Curriculum Guide FINAL 8-15-2015

The Park School

Curriculum Guide 2015 – 2016

Revised August 2015

The Park School

Curriculum Guide 2015-2016

The Park School 171 Goddard Avenue Brookline, MA 02445 617.277.2456 www.parkschool.org

PREKINDERGARTEN

Curriculum Guide Pre-Kindergarten Pre-Kindergarten Overview The Pre-Kindergarten program enlarges the world of young children and expands their ability to explore with new and varied dimensions. Teachers guide each child’s growing cognitive skills, while paying close attention to the development of self-esteem, acceptance of others, and love of learning. Teachers work collaboratively to develop in students a positive and creative approach to learning; children are encouraged to take risks, and teachers help them deal effectively with both successes and failures. One of the most important goals of the program is for children to engage joyfully in cooperative work and play. By taking each child’s particular interests and strengths into consideration, teachers provide developmentally appropriate activities and opportunities to play.

The Pre-K program supports the developing skills of early learners by laying a strong foundation in the areas of language arts, social studies, mathematics and science. Throughout the year, children explore a variety of relevant books, both with teachers and on their own. Children discuss the language and the illustrations in literature. They are encouraged to retell stories, talk about their observations, make predictions, and draw conclusions. Through the use of journals and bookmaking, teachers empower students to see themselves as authors and illustrators. The Handwriting Without Tears program is used to teach proper pencil grip and uppercase letter formation. Pre-K classrooms have access to shared sets of iPads, giving students and teachers the ability to utilize age-appropriate and collaborative tools that focus on creativity.

The social studies curriculum addresses the central questions: “How are we alike?” “How are we different?”

“What connects us?” Students celebrate and discuss similarities and differences among themselves and their families. Some topics of conversation and projects include explorations of the ranges of skin color, family configurations, stereotypes, as well as gender, ethnic and religious differences, and being an ally.

Families are encouraged to visit the classroom and share their cultures and traditions as a way of promoting understanding and building community. The children are introduced to the larger Park community through partnerships with other grade levels.

Math skills and work habits are integrated into many classroom activities and provide the base for children’s future mathematical growth. The concepts that are introduced in math are: patterns, sorting, shapes, size, beginning graphing, estimation, and measurement. Students learn informally through hands-on, interactive experiences. The Pre-K experience is further enriched by weekly library, music, and PE lessons outside the classroom.

The science curriculum focuses on exploration of the natural world and is woven throughout the curriculum.

In autumn, children take nature walks to observe how the world changes color. Color mixing and the use of natural materials in art projects reinforce students’ observations. In the winter, students discuss how changes in the amount of daylight affect weather patterns, and they investigate the properties of water by experimenting with ice crystals. In the spring, the classes observe and document how plants grow.

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PREKINDERGARTEN

Music Pre-K children participate in a wide range of musical activities that include: listening, dancing, instrumental work, and singing.

Consideration of young children’s growing abilities, both physical and cognitive, is reflected in the selection of materials. For example, songs generally span the range of one octave, have short phrases, are thematically appealing to young children, and include some movement or dance. In both solo and group singing, emphasis is given to vocal quality, the conscious discrimination of high-low tones, fast-slow beats, strong-weak accents, melodic direction, and rhythm.

Performance is used as a learning tool. Pre-Kindergarteners participate in three major performances during the school year: Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day, Yule Festival, and May Day. Classes meet four times per week in 20-minute sessions.

Physical Education In Pre-Kindergarten, children explore their physical capabilities and develop physical skills at their own pace. Movement exploration, perceptual motor development, the development of fundamental physical skills, and the importance of physical fitness are emphasized.

Each class begins with warm-up exercises and basic locomotor skills. Important aspects of the program include the development of basic movement skills, work with small manipulatives, bean bags, hoops, balls, short and long jump rope skills, and rhythmic activities. The children also explore balance beams and other gymnastic equipment, climb, and negotiate a variety of obstacle courses. Teamwork is developed through parachute activities, partner activities, and the introduction of simple group games. Throughout the program, individual exploration is stressed, and the teachers strive to make the children’s introduction to the world of physical education a happy and enjoyable experience.

Classes meet three times per week in 20-minute sessions.

Library Every other week, Pre-Kindergarteners come to the library to experience the magic of books. Each scheduled library class introduces a new book that, through exceptional language and art, encourages students to engage in the acts of attentive listening and interpretation. Guessing games, predicting narrative outcomes, and deciphering visual symbols are all pre-reading strategies used to bring books alive.

Books selected for lessons emphasize recent publications, a variety of fiction and non-fiction, and links to developmentally appropriate academic and social curricula. Pre-K students do not check out books, but their families are encouraged to do so.

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KINDERGARTEN

Curriculum Guide Kindergarten Kindergarten Overview Kindergarten provides an enriching environment where each child can find success and enjoy learning. As five- and six-year-olds begin to perceive and internalize the world around them, their ability to deal with new ideas and concepts increases. Kindergarten provides opportunities for more formalized instruction in language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science. Kindergarten classrooms have access to shared sets of iPads, giving students and teachers the ability to utilize age-appropriate and collaborative tools that focus on creativity.

The curriculum offers variety throughout the year, using themes of self-awareness, holidays, families, seasons, color, and art appreciation. These themes are integrated into all the work areas of the classroom: art, dramatic play, math, oral and written language, and science. The Kindergarten experience is further enriched by weekly library, music, and PE lessons outside the classroom.

Play is essential to the emotional, social, and intellectual life of the Kindergarten child. Spontaneous play provides an important means of social interaction through which children learn to express and understand their own feelings and those of others. Centers for dramatic play may complement themes of study.

Outdoor time allows the children to run freely and to engage in cooperative activities. Swinging, climbing, and balancing all develop the coordination and the gross motor skills that are necessary to physical development and confidence.

During the Kindergarten year, students new to Park integrate beautifully with those who have moved up from Pre-K, forming one vibrant and happy community of young learners.

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KINDERGARTEN

Language Arts A wide range of early literacy skills exists among five and six-year-olds. All areas of the program help to build solid foundations in oral and written language, listening, and reading. In Kindergarten, reading involves interpreting pictures, reading words, and retelling stories.

Reading The goal for all children is to develop a life-long love of reading. Classrooms are well equipped with extensive libraries that include a variety of genres and levels. Teachers provide children with a wide range of meaningful experiences through print, offering daily group discussions, read-alouds, group reading, poetry, and drama.

Writing Supplies for writing and bookmaking are always available. Teachers implement The Teacher’s College Writing Units of Study to develop the foundation for strong early writing skills. Using the writing workshop model, the children create narrative and persuasive writing pieces as well as writing “how to” books. Students are encouraged to use a phonetic spelling approach, giving them control over their own writing.

Spelling and Handwriting A sequenced progression of phonics skills is taught throughout the year with the Wilson Fundations program. This includes uppercase and lowercase letter recognition, letter formation and sounds, and blending and segmenting three and four-letter words. High frequency non-phonetic words are introduced regularly throughout the year for reading and spelling mastery. Lexia, a web-based phonetic program, complements the Wilson Fundations curriculum.

Mathematics All students in Kindergarten – Grade V use the Investigations curriculum. Park provides opportunities for all students to build a strong foundation of mathematical knowledge while engaging in rich, meaningful, and cognitively demanding activities. Students use mathematical tools and representations to model and solve problems, and are asked to communicate their thinking clearly. Students are expected to do more than memorize steps and procedures, but to develop a rigorous understanding of mathematical ideas, compute with fluency, and appreciate the breadth and depth of mathematics.

Number and Operations Whole Numbers: Students develop strategies for accurately counting quantities. They have many opportunities to count and create sets, to count aloud, and to write and interpret numerals. They develop visual images for quantities and a sense of the relationship between them (10 is more than 5; 4 is less than 6; each counting number is one more, etc.). The counting work also serves as a bridge to the operations of addition and subtraction. Students use story problems to model the action involved in addition and subtraction.

Patterns and Algebraic Thinking Students sort related objects into groups and identify attributes as they begin their work with patterns.

They consider which attribute (such as color or shape) is important as they construct, describe, and extend various patterns, determine what comes next in a repeating pattern, and begin to think about how two patterns are similar or different.

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Students sort groups of objects according to their attributes and organize data (e.g. favorite lunch foods) into different categories. Students begin to understand the processes involved in data analysis by choosing and posing a question, determining how to record responses, and counting and making sense of the results.

KINDERGARTEN

Data Analysis

Geometry and Measurement Geometry: Students identify, describe, and compare 2-D and 3-D shapes. They discuss characteristics such as size, shape, function, and attributes such as the number of sides or faces. Students construct 2-D and 3-D shapes, and combine shapes to make other shapes.

Measurement: Students are introduced to length as a dimension and use direct comparison to compare lengths of objects. Throughout the year, there is a focus on language for describing and comparing lengths. Later, students use multiple non-standard units (e.g. cubes, craft sticks) to quantify length and to consider whether particular measurement strategies result in accurate measurements.

Social Studies In Kindergarten, the social studies curriculum is based upon a study of The Park School community: the people and places that comprise the students’ immediate learning environment. Individuals at Park make classroom visits and answer questions about their jobs. Throughout the year, Kindergarteners focus on the awareness of self, individual and cultural differences, as well as family configurations. Historical events are studied in relation to holidays that occur during the school year. Students are frequently exposed to maps and globes. As they explore their environment, they are encouraged to ask questions, to compare and contrast, and to begin to embrace the concept of multiple points of view. Children are encouraged to share, to compromise, to observe, and to experiment creatively with art materials.

Music In Kindergarten, children participate in a wide range of musical activities that include listening, playacting, dancing, instrumental work, and singing. While singing provides the foundation for all lessons, the spontaneity and creative energy of the children will often direct the lesson to areas beyond the original scope of an activity.

Consideration of the young child’s growing abilities, both physical and cognitive, is reflected in the selection of materials. For example, songs generally span the range of one octave, have short phrases, are thematically appealing to young children, and include some movement or dance. In both solo and group work, vocal quality and the discrimination of high-low, fast-slow, melodic direction, and rhythm are emphasized.

Performance is used as a learning tool. Kindergarten students participate in three major performances during the school year: Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day, Yule Festival, and May Day. Classes meet three times per week in 30-minute sessions.

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KINDERGARTEN

Physical Education In Kindergarten, children explore their physical capabilities and develop physical skills at their own pace.

Movement exploration, perceptual motor development, the development of fundamental physical skills, and the importance of physical fitness are emphasized.

Each class begins with warm-up exercises and basic physical fitness concepts. Important aspects of the program include the development of basic movement skills (running, jumping, balancing, etc.), ball skills, work with small manipulatives (bean bags, hoops, etc.), short and long jump-rope skills, and rhythmic activities. The children also explore balance beams and other gymnastic equipment, climb, and negotiate a variety of obstacle courses. Teamwork is developed through parachute activities, partner activities, and the introduction of simple group games and relays. Throughout the program, individual exploration is stressed, and the teachers strive to make the children’s introduction to the world of physical education a happy and enjoyable experience.

Classes meet three times per week in 30-minute sessions.

Library For Kindergarten students, the library is a treasure chest of books. During weekly visits, students are encouraged to borrow books that expand their interests and preferences, with special emphasis on picture books and beginning readers’ fiction and non-fiction. Classes inspire students to think about how writers and illustrators enhance the meaning of books.

Hands-on projects reinforce the written and visual qualities of the book. Lessons are designed to further the connection between the library and the classroom curriculum. Author visits occur occasionally during the school year, giving students the opportunity to meet the people responsible for the books and stories they love.

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GRADE I

Curriculum Guide Grade I Grade I Overview First Grade is an exciting year, full of learning, friendship, and social/emotional growth. Drawing from the Responsive Classroom approach, teachers and students establish a safe, collaborative, and engaged community of learners and friends.

Throughout literacy, mathematics and social studies instruction, students engage in whole group lessons, cooperative activities, conferences with their teacher, and independent work time. Examples include small group book discussions, partnered math explorations and teacher/student writing conferences.

The curriculum is differentiated to meet the needs and interests of individual learners when appropriate.

Additionally, daily Morning Meetings provide a foundation for a supportive and engaged classroom community. Each night, first graders read “just right� books in order to build fluency and comprehension.

Students also complete weekly math assignments that encourage them to practice skills introduced in the classroom as well as to extend their mathematical thinking. Grade I classrooms have access to shared sets of iPads, giving students and teachers the ability to utilize age-appropriate and collaborative tools.

Highlights of the Grade I year include studying the animals, communities, and environments of the Arctic, Antarctic, and Amazon Rainforest. Field trips, such as a trip to the Franklin Park Zoo to observe animals of the rainforest and a collaboration with the Brookline Food Pantry greatly enhance curricular and community learning. The Grade I experience is further enriched by weekly science, art, music, and PE lessons outside the classroom. Across the curriculum, students engage in a variety of applications of technology, including document cameras, projectors and iPads. In the spring, first graders take part in a grade-wide culminating and celebratory performance of The Great Kapok Tree.

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GRADE I

Language Arts Grade I continues to build upon the foundations introduced in Kindergarten with oral and written language, listening, and reading. Writing and reading are taught through a variety of approaches in Grade I, and the children gain confidence in their language skills.

Reading The goal for all children is to develop a life-long love of reading. Teachers provide children with a wide range of meaningful experiences with print. This is accomplished through whole group and small group instruction, as well as working one-on-one with each child. An extensive class library of leveled books encourages children to read independently. As students begin to read, they are provided with many activities that reinforce literacy skills. Other areas of concentration include listening skills, participating in book discussions, responding to what has been read, and using prior knowledge to make connections to life and other literature.

Writing The goal for all children is that they see themselves as writers. The writing program instructs children in the process of planning, composing, revising, and celebrating written work. Writer’s Workshop provides children with the opportunity to write pieces, drawing from their own knowledge and experiences. Teachers implement The Teacher’s College Writing Units of Study with a focus on clarity, adding detail, and making the writing come to life. First graders focus on the following genres: narrative, non-fiction, persuasive, and realistic fiction.

Spelling and Handwriting A sequenced progression of phonics skills is taught throughout the year with the Wilson Fundations program. Fundations provides an integrated, systemic curriculum for word study, spelling, and handwriting. Lexia, an iPad-based phonetic program, complements the Wilson Fundations curriculum.

Handwriting instruction and practice are ongoing. High frequency non-phonetic words are introduced regularly throughout the year for reading and spelling mastery.

Mathematics All students in Kindergarten – Grade V use the Investigations curriculum. Park provides opportunities for all students to build a strong foundation of mathematical knowledge while engaging in rich, meaningful, and cognitively demanding activities. Students use mathematical tools and representations to model and solve problems and are asked to communicate their thinking clearly. Students are expected to do more than memorize steps and procedures, but to develop a rigorous understanding of mathematical ideas, compute with fluency, and appreciate the breadth and depth of mathematics.

Number and Operations Students have repeated practice with the counting sequence, develop strategies for accurately counting sets of objects by ones, and begin to count by groups in meaningful ways. Much of the work focuses on addition and subtraction and on developing an understanding of these operations. Students solve story problems, compose and decompose quantities in different ways, and add and subtract single-digit numbers.

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Geometry: Students identify, describe, draw, and compare 2-D and 3-D shapes. The 2-D work is particularly focused on identifying and describing triangles, while the 3-D work asks students to pay particular attention to identifying a shape’s faces and corners. Relationships between 2-D and 3-D shapes are also explored.

GRADE I

Geometry and Measurement

Measurement: Students develop a foundation of skills for accurate linear measurement. They measure both objects and distances, explore what happens when something is measured with different sized units, and learn that when something is measured twice with the same unit, the same results should be obtained.

Data Analysis Students sort groups of related objects according to a particular attribute and describe what distinguishes one group from another. They are introduced to, discuss, and compare standard forms of representation including picture graphs, tallies, charts, and bar graphs. They carry out their own data investigations, developing a question, collecting the data, representing the data, and describing and interpreting the data.

Patterns and Algebraic Thinking Students create, describe, extend, and make predictions about repeating patterns and analyze their structure by identifying the unit. Students work with number sequences associated with repeating patterns and situations that have a constant increase.

Science This inquiry-based, hands-on program is designed to accomplish two important goals: to provide exciting experiences that extend children’s natural fascination with the world, and to help children learn the science skills and concepts that they will need in school and in life. Classes meet twice each week for 40-minute sessions.

Prehistoric Life: Students study life on prehistoric Earth, including life in the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods (time of the dinosaurs), and the early age of mammals. Classroom models and outstanding films help bring these remarkable periods of life alive.

Water: Students explore the three states of water (gas, liquid, and solid) in classroom labs. They look at Earth’s water cycle (precipitation, evaporation, condensation), exploring where oceans, mountains, and deserts occur.

Balls and Ramps: Two major invisible forces of the universe are discussed: gravity and friction.

Students use balls of various masses, dimensions, and design, as well as, ramps to experiment with gravity (the force that pulls us down) and friction (the force that slows us down). Results are measured comparatively, not absolutely.

Forests: Complementing their social studies curriculum, first graders learn about the ecology of American (or neotropical) rainforests, including the roles of plants, animals, fungi, and humans in maintaining the balance of nature in tropical forests. Students also compare rainforests and temperate forests.

Polar Regions: Along with examing life near the equator, in social studies students also look at life and geology and oceanography at the poles, in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

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GRADE I

Social Studies Social studies in Grade I focuses on people and relationships: relationships to self, to one another, to community, and to the environment. In the classroom, a high value is placed on relationships and the establishment of a community that is safe, nurturing, fair, engaging, and inclusive of all children and adults.

First graders study the Amazon rainforest and the Arctic regions, focusing on the essential question of how climate and the environment affect people, animals, and ecosystems. Always, the idea of community and how each of us affects others is woven into studies and conversation.

Art Park’s visual art program begins formally in Grade I. The curriculum is designed to give students mastery of the techniques and tools necessary for artistic self-expression. Designed to spiral, the comprehensive curriculum provides children with skills and concepts that are intentional, sequentially taught, reinforced, and built upon over their years at Park. The goal is for every child to have the confidence to find an entry point to take creative leaps and succeed in non-verbal expression.

Grade I students explore a broad variety of art concepts and methods. Freely experimenting with 2-D and 3-D materials, students begin to develop and improve hands-on skills and creative thinking. They investigate basic principles and elements of visual art: line, shape, color-mixing, transparency, texture, and composition by creating mixed-up animals, simple origami, drawings and paintings, and self-portraits in clay. Students learn how to organize materials and clean up by themselves. Teachers work to create a cooperative atmosphere where children delight in working together.

Throughout the year, students meet for 60-minute classes once each week.

Music The music curriculum, based on the concepts of Zoltán Kodály, consists of singing, listening, playing, and performing. Through music, children discover and explore the concepts of tone, color, harmony, texture, dynamics, and form.

A typical class includes echo clapping to develop rhythmic coordination and singing, accompanied by rhythmic response through body movement and/or instrument playing. Music reading emphasizes quarter note, eighth note, and quarter rest patterns, as well as solfege pitches “sol” and “mi.” Lessons also include listening to different styles of music and recognizing outstanding melodic and rhythmic patterns. Students respond to the music through movement and the playing of various instruments.

The main objective of Park’s music program is to develop creativity and self-expression, as well as to develop music skills for personal enjoyment. Students participate in three major performances during the school year: Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day, Yule Festival, and May Day. Classes meet two times per week in 40-minute sessions.

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In Grade I, the physical education program aims to expand children’s awareness of movement and to teach children fundamental skills with various pieces of equipment. Children are introduced to the importance of physical fitness through a variety of activities. Because each child develops at different rates, the program encourages each child to progress at his or her own speed and allows for individual differences and interests. Although students are at different skill levels, each child is challenged to improve.

First grade classes begin with warm-up exercises and elementary physical fitness. Students develop locomotor skills and basic skills using balls and other manipulatives. They also jump rope, dance, experience track & field events, and participate in gymnastics, circuit stations, and small-sided games.

Group problem-solving challenges emphasize the importance of cooperation in achieving a common goal.

PE teachers introduce multicultural games that underscore first graders’ study of the world around them.

Good sportsmanship, fair play, and respect for individual differences are stressed at all times.

GRADE I

Physical Education

Classes meet three times per week in 40-minute sessions.

Library Grade I students are eager and ready for an introductory exploration of the library’s multi-faceted collection. Therefore, library classes focus on books that represent a wide range of literary genres and subject matters, including picture books, early readers, fairy tales, science books, sports books, etc.

Weekly library classes alternate between formal instruction and browsing periods, when students explore and extend their knowledge of the library and its holdings. Students are encouraged to check out books, and library and classroom teachers assist in finding appropriate reading-level material. Students learn age appropriate literature evaluation skills and participate in a national book award contest. Annual author visits emphasize the work and skill that go into making books, and these visits round out a student’s experience of the library as a dynamic place for the exchange of ideas.

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GRADE II

Curriculum Guide Grade II Grade II Overview In Grade II, students work toward mastering basic reading and mathematical skills and toward gaining a greater awareness of their role in the school and other communities. By combining high standards with a flexible and supportive atmosphere, teachers help children build confidence in themselves as individuals and as learners. With this increased confidence and competence, second graders are able to pursue more challenging learning activities involving critical and abstract thinking.

Second graders are expected to read on a nightly basis, as well as complete homework assignments once per week, increasing to twice per week after spring vacation. As part of the social curriculum, second graders build a yearlong partnership with residents at an assisted living center for seniors. Lower Division classrooms have access to shared sets of iPads, giving students and teachers the ability to utilize ageappropriate and collaborative tools that focus on creativity. In Grade II students are beginning to read to learn, and throughout the year they engage in several structured research projects, including the study of a historical figure who made an impact. Through class read-alouds, children are exposed to a variety of writing genres (including narrative, informational, poetry, and persuasive reviews). Students model their own writing after these examples and create a portfolio of their work over the course of the year. Students also take part in a yearlong study of the daily lives of children in various countries around the globe. They gain skills in comparing and contrasting shelter, food, and clothing across cultures.

The Grade II experience is shaped by a yearlong study of both personal and global communities. In celebration of the year’s projects, second grade classes create a Global Museum in the spring.

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GRADE II

Language Arts Grade II students’ increasing confidence and competence in reading and writing allow them to begin to enjoy these activities to an even greater extent. Multiple opportunities are given for children to practice their rapidly developing skills and to elaborate on their ideas through speaking and writing.

Reading Children read daily in the classroom, either individually or in a group, and they visit the library for reading enjoyment once each week. In Grade II, the approach to reading shifts from learning the skill to applying a variety of comprehension strategies that deepen understanding. Second graders are encouraged to use a high degree of thought and imagination while working to develop critical thinking skills and a creative approach.

Writing In regular workshop periods, teachers implement The Teacher’s College Writing Units of Study. Children are exposed to a range of genres through read-alouds of children’s literature, such as narrative “small moments,” information, opinion, realistic fiction, and poetry. Children practice writing in these styles, and over the course of the year produce a portfolio that incorporates written pieces in each genre.

Students also learn beginning research skills, such as gathering information from texts and producing simple non-fiction reports. Students learn basic rules of punctuation and capitalization and work on developing their vocabularies.

Spelling and Handwriting Using the Wilson Fundations program, second graders are taught phonics skills, and they work toward long-term mastery of frequently used words. The Fundations program is also used to emphasize correct letter formation, size, and spacing in students’ manuscript handwriting.

Mathematics All students in Kindergarten – Grade V use the Investigations curriculum. Park provides opportunities for all students to build a strong foundation of mathematical knowledge while engaging in rich, meaningful, and cognitively demanding activities. Students use mathematical tools and representations to model and solve problems and are asked to communicate their thinking clearly. Students are expected to do more than memorize steps and procedures, but to develop a rigorous understanding of mathematical ideas, compute with fluency, and appreciate the breadth and depth of mathematics.

Number and Operations Whole Numbers: Students transition to thinking and working with groups of numbers, explore the composition of numbers to 100 and beyond, and develop an understanding of the base-ten structure of our number system. Students develop fluency with addition and subtraction.

Fractions: Second graders develop an understanding that fractions are equal parts of a whole, whether the whole is a single object or a set of objects. They work with halves, thirds and fourths, as well as fractions greater than one, and they learn what the numbers in fraction notation represent.

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Geometry: Students work with 2-D and 3-D shapes, with a particular focus on properties of rectangles and rectangular prisms. They are introduced to rectangular arrays (e.g. 2 rows of 3 squares) and use them to find the area of rectangles and to develop an understanding of mirror symmetry.

Measurement: Using direct comparison, indirect comparison, and linear units, students measure and compare the lengths of different objects. They measure using nonstandard units (e.g. cubes) and standard units (e.g. inches, feet, and centimeters). Students also measure time as they practice naming, notating and telling time on digital and analog clocks. They use timelines to represent intervals of time and to calculate elapsed time.

GRADE II

Geometry and Measurement

Patterns and Algebraic Thinking Children use tables to represent situations involving number patterns and constant ratios, and they learn how one variable changes in relation to the other. They also work with odd and even numbers and other repeating patterns, and they work to determine what the “nth” element will be in these patterns.

Data Analysis Second graders focus on classifying data, learning about categorical data and discovering that the same data can be grouped in different ways to answer different questions. Students use a variety of data representations, including Venn diagrams, cube towers, line plots, and student-created representations, to sort and classify objects and data.

Science This inquiry based, hands-on program is designed to accomplish two important goals: to provide exciting experiences that extend children’s natural fascination with the world and to help them learn the scientific skills and concepts that they will need in school and in life. The Grade II course focuses on scientific investigation: observing, analyzing, discovering, sorting, categorizing, and questioning.

Units of study in Grade II include: Magnetism: Students study tiny magnets and universal magnetism and everything in between.

Magnets of various sizes and strengths are used in class.

Space: Second graders study the solar system and the history of human space exploration.

Measurements: Students learn about the measurements of volume, mass, length, and time. They also practice with instruments and devices that are used to take measurements, like balances, thermometers, and stop watches.

Mollusks: Students are introduced to mollusks and their shells. Children observe and study living mollusks, mollusks from the supermarket, and mollusks from the ocean and land.

Simple Machines: Students search the school building and their homes to find and discuss levers, wedges, pulleys, wheels and axles, and screws, and they learn what these simple machines do to make work easier. Students also build simple machines, using LEGO® Education WeDo, and then program their machines to move using Scratch and WeDo software.

Classes meet twice each week in 40-minute sessions.

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GRADE II

Social Studies In Grade II, children further broaden their knowledge of the relationship between themselves and the world. They study geography using the essential questions, “Are all second graders just like me?” and “Is it weird to be different?” As a class, students study one to two specific countries within four continents, focusing on similarities and differences by comparing compare shelter, food, clothing, celebrations, and toys and games. Through these topics, second graders gain an awareness of how people live in different parts of the world.

Skills that are taught include listening, reading for information, questioning, making connections and inferences, observing and recording observations, comparing and contrasting, and understanding the concepts from multiple points of view. Children also read, make, and interpret a variety of maps.

Art As a beginning foundation in studio art, the second grade curriculum encourages students to be creative and explore ways to communicate ideas visually. Using new materials and subject matter, students build and refine the art skills they learned in Grade I. Over the course of the year, students rotate through three distinct art studios, meeting for 40-minute classes twice each week.

Studios I and II Students use various two- and three-dimensional materials to expand their creative thinking. Through drawing, sutdnets focus on observation: contour lines, structure, and building a “shape” vocabulary.

Students use color explores shape, composition, and decoration, using watercolor, tempera paint and craypas. To connect with Grade II’s study of global communities, students weave a colorful yarn basket.

Working in sculpture, they learn hand-building techniques to create an imaginary island of clay.

Studio III Experiencing the woodworking studio for the first time, second graders learn the expectations for this studio and how to use the tools effectively and safely. Students are introduced to the material of wood and learn about how trees grow and how wood is turned into lumber. The main project is the creation of a simple pull-toy. Students explore the design process of moving from a two-dimensional drawing to a three-dimensional object. Skills that are introduced include how to measure, sand, saw (using miter box saws, hand saws, and coping saws), hammer, glue, and decorate their wood pieces.

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The music curriculum, based on the concepts of Zoltán Kodály, consists of singing, listening, playing, performing, and movement. Through music, children discover and explore the concepts of tone color, harmony, texture, dynamics, melody, rhythm, and form.

GRADE II

Music

Second graders work to develop rhythmic coordination, vocal accuracy, self-expression, and confidence in performance by singing and playing folk songs, games, and dances. Instruction focuses on the solfege pitches sol, mi, la, do, and re, and various rhythmic combinations. A typical class may include echo clapping, pattern reading, antiphonal or ensemble singing, listening to musical compositions, and the playing of Orff instruments. Students in Grade II also begin an exploration of musical instruments and the various types of instrumental ensembles and orchestras.

The main objective of the music activities is to develop creativity and self-expression, as well as to develop music skills for personal enjoyment. Grade II students participate in three major performances during the school year: Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day, Yule Festival, and May Day. Classes meet two times per week in 40-minute sessions.

Physical Education In Grade II, the physical education program aims to expand children’s awareness of movement, teach children fundamental sport skills and basic motor skills, and introduce children to the importance of physical fitness through a variety of activities. Because children develop at different rates, the program encourages each child to progress at his or her own speed and allows for individual differences and interests.

Classes begin with warm-up exercises and elementary physical fitness. Students explore movement, develop basic skills using balls and other manipulatives, juggle, jump rope, and participate in gymnastics, circuit stations, and low organizational games. Lead-up games to team and individual sports are introduced. Group problem-solving challenges emphasize the importance of cooperation in achieving a common goal. Good sportsmanship, fair play, and respect for individual differences are stressed at all times.

Classes meet three times per week in 40-minute sessions.

Library Ever-increasing academic skills make Grade II the perfect time to explore more deeply the distinct areas of the library’s collection. A “Read Around the Library” tour gives students the unique opportunity to learn about the wonderful books found in such sections as fiction, fairy and folk tales, biography, poetry, natural sciences, arts and applied arts.

Students have a regularly scheduled library period each week; formal instruction occurs biweekly.

Library lessons emphasize making personal connections to print and digital resources. Lessons also promote collaboration and authentic publication. Grade II students also gain the full responsibility of unlimited checkout privileges. Finally, the library program arranges author visits that deepen the students’ understanding of the professional skill and work that underlie the creation of books.

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GRADE III

Curriculum Guide Grade III Grade III Overview As the beginning grade of the Middle Division, Grade III marks a significant transition and step forward in children’s academic and social lives at school. It is a year when the fundamental skills acquired in earlier grades can be applied to more difficult and complex tasks.

Grade III students enter the year with boundless energy and a sense of growing competence and confidence in their skills as readers and thinkers. As eight- and nine-year-olds, they become more empathetic, industrious, and responsible. The curriculum encourages the children to move from concrete to more abstract thinking. Third graders’ natural curiosity also leads them to investigative research and problem-solving. As the year progresses, they delight in working more independently. Homework becomes routine as students are asked to complete nightly reading, math, and writing assignments. Teachers’ expectations of their students’ ability to complete assignments, work in cooperative groups, and resolve peer conflicts increase. While enjoying these greater challenges, students also are learning to manage their time and energy more effectively. Middle Division students are each assigned a Park School Google Account and an iPad for use at school, giving students and teachers the ability to access age-appropriate and collaborative tools whenever they are needed.

Third graders begin their mornings with community-building meetings in their homerooms, and participate in the Middle Division Morning Meeting every Tuesday. Highlights of the third grade year include a yearlong study of Native Peoples of North America, field trips to Plimoth Plantation and Harvard’s Peabody Museum, a celebration of Harvest Feast, performances for Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day and Yule Festival, and the introduction of a one-to-one, stay-at-school iPad program. A culminating event of the Grade III year is May Day, a long-standing Park tradition that features Grade III students in music and dance.

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GRADE III

Language Arts Students entering Grade III are beginning to feel confident with reading and writing and are eager to put their rapidly developing skills to work. The language arts curriculum strives to teach children the skills they need to absorb information through reading and to express themselves through writing and speaking.

Reading In Grade III, students learn about the elements of different literary genres and deepen their thinking about the books they read. Third graders read daily from books of their own choosing, books shared by a small group, or books assigned by their classroom teacher. They learn about the universal elements found in literature (characters, settings, problems, and solutions) and to identify nonfiction text features and text organization by noting main ideas and supporting details. Students also learn to read more deeply for the author’s meaning in fiction and nonfiction by learning to make inferences about the text and beyond.

Writing Third graders practice the craft of writing by focusing on the process: idea generation, rehearsal, drafting, and revising. Throughout the year, students write personal and fictional narratives, persuasive letters, and informational books on topics of their own choice. In all forms, they strive for clarity and eloquence by focusing on the structure and craft elements of each genre. They learn to recognize complete sentences and to understand paragraph structure. Students take pride in polished, completed products and increase their self-confidence as writers.

Grammar, Mechanics, and Handwriting Students in Grade III begin to study the elements of grammar (subjects, pronouns, predicates, and phrases that describe them) as another tool for looking at writing and understanding simple sentences.

They continue to learn, practice, and use the rules for correct capitalization and punctuation. Third graders strive for neatness and legibility in all written work.

Vocabulary and Spelling Students focus on phonic patterns, high frequency words, and word structure to improve their facility with spelling. Third graders become familiar with phonic patterns within words by engaging in word sorts. Their vocabulary study encompasses homophones, the meanings of prefixes, and learning new words in the context of reading.

Mathematics All students in Kindergarten – Grade V use the Investigations curriculum. Park provides opportunities for all students to build a strong foundation of mathematical knowledge while engaging in rich, meaningful, and cognitively demanding activities. Students use mathematical tools and representations to model and solve problems and are asked to communicate their thinking clearly. Students are expected to do more than memorize steps and procedures, but to develop a rigorous understanding of mathematical ideas, compute with fluency, and appreciate the breadth and depth of mathematics.

Number and Operations Whole Numbers: Students expand their understanding of the base-ten number system to 1,000.

The Grade III course supports the development of fluency with addition and subtraction. Students investigate the properties of multiplication and division, including the inverse relationship between these two operations, and develop strategies for solving multiplication and division problems.

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GRADE III

Fractions: Students use fractions and mixed numbers as they solve sharing problems and build wholes from fractional parts. Students are introduced to decimal fractions (0.50 and 0.25) in the context of money, and gain familiarity with fraction and decimal equivalents involving halves and fourths.

Geometry and Measurement Students study the attributes of 2-D shapes and use these attributes for classification. They measure length and perimeter with both US standard and metric units. They find area, identify the internal angles of a rectangle or square as 90 degrees, and use right angles as a benchmark in considering the sizes of other angles.

Patterns and Algebraic Thinking Students study situations of change over time, using tables and graphs to examine and compare constant rates of growth. Students use a known quantity to determine an unknown quantity in a variety of contexts.

Data Analysis Third graders learn how to read, describe, and interpret data while recognizing the differences between numerical and categorical data. Students evaluate the best ways to collect and organize data, and they learn that the questions they pose and the way they conduct a study can impact the results.

Science This inquiry-based program is designed to accomplish two important goals: to provide exciting experiences that extend children’s fascination with the world and to help children learn the scientific skills and concepts they will need in school and in life. Classes meet twice each week in 40-minute sessions.

Units of study in Grade III include: Animal Migration: Students learn about global and local animal migrations, why scientists study migrations, and which animals migrate over the Park School campus. Students learn to identify species, make accurate counts, and record data.

Lab Essentials: Students work together to learn appropriate lab techniques, including measuring liquids and solids, and to record data carefully. They learn that careful, accurate measuring and recording are essential in lab work.

Inventors and Inventions: Using the Internet and the library, third graders research inventors and inventions. Each year’s research takes a particular focus (e.g. female, African-American, and twentiethcentury inventors).

Electricity: Grade III students observe and study static electricity, batteries, and electricity in nature.

Class time is devoted to learning about and building electric circuits with SwitchOnÂŽ electric circuit kits. Students learn to follow diagrams carefully and to construct electric circuitry.

Biodiversity: In the spring, students look at various groups of animals, plants, and fungi at Park, learn to identify some species, and discover their local and global ecological roles.

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GRADE III

Social Studies Grade III social studies is a project-oriented course of study which further explores the relationship between people and place, specifically, how people’s lives are shaped by the land on which they live.

Over the course of a yearlong study, children investigate the rich diversity of traditional and modern cultures within some of the major North American Indian populations, including the Wampanoag, the Hopi and Navajo, the Tlingit and Haida, as well as the Sioux. Students learn about stereotypes and theories of how humans arrived in North America. They study the geography of North America with an emphasis on the differences among regions and how those differences in landscape and climate influenced the food, clothing, shelter, artifacts and traditions of different tribal groupings.

Through reading, writing and artistic expressions, children gain an appreciation for the diversity and complexity of the Native American experience. Current events and topics of interest are explored as children read Scholastic News. Throughout the curriculum, children are taught to listen, question, make connections and inferences, synthesize, compare and contrast. Students are expected to think critically by learning to recognize stereotypes in books, understand the concept of multiple points of view, and develop a historical perspective. Children also read, make, and interpret a variety of maps. The beginnings of research are taught as children learn to ask meaningful questions as well as record facts and responses to the nonfiction social science texts that they read.

Art The Grade III curriculum is designed to expand, develop, and hone each student’s knowledge of art concepts and technical skills. Students continue to draw and paint from observation and their imagination.

They have an opportunity to study traditional art-making techniques from other cultures, as well as develop their own. Teachers encourage students to share ideas, work cooperatively, and take pride in their artwork.

Over the course of the year, students rotate through three distinct art studios, meeting for 40-minute classes twice each week.

Studio I Students draw detailed and realistic self-portraits. They surround the portrait with pictures or symbols that have important personal meaning. Colored with bold and brilliant craypas, the portrait is finished with a shiny acrylic glaze. Using clay, students create imaginative clay dragons that are glazed and fired in a kiln.

Studio II This studio focuses on color and shape. Students continue to practice painting skills, experiment with brushes, and use new techniques to mix colors. Third graders look at and discuss the work of realistic and abstract artists. Using landscapes as a theme, students create original scenes on paper and small canvas.

Studio III In conjunction with their study of Pacific Northwest Indians, students craft paddles modeled on those traditionally used by these indigenous people. Students learn effective problem-solving techniques as they shape their rough-cut planks into paddles, using planes, scrapers and files. By engaging in this process, third graders experience something of the effort, purpose, and talent that these indigenous people applied to their crafts.

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The music curriculum, based on the concepts of Zoltán Kodály, consists of singing, listening, playing, performing, and dance. Third graders also begin playing soprano recorder during the spring term. The program’s main objectives are to develop sight-singing, rhythm reading, and writing skills, to provide opportunities for creative and emotional expression, and to develop music skills for personal enjoyment.

GRADE III

Music

A typical class includes music reading and dictation, singing, rhythmic response through body movement, and instrument playing. Students develop rhythmic coordination and vocal accuracy. They focus on quarter note, eighth note, sixteenth note, half note, and whole note combinations along with their various rests.

They also work on the pitches do, re, mi, sol, and la in various combinations. The development of these skills culminates in a proficiency piece presented at the annual May Day celebration in the spring.

Classes meet two times per week in 40-minute sessions.

Physical Education The third grade physical education program aims to expand children’s awareness of movement, extend skills learned in previous years in preparation for more dynamic game situations, and introduce children to the importance of physical fitness through a variety of activities.

Classes begin with warm-up exercises, strengthening and physical fitness. Students explore movement, develop sport skills, and play lead-up games. Group problem-solving challenges, such as Project Adventure, emphasize the importance of cooperation in achieving a common goal. Good sportsmanship, fair play and respect for individual differences are stressed at all times. One of the year’s highlights is learning the Maypole and Morris stick dances for May Day. Classes meet three times per week in 40-minute sessions.

Library Grade III students demonstrate a blossoming critical ability; bi-weekly library lessons encourage active student participation. Students begin to use the library more independently. Instruction on the use of the School’s library catalogue builds the foundation of essential online research skills.

Classes promote critical thinking skills through book evaluation and the examination of cultural bias and stereotypes. The students’ one-to-one iPad program extends into the library curriculum to include digital storytelling that reflects their learning. Librarians introduce the very best in transitional chapter books and lengthier works of fiction and non-fiction. Students deepen their understanding of non-fiction through participating in a National Book Award contest. Visiting authors enrich the library experience by bringing children into the world of books with a direct connection to the material.

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GRADE III

Grade III Co-Curricular Offerings Middle Division Clubs Clubs allow students to pursue interests they already have or to explore new ones with one another.

Chess Club is a weekly opportunity for students in Grades III through V to learn, apply, and hone chess skills. All skill levels, from none to redoubtable, are welcome. Chess Club meets on Friday afternoons in the winter term.

Math Club offers four, 4-week sessions for students to enrich their mathematical thinking through problem solving, puzzles, and games. All students in Grades III-V are welcome to participate in the spring term.

Robotics Club provides an opportunity for students who want to build and program their own robots.

Third through fifth graders use Lego WeDo and NXT Lego Mindstorm platforms to perform weekly challenges during the fall term.

Thinking, Investigating, Designing, Building, Inventing, Tinkering and Sharing Club (TIDBITS) welcomes all Middle Division students who are interested in thinking, investigating, designing, building, inventing, tinkering and sharing. The club offers students a chance to expand and enrich problem-solving skills with hands-on projects during the winter term.

Community Service Encouraging all Park students to grow into contributing members of the community is a vital element of the School’s mission. Park’s service program is designed to raise awareness of the causes behind societal problems as well as to empower students to make a difference. The School strives to instill a lifelong habit of service to others.

Faculty, parents, and students work to support this goal through opportunities to serve the school community, the local community, and the global community. Service work responds to disaster relief efforts as well as societal problems and issues in economic development, education, elder care, the environment, health, homelessness and hunger. In general, classroom teachers lead service learning projects, which incorporate an academic component. Community service activities are generally initiated by the Community Service Committee of the Parents’ Association. The student outreach committee, Service Council, sponsors school-wide drives, organizes fundraisers for causes of their choosing, and supports annual Boston area events such as the Walk for Hunger. All service efforts are coordinated by the Service Learning Coordinator.

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GRADE IV

Curriculum Guide Grade IV Grade IV Overview In Grade IV, students exercise their newly acquired academic and social skills while assuming greater responsibilities both at home and at school.

Students in Grade IV are moving from a concrete to a more complex understanding of the world.

Throughout the curriculum, students are asked to compare, synthesize, analyze, and draw conclusions about texts, data, and information, and to support their ideas with evidence. Using scaffolds to help them, fourth graders work on developing and growing their own bold ideas in reading, writing, and math.

Students practice these skills through increasingly complex assignments including realistic fiction story writing, essay writing, data analysis, and close reading. In the Grade IV social studies program, students complete much of their work in small groups, helping them to learn essential collaboration skills, while they delve into rich topics. Strong citizenship and respect for others and the environment underlie every component of the program. Middle Division students are each assigned a Park School Google Account and an iPad for use at school, giving students and teachers the ability to access age-appropriate and collaborative tools whenever they are needed.

Students complete up to 45 minutes of homework and 30 additional minutes of independent reading four nights per week. Fourth graders begin their mornings with community-building meetings in their homerooms, and participate in the Middle Division Morning Meeting every Tuesday. Students in Grade IV may also begin to participate in organized intramural sports. Each season, students may join a team and practice after school twice per week.

Major highlights of Grade IV include the opportunity to run the paper recycling program for the entire School and a year-long study of ancient Greece. Students begin the year with Greek mythology and complete a project where they take on the role of a god, goddess, hero, or heroine. Students then participate in an Olympic Day celebration at the end of the year.

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GRADE IV

Language Arts Students entering Grade IV are ready to lean into their rapidly developing language arts skills. The language arts curriculum strives to give children the skills they need to absorb information through reading and to express themselves through writing and speaking.

Reading To develop their reading comprehension and critical thinking skills, fourth graders read extensively in school in a reading workshop model. They learn how to choose “just right” books, and they practice reading strategies with independent, small group and whole class texts. Students learn about genres, including fiction, nonfiction, and historical fiction, in several units of study. They gain a deeper understanding of the elements of fiction by focusing on character, setting and conflict. They learn to negotiate nonfiction texts and to appreciate how the structure contributes to greater comprehension.

Students apply comprehension strategies such as questioning, visualizing, inferring, determining importance, and close reading techniques to both fiction and nonfiction reading.

Writing Fourth graders explore different genres of writing throughout the year. Within each genre they learn to develop literary techniques that enhance the clarity and power of their writing. They use the writing process to plan, draft, revise, and edit narratives, pieces of realistic fiction, essays, and research reports.

In conjunction with the reading program, they learn to reflect on their reading, analyze texts for evidence, and write about their conclusions.

Grammar, Mechanics, and Handwriting Students in Grade IV continue their study of the basic elements of grammar using the Framing Your Thoughts program: subjects, predicates, pronouns, and the phrases and modifiers that describe them.

They learn to analyze sentences for these elements and to employ them in their own writing. They strive to use commas correctly as they begin to write in longer, more complex sentences.

Spelling The Grade IV spelling curriculum emphasizes phonic patterns, high frequency words, and basic spelling generalizations. Students also make personal word lists to master misspelled words in their everyday work.

Mathematics All students in Kindergarten – Grade V use the Investigations curriculum. Park provides opportunities for all students to build a strong foundation of mathematical knowledge while engaging in rich, meaningful, and cognitively demanding activities. Students use mathematical tools and representations to model and solve problems and are asked to communicate their thinking clearly. Students are expected to do more than memorize steps and procedures; they are asked to develop a rigorous understanding of mathematical ideas, compute with fluency, and appreciate the breadth and depth of mathematics.

Number and Operations Whole Numbers: The curriculum extends students’ knowledge of the base-ten number system to 100,000. They use models, representations, and story contexts to help them understand and solve multiplication and division problems. Students refine and compare strategies for solving 3-4 digit addition and subtraction problems.

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GRADE IV

Fractions and Decimals: Teachers work to build students’ understanding of the meaning, order, and equivalencies of fractions and decimals. Children work with fractions in the context of area and on a number line. Students are introduced to decimal fractions as an extension of the place value system.

They reason about fraction comparisons and use representations and reasoning to add and subtract fractions and decimals.

Geometry and Measurement Fourth graders consider the attributes of 2-D shapes, such as the number of sides, the length of sides, parallel sides, and the size of angles. They also describe the attributes and properties of geometric solids (3-D shapes). Measurement work includes linear measurement (with both US standard and metric units), area, angle measurement, and volume.

Patterns and Algebraic Thinking Students solve problems by using patterns and generalizations to create equivalent expressions.

They utilize their knowledge of the commutative and distributive properties to create strategies for multiplication and division. Students are are also encouraged to provide arguments, explaining how they know a given statement is true.

Data Analysis Students collect, represent, describe, and interpret data. They also learn to summarize data, develop conclusions, and make arguments based on collected evidence.

Science The science curriculum in Grade IV is organized around a series of learning experiences and activities that encourage students to explore and discover basic scientific skills and concepts. The unit on changes of matter, for example, helps students understand the concepts underlying evaporation, condensation, and sublimation. The unit on engineering introduces students to the relationship between building and design. Topics studied during the year include measurement, matter, building and structure, astronomy, and oceanography. Throughout the year, students in the fourth grade are involved in performance tasks, class discussions, and cooperative work. A performance task requires an understanding of important concepts, good work habits, supporting information, and, most importantly, puts students in a real-world context.

These tasks, along with hands-on activities, help enhance student comprehension of concepts. Current events are also covered in class discussions, using Superscience, a Scholastic monthly magazine.

In the spring, fourth graders are introduced to the Growth Education curriculum with a unit on puberty.

The unit, which covers nutrition, stress, body changes, and emotional and social issues, helps prepare nine- and ten-year old students for the processes and changes that their bodies are about to experience. In addition to regular science class meetings, the students meet twice, separated by sex, in order to address questions around female and male anatomy and the changes that occur during puberty.

Grade IV science classes meet twice per week in one 45-minute session and one 75-minute session.

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GRADE IV

Social Studies Fourth graders extend their understanding of history, geography, and civics by studying ancient Greece for the majority of the year. Areas of study include geography, mythology, art, archaeology, history, government, and culture, with emphasis on fifth-century Athens. Major projects include researching and role-playing Greek gods and goddesses, studying Greek vases and archaeology, and reenacting the Olympic games. Field trips to the Museum of Fine Arts provide opportunities to explore the richness of Greek art and culture.

Students continue developing the skills of questioning, making connections and inferences, synthesizing, comparing and contrasting, and developing a historical perspective through the study of ancient Greece.

Fourth graders extend their research skills by doing more sophisticated outlining and note-taking, as well as writing an informational piece of writing about a chosen topic. The year culminates in an interactive “living museum” where students teach visitors about their research topic through the perspective of a person from ancient Greece.

Art Students in Grade IV develop their ability to imagine, to be creative, and to express ideas with different art materials. Using paint, clay and wood, students delve into an exploration of color, decoration and shape.

Integrating art experiences with social studies curricular content, students create a clay sculpture of a Greek god or goddess. Teachers encourage each student to take pride in his or her artwork.

Over the course of the year, students rotate through three distinct art studios, which meet for 40-minute classes twice each week.

Studio I This studio focuses on drawing and painting. Each student chooses an animal to study and use as the main character that moves through a series of “Animals in the Landscape” paintings. Students look at storybook illustrations and discuss the elements of story as seen in favorite picture books. Students review brush techniques and experiment with color mixing. Composition and color decisions are made to convey time of day, point of view, and action for each sequential painting.

Studio II Students study the human form, concentrating on understanding the proportion, anatomy, and gesture of the figure. In conjunction with their study of ancient Greece, students use clay to build their own Greek god, goddess, hero, or heroine sculpture. Special attention is given to the details of the head, hands, and feet, as well as the pose of the figure.

Studio III Students use wood to create projects with a sense of whimsy. They begin their time in the wood shop crafting oversized wooden nuts and bolts, and they finish the term constructing ridiculously oversized clothespins that measure 11 inches in length. Students learn the importance of careful measuring and marking, and they gain hands-on experience using various hand tools, including miter saws, Japanesestyle pull saws, a brace and bit, block planes, a tap and die, and sanding blocks. Fourth graders explore new techniques and practice how to choose the right tool for each task while broadening their woodworking skills.

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The music program in Grade IV, based on the music teaching techniques of Zoltán Kodály, provides an opportunity for all students to become actively involved in four basic areas of musical experience: creating, performing, listening, and history. There is a great emphasis on singing, and a wide range of folk songs, part- songs, rounds, and canons are used. Music notation and symbols are taught through singing, playing Orff instruments and recorders, and folk dancing. These activities emphasize an awareness of melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, and form.

GRADE IV

Music

Grade IV students also explore music composition techniques on the computer, using the program Finale Notepad. Grade IV students participate in three major performances during the school year: Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day, Yule Festival, and May Day. Classes meet two times per week in 40-minute sessions.

Physical Education The fourth grade program aims to provide an opportunity for each student to explore the world of movement. Students practice basic sports skills, work toward proficiency in a variety of team and individual sports, experience a variety of dance styles, and develop an appreciation for the importance of physical fitness.

The fourth grade program introduces team games with an emphasis on the development and extension of fundamental and specialized skills, the application of those skills, decision-making, and sport activities.

Activities include field hockey, Quidditch, volleyball, basketball, dance, wiffle ball, team handball, track & field, and a variety of games and cooperative activities. The curriculum also focuses on rules, strategy, decision-making, and team play, sportsmanship and the enjoyment of working with others toward a common goal.

A highlight of the year is the Olympic Day track & field meet, which enhances and brings to life the study of ancient Greece.

Classes meet three times per week in 40-minute sessions.

Library During bi-weekly classes, students continue to explore literary genres and contribute to discussions about books. They enjoy book talks, share book recommendations, and participate in reading programs, such as the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award. Author/illustrator visits remain an important component of the library curriculum.

Grade IV students greatly expand their understanding of how information is organized. They access curated online resources and begin to develop search strategies for research. The grade’s one-to-one iPad program extends into the library curriculum to include digital storytelling and lessons in media literacy.

Students visit the library weekly and are encouraged to use the library to explore individual interests and to borrow books.

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GRADE IV

Grade IV Co-Curricular Offerings Athletics – Grades IV & V The Middle Division after-school intramural sports program provides an opportunity for students in Grades IV and V to learn fundamental skills in soccer, field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. In all sports, coaches divide students into Green and White teams and use lead-up activities to introduce skills and physical fitness by playing competitive intramural games. The program emphasizes sportsmanship and all that it encompasses: respect for one’s school, teammates, coaches, opponents, officials, and spectators, as well as active participation and commitment.

Elective sports for Grades IV and V are scheduled twice each week from 3:15 – 4:30 p.m. Boys meet on Wednesdays and Fridays; girls meet on Mondays and Thursdays.

Middle Division Clubs Clubs allow students to pursue interests they already have or to explore new ones with one another.

Chess Club is a weekly opportunity for students in Grades III through V to learn, apply, and hone chess skills. All skill levels, from none to redoubtable, are welcome. Chess Club meets on Friday afternoons in the winter term.

Math Club offers four, 4-week sessions for students to enrich their mathematical thinking through problem solving, puzzles, and games. All students in Grades III-V are welcome to participate in the spring term.

Robotics Club provides an opportunity for students who want to build and program their own robots.

Third through fifth graders use Lego WeDo and NXT Lego Mindstorm platforms to perform weekly challenges during the fall term.

Thinking, Investigating, Designing, Building, Inventing, Tinkering and Sharing Club (TIDBITS) welcomes all Middle Division students who are interested in thinking, investigating, designing, building, inventing, tinkering and sharing. The club offers students a chance to expand and enrich problem-solving skills with hands-on projects during the winter term.

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Encouraging all Park students to grow into contributing members of the community is a vital element of the School’s mission. Park’s service program is designed to raise awareness of the causes behind societal problems as well as to empower students to make a difference. The School strives to instill a lifelong habit of service to others.

GRADE IV

Community Service

Faculty, parents, and students work to support this goal through opportunities to serve the school community, the local community, and the global community. Service work responds to disaster relief efforts as well as societal problems and issues in economic development, education, elder care, the environment, health, homelessness and hunger. In general, classroom teachers lead service learning projects, which incorporate an academic component. The Community Service Committee of the Parents’ Association initiates service activities such as the annual Chop-a-thon and meals for the Allston-Brighton Community Supper Program. The student outreach committee, Service Council, sponsors school-wide drives, organizes fundraisers for causes of their choosing, and supports annual Boston area events such as the Walk for Hunger. All service efforts are coordinated by the Service Learning Coordinator.

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GRADE V

Curriculum Guide Grade V Grade V Overview Fifth graders have one foot in preadolescence and one foot in childhood. They are exploring their individuality while also cooperating with the group. They are able to think abstractly and communicate effectively while eagerly displaying a playful spirit. In Grade V, students are cooperative and competitive; they enjoy family and peers, while honing conflict resolution skills. As leaders of the Middle Division, Grade V students are held to high standards of positive citizenship. They preview the Upper Division by attending Morning Meetings and participating in Upper Division school-spirit events such as Clash Day. Teachers introduce and reinforce skills in all disciplines of the Grade V experience. Recognizing individual learning styles, teachers bolster students’ strengths and address their areas of challenge. Teachers nurture and support students’ self-reliance, perseverance, self-discipline, and true love of learning. Students reinforce lessons by completing reading, writing, and math homework assignments. Middle Division students are each assigned a Park School Google Account and an iPad for use at school, giving students and teachers the ability to access age-appropriate and collaborative tools whenever they are needed. Grade V students use technology for many aspects of their schoolwork: math programs, writing assignments on Google docs, and researching and presenting projects. Grade V affords students ample opportunity to develop research and presentation skills through individual and collaborative activities.

Highlights of the year include attending Upper Division Morning Meetings, Book Character Day, a yearlong study of immigration, a free choice research project and opportunities to participate in Math Team, after-school intramural sports, and school spirit days.

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GRADE V

Language Arts The Grade V student is almost ready to make the transition into the more independent model of learning in the Upper Division. This final year in Park’s Middle Division is a chance for students to solidify the skills they have learned and to begin taking a more active and independent role in their own learning.

Through papers and projects, fifth graders experiment with various forms of research and writing while learning more about the structure and function of language.

Reading Students in Grade V read daily in books selected for personal interest, books shared by a small group, or books assigned by their classroom teacher. Whenever possible, readings incorporate literature – both fiction and nonfiction – from other cultures, in coordination with the social studies curriculum.

Students deepen their comprehension by reading more complex texts and focusing on such elements as character complexity and goals, conflict, and the impact of setting on the story. Using nonfiction, students learn to explore text structure, to distinguish topics and subtopics and fact and opinion, and to use their reading to inform themselves and classmates about new ideas. Reading comprehension strategies bolster students’ literal and inferential comprehension in both fiction and nonfiction reading.

Writing Grade V students write in narrative, informational, and persuasive genres. The Grade V program emphasizes a writing process in which students plan, draft, and revise their work. Fifth graders become more confident using transitional words and phrases, sentence variety, and imagery while constructing proper sentences and refining paragraph structure. Students’ writing improves by focusing on topic development, organization, and craft elements specific to each genre. In the fifth grade, students also become researchers, learning to take notes and to present new information as well as arguments in written form.

Grammar, Mechanics, and Handwriting In Grade V, grammar and mechanics are addressed explicitly through the Framing Your Thoughts program. Students apply the skills taught through practice exercises and proofreading. Students continue their study of the basic elements of grammar by analyzing and creating complex sentences.

Accurate and neat handwriting are encouraged at all times.

Vocabulary and Spelling The Grade V curriculum continues to focus on high frequency words, phonic patterns, and the structure of words to deepen students’ understanding of spelling. Wordly Wise 3000 adds to the formal study of vocabulary with work completed both in class and at home.

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All students in Kindergarten – Grade V use the Investigations curriculum. Park provides opportunities for all students to build a strong foundation of mathematical knowledge while engaging in rich, meaningful, and cognitively demanding activities. Students use mathematical tools and representations to model and solve problems and are asked to communicate their thinking clearly. Students are expected to do more than memorize steps and procedures; they are asked to develop a rigorous understanding of mathematical ideas, compute with fluency, and appreciate the breadth and depth of mathematics.

GRADE V

Mathematics

Students may also choose to participate in the Grades V and VI math team, which practices twice weekly from October through March and competes three times against independent and public schools.

Number and Operations Whole Numbers: Students practice and refine the strategies they know for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers as they improve computational fluency. They expand their knowledge of the structure of place value and the base-ten number system as they work with numbers in the hundred thousands and beyond.

Fractions, Decimals, and Percents: Students work to understand relationships among fractions, decimals, and percents. They make comparisons and identify equivalent fractions, decimals and percents. They also order fractions and decimals, and develop strategies for adding and subtracting fractions and decimals.

Geometry and Measurement Students develop their understanding of the attributes of 2-D shapes and examine the characteristics of polygons, including a variety of triangles, quadrilaterals, and regular polygons. They also find the measure of angles of polygons. In measurement, students use standard units of measure to study area and perimeter and to determine the volume of prisms.

Patterns and Algebraic Thinking Students create tables and graphs to represent the relationship between two variables in a variety of contexts and to articulate general rules using symbolic notation. Students use representations, contexts and arithmetic expressions to provide arguments about whether general statements hold true for all numbers.

Data Analyis Students create their own graphs and describe, analyze, and interpret data presented in many different formats, including line graphs representing rates of change.

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GRADE V

Science Grade V science is an exciting exploration of facts and ideas. Students are asked to think about the world creatively, critically and quantitatively. “Doing science” through hands-on experiments and activities enables fifth graders to look at cause and effect relationships, to create hypotheses, and to draw conclusions about their investigations.

Using data tables, graphs and charts, students are able to make comparisons and classify objects throughout all the units. By collecting data in their science journals, students practice recording skills that will be used throughout their science careers. A research project on a scientist of their choice also helps to work on data collection skills.

Other topics studied during the year include photosynthesis, the carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle, sound and light, electricity and magnetism, and functions of the eye and ear. A robotics unit introduces students to basic programming skills that will be utilized in Upper Division science. A unit on native and non-native plants ties into the immigration unit covered in social studies.

Growth Education in fifth grade begins with a review of the puberty topics presented the year before. This course introduces the basics of reproduction and breaks down misconceptions. A unit on blindness and deafness ties into the science unit on the functions of the eye and the ear. Classes use a discussion style with opportunities for students to ask questions. Growth Education classes meet in homeroom sections, with one class separated by sex, in order to address questions around female and male anatomy and the changes that occur during puberty.

Fifth-grade science classes meet twice each week in one 45-minute session and one 75-minute session.

Social Studies Students engage in a yearlong study of immigration, focusing on Ellis Island, Angel Island, and modern day immigration. Major projects include building a scaled replica of the Statue of Liberty, writing letters from the perspective of an immigrant, and engaging in an immigration simulation. Enrichment includes a field trip to Lowell National Historical Park and an ArtQuest presentation. Students engage in reflective thinking about the myriad reasons for immigration, the changing views on immigration, as well as the positive impact of immigrants on American culture.

The curriculum also emphasizes listening, questioning, visualizing, making connections and inferences, synthesizing, and comparing and contrasting skills. Students produce multiple paragraph research papers and give oral presentations.

Art The Grade V art curriculum is designed to expand “spatial intelligence.” Using familiar art materials in new ways, students explore the visual art concept of three-dimensional design. Students are increasingly able to focus on long-term projects as they practice technical hands-on skills and experiment with techniques to transform their ideas into artwork.

Over the course of the year, students rotate through three distinct art studios, which meet for 40-minute classes twice each week.

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Students create the facade of a house using clay. Learning methods and techniques of low relief sculpture, they carve into the clay and add shapes and texture. As inspiration, students are introduced to the work of architects past and present.

GRADE V

Studio I

Studio II Students create a lively sculpture of a papier-mâché animal. To start, students choose an animal and find realistic photos to use for reference. They plan, construct, and decorate the animal using paper, paint, and found materials. Their imaginative challenge is to invent a way to animate their sculpture using color, gesture, and form.

Studio III In the woodworking studio, students construct a miniature tabletop meditation garden, inspired by Zen and Imperial Gardens. The project features a shallow wooden box with mitered corners to which many layers of finish are applied. In addition, students construct miniature wooden rakes and other optional components such as a wooden bridge to accompany the finished garden.

Music The program, based on the music teaching techniques of Zoltán Kodály, provides an opportunity for all students to become actively involved in four basic areas of musical experience: creating, performing, listening, and history. There is a great emphasis on singing, with a wide range of folk songs, part- songs, rounds, and canons throughout the curriculum.

Music notation and symbols are taught through singing, playing Orff instruments and recorders, and folk dancing. These activities emphasize an awareness of melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, and form. Students are taught to manipulate dotted rhythms, syncopated patterns, recognize major/minor tonalities, and sightread simple folk melodies. Grade V students also explore music composition techniques on the computer, using Finale Notepad.

Grade V students participate in three major performances during the school year: Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day, Yule Festival, and May Day. Classes meet two times per week in 40-minute sessions.

Physical Education The fifth grade program aims to provide an opportunity for each student to explore movement; continue to learn team related sports skills and concepts; develop proficiency in a variety of team and individual sports; and appreciate the importance of physical fitness.

Activities include softball, field hockey, volleyball, basketball, badminton, and track & field, while emphasizing the development of fundamental skills such as basic positioning, rules, and team play. Good sportsmanship and the enjoyment of working with others toward a common goal are part of the fabric of the program.

Students are exposed to a variety of fitness activities, functional movements, and concepts throughout the year, along with a variety of games and cooperative activities. Highlights in Grade V are the grade-wide tournaments, ice skating at Larz Anderson Park, and the annual grade-wide decathlon at the end of the track & field unit.

Classes meet three times per week in 40-minute sessions.

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GRADE V

Library Students visit the library once each week on a regular schedule and are encouraged to use the library more frequently to explore individual interests and borrow books. In library classes every other week, students continue to explore literary genres, share reading recommendations, and develop their individual reading tastes. They enjoy book talks and participate in reading incentives, such as the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award. Author/illustrator visits remain an important component of the library curriculum.

Grade V students continue to practice selecting print and digital materials. They expand their information seeking and critical thinking skills as they undertake research projects. Games and activities further reinforce their understanding of how information is organized. The grade’s one-to-one iPad program extends into the library curriculum. Students learn to evaluate and appropriately cite online resources, engage in social media, and express their ideas in multimedia formats.

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GRADE V

Grade V Co-Curricular Offerings Athletics – Grades IV & V The Middle Division after-school intramural sports program provides an opportunity for students in Grades IV and V to learn fundamental skills in soccer, field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. In all sports, coaches divide students into Green and White teams and use lead-up activities to introduce skills and physical fitness by playing competitive intramural games. The program emphasizes sportsmanship and all that it encompasses: respect for one’s school, teammates, coaches, opponents, officials, and spectators, as well as active participation and commitment.

Elective sports for Grades IV and V are scheduled twice each week from 3:15 – 4:30 p.m. Boys meet on Wednesdays and Fridays; girls meet on Mondays and Thursdays.

Middle Division Clubs Clubs allow students to pursue interests they already have or to explore new ones with one another.

Chess Club is a weekly opportunity for students in Grades III through V to learn, apply, and hone chess skills. All skill levels, from none to redoubtable, are welcome. Chess Club meets on Friday afternoons in the winter term.

Math Club offers four, 4-week sessions for students to enrich their mathematical thinking through problem solving, puzzles, and games. All students in Grades III-V are welcome to participate in the spring term.

Robotics Club provides an opportunity for students who want to build and program their own robots.

Third through fifth graders use Lego WeDo and NXT Lego Mindstorm platforms to perform weekly challenges during the fall term.

Thinking, Investigating, Designing, Building, Inventing, Tinkering and Sharing Club (TIDBITS) welcomes all Middle Division students who are interested in thinking, investigating, designing, building, inventing, tinkering and sharing. The club offers students a chance to expand and enrich problem-solving skills with hands-on projects during the winter term.

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GRADE V

Community Service Encouraging all Park students to grow into contributing members of the community is a vital element of the School’s mission. Park’s service program is designed to raise awareness of the causes behind societal problems as well as to empower students to make a difference. The School strives to instill a lifelong habit of service to others.

Faculty, parents, and students work to support this goal through opportunities to serve the school community, the local community, and the global community. Service work responds to disaster relief efforts as well as societal problems and issues in economic development, education, elder care, the environment, health, homelessness and hunger. In general, classroom teachers lead service learning projects, which incorporate an academic component. The Community Service Committee of the Parents’ Association initiates service activities such as the annual Chop-a-thon and meals for the Allston-Brighton Community Supper Program. The student outreach committee, Service Council, sponsors school-wide drives, organizes fundraisers for causes of their choosing, and supports annual Boston area events such as the Walk for Hunger. All service efforts are coordinated by the Service Learning Coordinator.

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GRADE VI

Curriculum Guide Grade VI Grade VI Overview Sixth graders are creative, energetic, and hardworking. They enter the Upper Division excited about the many new opportunities before them and ready to take on increased responsibilities. The Grade VI year is structured so that it provides a comfortable transition between the Middle and Upper Divisions. Students take five academic classes: math, science, English, social studies, and, for the first time, a foreign language.

English and social studies are taught together and have the feel of a homeroom. Each of the remaining subjects is taught by a different teacher and students travel independently to different classrooms.

Academic work in the sixth grade is a balance between assignments that demand a new level of depth and more abstract thinking, and the teaching of specific skills and strategies. Sixth graders receive 20 to 30 minutes of homework per subject each night, including the weekend. In addition to their academic classes, they have art, physical education, growth education, and music during the school day. In Grade VI, students are each assigned a Park School Google Account and a Chromebook for use at school and at home, giving students and teachers the ability to create, share and collaborate on projects.

Sixth graders enjoy greater independence. At recess, for example, they may choose how they want to spend their time, from playing outside or in the gym, to working or reading in the library, to joining any number of student organizations such as Pangaea or Green Club. Sixth graders also have more after-school options.

Most students elect to play on a sports team, take part in the winter musical or spring play, or stay for study hall. Each child is part of a small advisory group made up of five or six students and one teacher. This group meets daily and has lunch and recess together once per week. Advisory time is spent on activities ranging from completing homework to learning ways to organize a binder.

The year is characterized by the enthusiasm and curiosity of eleven- and twelve-year-olds and the delight with which they design and build a model house, read Shakespeare, wear a Park athletic uniform, begin a foreign language, and much, much more.

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GRADE VI

English Foundations: Craftsmanship and the Elements of Writing & Reading Literature In Grade VI, the literature program enables students to examine a variety of literary genres and styles.

Students begin the year reviewing summer reading and the basics of essay writing. They examine Facing The Lion by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and other summer texts focusing on the theme of courage, followed by a unit on poetry and a variety of short stories. They then explore a unit on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder: Hear My Cry, and The Giver by Lois Lowry.

Students focus on literal comprehension, the beginnings of figurative interpretation, essay writing, accurate recall both in discussion and in written work, dramatic reading, and the basic elements and structures of poetry, the play, and the novel.

Composition In addition to practicing personal narrative and descriptive writing, and composing poetry, students focus on the structure of expository and critical paragraphs. Sixth graders are introduced to editing and revision skills, which they will continue to develop during their years in the Upper Division. With a focus on proofreading and rewriting, and with regular use of laptops, students increase their proficiency. Students pay close attention to strong sentences, coherent paragraphs, accurate word choice and usage, and they practice supporting their ideas with precise details.

Grammar and Vocabulary Students study the basic sentence, with an emphasis on mechanics, correct usage, and the parts of speech.

They use the IXL online grammar program to support this work. Vocabulary words are taken from their reading in both English and social studies. They examine definitions, synonyms, antonyms, prefixes, suffixes, and other forms.

Each week, nine 45-minute classes are devoted to a blended English and social studies curriculum with the same teacher.

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In the sixth grade course, students learn to understand the concepts behind computations in preparation for pre-algebraic concepts and properties. Teachers emphasize estimation and gauging the reasonableness of an answer as a measure of understanding. By focusing on number fluency, students should be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers, fractions, and decimals by hand accurately and with reasonable speed by the end of the year.

GRADE VI

Mathematics

Throughout the year, sixth graders focus on geometry, examining perimeter, area, angle measurements and relationships, as well as polygon properties. Other topics include number theory, scale and measurement, ratio and proportion, and percent. Non-routine problem-solving strategies and practice are incorporated on a daily basis and through weekly sets of problems.

In the winter, Grade VI students participate in a major activity called the “House Project,” which involves many topics including measurement, scale drawing, area, and spread sheets. While operating within a budget, each student designs a house, putting to use the concepts of perimeter and area covered throughout the year. In March, sixth graders spend three days building model houses based on their plans.

Sixth grade math uses selected units from the Connected Mathemathics program as well as additional materials from a variety of sources. Students in the sixth grade are sectioned homogeneously to work with peers who learn at a similar pace and who are performing at the same level in math. All sections cover the topics described above, though some classes may cover certain topics at greater depth.

Students may also choose to participate in the Grades V and VI math team, which practices twice weekly from October through March and competes three times against independent and public schools.

Math classes meet five times per week in 45-minute sessions.

Science In Grade VI science, students continue to develop a strong foundation of basic scientific principles by experiencing scientific phenomena directly through interactive lab investigations, field trips, and research projects. Students work on strengthening their scientific skills (observing, hypothesizing, analyzing, inferring, and drawing conclusions) while expanding their study and communication skill sets (outlining, researching, note taking and reporting).

Energy is an overarching theme throughout Grade VI science. During their exploration of human body systems Grade VI students examine how their different systems work together to provide their bodies with the energy it needs to function. During a robotics unit, students explore how things “go” by programming their robots to perform a series of challenges. Finally, during the spring term, sixth graders study how head energy is transferred. Students make solar ovens and experiment with variables to maximize heating.

Classes meet four times per week in 45-minute sessions.

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GRADE VI

Social Studies: Africa During the Grade VI year, students begin developing a more mature understanding of social studies as the complex interweaving of geography, history, and culture.

Sixth graders begin with geography and its relationship to culture. For Africa, this means spending the first month of the year becoming familiar with facts and fictions about deserts, rainforests, savanna lands, and the people whose lives are intertwined with the character of these regions.

With a solid geographical foundation in place, students then turn to an examination of the diversity of African cultures and histories. They also begin to ask fundamental framing questions such as “What is culture?”; “What is history?”; “How does geography shape a culture?”; “In what ways do people remember?”; and “Why is history important?” Students hear African people speak for themselves in folktales, poetry, and other art forms, while exploring the many contributions African peoples continue to make to the world. They also examine the stereotypical ways in which non-African peoples have viewed Africa over the years.

During the second half of the year, students explore the twin themes of cultural contact and conflict, using African-European relations as a springboard. They consider the effects of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and European colonization, and they investigate African responses. The year concludes with a focus on modern South Africa, providing students with the opportunity, both in class and through independent research, to confront historical struggles for self-determination under and since apartheid.

Each week, nine 45-minute classes are devoted to a blended English and social studies curriculum with the same teacher.

French, Latin, Mandarin, Spanish Students entering Grade VI elect one language from among the four offerings to study during their years in the Upper Division at Park. Grade VI language courses set a solid foundation on which students build their future studies in this area. Upon completion of the Grade VI language courses, students are approximately midway through a level 1 high school course. Language classes meet four times per week for 45 minutes.

Grade VI French The textbook series Discovering French Nouveau! (Level I, Bleu) forms the core of the French curriculum at Park. This program trains students to understand basic French spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where French is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, French is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with music, poetry, film, and multi-media resources.

Grammar covered in this introductory-level course includes the irregular verbs être, avoir, and faire, as well as the present tense of regular -er verbs in the affirmative and the negative. Students learn to talk and to ask about time and weather, to discuss favorite activities and basic needs like hunger and thirst, and to describe themselves and others. Vocabulary includes classroom expressions and commands, basic foods and drinks, and the numbers 0-1,000. Cultural studies include information on family relationships, mealtimes, geography of the French-speaking world, and school life in France.

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The Cambridge Latin Course textbook series forms the core of the Latin curriculum at Park. This program aims to teach comprehension of the Latin language for reading purposes, to develop an understanding of the history and culture of Ancient Roman civilization, and to encourage a wide range of approaches to language learning through the use of high quality audio-visual resources and digital media.

GRADE VI

Grade VI Latin

Students in their first year of studying the Latin language use the Cambridge Latin Course Unit 1 as their primary text and the Workbook in Latin Two Years as a supplemental workbook. Studies focus on vocabulary and grammatical foundations that include three noun declensions, four verb conjugations, and the present, perfect, and imperfect verb tenses. Students regularly compose writings in Latin, implementing their growing vocabulary and knowledge of grammatical structures. Cultural readings focus on the Roman theater, slavery, and the archaeological significance of the excavation at Pompeii. A highlight of the first year of Latin language studies is project work on Ancient Roman archaeology, culminating in a mock archaeological dig at the end of the year.

Grade VI Mandarin The textbook HUANYING (An Invitation to Chinese) forms the core of the Mandarin program at Park.

This program trains students to understand basic Mandarin spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where Mandarin is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, Mandarin is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with workbook activities, audio activities, videos, films, picture books, and podcasts.

The Grade VI course covers grammar points which include structures to form simple sentences (word order, positive statements, negative statements, tag questions, yes/no questions, questions with interrogative pronouns, possessive pronouns), as well as structures to describe a sequence of past, present and future events. Vocabulary includes a focus on greeting others, introducing oneself and family members, counting from 1 to 999, telling time and dates, and describing activities in school and in free time. Students learn to read and write 220 commonly used Chinese characters. Cultural studies include singing Chinese children’s songs, researching major Chinese cities and Chinese food, and practicing Chinese brush painting and calligraphy.

Grade VI Spanish The textbook series ÂĄAvancemos! (Level 1) forms the core of the Spanish curriculum at Park. This program trains students to understand basic Spanish spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where Spanish is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, Spanish is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with music, poetry, film, and other multi-media resources.

The Grade VI Spanish course covers grammar points which include the present and near future tenses of regular and some irregular verbs, direct object pronouns, comparisons, possessive adjectives, as well as idiomatic expressions with the verb tener. Vocabulary includes activities, personal and physical descriptions, school topics, telling time, emotions, family, clothing and colors. Cultural studies focus on Spanishspeaking communities in the United States, school life in Mexico, foods and traditional cooking in Puerto Rico, and shopping in Spain.

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GRADE VI

Art Throughout the year, students in Grade VI use two- and three-dimensional media to express their ideas.

They apply their knowledge of materials and learn to choose appropriate techniques as they draw, paint and construct with wood. The projects require planning, individual and group problem-solving, and a cooperative atmosphere in the studio.

Over the course of the year, students rotate through three distinct art studios, meeting for 45-minute classes twice each week.

Studio I Puppet-making incorporates opportunities for individual creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork in designing and assembling a hand, rod, or marionette puppet. Students explore papier-mâchÊ mold making, hand sewing, inventive use of scrap box media, and costume construction techniques.

Students then form production teams to write and perform a puppet show for students in the Lower Division.

Studio II Students research an animal of their choice and design and execute a painting, placing at least three animals in a habitat. Concepts of light and shadow, as well as various methods of color mixing are thoroughly discussed as the students complete their paintings.

Students also work in clay to design and create African masks as an extension of their social studies curriculum. Students are exposed to stories and traditions of various African tribes in order to inspire creative thinking throughout the process.

Studio III Students learn how teamwork, careful planning, and jigs make it possible to handcraft a fine piece of furniture. Simple and understated in its appearance, the final project is comprised of only four boards that mechanically interlock to form a sturdy bench/table. Each project is crafted out of a plank of poplar. After careful marking and measuring, students utilize a host of hand tools, including Japanesestyle pull saws, miter saws, coping saws, block planes, special pattern-maker planes, hand drills, rasps and sanding blocks in its construction. An emphasis is placed on craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Music In Grade VI, the music program is designed to provide an opportunity for students to become actively involved in four basic areas of musical experience: creation, performance, listening, and history. Students study American and European folk, classical, and popular music. They sing a wide range of folk songs, rounds, canons, part songs, and choral arrangements. Students also examine the music of Africa in conjunction with the Grade VI social studies curriculum.

Sixth graders continue to read and write music, as well as play the recorder. An understanding of melody, rhythm, harmony, timbre, and musical form is emphasized throughout all activities. In addition, time is spent developing the self-confidence and the physical discipline of musical performance, while also learning to be a good critical listener and a polite, supportive member of an audience.

Music classes meet two times per week in 45-minute sessions.

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The Grade VI program encourages each student to progress at his or her own rate and allows for individual differences and interests. Activities include field hockey, basketball, racket sports dance, juggling, softball, lacrosse, track & field, and team handball. Cooperative activities and group challenges are also an important part of the curriculum. Emphasis is placed on further development of fundamental skills, such as basic positioning, rules, and team play. Throughout all activities, students are encouraged to strive for their personal best, play with good sportsmanship, and enjoy physical activity.

GRADE VI

Physical Education

Sixth graders are exposed to a variety of fitness activities and concepts throughout the year. Seven movement patterns that are key to everyday function are assessed using Gray Cook’s “Functional Movement Screen.” This assessment informs the quality of individual students’ movement in all activities and helps personalize corrective exercises for warm-ups and workouts.

Physical education classes meet three times per week in 45-minute periods.

Growth Education The Growth Education program provides an opportunity for students to discuss the difficult issues of preadolescence and adolescence in a safe, structured, and confidential environment with the understanding that students should be exposed to information and issues at least two years prior to perceived needs. The curriculum is cyclical in nature so that specific topics are revisited with the assumption that students will bring greater understanding, experience and maturity to the discussion. Class discussions are augmented with factual and dramatic videos, group dynamics exercises, and occasional outside speakers.

The sixth grade course promotes strategies for middle school success in an initial unit on how to be an organized student, which focuses on strategies to help students thrive in the Upper Division. All year we emphasize the value of individual worth and personal responsibility, the importance of factual information, use of good communication skills, and consideration of others. Students also examine and discuss friendships, relationships and the power of groups; teasing and bullying and their prevention, along with the respectful use of technology; a reveiw of puberty and personal health which includes nutrition and sleep; and an introduction to drug and alcohol use and abuse.

Growth Education classes meet once each week for a 45-minute period and are team-taught by two faculty members. The course is not graded and students do not receive written comments.

Library Grade VI students come to the library throughout the year for classes, continuing their explorations in literature and identifying how Park’s extensive library resources relate to their studies in all areas of the curriculum. Through explorations and research with materials in print and digital formats, they expand their information-seeking and critical thinking skills. They practice expressing their ideas using multimedia applications online and with libary and iPads. The librarians and classroom teachers collaborate as specific projects are undertaken. Book talks and author/illustrator studies are vital components of the library curriculum, designed to further students’ enjoyment of reading and the pursuit of information.

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GRADE VI

Grade VI Co-Curricular Offerings Athletics The Upper Division athletic program provides broad exposure to a variety of team and individual sports with interscholastic competition in soccer, field hockey, cross-country, basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, lacrosse, softball, and track & field. A healthy winning spirit, a strong sense of fair play, and the development of team play and cooperation are the hallmarks of the program. Each term, students must choose beween participating in a sport or the dramatic production (cast and crew).

Park’s goal is to offer students of all abilities an excellent opportunity to improve their athletic skills and knowledge while learning about themselves. Competition is offered at varsity, junior varsity, and Grade VI levels when possible. Placement on specific teams is determined by the coaches and the athletic director and is based on athletic ability, prior experience, and physical and emotional readiness. While participation is emphasized at each level, equal playing time is not guaranteed at the varsity level.

The members of Park’s athletic teams represent the larger school community. Through each team’s appearance, conduct, and performance, through the actions of parents on the sidelines, and through the School’s facilities, others will form conclusions about the Park community and what The Park School stands for. The School expects that all of Park’s athletes, coaches and parents will act appropriately.

When students choose to participate in interscholastic athletics, a full, four-day per week commitment for all practices and games is expected, and parents are urged to help students meet this expectation. Practices and games take place outside of the regular school day; each team’s schedule is available online. Athletes and parents are expected to check the schedule regularly for updates. Parents are welcome at all home and away games.

Drama The Upper Division Drama Department aims to teach about the performing arts through both the rehearsal process and the excitement of a play. Through participating in a Park drama production, students will gain knowledge of acting skills, and they will learn about the other components that make up a theatrical performance, including set, lights, costumes, and props. Students will build their sense of self confidence and awareness, expand their team working skills, and explore their sense of creativity and imagination.

The program follows the School’s trimester schedule. The fall musical is open to students in Grades VII, VIII, and IX. The winter term features a Grade VI play or musical, and a play for students in Grades VIII and IX. The spring showcases actors from grades VI, VII, and VIII. Each spring, students sign up for the production(s) they’d like to be a part of for the following year. Students must choose between acting in the play or doing a sport. All students will be cast in the show; no prior experience is necessary. Any students interested in being part of the tech crew for a play may sign up with the director; these commitments begin after sports have ended for the season.

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When a student chooses to participate in the play, they are making a full four day per week commitment to the activity. Parents are asked to help students meet this expectation. During the two weeks prior to the production, rehearsals are longer. Families have the chance to review and sign off on the calendar, and it will be on line during the season.

Encouraging all Park students to grow into contributing members of the community is a vital element of the School’s mission. Park’s service program is designed to raise awareness of the causes behind societal problems as well as to empower students to make a difference. The School strives to instill a lifelong habit of service to others.

GRADE VI

Community Service

Faculty, parents, and students work to support this goal by offering opportunities to serve the school community, the local community, and the global community. Service work responds to disaster relief efforts as well as societal problems and issues in economic development, education, elder care, the environment, health, homelessness and hunger. In general, classroom teachers lead service learning projects, which incorporate an academic component. The Community Service Committee of the Parents’ Association initiates service activities such as the annual Chop-a-thon and meals for the Allston-Brighton Community Supper Program. The student outreach committee, Service Council, sponsors school-wide drives, organizes fundraisers for causes of their choosing, and supports annual Boston area events such as the Walk for Hunger. All service efforts are coordinated by the Service Learning Coordinator.

Service Council This organization, for students in Grades VI-IX, is dedicated to community service. Activities involve identifying global, national, local, and school needs and informing the community about ways to help.

Raising funds and providing services are the two ways that students become involved and make a positive difference. Two Grade IX student leaders coordinate projects throughout the year for a committee of elected class representatives. Elections occur twice each year, in September and in January. Periodically, projects are open to any interested student volunteers.

Student Council This organization, for students in Grades VI through IX, focuses on student life at Park School. Members of Student Council meet weekly during lunch and recess to discuss initiatives relevant to Upper Division students. Activities include organizing spirit days, such as Clash Day and TOTAL Day, as well as Pajama Day, the Talent Show, a movie night, and dances. Two Grade IX student leaders coordinate projects throughout the year for a committee of elected class representatives. Elections occur twice each year, in September and in January.

Clubs Each year, a variety of clubs form in the Upper Division, often generated by student interest. Typically, Grade IX students act as club leaders, working in concert with faculty advisors. Clubs may meet during lunch and/or lunch recess, TEACH, after school, or even occasionally on weekends. Some examples of clubs include the following:

Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) This organization, for students in Grades VI through IX, gathers weekly to discuss issues regarding sexual identity and sexual orientation. Students explore this important topic through readings, films, group discussions, and guest speakers. Members of GSA organize Ally Week activities, Day of Silence, and Morning Meeting presentations.

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GRADE VI

Green Club Green Club is an Upper Division club that seeks to make Park School a “greener” place, to educate others about the importance of caring for our Earth, to share ideas about what individuals can and are doing, to support efforts in our community at school and beyond to help our environment. Past projects have included clean water projects (e.g., Lifestraw donations), electronics recycling program, battery recycling program, and energy conservation at school (“Lights Out” campaign). This year, among other efforts, students will continue work on reducing the use of Styrofoam.

FIRST Lego League (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) In this club, students work on a challenge, which changes each year, and engage in science, engineering, problem solving, robotics, and computer programming as they relate to a real world problem. There are three components of the program: • Robot Game: Students build a Lego Mindstorms NXT or EV3 robot and program it to complete a series of missions on a challenge table.

• Project: Students develop innovative solutions to a real world problem and build a prototype or model of that solution to present to judges at a competition.

• Core Values: Friendly competition and mutual gain are not separate goals, and helping one another is the foundation of teamwork.

Model United Nations Model UN is a worldwide network of conferences in which students participate in mock United Nations proceedings, serving as delegates from multiple countries to various UN Committees. In this interactive, multi-disciplinary learning opportunity, a delegation of up to 24 Upper Division students trains and attends four annual regional conferences for middle school students. Meetings occur on weekends.

Math Teams For further enrichment in mathematics, students are invited to participate in the Grade VI Math Team, which practices weekly and participates in a series of math meets organized by the Town of Brookline.

Pangaea (formerly One World Club) Students in Grades VI-IX meet weekly to raise awareness about issues of diversity, and to work toward a more equitable society at Park and beyond. Activities include projects, field trips, and Morning Meeting presentations. Members of Pangaea also play an important role in the Yule Festival celebration.

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GRADE VII

Curriculum Guide Grade VII Grade VII Overview On the cusp of their teenage years, seventh-grade students manifest a vast range of physical, emotional, and cognitive development. While some are still firmly planted in pre-adolescence, others are already typical teenagers, wanting to be independent, yet still needing guidance. The seventh grade program at Park recognizes the strengths and needs of twelve- and thirteen-year-old students, both in and out of the classroom, with increased responsibilities and program offerings.

Early in the Grade VII year, students experience a four-day, three-night, class trip to New Hampshire during the Upper Division Project Week. The curriculum of the trip, titled Project REASON (Resource and Environmental Awareness through the Study of Nature), focuses on individual and group challenges, community living, and risk-taking in a structured environment. The trip is organized and led by the seventh grade advisors who capitalize on its potential for community building. A Park tradition for over thirty years, Project REASON is a deeply meaningful and age-appropriate rite of passage.

In the academic realm, Park’s seventh grade program fosters the development of abstract thinking skills through assignments that encourage students to formulate opinions, articulate ideas, and make connections in their learning. Increased homework expectations, the introduction of letter grades, and final exams mark the seventh grade year. Group work and long-term projects provide an arena for practicing social interactions, which are important for cognitive development. In Grade VII, students are each assigned a Park School Google Account and a Chromebook for use at school and at home, giving students and teachers the ability to create, share and collaborate on projects.

Extracurricular activities tend to take on new importance at this age, both socially and in developing a specific skill or passion. To this end, Park offers opportunities to seventh grade students for involvement in Student Council, Service Council, community service/service learning, competitive after-school sports, after-school drama, and a variety of clubs. The continuation of the advisory program provides time for students to work with their advisors in becoming more proactive, independent learners.

Learning to recognize one’s own strengths and struggles, learning the skill of how to ask for help, and working with and for others are the themes that run throughout Grade VII. While there is a wide range of development at this age, seventh graders at Park are brought together around common interests and goals.

Giving students new freedoms and responsibilities speaks to the independence and interdependence that these young adults need and crave.

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English: The Study of Language and Genre Literature In Grade VII, students are encouraged to read carefully and thoughtfully, as well as participate in classroom discussions of literature, with an emphasis on both structural and figurative literary devices.

Students begin the year with a review of summer reading (books focused on the theme of dreams and challenges), followed by a study of short-fiction with selections from Edgar Allan Poe, focusing on themes of mystery and suspense. In the unit called “Poetry Speaks: Who I Am,” students analyze poetry with an eye to multi-cultural, global identities and perspectives and create a few poems of their own. In the winter, Grade VII students complete a seven-week grammar unit and read the classic mystery The Hound of The Baskervilles, focusing on elements of a novel. For the spring term, students read Shakespeare’s Macbeth, with a focus on close reading, translation, and thematic understanding.

Throughout the year, emphasis is placed on close reading, literal comprehension, figurative interpretation, dramatization, and on the basic elements of poetry, the short story, the play and the novel.

Composition Formal composition is taught through writing assignments generated by the literature and students’ experiences. Students practice their narrative and descriptive writing skills as well as their skills as poets. Introduced to exposition as it relates to literature, students learn to support their ideas with specific references to the text. They also practice outlining, writing summaries, as well as composing logical and well-supported paragraphs. Throughout the year, students practice deductive reasoning by writing critical essays. They complete many of their assignments on Google Docs, which allows for a shared process of editing and revision with the teacher.

Grammar and Vocabulary Students review the conventions of spelling and the mechanics of grammar through analysis of their own writing and continued direct instruction. Using a variety of exercises and classroom techniques, including the use of the IXL online grammar program, students study sentence structure and the parts of speech. Vocabulary development is generated by the acquisition and study of new words encountered in the literature. As new words appear, students understand and memorize their definitions, antonyms, synonyms, and parts of speech.

English classes meet five times per week in 45-minute sessions.

Mathematics: Pre-Algebra In this course, seventh graders begin Pre-Algebra with the study of data through a unit on the measure of central tendency as well as ratios, proportions, percentages and probability. After working with integers, students solve equations that are then used in two- and three-dimensional geometry units. Practical applications are emphasized in every topic. Throughout the year, students hone problem-solving skills and are encouraged to maintain computation skills.

The Pre-Algebra course uses selected units from the Connected Mathemathics program as well as additional materials from a variety of sources. Students in the seventh grade are sectioned homogeneously to work with peers who learn at a similar pace and who are performing at the same level in math. All sections cover the same topics listed above, though some classes may cover some topics at greater depth, as well as some additional topics.

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For further enrichment students are invited to participate in MathCounts and/or Purple Comet. Practice sessions are held weekly; all are welcome to attend. In the winter, a MathCounts team represents Park at an annual regional competition; successful teams advance to future rounds. In the spring, the Purple Comet team(s) competes, solving problems collaboratively with graphing calculators and computers.

Classes meet five times per week for 45-minute sessions.

Science: Earth Science In Grade VII science, students take a closer look at Earth. Through interactive laboratory activities, modelmaking, and use of simulations, students begin to understand that many of the processes responsible for shaping Earth’s surface and causing the changes in our climate can be explained by applying fundamental principles of matter.

Using the development of the Theory of Plate Tectonics as an example, students are exposed to the dynamic nature of scientific thinking and gain perspective on how scientific ideas change over time as new information is discovered. The culminating activity for the year is the creation of a scaled geologic time line, showing the interdependence and connectivity among Earth’s spheres: geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.

Science classes meet four times per week in 45-minute sessions.

Social Studies: United States Grade VII students explore the lives and ideas of early Americans, unfold the rich fabric of American life, and examine the cultural and historical events that shaped the development of our nation from about 1740 to about 1890. The course builds upon the major themes and framing questions considered in Grade VI social studies.

Over the course of the year, students study a number of topics, including American geography, the American Revolution, the foundations of constitutional government, slavery and the abolitionist movement, the Civil War, and westward expansion. Acknowledging that people of all races, ethnicities and walks of life contributed to American development, the course primarily considers the experiences and points of view of three groups: European Americans, African Americans, and Native Americans. A variety of historical materials are used to reflect the past and put a “human face” on history. Throughout the year, students grapple with a unifying question: “What does it mean to be an American?” Along the way, students also look at how the country’s past continues to shape and influence its present.

Students continue to practice and refine essential social studies skills, including discussion and debate, the use of historical maps and chronologies, close reading of texts, analytical and expository writing, and the study of primary sources. Research skills such as note-taking, outlining, synthesizing, making a bibliography, and citing one’s sources lead to the drafting and revision of two short research reports. The school year concludes with a final exam and a current events project, both of which draw from topics explored during the year.

Social studies classes meet four times per week in 45-minute sessions.

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French, Latin, Mandarin, Spanish During Grade VII, language students meet the challenges posed by increasingly complex and demanding linguistic structures. Completion of the Grade VII language courses generally aligns with a level 1 high school course. Language classes meet four times per week for 45 minutes.

Grade VII French The textbook series Discovering French Nouveau! (Level I, Bleu) forms the core of the French curriculum at Park. This program trains students to understand basic French spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where French is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, French is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with music, poetry, film, and multi-media resources.

Grammar covered in the Grade VII course includes the present tense of many irregular verbs, such as aller, venir, acheter, préférer, mettre, as well as regular -ir and -re verbs. Students learn to narrate past events using the passé composé both with avoir and with être, and they learn to speak about events in the near future. Students spend considerable time using regular and irregular adjectives in speech and in writing.

Vocabulary work focuses on clothing, shopping, social and athletic activities. Cultural studies include lessons on francophone Africa, and the historic monuments and cultural institutions of Paris.

Grade VII Latin The Cambridge Latin Course textbook series forms the core of the Latin curriculum at Park. This program aims to teach comprehension of the Latin language for reading purposes, to develop an understanding of the history and culture of Ancient Roman civilization, and to encourage a wide range of approaches to language learning through the use of high quality audio-visual resources and digital media.

Students in their second year of studying the Latin language use the Cambridge Latin Course Unit 2 as their primary text and the Workbook in Latin Two Years as a supplemental workbook. Studies build upon the vocabulary and grammatical foundations of the previous year through learning of pronouns, relative clauses, adjectives, and the fourth and fifth noun declensions. Students regularly compose writings in Latin, implementing their growing vocabulary and knowledge of complex grammatical structures. Cultural readings focus on Roman imperial influence in Britain and Egypt, including the bath complex at Aquae Sulis, the Villa at Fishbourne, and the Museum at Alexandria. The highlight of the second year of Latin language studies is project work on famous buildings of Ancient Rome.

Grade VII Mandarin The textbook HUANYING (An Invitation to Chinese) forms the core of the Mandarin program at Park.

This program trains students to understand basic Mandarin spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where Mandarin is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, Mandarin is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with workbook activities, audio activities, videos, films, picture books, and podcasts.

The Grade VII course covers grammar points which include alternative questions, commonly used terms of measurement, expressions of intent, ability, permission, and desire, as well as structures to indicate actions in progress and in sequence. Vocabulary includes a focus on school supplies and recreational activities. Students learn to read and write an additional 200 commonly used Chinese characters. Cultural studies include researching Chinese festivals, practicing Chinese brush painting and calligraphy, and exchanging letters with Chinese pen pals in Mandarin.

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The textbook series ÂĄAvancemos! (Level 1) forms the core of the Spanish curriculum at Park. This program trains students to understand basic Spanish spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where Spanish is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, Spanish is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with music, poetry, film, and other multi-media resources.

GRADE VII

Grade VII Spanish

The Grade VII Spanish course covers grammar points which include the imperative mood, the preterite tense, reflexive verbs, indirect object pronouns, demonstrative adjectives and pronouns, affirmative and negative expressions, and the present progressive tense. Vocabulary includes household chores and descriptions, sports and body parts, technology, daily routines, and entertainment. Cultural studies focus on the traditions of Ecuador, athletics in the Dominican Republic, extra-curricular activities in Argentina, and crafts in Costa Rica.

Art Grade VII students use the characteristics of different media to communicate ideas. They choose a favorite subject matter and create projects with wood, paint, clay and paper. Students demonstrate visual and spatial planning, invention, and elements of design.

Over the course of the year, students rotate through three distinct art studios, which meet for 45-minute classes twice each week.

Studio I This class focuses on color, texture, and composition through printmaking. Students learn about the materials, tools and processes of block printing. Each student starts with simple one-color compositions, carves designs, and then learns how to produce multi-colored prints.

Studio II and Studio III Seventh graders make and wire a multimedia lamp based on a favorite book or story from childhood.

The project involves building a base, installing electrical parts, and creating a diorama of the story using clay and mixed media. Students learn safe and effective methods for wiring a table lamp. To complete the project, students create a cut-and-pierced painted paper lampshade, which reflects the theme or story.

Music Grade VII music is designed to provide an opportunity for all students to become actively involved in four basic areas of musical experience: creating, performing, listening, and history. Classes meet two times per week in 45-minute sessions.

The history of American music is the central focus for Grade VII. To enhance this study, seventh graders build, tune, and play Appalachian Mountain dulcimers. The elements of music – rhythm, melody, harmony, form, and timbre – are studied through listening, singing, and movement.

Students learn to sing and play a repertoire of Appalachian folk songs and to perform a variety of traditional folk dances. The class also studies the techniques and history of Mississippi Delta blues as well as Western European classical music. The students perform with their dulcimers at two annual performances Page 55

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Physical Education The seventh grade program begins with a unit designed to prepare students for the cooperative challenges they will experience during Project REASON, the annual seventh grade camping trip. Other units include Ultimate Frisbee, handball, touch football, volleyball, basketball, dance and softball. A variety of cooperative games and challenge activities are also included in the spring term. Emphasis is placed on further development of fundamental skills, basic positioning, rules, and team play. Throughout all activities, students are encouraged to strive for their personal best, to play with good sportsmanship, and to enjoy physical activity.

Seven movement patterns that are key to everyday function are assessed using Gray Cook’s “Functional Movement Screen.” This informs the quality of individual students’ movement in all activities and helps personalize corrective exercises for warm-ups and workouts.

Classes meet three times per week in 45-minute sessions.

Growth Education The Growth Education program provides an opportunity for students to discuss the difficult issues of pre-adolescence and adolescence in a safe, structured and confidential environment with the understanding that students should be exposed to information and issues at least two years prior to perceived needs. The curriculum is cyclical in nature so that specific topics are revisited with the assumption that students will bring greater understanding, experience and maturity to the discussion. Class discussions are augmented with factual and dramatic videos, group dynamics exercises, and occasional outside speakers.

The Grade VII course emphasizes the value of individual worth and identity, personal responsibility, the importance of accurate information and wise decision-making, the use of good communication, and the consideration of others. Students examine and discuss identity (especially with regard to culture and race), personal values, finding and holding one’s voice within a group, responsibility within a community, digital citizenship, and appreciation for differences. Other topics include units on the causes of teasing, bullying, and harassment, and ways to be an ally; conflict resolution; drug and alcohol abuse; and healthy ways to relieve stress.

Growth Education classes meet once each week for a 45-minute period and are team-taught by two faculty members. The course is not graded and students do not receive written comments.

Library Grade VII students come to the library throughout the year to continue their explorations in literature and expand their knowledge of a variety of information sources and formats. Through extensive use of materials in both print and digital formats, students connect library resources to their studies in all areas of the curriculum and hone their independent research skills. They learn habits of scholarship which will serve them throughout their school and professional lives. The librarians and classroom teachers collaborate as specific projects are undertaken. Book talks remain a vital component of the library curriculum, designed to further students’ reading enjoyment and discerning use of books and other media for information and pleasure.

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Grade VII Co-Curricular Offerings Athletics The Upper Division athletic program provides broad exposure to a variety of team and individual sports with interscholastic competition in soccer, field hockey, cross-country, basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, lacrosse, softball, and track & field. A healthy winning spirit, a strong sense of fair play, and the development of team play and cooperation are the hallmarks of the program. Each term, students must choose beween participating in a sport or the dramatic production (cast and crew).

Park’s goal is to offer students of all abilities an excellent opportunity to improve their athletic skills and knowledge while learning about themselves. Competition is offered at varsity and junior varsity levels.

Placement on specific teams is determined by the coaches and the athletic director and is based on athletic ability, prior experience, and physical and emotional readiness. While participation is emphasized at each level, equal playing time is not guaranteed at the varsity level.

The members of Park’s athletic teams represent the larger school community. Through each team’s appearance, conduct, and performance, through the actions of parents on the sidelines, and through the School’s facilities, others will form conclusions about the Park community and what The Park School stands for. The School expects that all of Park’s athletes, coaches and parents will act appropriately.

When students choose to participate in interscholastic athletics, a full, four-day per week commitment for all practices and games is expected, and parents are urged to help students meet this expectation. Practices and games take place outside of the regular school day; each team’s schedule is available online. Athletes and parents are expected to check the schedule regularly for updates. Parents are welcome at all home and away games.

Drama The Upper Division Drama Department aims to teach about the performing arts through both the rehearsal process and the excitement of a play. Through participating in a Park drama production, students will gain knowledge of acting skills, and they will learn about the other components that make up a theatrical performance, including set, lights, costumes, and props. Students will build their sense of self confidence and awareness, expand their team working skills, and explore their sense of creativity and imagination.

The program follows the School’s trimester schedule. The fall musical is open to students in Grades VII, VIII, and IX. The winter term features a Grade VI play or musical, and a play for students in Grades VIII and IX. The spring showcases actors from grades VI, VII, and VIII. Each spring, students sign up for the production(s) they’d like to be a part of for the following year. Students must choose between acting in the play or doing a sport. All students will be cast in the show; no prior experience is necessary. Any students interested in being part of the tech crew for a play may sign up with the director; these commitments begin after sports have ended for the season.

When a student chooses to participate in the play, they are making a full four day per week commitment to the activity. Parents are asked to help students meet this expectation. During the two weeks prior to the production, rehearsals are longer. Families have the chance to review and sign off on the calendar, and it will be on line during the season.

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Community Service Encouraging all Park students to grow into contributing members of the community is a vital element of the School’s mission. Park’s service program is designed to raise awareness of the causes behind societal problems as well as to empower students to make a difference. The School strives to instill a lifelong habit of service to others.

Faculty, parents, and students work to support this goal by offering opportunities to serve the school community, the local community, and the global community. Service work responds to disaster relief efforts as well as societal problems and issues in economic development, education, elder care, the environment, health, homelessness and hunger. In general, classroom teachers lead service learning projects, which incorporate an academic component. The Community Service Committee of the Parents’ Association initiates service activities such as the annual Chop-a-thon and meals for the Allston-Brighton Community Supper Program. The student outreach committee, Service Council, sponsors school-wide drives, organizes fundraisers for causes of their choosing, and supports annual Boston area events such as the Walk for Hunger. All service efforts are coordinated by the Service Learning Coordinator.

Service Council This organization, for students in Grades VI-IX, is dedicated to community service. Activities involve identifying global, national, local, and school needs and informing the community about ways to help.

Raising funds and providing services are the two ways that students become involved and make a positive difference. Two Grade IX student leaders coordinate projects throughout the year for a committee of elected class representatives. Elections occur twice each year, in September and in January. Periodically, projects are open to any interested student volunteers.

Student Council This organization, for students in Grades VI through IX, focuses on student life at Park School. Members of Student Council meet weekly during lunch and recess to discuss initiatives relevant to Upper Division students. Activities include organizing spirit days, such as Clash Day and TOTAL Day, as well as Pajama Day, the Talent Show, a movie night, and dances. Two Grade IX student leaders coordinate projects throughout the year for a committee of elected class representatives. Elections occur twice each year, in September and in January.

Clubs Each year, a variety of clubs form in the Upper Division, often generated by student interest. Typically, Grade IX students act as club leaders, working in concert with faculty advisors. Clubs may meet during lunch and/or lunch recess, TEACH, after school, or even occasionally on weekends. Some examples of clubs include the following:

Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) This organization, for students in Grades VI through IX, gathers weekly to discuss issues regarding sexual identity and sexual orientation. Students explore this important topic through readings, films, group discussions, and guest speakers. Members of GSA organize Ally Week activities, Day of Silence, and Morning Meeting presentations.

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Green Club is an Upper Division club that seeks to make Park School a “greener” place, to educate others about the importance of caring for our Earth, to share ideas about what individuals can and are doing, to support efforts in our community at school and beyond to help our environment. Past projects have included clean water projects (e.g., Lifestraw donations), electronics recycling program, battery recycling program, and energy conservation at school (“Lights Out” campaign). This year, among other efforts, we will continue work on reducing the use of Styrofoam.

GRADE VII

Green Club

FIRST Lego League (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) In this club, students work on a challenge, which changes each year, and engage in science, engineering, problem solving, robotics, and computer programming as it relates to a real world problem. There are three components of the program: • Robot Game: Students build a Lego Mindstorms NXT or EV3 robot and program it to complete a series of missions on a challenge table.

• Project: Students develop innovative solutions to a real world problem and build a prototype or model of that solution to present to judges at a competition.

• Core Values: Friendly competition and mutual gain are not separate goals, and helping one another is the foundation of teamwork.

Model United Nations Model UN is a worldwide network of conferences in which students participate in mock United Nations proceedings, serving as delegates from multiple countries to various UN Committees. In this interactive, multi-disciplinary learning opportunity, a delegation of up to 24 Upper Division students trains and attends four annual regional conferences for middle school students. Forty students in Grades VI-IX participated in this extraordinary extracurricular learning activity last year. Meetings occur on weekends.

Math Teams For further enrichment in mathematics, students are invited to participate in MathCounts and/ or Purple Comet. Practice sessions are held weekly; all are welcome to attend. In the winter, a MathCounts team represents Park at an annual regional competition; successful teams advance to future rounds. In the spring, the Purple Comet team(s) competes, solving problems collaboratively with graphing calculators and computers. The Grade VI Math Team practices weekly and participates in a series of math meets organized by the Town of Brookline.

Pangaea (formerly One World Club) Students in Grades VI-IX meet weekly to raise awareness about issues of diversity, and to work toward a more equitable society at Park and beyond. Activities include projects, field trips, and Morning Meeting presentations. Members of Pangaea also play an important role in the Yule Festival celebration.

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Curriculum Guide Grade VIII Grade VIII Overview Eighth grade students enter the school year poised to take on greater responsibility for their learning. Now able to think more abstractly, they tackle significant milestones in the academic, athletic, and artistic realms of the program. Their desire for independence and responsibility meets with exciting challenges in the curriculum as they seek to define themselves as individuals and as members of a group.

In the Grade VIII year, students begin to explore their place in the context of community. They consider both their immediate Park School community as well as the larger world. Early in the fall, during Project Week, Grade VIII students begin a year-long focus on food. The Project Week activities serve as a vehicle for grade-wide team building, skill development, education, and fun. Entitled “A Place at the Table,” the week is an exploration of the power of food in our lives. Each day has a specific focus, including food production, food insecurity, and service opportunities to combat issues around food. Students explore these topics through immersive activities, guest speakers, community service, cooking, and of course eating!

Throughout the year, in their advisory groups, students assist with food preparation and serve dinner at the Allston-Brighton Community Food Pantry. Simultaneously, Growth Education classes provide a forum to discuss the dynamics of relationships, self-awareness, and the adolescent’s drive to test boundaries.

In Grades VIII and IX, students are each assigned a Park School Google Account, giving students and teachers the ability to create, share and collaborate on projects. In Grade VIII, students are each assigned a Park School Google Account and a Chromebook for use at school and at home, giving students and teachers the ability to create, share, and collaborate on projects.

Early in the eighth grade year, students and their parents must make the important choice of whether to apply to secondary school or continue through the ninth grade at Park. The School’s administrators and secondary school counselors are readily available to discuss different options and to develop an appropriate plan for each child. Regardless of their decision, eighth graders at Park routinely find this year one that seals lifelong relationships, offers countless opportunities for personal growth, and prepares them for the rigors of high school. The culminating celebration for the eighth grade invokes the School’s “Charter Oak,” a large, old oak tree whose strong trunk has produced a wealth of branches. Similarly, Park students themselves find that they leave their elementary years with a solid foundation and boundless connections to the world through their classmates and teachers.

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English: Structure and Style in Reading and Writing Literature As Grade VIII students become confident moving from literal to figurative interpretations in both reading and writing, this course emphasizes the major genres used in English and American Literature. Students begin the year reviewing the novel with Avi’s Nothing But The Truth and Stockett’s The Help, followed by S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. They then study Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet and practice reading carefully and thoughtfully, participating in class discussions and dramatic readings, and writing more lengthy essays in response to their reading. After a three-week intensive grammar unit in January, eighth grade English students read and make connections with Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The year ends with an extensive unit on poetry, focusing on poetry throughout the ages and around the world, followed by the creation of an annotated anthology of poems of their choosing.

Composition Formal writing is generated by the literature studied and by the individual student’s experience.

Emphasis is placed on refining previously acquired critical and creative skills, on expanding ideas into fully developed and lengthier essays, and on writing within time constraints. Students are encouraged to outline, draft, refine, and rewrite. As creative writers, eighth graders compose poems and recollective essays.

Grammar and Vocabulary Continuing to focus on the parts of a sentence and parts of speech, students add verbals, complements, phrases, and clauses to their store of grammatical knowledge. As in Grade VII, they learn through diagramming, regular practice on the IXL online grammar program, and some memorization. Eighth grade students focus more closely on issues of common usage. They enlarge their vocabularies by studying the new words encountered in their reading as well as with a grade-level vocabulary text.

They also explore etymology by considering the significance of each word’s roots.

English classes meet five times per week in 45-minute sessions.

Mathematics: Algebra In this course, eighth graders gain understanding of algebraic concepts, facility in the use of all algorithms covered in Algebra I, and analysis of patterns, tables, and graphs for various functions. They also develop the ability to use algebraic methods to solve a variety of applications and problems. Throughout the year, students hone problem-solving skills using real world data, graphing calculators, and GeoGebra, a webbased graphing software program.

All students in Grade VIII take a complete year of algebra. Students are sectioned homogeneously to work with peers who learn at a similar pace and who are performing at the same level in math. All sections cover the Algebra I material including linear functions, linear systems, inequalities, exponential functions, and quadratic functions. Some classes may cover some topics at greater depth as well as some introductory Algebra II. The main text is Discovering Algebra (Key Curriculum Press), augmented by materials from Algebra I (McDougal Littell).

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For additional enrichment students are invited to participate in MathCounts and/or Purple Comet.

Practice sessions are held weekly; all are welcome to attend. In the winter, a MathCounts team represents Park at an annual regional competition; successful teams advance to future rounds. In the spring, the Purple Comet team(s) competes, solving problems collaboratively with graphing calculators and computers.

Classes meet five times per week in 45-minute sessions.

Science: Introductory Physical Science Introductory Physical Science (IPS) is a laboratory science course focusing on the study of matter and motion. Students undertake a thorough, hands-on investigation of the properties of matter, learning primarily through experiments and solidifying their comprehension with classroom discussion.

Eighth graders are active researchers in the lab, starting out the year with basic concepts such as measurement and density, and continuing through atomic structure and radioactivity. A large, culminating activity in the winter term is the “Sludge Lab,” for which students use their knowledge of characteristic properties to design an experiment in order to isolate and identify several unknown materials from a mixture. The spring term ends with a study of motion and Newtonian physics, again demonstrated through a variety of experiments and activities.

Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on safe, efficient practices in the lab. Students also learn how to design experiments, how to keep a lab notebook, and how to write a clear and concise lab report. Students are sectioned homogeneously, in accordance with their placement in math, to work with peers who learn at a similar pace and who are performing at the same level. Using the text Introductory Physical Science (Science Curriculum, Inc.), this course provides all students with a rigorous and thorough preparation for high school lab courses that students will undertake later, both at Park and elsewhere.

This course meets for five 45-minute sessions per week, which includes one 90-minute laboratory period.

Social Studies: China The Grade VIII course focuses on China’s history, culture, and geography from the first human beings to inhabit the Yellow River Valley through the present day. The focus on China gives students an opportunity to examine what is the longest continuous culture in human history, as well as the most populous nation in the world today. Teachers also seek to break down stereotypes regarding China and Chinese culture.

Eighth graders begin the year studying the geography and important patterns of China and Asia, as well as prominent individuals and significant touchstones in China’s ancient history. Students also look closely at the main understandings and major influences of China’s predominant religions and ideologies: Confucianism, Taoism, legalism, and Buddhism. In studying China’s encounters with the West, themes of colonialism, imperialism, and cultural contrast and conflict emerge. In the spring, the class examines China in the 20th and 21st centuries, from revolution to its emergence as a major world power. Throughout the year, students examine current events in China and explore their connections to China’s past.

Students in Grade VIII continue to practice and refine the skills that they learned and practiced in Grades VI and VII. Teachers guide students through the process of compiling, composing, and documenting a longer research paper (6-8 pages). The school year concludes with a final exam that draws from the entire year’s course work.

Classes meet four times per week in 45-minute sessions.

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French, Latin, Mandarin, Spanish Grade VIII language courses build on the work of the previous two years. Successful language study in Grade VIII requires greater maturity and responsibility on the students’ part. Upon completion of the Grade VIII language courses, students are approximately midway through a level 2 high school course.

Language classes meet four times per week for 45 minutes.

Grade VIII French The textbook series Discovering French Nouveau! (Level II, Blanc) forms the core of the French curriculum at Park. This program trains students to understand basic French spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where French is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, French is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with music, poetry, film, and multi-media resources.

Grammar covered in the Grade VIII course includes complex usages of the partitive article, advanced work with regular and irregular verb conjugations in the present tense and in the passé composé, and a solid introduction to object pronouns. Vocabulary study focuses on interrogative words and expressions, broadbased adjectives of description, and advanced work with various foods. Cultural studies include learning about ordering food at restaurants and shopping at markets and in grocery stores. A highlight of the Grade VIII French program is a class trip to a French restaurant in the spring.

Grade VIII Latin The Cambridge Latin Course textbook series forms the core of the Latin curriculum at Park. This program aims to teach comprehension of the Latin language for reading purposes, to develop an understanding of the history and culture of Ancient Roman civilization, and to encourage a wide range of approaches to language learning through the use of high quality audio-visual resources and digital media.

Students in their third year of studying the Latin language use the Cambridge Latin Course Unit 3 as their primary text and the Workbook in Latin Two Years as a supplemental workbook. Studies focus on Latin verbs, including the subjunctive mood and participles. Students regularly compose writings in Latin, implementing their growing vocabulary and knowledge of grammatical structures. Cultural readings focus on Roman religion, the Roman army, and the Jewish Rebellion and Masada, as well as the topography and social classes of Rome. Highlights of the third year of Latin language studies include project work on famous people of Ancient Rome and a field trip that focuses on Roman culture in the Boston area.

Grade VIII Mandarin Students in Grades VIII and IX use the textbook Integrated Chinese, Level 1, Part 2. This program trains students to understand basic Mandarin spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where Mandarin is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, Mandarin is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with workbook activities, audio activities, videos, films, picture books, and podcasts.

The Grade VIII course covers grammar points that include structures to make comparisons and to describe the characteristics and consequences of an action. Vocabulary includes a focus on locations, food, making reservations and placing orders in a restaurant, and discussing prices. Students learn how to read and write an additional 270 commonly used Chinese characters. Cultural studies include Chinese geography, Tang poems, practicing Chinese brush painting and calligraphy, experiencing a Chinese tea ceremony, and Page 64

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exchanging letters with Chinese pen pals in Mandarin. Highlights of the Grade VIII Mandarin program are a class trip to a dim sum restaurant in Chinatown and hosting Chinese students from Hangzhou Greentown Yuhua Qinqin School.

Grade VIII Spanish The textbook series ยกAvancemos! (Level 2) forms the core of the Spanish curriculum at Park. This program trains students to understand basic Spanish spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where Spanish is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, Spanish is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with music, poetry, film, and other multi-media resources.

The Grade VIII Spanish course revisits and builds on grammatical constructions from the previous years with a particular focus on the preterite tense, as well as an introduction to the imperfect tense. Concepts explored in greater depth include direct and indirect object pronouns, demonstrative adjectives and pronouns, the progressive tense, and reflexive verbs. Vocabulary includes travel, health and fitness, clothing, handicrafts, ancient and modern civilizations, and city layout. Cultural studies focus on the environment in Costa Rica, cultural traditions of Argentina, clothing and crafts in Puerto Rico, and the legends of Mexico.

A highlight of the Grade VIII Spanish course is a class trip to a Spanish restaurant in the spring.

Art Grade VIII students explore the visual art concept of three-dimensional design. They learn to create the illusion of space through a series of drawings and to demonstrate form and function in the wood shop.

Students are encouraged to be imaginative and apply a high level of craftsmanship.

Over the course of the year, students rotate through three distinct art studios, meeting twice each week for 45-minute classes.

Studio I Students explore various methods and materials of drawing through the study of the four basic elements of design: line, shape, texture, and color. Many of the exercises focus on the human portrait; teachers vary the approach with each project. Students look at and discuss the artwork of traditional and contemporary artists. Using a grid to guide them, students create a self-portrait drawing or collage.

Studio II Learning how to draw realistically is the focus of this course. Students practice the foundations of drawing through the study of value, light and shadow, and accurate line quality and form. Over sequential lessons, students draw a value chart, simple geometric shapes, ribbons, and finally, the human face.

Studio III Students continue their exploration of three-dimensional design in the visual arts through the process of sculpting a wooden spoon and other cooking utensils. Eighth graders continue to acquire new woodworking skills as they work with a host of hand tools such as crosscut saws, coping saws, mallets and chisels, rasps, files, block planes and scrapers. Final projects are sculpted out of various hardwoods, such as mahogany, quarter-sawn white oak, walnut, cherry, birch, and maple. With each project, students focus on ergonomic design and craftsmanship.

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Music Students in Grade VIII may choose one of four music classes: Chorus, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion Ensemble, or Jazz Band. The classes are comprised of students from both Grade VIII and Grade IX. Students at this level perfect their performance skills and apply elements of music theory learned in previous years. Classes meet two times per week in 45-minute sessions.

Chorus The chorus performs several times during the school year both for School and community activities.

Various song styles are used including folk, popular, and gospel. Songs with social messages (freedom, equality, tolerance, and love) are an important part of the repertoire of this group.

Percussion Ensemble This ensemble plays xylophones for the first half of the school year and African drums for the spring term. Music of West Africa is used for both xylophones and African drums. Previous instrumental experience is not required. The ensemble performs at least three times during the school year.

Jazz Band Although Park does not have an instrumental program, the Jazz Band provides an ensemble experience to students who are proficient on an instrument. Popular, jazz and blues tunes comprise the repertoire of this group. The Jazz Band performs twice during the school year.

Acoustic Guitar This group is geared to the beginner/intermediate guitar player. Students learn to play chords that they can use to accompany themselves as they sing. They also learn to play melodies from a repertoire of American folk and popular tunes. The guitar ensemble performs in the spring term.

Physical Education The eighth grade program reinforces the fundamental movement building blocks established in prior grades. While applying skills in games and activities, students are encouraged to make good decisions in more dynamic and varied settings. Critical-thinking and problem-solving skills are emphasized in game strategies, group dynamics, and “Project Adventure” challenges. Seven movement patterns that are key to everyday function are assessed using Gray Cook’s “Functional Movement Screen.” This tool informs the quality of individual students’ movement in all activities and helps personalize corrective exercises for warm-ups and workouts. Each student is encouraged to progress at his or her own pace, and to improve individual physical skills which complement the variety of interscholastic sports played at Park. Eighth grade activities include touch football, yoga, floor hockey, badminton, Frisbee games, lacrosse, futsal, cricket, and rugby. Cooperative activities and individual and team challenges are also important to the program.

Classes meet two times per week in 45-minute sessions.

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The Growth Education program provides an opportunity for students to discuss the difficult issues of adolescence in a safe, structured, and confidential environment with the understanding that students should be exposed to information at least two years prior to perceived needs. The curriculum is cyclical in nature so that specific topics are revisited with the assumption that students will bring greater understanding, experience and maturity to the discussion. Class discussions are augmented with factual and dramatic videos, group dynamics exercises, and occasional outside speakers.

GRADE VIII

Growth Education

The Grade VIII course focuses on understanding oneself and making healthy decisions. Topics include peer relationships and peer pressure; healthy relationships and responsibility for oneself and another in any type of relationship; Internet behavior and cautions; drugs and alcohol; a review of human sexuality (including gender and sexual identity, gender roles, factual information on sexually transmitted infections, and birth control); overall health, including the effects of stress and the signs and treatment of clinical depression. In March eighth graders participate in a simulation centered on secondary school decisions.

Growth Education classes meet once each week for a 45-minute period and are team-taught by two faculty members. The course is not graded and students do not receive written comments.

Library Grade VIII students come to the library throughout the year to pursue personal and academic interests.

They become acquainted with increasingly sophisticated information sources and formats and practice critical thinking skills. Through extensive use of materials in print and digital formats, students connect library resources to their studies in all areas of the curriculum and hone their independent research skills.

The librarians and classroom teachers collaborate as specific projects are undertaken. Book talks remain a vital component of the library curriculum, designed to further students’ reading enjoyment and discerning use of books and other media for information and pleasure.

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GRADE VIII

Grade VIII Co-Curricular Offerings Athletics The Upper Division athletic program provides broad exposure to a variety of team and individual sports with interscholastic competition in soccer, field hockey, cross-country, basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, lacrosse, softball, and track & field. A healthy winning spirit, a strong sense of fair play, and the development of team play and cooperation are the hallmarks of the program. Each term, students must choose beween participating in a sport or the dramatic production (cast and crew).

Park’s goal is to offer students of all abilities an excellent opportunity to improve their athletic skills and knowledge while learning about themselves. Competition is offered at varsity and junior varsity levels.

Placement on specific teams is determined by the coaches and the athletic director and is based on athletic ability, prior experience, and physical and emotional readiness. While participation is emphasized at each level, equal playing time is not guaranteed at the varsity level.

The members of Park’s athletic teams represent the larger school community. Through each team’s appearance, conduct, and performance, through the actions of parents on the sidelines, and through the School’s facilities, others will form conclusions about the Park community and what The Park School stands for. The School expects that all of Park’s athletes, coaches and parents will act appropriately.

When students choose to participate in interscholastic athletics, a full, four-day per week commitment for all practices and games is expected, and parents are urged to help students meet this expectation. Practices and games take place outside of the regular school day; each team’s schedule is available online. Athletes and parents are expected to check the schedule regularly for updates. Parents are welcome at all home and away games.

Drama The Upper Division Drama Department aims to teach about the performing arts through both the rehearsal process and the excitement of a play. Through participating in a Park drama production, students will gain knowledge of acting skills, and they will learn about the other components that make up a theatrical performance, including set, lights, costumes, and props. Students will build their sense of self confidence and awareness, expand their team working skills, and explore their sense of creativity and imagination.

The program follows the School’s trimester schedule. The fall musical is open to students in Grades VII, VIII, and IX. The winter term features a Grade VI play or musical, and a play for students in Grades VIII and IX. The spring showcases actors from grades VI, VII, and VIII. Each spring, students sign up for the production(s) they’d like to be a part of for the following year. Students must choose between acting in the play or doing a sport. All students will be cast in the show; no prior experience is necessary. Any students interested in being part of the tech crew for a play may sign up with the director; these commitments begin after sports have ended for the season.

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When a student chooses to participate in the play, they are making a full four day per week commitment to the activity. Parents are asked to help students meet this expectation. During the two weeks prior to the production, rehearsals are longer. Families have the chance to review and sign off on the calendar, and it will be on line during the season.

Encouraging all Park students to grow into contributing members of the community is a vital element of the School’s mission. Park’s service program is designed to raise awareness of the causes behind societal problems as well as to empower students to make a difference. The School strives to instill a lifelong habit of service to others.

GRADE VIII

Community Service

Faculty, parents, and students work to support this goal by offering opportunities to serve the school community, the local community, and the global community. Service work responds to disaster relief efforts as well as societal problems and issues in economic development, education, elder care, the environment, health, homelessness and hunger. In general, classroom teachers lead service learning projects, which incorporate an academic component. The Community Service Committee of the Parents’ Association initiates service activities such as the annual Chop-a-thon and meals for the Allston-Brighton Community Supper Program. The student outreach committee, Service Council, sponsors school-wide drives, organizes fundraisers for causes of their choosing, and supports annual Boston area events such as the Walk for Hunger. All service efforts are coordinated by the Service Learning Coordinator.

Interested Grade VIII students elect to travel to Costa Rica for a week of service activities at the end of school in June.

Service Council This organization, for students in Grades VI-IX, is dedicated to community service. Activities involve identifying global, national, local, and school needs and informing the community about ways to help.

Raising funds and providing services are the two ways that students become involved and make a positive difference. Two Grade IX student leaders coordinate projects throughout the year for a committee of elected class representatives. Elections occur twice each year, in September and in January. Periodically, projects are open to any interested student volunteers.

Student Council This organization, for students in Grades VI through IX, focuses on student life at Park School. Members of Student Council meet weekly during lunch and recess to discuss initiatives relevant to Upper Division students. Activities include organizing spirit days, such as Clash Day and TOTAL Day, as well as Pajama Day, the Talent Show, a movie night, and dances. Two Grade IX student leaders coordinate projects throughout the year for a committee of elected class representatives. Elections occur twice each year, in September and in January.

Clubs Each year, a variety of clubs form in the Upper Division, often generated by student interest. Typically, Grade IX students act as club leaders, working in concert with faculty advisors. Clubs may meet during lunch and/or lunch recess, TEACH, after school, or even occasionally on weekends. Some examples of clubs include the following:

(GSA) Gay-Straight Alliance This organization, for students in Grades VI through IX, gathers weekly to discuss issues regarding sexual identity and sexual orientation. Students explore this important topic through readings, films, Page 69

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group discussions, and guest speakers. Members of GSA organize Ally Week activities, Day of Silence, and Morning Meeting presentations.

Green Club Green Club is an Upper Division club that seeks to make Park School a “greener” place, to educate others about the importance of caring for our Earth, to share ideas about what individuals can and are doing, to support efforts in our community at school and beyond to help our environment. Past projects have included clean water projects (e.g., Lifestraw donations), electronics recycling program, battery recycling program, and energy conservation at school (“Lights Out” campaign). This year, among other efforts, we will continue work on reducing the use of Styrofoam.

FIRST Lego League (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) In this club, students work on a challenge, which changes each year, and engage in science, engineering, problem solving, robotics, and computer programming as it relates to a real world problem. There are three components of the program: • Robot Game: Students build a Lego Mindstorms NXT or EV3 robot and program it to complete a series of missions on a challenge table.

• Project: Students develop innovative solutions to a real world problem and build a prototype or model of that solution to present to judges at a competition.

• Core Values: Friendly competition and mutual gain are not separate goals, and helping one another is the foundation of teamwork.

Model United Nations Model UN is a worldwide network of conferences in which students participate in mock United Nations proceedings, serving as delegates from multiple countries to various UN Committees. In this interactive, multi-disciplinary learning opportunity, a delegation of up to 24 Upper Division students trains and attends four annual regional conferences for middle school students. Forty students in Grades VI-IX participated in this extraordinary extracurricular learning activity last year. Meetings occur on weekends.

Math Teams For further enrichment in mathematics, students are invited to participate in MathCounts and/ or Purple Comet. Practice sessions are held weekly; all are welcome to attend. In the winter, a MathCounts team represents Park at an annual regional competition; successful teams advance to future rounds. In the spring, the Purple Comet team(s) competes, solving problems collaboratively with graphing calculators and computers.

Pangaea (formerly One World Club) Students in Grades VI-IX meet weekly to raise awareness about issues of diversity, and to work toward a more equitable society at Park and beyond. Activities include projects, field trips, and Morning Meeting presentations. Members of Pangaea also play an important role in the Yule Festival celebration.

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GRADE IX

Curriculum Guide Grade IX Grade IX Overview Park School’s culminating year is designed to offer students opportunities to strengthen and broaden their minds through rigorous coursework, to participate in competitive athletics, often at the varsity level, and to specialize in artistic, dramatic and musical endeavors.

Ninth graders serve as leaders of Park’s student government, service council, Yearbook staff, student clubs, Morning Meetings, and athletic teams. Students also serve as informal leaders of all younger children on campus. In this way, leadership is both encouraged and expected of each member of the class.

In Grades VIII and IX, students are each assigned a Park School Google Account, giving students and teachers the ability to create, share and collaborate on projects. In Grade IX, students are each assigned a Park School Google Account and a Chromebook for use at school and at home, giving students and teachers the ability to create, share, and collaborate on projects.

A three-day overnight trip marks the beginning of the school year, a time when students and their advisors work together to plan for the year ahead, to create personal Yearbook pages, to prepare group meals, and to engage in team-building activities that encourage both greater self-awareness and an appreciation for the individuals that form the group.

After a busy fall focused on rigorous academics and the process of visiting and applying to next schools, students undertake winter activities that include preparation for the March language trips to China, France, Italy, or Spain and for individual Work-Study projects. Students work closely with chosen members of the faculty and staff to secure supervised internships – opportunities to pursue interests and talents in the world outside Park.

Together with their language teachers, ninth graders travel to Asia or Europe for ten days in March. While French, Mandarin and Spanish students live in home-stay settings and participate in language immersion classes, cultural activities, and afternoon excursions, Latin students visit ancient Roman archaeological sites throughout Italy, climb Mount Vesuvius, and spend several days touring the cultural and historic sights of Rome.

Upon returning from their language trips, Grade IX students spend two weeks working in the “real world,” applying individual skills and strengths in an environment of their choosing. These Work-Study internships allow students to work with professional adults and to gain valuable life experience as they prepare to leave the School. Indeed, the Grade IX experience at Park is a unique and powerful first year of high school, characterized by intellectual depth, personal growth and empowerment, and committed leadership.

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GRADE IX

English: The Human Experience: Intensive Writing and Analytical Reading Literature In Grade IX, the study of the various literary genres and the intensive practice of reading and writing continue. Ninth graders arrive in September having read Gareth Hinds’ graphic novel, The Odyssey, and The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, over the summer. Students begin the year by examining the style and structure of The Odyssey, translated by Robert Fagles, followed by a unit on Shakespeare’s Julius Cesar. In the late winter and spring, students read Sandra Cisnero’s House on Mango Street and Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The year ends examining the poetry of Robert Frost and Maya Angelou, and reading Billy Collins’ Poetry 180.

Throughout the year, ninth graders develop increasingly sophisticated skills in literary interpretation, synthesizing all that they have learned as readers over their years at Park.

Composition Improving style and structure, expressing abstract concepts, writing concisely, varying syntax, enriching diction, and advancing revision techniques are at the heart of the ninth grade writing program.

Mastery of the conventions of spelling and mechanics is expected. Students create their own essays as they continute to intensify and polish writing skills and mechanics, paying attention to the art of the well-crafted paragraph, sentence combinations, and voice. Modeling some of their pieces on the work of essayists, fiction writers, journalists, and poets encountered in their classroom reading, students practice various essay forms: description, narration, recollection, argument, and persuasion. Students produce and present a formal, annotated writing portfolio containing all of their written work at the end of the year.

Grammar The emphasis of grammar study in Grade IX is largely directed by the students’ ability to manipulate the structures of language in their own writing. Review of grammatical concepts and structures is an ongoing activity. An exploration of clauses and sentence combining allows students to enrich and enhance their own writing.

English classes meet five times per week in 45-minute sessions.

Mathematics: Geometry All students in Grade IX take a full year of high school geometry. Students acquire knowledge of basic concepts in geometry and gain experience in the process of conjecture and proof. Topics include lines, planes, proofs, congruence, similarity, parallels, perpendiculars, area, circles, and polygons. The accelerated section covers some topics at greater depth.

The main text is Geometry for Enjoyment and Challenge (McDougal Littell). GeoGebra, a web-based graphing program, is used to augment the program and help students discover and explore various theorems. Students also participate in an ongoing review of first-year algebra and problem-solving in preparation for Algebra II in tenth grade.

Classes meet five times per week in 45-minute sessions.

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All students in Grade IX take a full-year laboratory course in biology, the study of living systems. This course meets for five 45-minute sessions per week, including one 90-minute laboratory period.

GRADE IX

Science: Biology Students begin with a study of the chemistry of life. They learn how atoms form important organic macromolecules such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, and how these macromolecules function in an organism. In addition, they learn about the structure and function of the basic unit of life – the cell.

Other topics studied include: photosynthesis and its profound influence on life on earth; genetics, with an emphasis on the function of DNA and on current research in DNA, such as the Human Genome Project; biodiversity; and human body systems.

In order to investigate biological processes, ninth graders use a variety of equipment, such as microscopes and carbon dioxide sensors connected to computers. Experiments are designed to reinforce ideas covered in the text, Biology (Pearson 2010). Lab work also helps students understand that science is a way of thinking and forces them to analyze data in robust and specific ways. In this ninth grade biology course, students learn to ask important questions about current research and about how biology affects daily life. They come to understand how science literacy plays a critical role in understanding world events.

Social Studies: Europe and Facing History & Ourselves Adopting the materials and methods of Facing History and Ourselves, the ninth grade course uses the rise of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust as a springboard to examine the origins and persistence of antidemocratic ideas and events in Europe. Facing History is an international organization, based in Brookline, Massachusetts, devoted, as the Facing History and Ourselves text says, to having students “investigate the use and abuse of power, obedience, loyalty, decision-making, and survival as they further develop their notions of justice.”

Over the course of the year, students trace the history, ideas, and cultural development of Europe (and Germany, in particular) from the rise of 19th century nationalism and militarism through World War II and the Holocaust. In keeping with the methods and skills promoted by the Facing History curriculum, all readings, discussions, writing assignments, guest speakers, and research projects are designed to “complicate students’ simple answers to complex problems.” While students continue to practice social studies skills learned over the previous three years, emphasis is also placed on helping the students to see themselves as participants in the historical process as they “face” history.

Early on, students engage in reflective writing that grows out of experiences that have shaped their views of the world, experiences that have challenged them and forced them to grow as human beings. As part of this unit, ninth graders read Night, the memoir by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. Later in the fall term, students compose a research paper (8-10 pages) with a focused thesis. In the spring term, they create a memorial project, commemorating some element of the Holocaust or an aspect of the topics addressed in their research paper. Both the research paper and the memorial project provide opportunities for students to consider how the themes they have studied connect to other places and other times in history, as well the present.

Classes meet four times per week in 45-minute sessions.

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GRADE IX

French, Latin, Mandarin, Spanish In Grade IX language classes, students complete the study of most major grammatical topics in each language. Ten-day language trips to China, France, Italy, and Spain mark the culmination of the four-year curriculum. Language classes meet four times per week in 45-minute sessions.

Grade IX French The textbook series Discovering French Nouveau! (Level II, Blanc) forms the core of the French curriculum at Park. This program trains students to understand basic French spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where French is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, French is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with music, poetry, film, and multi-media resources.

Grammar in the Grade IX French course includes continued work with regular and irregular verb conjugations in the present tense and in the passé composé, continued work with object pronouns, the structure and usage of reflexive verbs, the pronouns y and en, the relative pronouns qui and que, the imperative and subjunctive moods, and an introduction to the forms and usage of the imperfect tense.

Vocabulary study focuses on various forms of entertainment and leisure activities, sports and health, and shopping for clothing. A highlight of the Grade IX French course is a ten-day class trip to France, including seven days of homestay living, language classes and cultural excursions in and around the city of Aix-en-Provence, and a final weekend in Paris. In preparation for the trip, students study the political and cultural history of France with an emphasis on the southern region of Provence. Students use French as their only language of communication with French people during the trip. Following the trip, students prepare a Morning Meeting presentation for the Upper Division about their experiences.

Grade IX Latin The Cambridge Latin Course textbook series forms the core of the Latin curriculum at Park. This program aims to teach comprehension of the Latin language for reading purposes, to develop an understanding of the history and culture of Ancient Roman civilization, and to encourage a wide range of approaches to language learning through the use of high quality audio-visual resources and digital media.

Students in their fourth year of studying the Latin language use the Cambridge Latin Course Unit 3 and Unit 4 as their primary texts and the Workbook in Latin Two Years as a supplemental workbook.

Students regularly compose writings in Latin, implementing their growing vocabulary and knowledge of grammatical structures. The highlight of the fourth year of Latin language studies is a ten-day trip to Italy to visit monuments of the Ancient Roman Empire in Rome, followed by four days exploring Pompeii and Herculaneum, climbing Mount Vesuvius, and touring Capri. In preparation for the trip, students research the sites that they will visit, each student taking on the presentation of one site during the trip. Following the trip, students put into practice their studies of complex grammatical constructions and poetic meter through survey readings of Vergil’s Aeneid and/or Caesar’s Gallic Wars.

Grade IX Mandarin Students in Grades VIII and IX use the textbook Integrated Chinese, Level 1, Part 2. This program trains students to understand basic Mandarin spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where Mandarin is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, Mandarin is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with workbook activities, audio activities, videos, films, picture books, and podcasts.

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GRADE IX

The Grade IX course covers grammar points including usage of conjunctions, different uses of le 了, and structures to make a hypothesis and to describe the characteristics and the consequences of an action.

Vocabulary includes a focus on weather, seasons, geography, and travel plans. Students learn how to read and write an additional 200 characters. The highlight of the Grade IX Mandarin program is a ten-day class trip to China. The trip includes six days of homestay living with Chinese families, attending classes at Hangzhou Greentown Yuhua Qinqin School, and cultural excursions in and around the cities of Hangzhou and Shanghai. Prior to the trip, students research the history and geography of the region that they will visit, as well as folk tales, Buddhism, Chinese herbal medicine, poetry, and historical figures related to the sites that they will see during the trip. Students use Mandarin as their only language of communication with Chinese people during the trip. Following the trip, students prepare a Morning Meeting presentation for the Upper Division about their experiences.

Grade IX Spanish The textbook series ÂĄAvancemos! (Level 2) forms the core of the Spanish curriculum at Park. This program trains students to understand basic Spanish spoken at normal speed, to speak well enough to communicate with native speakers, to express themselves in writing, to read introductory texts, and to appreciate significant features of the countries and regions where Spanish is spoken. As students progress in their proficiency, Spanish is increasingly the language of instruction. Lessons are supplemented with music, poetry, film, and other multi-media resources.

The Grade IX Spanish course covers grammar points which include the imperative and present subjunctive moods, as well as double object pronouns, affirmative and negative expressions, and the present perfect tense. Vocabulary includes cooking and dining out, cinema, and news media. Cultural studies include the traditional cuisine of Spain, Spanish language media in the United States, and journalism in the Dominican Republic. A focal point of the Grade IX Spanish course is a ten-day class trip to Spain, including seven days of homestay living, language classes and cultural excursions in and around the city of Granada, and a final weekend in Seville. In preparation for the trip, students study the political and cultural history of Spain, with an emphasis on the southern region of Andalusia. Students use Spanish as their only language of communication with Spanish people during the trip. Following the trip, students prepare a Morning Meeting presentation for the Upper Division about their experiences.

Art The Grade IX art program is designed to give students the opportunity to work with their teachers as studio artists. After a general introduction to three different media, students indicate their preference for the year. Ninth grade studio classes meet twice each week for 45 minutes.

Painting In this studio course, students explore various techniques and materials used in acrylic painting. At the start of the year, students complete several assignments to build and expand foundational skills: color mixing, value, texture, composition, and brushwork. Students look at Impressionist paintings as an example of style, study several Impressionist painters, and choose a museum piece as inspiration for a reproduction study painting. In the second half of the year, each student designs an independent project consisting of a series of related paintings.

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GRADE IX

Printmaking In this course, students learn the process of transferring an image from a printing plate onto paper.

To become proficient in methods of printing by hand and using the etching press, the class explores drawing techniques, color, texture, and relief. Projects include monoprints, monotypes, collographs, and intaglio prints, and students discuss which medium most effectively communicates their ideas.

Stained Glass In this course, students have the opportunity to explore the medium of stained glass as a vehicle for self-expression. They gain a deeper appreciation for this ubiquitous material and learn of its unique physical properties. Designing two-dimensional and three-dimensional projects, students are instructed on how to safely cut, shape, fuse, and assemble glass in various ways. Materials such as copper, hardwood, and wire are also utilized in projects, which may include sun catchers, mirrors, mosaics, pendants, and kaleidoscopes.

Music Students in Grade IX may choose one of four music classes: Chorus, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion Ensemble, or Jazz Band. The classes are comprised of students from Grades VIII and IX. Students at this level perfect their performance skills and apply elements of music theory learned in previous years. Classes meet two times per week in 45-minute sessions.

Chorus The chorus performs several times during the school year both for School and community activities.

Various song styles are used, including folk, popular, and gospel. Songs with social messages (freedom, equality, tolerance, and love) are an important part of the repertoire of this group.

Percussion Ensemble This ensemble plays xylophones for the first half of the school year and African drums for the spring term. Music of West Africa is used for both xylophones and African drums. Previous instrumental experience is not required. The ensemble performs at least three times during the school year.

Jazz Band Although Park does not have an instrumental program, the Jazz Band provides an ensemble experience to students who are proficient on an instrument. Popular, jazz, and blues tunes comprise the repertoire of this group. The Jazz Band performs twice during the school year.

Acoustic Guitar This group is geared to the beginner/intermediate guitar player. Students learn to play chords that they can use to accompany themselves as they sing. They also learn to play melodies from a repertoire of American folk and popular tunes. The guitar ensemble performs in the spring term.

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The Grade IX program focuses on lifetime activities and provides students with the opportunity to experience a variety of team and individual sports, fitness activities and recreational games. The joys and benefits of lifelong participation in physical activity are stressed, and students are encouraged to take primary responsibility for their own learning. Seven movement patterns that are key to everyday function are assessed using Gray Cook’s “Functional Movement Screen.” This informs the quality of individual students’ movement in all activities and helps personalize corrective exercises for warm-ups and workouts.

GRADE IX

Physical Education

The importance of being physically fit and developing a healthy lifestyle are emphasized throughout the year. Some of the activities offered during the year include golf, archery, badminton, softball, volleyball, and biking. Cooperative activities and individual and team challenges are also included. From time to time, field trips are scheduled so that students can experience activities requiring facilities that are not available on campus.

Classes meet two times per week in 45-minute sessions.

Growth Education Growth Education provides an opportunity for students to discuss the difficult issues of adolescence and the challenges of the first year of high school in a safe, structured, and confidential environment. Class discussions are augmented with factual and dramatic videos, group dynamics exercises, and occasional outside speakers.

The ninth grade program focuses specifically on personal identity and responsibility for one’s actions as an individual and as a member of a group. Because the students are engaged in preparing for the transition to next schools, the year begins with an examination of the core elements of one’s identity and pivotal events in one’s personal history.

Some topics from previous years are revisited to solidify the students’ command of the information, to clarify values, and to affirm wise decision-making. Units generally include identity; platonic and romantic relationships, and appropriate behavior in each; dealing with transitions and change; mental and emotional health; stress; and choices regarding drugs and alcohol.

In the Grade IX course, students also have a voice in choosing the topics that they wish to explore.Based on positive student feedback, the curriculum now includes three or four visits to Bridge Boston Charter School. Working with teacher assessments, students plan lessons for small groups of second graders. At the end of this unit, the Park students reflect on their experiences.

Growth Education meets once each week for a 45-minute period and is team-taught. The course is not graded and students do not receive written comments.

Library Grade IX students visit the library throughout the year during both free time and class time. They become acquainted with increasingly sophisticated information sources and formats, and they prepare to take advantage of libraries in their next schools and communities. Students practice critical thinking about information sources and connect library resources in print and digital formats to their studies in all areas of the curriculum. The librarians and classroom teachers collaborate as specific projects are undertaken. Book talks and leisure reading continue to be an enjoyable aspect of students’ library experience.

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GRADE IX

Grade IX Co-Curricular Offerings Work Study Program This exceptional program facilitates the placement of Grade IX students in an apprenticeship opportunity that taps into a particular interest. The program is a highlight of the Grade IX year and fosters in students a sense of independence and a spirit of curiosity in a potential career path. Starting after winter vacation and continuing until just before spring vacation, Grade IX students participate in a number of class meetings to discuss the details of an apprenticeship in a business, professional, or service organization for the two-week period immediately following spring vacation.

Each student is assigned a faculty advisor for his/her project who assists in the planning and selection of an apprenticeship, visits the student on the job, and helps in post-project evaluation. Faculty advisors seek to prepare students for Work Study by helping them to define goals for the two weeks, and by conveying to them in some detail the experiences and advice of previous ninth graders on Work Study. Each student is responsible for job selection, arranging transportation, appropriate conduct and initiative on the job, keeping a daily journal on the job, project evaluation, and making a presentation at Morning Meeting about the Work Study experience.

Athletics The Upper Division athletic program provides broad exposure to a variety of team and individual sports with interscholastic competition in soccer, field hockey, cross-country, basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, lacrosse, softball, and track & field. A healthy winning spirit, a strong sense of fair play, and the development of team play and cooperation are the hallmarks of the program. Each term, students must choose beween participating in a sport or the dramatic production (cast and crew).

Park’s goal is to offer students of all abilities an excellent opportunity to improve their athletic skills and knowledge while learning about themselves. Competition is offered at varsity and junior varsity levels.

Placement on specific teams is determined by the coaches and the athletic director and is based on athletic ability, prior experience, and physical and emotional readiness. While participation is emphasized at each level, equal playing time is not guaranteed at the varsity level.

The members of Park’s athletic teams represent the larger school community. Through each team’s appearance, conduct, and performance, through the actions of parents on the sidelines, and through the School’s facilities, others will form conclusions about the Park community and what The Park School stands for. The School expects that all of Park’s athletes, coaches and parents will act appropriately.

When students choose to participate in interscholastic athletics, a full, four-day per week commitment for all practices and games is expected, and parents are urged to help students meet this expectation. Practices and games take place outside of the regular school day; each team’s schedule is available online. Athletes and parents are expected to check the schedule regularly for updates. Parents are welcome at all home and away games.

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The Upper Division Drama Department aims to teach about the performing arts through both the rehearsal process and the excitement of a play. Through participating in a Park drama production, students will gain knowledge of acting skills, and they will learn about the other components that make up a theatrical performance, including set, lights, costumes, and props. Students will build their sense of self confidence and awareness, expand their team working skills, and explore their sense of creativity and imagination.

GRADE IX

Drama

The program follows the School’s trimester schedule. The fall musical is open to students in Grades VII, VIII, and IX. The winter term features a Grade VI play or musical, and a play for students in Grades VIII and IX. The spring showcases actors from grades VI, VII, and VIII. Each spring, students sign up for the production(s) they’d like to be a part of for the following year. Students must choose between acting in the play or doing a sport. All students will be cast in the show; no prior experience is necessary. Any students interested in being part of the tech crew for a play may sign up with the director; these commitments begin after sports have ended for the season.

When a student chooses to participate in the play, they are making a full four day per week commitment to the activity. Parents are asked to help students meet this expectation. During the two weeks prior to the production, rehearsals are longer. Families have the chance to review and sign off on the calendar, and it will be on line during the season.

Community Service Encouraging all Park students to grow into contributing members of the community is a vital element of the School’s mission. Park’s service program is designed to raise awareness of the causes behind societal problems as well as to empower students to make a difference. The School strives to instill a lifelong habit of service to others.

Faculty, parents, and students work to support this goal by offering opportunities to serve the school community, the local community, and the global community. Service work responds to disaster relief efforts as well as societal problems and issues in economic development, education, elder care, the environment, health, homelessness and hunger. In general, classroom teachers lead service learning projects, which incorporate an academic component. The Community Service Committee of the Parents’ Association initiates service activities such as the annual Chop-a-thon and meals for the Allston-Brighton Community Supper Program. The student outreach committee, Service Council, sponsors school-wide drives, organizes fundraisers for causes of their choosing, and supports annual Boston area events such as the Walk for Hunger. All service efforts are coordinated by the Service Learning Coordinator.

Service Council This organization, for students in Grades VI-IX, is dedicated to community service. Activities involve identifying global, national, local, and school needs and informing the community about ways to help.

Raising funds and providing services are the two ways that students become involved and make a positive difference. Two Grade IX student leaders coordinate projects throughout the year for a committee of elected class representatives. Elections occur twice each year, in September and in January. Periodically, projects are open to any interested student volunteers.

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GRADE IX

Student Council This organization, for students in Grades VI through IX, focuses on student life at Park School. Members of Student Council meet weekly during lunch and recess to discuss initiatives relevant to Upper Division students. Activities include organizing spirit days, such as Clash Day and TOTAL Day, as well as Pajama Day, the Talent Show, a movie night, and dances. Two Grade IX student leaders coordinate projects throughout the year for a committee of elected class representatives. Elections occur twice each year, in September and in January.

Clubs Each year, a variety of clubs form in the Upper Division, often generated by student interest. Typically, Grade IX students act as club leaders, working in concert with faculty advisors. Clubs may meet during lunch and/or lunch recess, TEACH, after school, or even occasionally on weekends. Some examples of clubs include the following:

Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) This organization, for students in Grades VI through IX, gathers weekly to discuss issues regarding sexual identity and sexual orientation. Students explore this important topic through readings, films, group discussions, and guest speakers. Members of GSA organize Ally Week activities, Day of Silence, and Morning Meeting presentations.

Green Club Green Club is an Upper Division club that seeks to make Park School a “greener” place, to educate others about the importance of caring for our Earth, to share ideas about what individuals can and are doing, to support efforts in our community at school and beyond to help our environment. Past projects have included clean water projects (e.g., Lifestraw donations), electronics recycling program, battery recycling program, and energy conservation at school (“Lights Out” campaign). This year, among other efforts, we will continue work on reducing the use of Styrofoam.

Model United Nations Model UN is a worldwide network of conferences in which students participate in mock United Nations proceedings, serving as delegates from multiple countries to various UN Committees. In this interactive, multi-disciplinary learning opportunity, a delegation of up to 24 Upper Division students trains and attends four annual regional conferences for middle school students. Forty students in Grades VI-IX participated in this extraordinary extracurricular learning activity last year. Meetings occur on weekends.

Math Teams For further enrichment in mathematics, students are invited to participate in MathCounts and/ or Purple Comet. Practice sessions are held weekly; all are welcome to attend. In the winter, a MathCounts team represents Park at an annual regional competition; successful teams advance to future rounds. In the spring, the Purple Comet team(s) competes, solving problems collaboratively with graphing calculators and computers.

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Students in Grades VI-IX meet weekly to raise awareness about issues of diversity, and to work toward a more equitable society at Park and beyond. Activities include projects, field trips, and Morning Meeting presentations. Members of Pangaea also play an important role in the Yule Festival celebration.

GRADE IX

Pangaea (formerly One World Club)

Yearbook The production of this annual publication requires a bi-weekly commitment from the staff of selected members of the Grade IX class and faculty advisors. The members of the Yearbook staff use the online resources provided by Jostens, Inc., to create a full color, hardback volume that documents the year’s events and the graduating class. The students are responsible for all content, including text, photography, and layout, as well as managing deadlines and collaborating as a team.

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