Preprimary (PK-K) SSFS curriculum guide 2015 16

Lower School Pre-Primary Curriculum Guide (Pre-K and Kindergarten) 2015-2016

Table of Contents General Information

Lower School Faculty and Staff ............................... 1 Academic Program Overview ...................................... 3 Community and Spiritual Life .................................... 3 Meeting for Worship .............................................. 4 Morning Meeting .................................................... 4 Community Service ................................................ 4 Value of Play ............................................................ 5 Outdoor Education ................................................... 5 Peace Education ...................................................... 5 Assessment and Reflection ...................................... 6

Language Arts

Language Arts Overview .......................................... 7 Handwriting .......................................................... 8

Mathematics

Mathematics Overview ................................................ 9

Science

Science Overview ....................................................... 10

Social Studies

Social Studies Overview ....................................... 11 Senior Buddies Program ......................................... 11

Arts

Arts Overview ........................................................ 12

Music

Music Overview ....................................................... 13

Spanish

Spanish Overview ...................................................... 14

Physical Education and Wellness

Physical Education Overview .................................. 15 Wellness Overview .................................................. 15

Technology

Technology Overview ........................................ 16 Online Applications ........................................ 16

Library

Library Overview ............................................. 17

Life Skills

Life Skills Overview ........................................ 18

General Information LOWER SCHOOL FACULTY & STAFF, 2015-2016 ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Katharine Carneal Second Grade B.A. Connecticut College M.Ed. Lesley College, MA

Thomas Gibian Head of School B.A. College of Wooster, OH M.B.A. Wharton School of the University of Pennsylania

Johanna Cowie Library B.A. New York University

David Hickson Assistant Head of School for Academic Innovation B.A. Oberlin College, OH M.Ed. Arcadia University, PA

Karen Cronin Lower School P.E. B.S. Penn State University

Brenda Crawley Lower School Head B.Mus. Manhattanville College, NY M.S. Johns Hopkins University, MD

Amy Curtis Second Grade B.A. Wesleyan University, CT M.S.Ed. Bank Street College of Education, NY

Pam Gilmer Lower School Administrative Assistant

RuthAnne Gregory Fourth Grade B.S. Howard University, DC M.A.T. Queens College, NC

Michelle Lambert-Williamson Director of Aftercare B.A. Western Kentucky University

Linda Garrettson Fourth Grade B.S. College of William and Mary, VA M.P.H. Emory University, GA

ADMISSIONS Suzannah Hopkins Director of LS/MS Admissions B.A. Ithaca College, NY M.A. Johns Hopkins University, MD

Amanda Hill Physical Education B.S. Springfield College, MA M.S. Elmira College, NY

LOWER SCHOOL TEACHING FACULTY

Salli Innes First Grade B.F.A. University of North Carolina - Greensboro

Brenda Benjamin Music B.S. Morris Brown College, GA M.G.A. University of Maryland - College Park

Lori Ligon Kindergarten/Pre-K Swing Teacher B.A. University of Iowa M.Ed. Lesley University, MA

Chanelle Broughton Pre-Kindergarten B.A. Winston-Salem State University, NC

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General Information LOWER SCHOOL FACULTY & STAFF, 2015-2016 Jenny Lingelbach Third Grade B.A. Haverford College, PA M.A.T. Trinity Washington University, DC

Elizabeth Thornton Librarian B.A. Mount Holyoke College, MA M.S.L.S. Catholic University, DC

Bela Meghani First Grade B.S. University of California - Berkeley M.Ed. Towson University, MD

Mariela Triana Spanish, Grades 1-5 B.A. Universidad Pedag贸gica Nacional, Colombia

Mary Anne Peacock Kindergarten B.A. Gettysburg College, PA M.Ed. Towson University, MD Steve Powers Physical Education B.A. University of Maryland Jeffrey Rohrman Physical Education B.A. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee M.A. Minnesota State University - Mankato Kate Santorineos Art B.A. Pierce University, Athens, Greece Erin Scott Kindergarten, Pre-Primary Music B.S. University of Maryland M.Ed. University of Maryland Pinki Shah Fifth Grade B.S. Towson University, MD M.S. Teachers College at Columbia University, NY Fred Sisk Technology B.A. West Chester University, PA M.S. Johns Hopkins University, MD

Kiki Vargas Fifth Grade B.A. Emory University, GA M.Ed. Teachers College Columbia University, NY

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES Tim Croft Lower School Counselor B.A Flagler College, FL M.S.W. Howard University, DC Licensed Graduate Social Worker in MD Beverley DiTusa Lower School Learning Specialist B.Ed. West London Institute of Higher Education, UK Lynda Reese Reading Specialist B.Ed. University of London, UK M.S.Ed. Johns Hopkins University, MD Mary K. Fry Registered Nurse and Nurse Practitioner B.S.N. Pennsylvania State University M.S.N. University of Maryland Gail Willie Registered Nurse B.S.N. University of Maryland

Jeff Smith Third Grade B.A. California State University at Los Angeles 2

General Information ACADEMIC PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Sandy Spring Friends Lower School pre-primary program is based on the belief that much learning takes place in indirect and informal ways, through play and experience with manipulative materials, and often without paper and pencil. Social and emotional growth are given as much attention as academic or cognitive development. In addition to learning foundational skills in reading, writing, math, and critical thinking, our curriculum also focuses on healthy self-esteem, curiosity and initiative, increasing responsibility for managing daily tasks, and resolving conflicts peacefully. The result is an active day where work and play may be indistinguishable. Children are born to be curious, joyful, and noisy. When we hear the joyful noises, we know that the classroom is a success. Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education and to participate in many ways throughout the year.

The pre-primary curriculum is a vehicle for stimulating, organizing, and channeling children’s thoughts and ideas to explore their environment. We follow a sequence of skillsets that are built upon in each grade, while recognizing that children differ in their rates and patterns of growth. Individual learning styles, interests, and cultural backgrounds contribute to this variance.

Thus, the pre-primary classrooms strive to provide time, positive experiences, and acceptance to accommodate the individual needs of students. At SSFS, teachers are the facilitators in a rich and well-defined environment that provides a developmentallyappropriate curriculum.

COMMUNITY AND SPIRITUAL LIFE The Lower School focuses on spiritual growth as part of the development of the whole person. Elements of the curriculum are woven into all daily learning experiences. Based on the essential Quaker belief that there is “That of God” in each person, every area of learning emphasizes a respect for others and encourages an appreciation of cultural and religious diversity.

We stress the Quaker values of service, simplicity, equality, integrity, community, stewardship of the environment, and the peaceful resolution of conflict as part of our continual search for truth. We want our students to develop a deep appreciation of themselves and others and to discover the joy that spiritual awareness can bring to their lives.

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General Information MEETING FOR WORSHIP Meeting for Worship is an integral part of the culture of Quaker schools. Meeting is a time for the community to gather and sit together in silence, listening for the still small voice within. Each month, Lower School classes participate in activities and discussions that introduce and reinforce the Quaker Testimonies, often referred to with the acronym “SPICES”: simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship. In addition to the SPICES, the themes of “That of God in Everyone,” Service, Perseverance, and Courage are also explored.

Students learn to appreciate the role of silent worship and reflection through in-class practice of settling into silence. Teachers guide the students to think about the month’s queries and reflect on thoughts that are shared during Meeting for Worship.

Students also learn the importance of leaving space for more silence after someone shares their thoughts during Meeting for Worship. Lower School students gather for Meeting for Worship Tuesday afternoons in the Meeting House. We sit in silence for approximately 25 minutes. The Meeting ends when the silence is broken and we shake hands. We leave the Meeting House while singing a parting song.

MORNING MEETING Morning Meeting is a classroom gathering that serves as a transition from home to school, and helps children to feel welcome and acknowledged. It provides a meaningful context for teaching and practicing social and academic skills. The five components of our Morning Meeting are observing a moment of silence, greeting one another, reading or discussing a Morning Message, doing a group activity, and sharing. These components encourage cooperation, foster inclusion, and improve communication. Children thereby develop the ability to become responsive members of both the classroom and school community.

COMMUNITY SERVICE Throughout the school, students learn to serve their community in a variety of ways. They perform simple jobs in the classroom and on the campus grounds. Students serve the local and world communities with outreach service projects. Service projects are approached through developing connections between the students and the recipients of their efforts. Deeper understanding of the need for and impact of community service is reached through classroom discussion, related reading, and collaborative activities.

The objectives of community service are: • To experience the satisfaction and fulfillment that comes from serving others and making a difference in the community.

• To develop a sense of responsibility as a member of the school community as well as the world community.

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General Information VALUE OF PLAY Free play opportunities are available throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors. During morning recess, the playground is free of other students, which allows the pre-primary students to explore together and experience all that our Natural Playground has to offer. The pre-primary students go back outside after lunch and share the playground with our other Lower School students. This second half-hour is a nice time to socialize and meet other children. The children need this unstructured play and fresh air to relax and move their bodies! The extra exercise provides opportunities to develop large motor movements while playing with their friends.

Indoor free play is available during Center Time. When not involved in a structured, small-group activity, children are able to play in one of the areas in the room. Sandy Spring Friends Lower School teachers see the value of play for emotional, physical, cognitive, and social growth. Emotionally, free play acts as a medium for expressing thought and feelings. It provides a risk-free environment which enables children to work through any stresses they may have, decreasing their anxiety while increasing their sense of wellbeing and self-esteem. These play times, especially dramatic play, provide the stage for children to act out issues from the outside world with their peers, including issues that confuse and/or upset them or bring them joy. Physically, play opportunities enhance motor development, allow for the testing of the limitations of their bodies, and improve self-assurance in physical abilities. Cognitively, play allows for abstract and divergent thinking, for the development of language, for creative situations that promote problem solving and concept development, and for the chance to practice seeing the world from another’s perspective. Play allows children to practice social patterns while encouraging social interactions, social respect, and responsibility. Play, then, is a large part of the pre-primary classrooms and is valued by both teachers and students.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION One of the natural outgrowths of being part of a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade school located on a 140-acre campus is participation in developmentally-appropriate outdoor education activities. For younger students, this program takes the form of exploration of our woods, pond, stream and Community Farm, as well as the study of the plants and animals that share this natural setting with us. Overnight camping trips begin in the Fourth Grade and continue through the Middle School grades and on into the Upper School.

PEACE EDUCATION Through peace education, we help students build constructive, honest relationships by voicing thoughts clearly and respectfully, listening to others openly and attentively, and resolving conflicts peacefully. Conflict resolution skills are taught through modeling and role-playing. We support the children as they attempt to see the points of view of others during negotiations with their peers. We encourage students to cooperate and show respect and kindness for others, while still honoring their own needs. The children practice using their words to express their feelings and needs to others, to aid in conflict resolution and interactions with peers.

As students move throughout the Lower School, they learn to: • Recognize and appreciate the good (“That of God”) in others • Practice kindness and respect for every individual and living thing • Take responsibility for personal actions • Discuss different feelings and reactions to those feelings • Listen to and find ways to affirm self and others’ • Develop communication and problem solving strategies • Demonstrate a sense of fair play in different situations • Use “I messages” in the resolution of conflicts 5

General Information ASSESSMENT AND REFLECTION Talking about “assessments” can sound formal and maybe even intimidating, especially with regard to young children. However, “assessment” and “reflection” play important roles in our classrooms in authentic ways that go far beyond administration of tests. Several times a year, Lower School teachers spend time with each student to focus on assessment of specific language arts and math skills. In addition, portfolios and journals are used to keep track of the development and growth of our students on a more regular basis. The use of child-centered journals shows a picture and tells the story of each individual child.

On occasion, the representation of three-dimensional projects and hands-on activities with digital photos is included. The students’ words and explanations of their work are included at every opportunity. Periodically the teacher and student go through the collection of work and, with a process of discussion and sharing, decide which pieces show the most meaning, thought, and expression. We value the opportunity for conversation between students and teachers regarding student work during this portfolio selection process. These selections are then saved in the student’s portfolio. This process is continued throughout the year. At the end of the year, a student’s growth and development are clear with a “read” through the portfolio.

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Language Arts and Handwriting PRE-PRIMARY LANGUAGE ARTS OVERVIEW The main goals of the language arts curriculum are to practice and develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and, in so doing, promote the development of positive feelings towards these skills. Listening and speaking skills are reinforced throughout the day in group activities and in one-on-one interaction.

During the school day, the children have a number of opportunities to listen, practice taking turns speaking, and respecting each other. As so many of the children are eager to speak and share thoughts, they are encouraged to raise hands and hold thoughts while listening to what friends and teachers share. The pre-primary children are also encouraged to ask questions of each other for clarification and to further their understanding. As the children share with the class, they develop speaking skills while working to state their thoughts and ideas clearly. They also learn to respect different points of view.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN

Pre-kindergarten students read stories several times a day. This activity, as well as everyday oral stories that are told by both teachers and students, promotes the development of listening skills.

Listening for directions in all projects and activities is rewarded often by verbal acknowledgement and appreciation from teachers and classmates.

The dictation and transcription process, in which the student tells the teacher what words they want to accompany their drawing or project, is a very big part of the pre-kindergarten class. During the first few weeks of school, transcription opportunities are offered to the children for their many illustrations and projects. The transcription process provides the children with an appreciation for the printed word and an awareness that words hold meaning. As the transcription is read back to the children, they begin to recognize sounds and letters. This recognition is supported with a variety of games, poems, and songs. As time goes on, the children may feel confident enough to write their own letters or words. By making the connection between sound and letter a comfortable and interesting experience, future beginning writing and reading attempts are promoted.

Pre-kindergarten students are encouraged to become storytellers. When children have a story to tell, they come to a teacher and dictate their story. When they are finished, they also illustrate a picture for their story. Children are encouraged to listen carefully to their friends’ stories and to make comments and ask questions. Storytelling and enactment is very powerful for children. It allows them to take what they know about stories and to create narratives on their own. They learn story development, characters, and setting, as well as dialogue.

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Language Arts and Handwriting KINDERGARTEN

In kindergarten, stories are read throughout the day. This activity, as well as the daily oral stories told by both teachers and students, promotes the development of listening skills. As the children listen to and tell stories of their own, they develop an understanding of narratives. They learn about parts of a story including plot, setting, and characters, as well as story structure. In addition, listening to stories enables children to make predictions about what will happen next in the story and to recall information after the story has been read.

The kindergarten approach to developing reading and writing skills is eclectic, reinforcing the sound/letter relationship by combining phonics and whole language in our literature-rich environment. Throughout the year, the teachers build the children’s phonemic awareness and understanding of the letter/sound relationship. The kindergarten classroom uses the Reading Horizons reading program, which is an explicit, systematic, research-based methodology that teaches proven reading strategies. Multi-sensory techniques are employed in the classroom. While building a strong foundation of skills, the students simultaneously learn elements of handwriting, spelling, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and thinking skills.

Kindergarten students are given opportunities in both large and small group activities to recognize and create rhymes, identify and differentiate between sounds, and sort words and pictures. Letter formation is reinforced with kinesthetic activities. To foster the directionality skills needed for successful reading and writing, teachers emphasize the importance of top to bottom and left to right. As the children begin to write with pencils, teachers demonstrate appropriate pencil grip for ease of writing.

The children are encouraged to write on a daily basis and as much as they are able.

Vocabulary instruction is based on an approach titled “Robust Vocabulary Instruction” from Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction, Solving Problems in the Teaching of Literacy by Beck, McKeown and Kucan. Teachers are guided to select words for instruction, develop student-friendly explanations of new words, create meaningful learning activities, and get students involved in thinking about, using, and noticing new words both within and outside the classroom. The goal of our “Robust Vocabulary” program is to enlarge the students’ vocabulary through engaging learning activities.

HANDWRITING At Sandy Spring Friends Lower School, students are instructed in handwriting using the Zaner-Bloser’s On the Road to Writing and Reading curriculum.

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Pre-Kindergarten: The program focuses on the development of fundamental prewriting skills using songs, stories, movement and manipulatives to create activities that complement the pre-kindergarten curriculum. Handwriting instruction at this grade level introduces the children to the foundational literacy skills necessary for writing and reading development.

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Kindergarten: The program focuses on the development of basic strokes and letters in manuscript, practicing correct letter and number formation with a focus on legibility and spacing. Handwriting instruction at this grade level introduces the children to the foundational literacy skills necessary for writing and reading development.

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Mathematics MATHEMATICS OVERVIEW Lower School teachers take every opportunity to integrate math throughout the curriculum and in daily routines, and to incorporate the standards set forth by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) into the curriculum. In this way, we endeavor to ensure that our students become competent in basic math skills and to view math as fun, exciting, and relevant to their lives.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN In the pre-kindergarten classroom, math is made up of manipulation, play, and experimentation. Math concepts are infused into daily activities such as calendar and weather graphs, as well as counting during line up time and creating word problems based on actual classroom situations. Many math experiences include free play with math manipulatives; the open-ended nature of the experience allows them to learn while laying the groundwork for symbolic understanding. Math topics include patterns, number sense, counting, and measurement. The more structured activities are conducted in flexible learning groups and are implemented specifically based on the ability to extend each activity to the developmental levels of all the children. A major goal in these small groups, and with all math activities, is to create a non-threatening, non-judgmental atmosphere where children are encouraged and empowered to express their thoughts and give answers.

KINDERGARTEN The goal of the kindergarten math program is to develop thinking and reasoning skills in a natural developmental progression. The approach is manipulative-based and encourages cooperative learning, experimentation, and real life exploration. Children build number sense and beginning graphing skills as they integrate math through daily routines such a completing the calendar, the 100’s chart, the number line, and the weather graph. They practice counting, writing corresponding numerals, composing simple math equations, and using comparative language such as “more than,” “less than,” and “the same.” In flexible learning groups, materials are introduced and specific skills are taught. Importance is placed on the language of math as students share their work and compare their outcomes.

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Science SCIENCE OVERVIEW Children are inherently curious and full of wonder about their world. They are constantly observing and exploring their environment. At Sandy Spring Friends Lower School, our science program supports this innate curiosity and emphasizes handson, process-oriented activities that allow students to explore the living and nonliving world. Students use their senses as they observe, explore, identify, and compare and contrast. They are given time, materials, and resources needed to question and experiment. In this inquiry-based setting, they reflect on and record their explorations and experiences and have the opportunity to form their own conclusions.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN Pre-kindergarten students are involved in many experiences and explorations of the plant and animal world; ecology; health, nutrition, and safety; earth sciences such as air, water, weather; and the physical sciences. The science curriculum specifically leaves room for the emergent interests of the children. An open-ended approach responds to the innate curiosity, fascination, and wonder that young children hold about the world around them. Basic science skills such as observing, inquiring, experimenting, and recording of data help young children begin to appreciate the “Scientific Method.� In keeping with our Quaker values regarding stewardship for the earth, students learn to reduce food waste, create rich reusable soil, and develop an understanding about the cycle of food as they give back to the earth. Pre-kindergarten students maintain two gardens for the pre-kindergarten classroom. Students help to plant, maintain, harvest, and enjoy vegetables from their raised garden beds throughout the year.

KINDERGARTEN Kindergarten students are given daily opportunities to observe, explore, identify, compare, and contrast. They are given time, materials, and resources needed to question, hypothesize, experiment, and record their observations.

From these explorations and experiments, the students have the opportunity to form their own conclusions. The science curriculum uses the school grounds as a learning site for allowing students to examine how plants and animals live with and affect each other in their natural environment. Classroom habitats allow students daily opportunities to observe and care for animals. Giving students the opportunity to explore and connect with nature stimulates their natural curiosity and their sense of stewardship for the environment.

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Social Studies SOCIAL STUDIES OVERVIEW

Pre-primary children become more aware of, and curious about, others and the world around them. To respond to their development and interests, a major part of the social studies curriculum is focused on community, beginning with the school community.

• In pre-kindergarten, students compare and celebrate the specific characteristics that make and define each of us, including individual interests and abilities, physical appearances, and family cultures. Time is taken early in the year to develop a sense of awareness and an appreciation for these individual differences through a variety of activities, discussions, and projects.

• In kindergarten, the social studies curriculum is integrated into daily classroom activities and thematic units.

It is supported by field trips, guest speakers from the local community, and our own classroom community of children and families. Kindergarten students learn about their classmates’ families, heritage, and traditions.

Students develop an awareness of the diversity of the world by learning about the cultural and religious holidays celebrated, and by locating the places of family origin on a world map. During a study of the postal system, the children learn about community helpers and the process of mail delivery. The class creates their own “Wee Mail” post office where they collect and deliver mail throughout the School during a week in February. Map skills are introduced as the children create their own representations of places on the Sandy Spring Friends School campus. A sense of environmental awareness and responsibility for the school community is promoted by helping to keep the surroundings clean and cared for. Children are asked to clean up their area before they leave it and to pick up litter on the playground. Teachers stress the importance of recycling, and the children participate by putting used paper into blue recycling bins instead of the trash cans.

Pre-primary students have many opportunities throughout the year to come together with other Lower School students. Lower School assemblies and weekly Meetings for Worship build awareness that students are part of a larger community. Pre-primary students continue to foster relationships with other Lower School students; prekindergarten students visit and share in various classrooms throughout the year, while kindergarten students have third grade reading buddies.

SENIOR BUDDIES PROGRAM At Sandy Spring Friends School, seniors from the Upper School are paired with pre-primary students. Together, the preprimary students and their buddies attend All School assemblies, Community Day events, and periodic lunches throughout the year. Students become familiar with one another, thus promoting a sense of community within the School as a whole.

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Arts ARTS OVERVIEW The Lower School art program focuses on exposing the students to a wide range of artistic principles and techniques, enhanced by illustrations from art history and different cultures. The goal of the program is to foster a sense of pride, pleasure, and accomplishment in their artistic ability while broadening their artistic knowledge base. The purpose of the activities is the experimentation, creative thinking, problem solving, and learning that happens with each step of the process rather than the end product. A similar sequence of artistic concepts is presented at each grade level, but the variety of materials and level of complexity and proficiency is increased at each successive level. These progressive strands include color, line, texture, form, paint, sculpture, printing, and clay. The particular projects chosen for these studies often reflect integration with themes being focused on in the core classrooms.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN In pre-kindergarten, art projects and activities are a part of the program in language arts, math, social studies, and science. For example, in science, students are encouraged to use their skills of observation while exploring the natural world around them, and then to draw what they see to add to their portfolio. To develop small motor muscle control, children manipulate a wide variety of materials such as play dough, modeling clay, beads, buttons, sand, seeds, and yarn into free-form art. In addition, children choose daily among centers for drawing, painting, cutting, and pasting. Attention is given to self-image as students draw monthly self-portraits.

KINDERGARTEN In kindergarten, daily art projects in the classroom are viewed as opportunities for students to express themselves, to use their imaginations, and to extend their learning. These art activities not only enhance classroom themes, but also offer unstructured exploration of a wide variety of media. The students have daily opportunities to draw, paint, sculpt, create collages, cut, and paste. Students are encouraged to use both familiar materials such as markers and crayons and new ones such as craypas and wet chalk. Both two- and three-dimensional projects are undertaken to give our students aesthetic and sensory experiences. The focus during any art project is on the process used by the child, rather than the finished product. Students are encouraged to be creative in representing their thoughts and ideas and to take risks, regarding “mistakes� as learning experiences.

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Music MUSIC OVERVIEW The primary goal of the Lower School music program is to present music to students in ways that foster a life-long enjoyment and appreciation of music. The program also endeavors to provide experiences that develop and continually increase musical skills while nurturing musical imagination and creativity. Students at all grade levels explore and expand their musical abilities through singing, moving, playing instruments, listening to selected musical works, and creating original music and interpretive movements.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN

As pre-kindergarten children learn songs and chants, they are introduced to many musical concepts. They listen for sound and silence, key words and directions in songs, and same/different melody and rhythm patterns. Students say and sing simple rhymes and songs to practice word enunciation; feel rhythmic pulses; and experiment with the speaking, singing, whisper and loud voices. They use movements such as stepping, walking, hopping, galloping, and clapping to move to the beat; show fast/ slow tempos; indicate up/down melodic movement; and interpret emotions expressed in music. Students play a variety of instruments to experiment with sounds, develop body coordination and control, and explore their own originality.

KINDERGARTEN

The kindergarten music program emphasizes learning about music by comparing similarities and contrasts in music. Students explore musical contrasts such as fast/slow, loud/soft, high/low, and ensemble/solo performances. They compare sounds and investigate the sound production methods of a variety of objects and instruments. Students develop a varied repertoire of folk, traditional, just-for-fun songs, and song games. Echo singing helps students closely follow the melodic contour of songs, recognize and perform same/different melodic phrases, and gain confidence singing with the group and independently. They step, walk, skip, clap, and snap to internalize the steady pulse or stressed beats in music of varied tempos and to show the rhythmic accents of word syllable patterns. Students use their creativity to improvise instrumental accompaniment, vocal sounds, and body movements to interpret characters, emotions, or images in music.

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Spanish SPANISH OVERVIEW In Lower School, Spanish study focuses on active listening, comprehension, and communication. Students are introduced to the language the same way they were introduced to their mother tongue. As they progress through the grades, students gradually internalize frequently used vocabulary and basic grammar while they learn to speak. By the fourth and fifth grades, students get familiar with phonetic spelling and begin to communicate ideas in writing.

The target language becomes comprehensible to students through multisensory activities such as songs, chants, rhythmic repetition of patterns, Total Physical Response activities (TPR), and Storytelling (TPRS). Visual cues such as gestures, pictures, and props are used to support comprehension. The consistent repetition, inherent in chanting and singing at an early age, leads to the student’s acquisition of good pronunciation. Students are exposed to the culture of Spanish-speaking countries through observation of non-verbal language, traditional games, songs and poems.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN

Students in pre-kindergarten listen to commands in the target language and respond to commands with gestures and actions.

They get accustomed to the correct pronunciation through singing and chanting. They learn how to greet and count in Spanish, and acquire basic vocabulary regarding themes such as colors and shapes, pets and domestic animals, basic means of transportation and some parts of the body.

KINDERGARTEN

Students in kindergarten listen to daily-used commands in the target language and respond to these commands with gestures and actions. They continue to develop their pronunciation skills by singing and chanting more complex structures.

They practice listening to simple questions about familiar songs, and answering with words and sentences. They learn new expressions about greetings and courtesy, count to 25, and expand their vocabulary about animals, transportation, and parts of the body.

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Physical Education and Wellness PHYSICAL EDUCATION OVERVIEW The goals of the Lower School physical education program derive from the School’s mission to develop “the trained mind, the skilled hand and the healthy body.” The School encourages enjoyment of physical pursuits throughout life by helping students to be successful and comfortable in a variety of active games, dance, and exercise. Quaker values are stressed in play to build sportsmanship and teamwork. The learning approach is developmental – accepting and challenging individual levels of fitness, skill acquisition, and understanding of strategy.

Based on the National Association for Sports and Physical Education Standards, five skill areas – locomotor movement, space awareness, manipulative skills, stabilizing skills, and rhythm and dance skills – are developed through age-appropriate activities. As an enhancement to exploring these skills in a non-competitive atmosphere, an adventurebased component is incorporated. Participating in “challenge by choice” initiatives and non-traditional activities, students are engaged in the exploration of self and group goals while enhancing their level of physical fitness, decision making, and expanding personal comfort levels.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN

In pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, lessons are designed to optimize the cognitive and physical abilities of children this age. Students participate in a series of activities during every PE class. First students begin with a locomotor/space awareness activity, then move to a manipulative activity (such as throwing), continue with a non-manipulative activity (such as balancing, stretching or jumping), and conclude with some type of rhythm activity. Skill themes follow a gradual progression and are reviewed throughout the year after they have been introduced. There is also an ongoing focus on developing appropriate social skills such as cooperating, taking turns, and sharing.

WELLNESS OVERVIEW The Lower School Wellness curriculum consists of three components: physical health, preventative health, and social/emotional health. Students learn the benefits of taking care of their body. Lessons on fitness, injury prevention, and nutrition are taught in Physical Education to help students learn to identify healthy choices and activities. Preventative health education and lessons that emphasize the importance of germ prevention, sun safety, and hydration are taught at relevant times during the year. The Life Skills curriculum focuses on the social and emotional health of students.

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Technology TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW Sandy Spring Friends Lower School believes that technology skills are best learned by using and integrating them into the context of class-related projects. Therefore, technology is integrated by teachers in project-based learning assignments across the curriculum for each grade level. iPads, the principal technology, are used extensively as a tool for exploration, collaboration, and as a demonstration of our students’ learning.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN

Pre-kindergarten students use iPads in the classroom for creative expression and to document what they have learned. Students become able to independently turn on the iPad, enter the passcode, login, and use hand gestures to navigate to specific apps.

With teacher support, they create a multimedia eBook. These eBooks contain photographs, hand drawn labels, and student narrations of various projects. Online resources are chosen to enhance exploration as well as reinforce skills learned in the classroom, such as letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and symbols. Online resources support and extend classroom studies and concepts with an emphasis on exploration, self-awareness, and skill development. The pre-kindergarten blog is a tool with links to resources that students will use both in their classrooms with iPads, and at home.

KINDERGARTEN

Kindergarten students use technology to collaborate, document, and demonstrate what they are learning. They are able to turn on, login to the iPad, use basic hand gestures to navigate between apps, and import Camera Roll pictures into their work. They combine apps to create labeled photo montages and diagrams. Kindergarteners learn to navigate online resource pages, school and grade-level video resources, and Lower School co-curricular resources. Finally, kindergarten students are introduced to visual programming languages.

ONLINE APPLICATIONS (APPS) Students use teacher-selected iPad apps and online resources as learning tools to help them acquire important, developmentally appropriate learning skills in exciting new ways. All apps are chosen to challenge and address the individualized learning needs and styles of students. Below are some n examples of apps used: • • • • • • •

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Camera Daisy The Dinosaur My Story Puppet Workshop PicCollage Zoo (Lazoo) Kodable

Technology LIBRARY OVERVIEW The library program has the dual goals of fostering a love of books and teaching information skills. The program is planned to blend with the Lower School curricula supporting both academic and spiritual themes. During the early grades, library classes emphasize the pleasure derived from books. Librarians and teachers share literature in a variety of ways through the use of flannel boards, creative dramatics, storytelling, music, and poetry. They also demonstrate appropriate use of library materials.

Students regularly borrow books and learn to be responsible for their safe return. •

Pre-Kindergarten: Students learn to enjoy rhyming texts, including nursery rhymes, and to participate appropriately during stories. They have opportunities to joyfully explore narrative through all their senses.

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Kindergarten: Students begin to recognize authors and illustrators and act out stories. They extend their listening skills through various participatory activities such as call and response, anticipation, gesture, predictions, rhyming, and singing.

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Life Skills LIFE SKILLS OVERVIEW The Connected and Respected: Lessons from the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program was developed to nourish a respectful and caring classroom community by way of five key themes and through developing in students essential emotional and social learning competencies.

Five Key Themes of the Connected and Respected curriculum: • • • • •

Making Connections Emotional Literacy Caring and Effective Communication Cultural Competence and Social Responsibility Conflict Management and Decision Making

Emotional and Social Learning (ESL) Competencies: • Self-Awareness • Social Awareness • Self-Management • Responsible Decision Making • Relationship Skills The curriculum is structured in a workshop format that includes the following components: •

Gathering: a time for a community-building activity or sharing that focuses students on the purpose of the day’s lesson.

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Agenda Check: a review of the plan and expectations for the lesson. The agenda is usually presented in a visual format (on chart paper on the board).

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Main Activities: the core of the lesson which involves structured group activities based on the lesson’s subject.

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Summary: a recap and review of the lesson to check for understanding and reinforce internalization of the lesson’s message. Discussion questions, art, writing and small-group sharing or reporting are some of the recap exercises that can be incorporated into the Summary.

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Closing: a song, quote or exercise to provide closure to the lesson.

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Extension and Infusion: reinforcement activities that expand the lesson. Extensions can include additional sharing, art and writing, games and roleplays, as well as opportunities to practice and consider ways to integrate skill practice throughout the school day.

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Connecting to Literature: age and level-appropriate books and guided questions that connect the lesson theme and targeted skills.

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