety of activities that change as the seasons do to keep everyone engaged and excited. With Grades PK- 5 playing together for a portion of the day, Extended Day is an opportunity for friendships between grades to develop and thrive. Throughout the year, after school clubs are offered for an additional fee and generally include chess, community service, cooking, crafts, karate, yoga, a technology club, and a math club. However, new offerings are proposed annually. Students in the Extended Day Program can also take advantage of the After School Music Program, receive tutoring, and attend Middle and Upper School athletic events. After School Clubs As part of Brimmer’s Extended Day Program, the School offers after school clubs. These clubs meet once a week and run for 6 to 8 weeks. Clubs are open to all students for an additional fee. Children enrolled in a club may remain at school in the Extended Day Program between dismissal and the start of the club. Clubs vary throughout the year. Information about the clubs can be found on the Brimmer website, and registration is online.
After School Music Program The study of music increases higher order thinking skills, builds self-esteem, and encourages self-discipline and commitment. Brimmer’s After School Music Program provides quality musical instruction and seeks to strengthen music appreciation and literacy. Throughout this program, students in PK Grade 12 can take private instrumental and voice lessons on campus. They receive a music education tailored to their individual needs based on their interest, age, and personal goals. In addition, lessons are designed to support students who are committed to participating in the School’s band ensembles. At the end of the school year, all musicians are encouraged to share their talents with their families at a recital on campus. Each program highlights the accomplishments of emerging Lower School musicians playing onstage with accomplished Upper School musicians. It is an opportunity for families to celebrate the hard work of their own musician and to support the growth of all the enthusiastic musicians in the School community. The After School Music staff, more than a dozen highly qualified musicians and educators, is hand-selected based on recommendations from the professional music community. Many hold graduate degrees in music performance or music education, and each instructor has extensive experience working with children. Lower School Learning Spaces • Campus Athletic Field • Corkin Art Studio • Corkin Theatre • Cummings Hall • French Library • Hastings Innovation Center • Jones Library and Design Lab • Lower School Garden • Lower School Music Studio • McCoy Hall • The Guild Recreation & Wellness Center • The Mugar Family Playground & Outdoor Learning Space brimmer.org 26|27
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69 Middlesex Road Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 617-566-7462