First School Travel Piece_5 (1)_edited by thekeyschool

cho l

The Key School engages children from 2.5 years of age through grade 12 in a progressive, coeducational, college-preparatory program on its picturesque 15-acre campus located 4 miles from downtown Annapolis.

ABOUT KEY

Since its inception in 1958, Key School has placed emphasis on inquiry-based learning, integrated studies, creative and collaborative problem solving, and building habits of grit and resourcefulness in its students. Current cognitive science and 21st century best practices of teaching and learning now espouse the very tenets that guided Key’s founders, who believed that knowledge should be constructed, not delivered; that real rigor is derived from a deep understanding of the complexity of concepts and problems, not from the sheer volume of content covered; and that flexible thinking was critical for the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. FOUNDATIONAL COLLEGE PREPARATORY

KEY FACTS

Enrollment: 645 (53% girls; 47% boys)

Geographic Reach: 66 zip codes; 10 countries; 247 sending schools

Students of Color: 35%

Average Class Size: 16 (smaller in First School)

Student-Faculty Ratio: 6:1

Faculty: 113, 61% with advanced degrees, including 7 with doctorates

Financial Aid Budget: $2.1 Million

Families Receiving Need-Based Financial Aid: 30%

Average Award: $10,000

Endowment: $13.5 Million

More than 40 interscholastic sports teams

Extensive Outdoor Education program, integrated with academic studies, involves all students

Orff Schulwerk music program, Grades 1-8, is most comprehensive in country

16 Buildings on 15-acre campus in Hillsmere Shores

70-acre Fusco Athletic Park in Annapolis Roads

OUR MISSION

Key School is founded upon the conviction that children are innately curious about themselves and the world; they want to learn, discover and create. Key’s Mission is to nourish and guide this natural exuberance in the search for meaning, so that each student embraces lifelong learning and develops into an informed, thoughtful and constructive member of society.

DEFINING ELEMENTS OF FIRST SCHOOL

• A curriculum rich in language, conceptual math, science, and engineering

• Engagement with faculty who are early childhood specialists

• An inquiry-based learning environment that promotes curiosity, builds analytical thinking skills, and fosters a love for learning

• A multi-sensory phonics approach to early literacy and language skills

• Enhanced learning experiences through meaningful technology integration

• A formal science program taught by a science specialist

• Classes in music, library, art, life skills, and physical education taught by discipline specialists

• Experience in Key’s Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom, Build-It Lab, and Treetop Science Room

Y The RightStart is

our child’s mindset toward school is formed during the early childhood years. With an emphasis on inquiry-based learning and purposeful play, Key’s First School program (2.5 year-olds—Kindergarten) actively engages children to question, explore, investigate, and make decisions as they construct foundational content knowledge. In doing so, Key’s program produces happy and inquisitive students, well-prepared for future academic endeavors.

FIRST SCHOOL QUICK FACTS

First School Enrollment: 98

First School Faculty: 23 (14 classroom teachers, 6 subject specialists, 1 Division Head, 2 administrators, 1 counselor)

First School Student-Faculty Ratio: 4.5 to 1

Key-Wee: 2.5 years or older by September 1; average class size of 12

Pre-School: 3 years old before September 1; average class size of 13

Pre-Kindergarten: 4 years old before September 1; average class size of 14

Kindergarten: 5 years old before September 1; average class size of 16

Specials Classes Include: Science, Technology, Art, Music, Life Skills, Library Arts, Languages, and P.E.

FIRST SCHOOL ACADEMIC PROMISE

By leveraging the innate curiosity of children and the knowledge and expertise of our early childhood faculty, the First School program is designed to:

• Develop positive attitudes and values

• Cultivate curiosity and a love for learning

• Build analytical thinking skills

• Foster healthy work habits

• Instill a solid foundation of skills in reading, math and science

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

• Nurture each child’s desire to learn by actively involving students in the learning process and providing opportunities to discover the interrelationships among different fields of study.

• Create a rich learning environment that offers many opportunities for children to investigate, make decisions, and become deeply engaged in building content knowledge.

• Support the social-emotional growth of each student at every stage of development.

• Help students become more self-aware in a community that values mutual respect and personal responsibility.

• Provide students with a predictable, yet flexible, routine and a sequence of daily activities to optimize the effectiveness of Key’s early childhood curricula.

• Help children understand and appreciate our increasingly diverse and multi-faceted society.

Key’s curricula and teaching methodology flourishes in classrooms that allow for handson learning and class sizes that afford faculty ample time with each student. To that end, Key is committed to having a student to faculty ratio of 6:1 in Key-Wee, 6.5:1 in Pre-School, 7:1 in Pre-Kindergarten, and 8:1 in Kindergarten, with an even lower ratio during Language Arts.

Daily Schedules & Enrollment Options

KEY-WEE (Half and Full-Day)

8:00–8:20 Arrival

8:20–9:00 Morning Meeting and Center Activities: Math, Language Arts, Science, Library, Dramatic Play, and Art

9:00–9:30 Outside Play

9:30–10:00 Snack

10:00–10:30 Specials: Science, P.E., Music, or Library

10:30–11:00 Center Activities and Story

11:00–11:30 Outside Play

12:00 Dismissal for Half-Day Students

12:00–12:45 Lunch

12:45–2:15 Rest Time & Quiet Activities

2:15–2:50 Outside Play

3:10 Dismissal

PRE-SCHOOL (Half and Full-Day)

8:00–8:20 Arrival

8:20–9:25 Morning Meeting and Center Activities: Math, Language Arts, Science, Dramatic Play, and Art

9:25–9:45 Snack

9:45–10:15 Outside Play

10:15–11:00 Specials: Science, P.E., Music, or Library

11:00–11:30 Activity Time in Thematic Unit

11:30–12:00 Story

12:00 Early Dismissal for Half-Day Students

12:00–12:45 Lunch

12:45–2:15 Rest Time & Quiet Activities

2:15–2:50 Outside Play

3:10 Dismissal

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

Key-Wee

Pre-School

• Key offers free Before Care at 7:30 a.m. starting in Kindergarten

• Transportation is available (5 bus routes, 18+ stops)

PRE-KINDERGARTEN (Half and Full-Day)

8:00–8:20 Arrival

8:20–8:50 Morning Meeting

8:50–9:25 Classroom Activities: Math, Language Arts, Science, Dramatic Play, and Art or Specials: Science, Music, Technology, P.E., Library

9:25–9:45 Snack

9:45–10:15 Outside Play

10:15–12:00 Activity Time in Thematic Unit o r Specials: Science, Music, Technology, P.E., Library

12:00 Early Dismissal for Half-Day Students

12:00–12:30 Lunch

12:30–1:00 Story

1:00–2:15 Rest Time, Quiet Activities or Build-It Lab

2:15–2:50 Outside Play

3:10 Dismissal

KINDERGARTEN (Full-Day Only)

8:00–8:20 Arrival

8:20–8:40 Morning Meeting

8:40–9:25 Math

9:25–10:10 Specials: Library or P.E.

10:15–11:00 Snack & Outside Play

11:15–12:00 Language Arts

12:00–12:30 Lunch

12:30–1:15 Specials: Music or Art

1:15–2:00 Story Time, Build-It Lab or Science

2:00–2:30 Outside Play

2:30–3:00 Activity Time in Thematic Unit

3:00–3:10 Clean-up and Afternoon Meeting

3:10 Dismissal

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

Pre-Kindergarten Kindergarten

• Key offers free Before Care at 7:30 a.m. starting in Kindergarten

• Transportation is available (5 bus routes, 18+ stops) HALF-DAY 8:00–12:00 FULL-DAY 8:00–3:10 3-DAY T/W/TH 5-DAY AFTERCARE 3:10–5:30

The emphasis on inquiry-based and experiential learning in First School instills in students the essential skills and inquisitiveness to be successful in Lower, Middle and Upper School courses and programs, as well as in college and beyond.

FOCUS ON INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING

Children learn naturally as they play, read, write, talk about, and experiment with ideas that are interesting and meaningful to them. Key students are engaged in active learning experiences through thematic units that integrate learning across the curriculum. Children spend a significant portion of their day moving, talking, drawing, building, acting, and singing. They participate in learning centers and outdoor play while interacting with the environment and one another. The curriculum is adapted as necessary to ensure that it is appropriately challenging and meaningful for each student.

WHY INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING?

• Builds skills and attitudes which support lifelong learning

• Applies information to real world experiences

• Develops research skills

• Works hand-in-hand with the scientific method

• Fosters collaborative learning skills

• Increases intrinsic motivation by enabling investigation of problems and questions that are meaningful to the students’ lives

WHY AN INTEGRATED APPROACH?

Making connections among disciplines and leveraging skills that can be applied cross-curricularly are pillars to 21st Century teaching and learning. For example, the scientific method can be applied to best-practice research strategies in history or an independent project in math. Furthermore, an integrated curriculum provides a more collaborative and active learning experience for students. In the First School, specialists in music, technology, art, and physical education regularly connect their curricula with the overarching unit themes to deepen and broaden the students’ learning experience.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVITY

Since its inception, Key School has encouraged independent thinking and openness to differing ideas and perspectives, believing we grow both as individuals and as a school community when students and adults of diverse backgrounds, abilities and identities develop an understanding of and respect for our commonalities and differences. This is vital to fulfilling Key’s promise to prepare our students for the challenges and responsibilities they will assume within an increasingly connected yet diverse and pluralistic world community.

The First School uses thoughtfully selected thematic units of study as a vehicle for helping children develop an understanding of, and appreciation for, other cultures. Through classroom activities and day-to-day interactions, teachers help students gain insight to, and comfort with, our differences and similarities as they learn the importance of listening to one another’s ideas and perspectives.

Social Studies begins to be formally integrated with Language Arts in Pre-Kindergarten. Direct instruction about the alphabet, phonics and other reading skills is primarily done through use of the texts of the songs, rhymes and books that are integrated into each social studies unit.

Language Arts

The development of literacy and language skills in early childhood is of the utmost importance. In the First School, students are immersed in a print-rich environment where quality children’s literature and other forms of writing such as signs, charts, letters, and journals are used to find answers to questions, communicate ideas and provide enjoyment. Children are also given many opportunities to develop and refine their ability to effectively communicate through the spoken word, as they interact with classmates and teachers, and share information and ideas during group discussions. They learn that both the written and spoken word are a powerful means of self-expression.

Carefully selected literature and the texts of songs and rhymes also are integrated into each thematic unit to reinforce reading, speaking and listening skills.

LANGUAGE ARTS GOALS (Key-Wee through Kindergarten)

• Expose students to a variety of quality literature

• Expand oral language and vocabulary

• Expand listening skills

• Enhance visual and auditory memory

• Develop phonemic awareness

• Identify the uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet

• Develop concepts of print

• Know the consonant and short vowel sounds

• Use phonics to blend letter sounds to read words

• Recognize a growing inventory of high frequency words

• Use phonetic and conventional spelling for written communication

• Integrate language arts with other subject areas

• Assess and strengthen each child’s unique set of listening, reading, writing, and oral language skills

Multi-Sensory Phonics Approach

Key’s research-based approach to phonics is a highly effective program specifically designed for very young children. The program engages all of the senses as the children learn actions, stories, songs, and clever mnemonics that are associated with each sound. This fun, child-centered approach teaches the 42 main letter sounds in a very specific sequence which enables children to begin building words. By engaging students in systematic phonetic learning, Key’s program builds a solid foundation for success in reading.

Mathematics instruction in Key’s First School uses purposeful hands-on exploration to develop foundational mathematical concepts with an emphasis on numeration, geometry, logic, spatial reasoning, and problem solving.

Mathematics

Students begin their day with opening routines that include counting patterns to build place value knowledge, data collection to develop meaning for numbers, and math stations to expand skills. Math activities are concrete in nature— using counters, coins, dice, and many other manipulatives—to build a solid understanding of mathematical concepts and to lay the groundwork for more symbolic understanding.

With mathematical lessons integrated into their units of study as well, students apply mathematical reasoning to solve problems in their literature studies, engineering projects and science investigations. As students dive into engaging challenges and expand their capacities to think quantitatively, they gain an appreciation for mathematics. Key teachers draw resources from myriad external programs as well as lesson plans developed internally, ensuring students experience a rich and exciting program. All activities incorporate nationally recognized standards from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Key’s First and Lower School Math Coordinator oversees the program from Key-Wee through grade 4, ensuring the curriculum builds efficiently and effectively in every class and at every grade level.

MATHEMATICS GOALS IN THE FIRST SCHOOL

• Enable children to see relationships and interconnections in math

• Develop multiple problem-solving strategies

• Develop understanding and insight of the patterns of mathematics through the use of concrete materials

• Focus on observational skills that involve making predictions, looking for patterns, identifying similarities and differences.

• Encourage children to deal flexibly with mathematical ideas and concepts, and communicate about mathematics with confidence

• Integrate math activities with other subject areas

• Use measurement tools to compare objects

• Analyze, compare and create shapes through drawings and building activities, and reason spatially with construction and engineering tasks

• Develop fluency and accuracy counting objects to 100 (and beyond) by ones, fives and tens

• Compose and decompose teen numbers into “one ten and some number of ones” to demonstrate place value understanding

• Solve addition and subtraction story problems with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, acting out situations, and verbal explanations

• Understand data gathering and how to record data on charts and graphs and interpret meaning from graphic representations

Young children are naturally curious—they wonder what things are called, how things work, and why things happen. Key teachers believe the foundation of scientific learning lies in inquiry and exploration, and incorporate these tools of active learning into each First School student’s experience, everyday.

Science

Key’s Science program allows students to develop and practice the skills necessary to learn about their world with scientific exploration taking place throughout the day in First School. Children are encouraged to use all of their senses to carefully observe their surroundings and environment.

Each class has a designated science area where there are opportunities to observe, explore, investigate, record, compare, and/or experiment with materials using measurement tools, magnifying glasses, drawing tools, and more. In addition to classroom science activities, once a week the children participate in a lesson in the Treetop Learning Center science classroom with the First School Science Specialist. These weekly science classes are designed to build upon classroom work by expanding on the same lesson themes to further explore specific scientific topics.

SCIENCE GOALS

• Encourage and support the development of curiosity

• Equip students with a variety of scientific problem-solving skills

• Provide students with a wide range of enjoyable hands-on experiences with real materials

• Develop an understanding of the scientific process, including making hypotheses, observations, reporting results, discussion, comparison, and drawing conclusions

• Develop an awareness of the characteristics of plants and animals, ecology, and the physical sciences

• Study the environment of the First School Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom, Key’s campus, and the surrounding community to better understand how ecosystems are interrelated

• Reinforce the concept that they are all scientists as they investigate, study and learn

• Develop skills for measurement and matching

• Develop ability to identify patterns, trends and change

Technology Integration

Key School has been teaching its students to think like scientists, technologists, engineers, artists, and mathematicians in an interdisciplinary environment since 1958—long before terms like STEM and STEAM existed. In each course, Key’s curriculum is designed to ask its students to analyze, question and construct meaning from information gathered. The School views technology as a tool students can use to solve problems, not as a distinct curricular offering.

The goal of technology integration in the First School is to enhance the learning process as teachers work with the Technology Integrator in support of their curricular goals. Students interact with myriad technological tools including computers, SMART Boards, Bee-Bots, and iPads, with student projects using technology to convey each learner’s interest, knowledge and depth of understanding. Bee-Bots are used to introduce young children to programming and coding basics.

Engineering Initiative

The Treetop Learning Center is a dedicated First School space organized into various stations, each offering a different means for encouraging students to tackle developmentally appropriate challenges. Integrating the principles of science, technology, engineering, and math, each challenge promotes creative problemsolving, refines sensory and fine motor skills, and encourages collaboration. Stations include a Rigamajig, a magnetic wall, a light table, activity tables, and a carpet area.

Beyond the Treetop Learning Center, hands-on activities in the classrooms, BuildIt Lab, and Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom afford First School students opportunities to visualize possible solutions to real-world “problems” they have been presented by their teachers. Students design, build, test, rethink, refine, and rebuild their solutions and creations, often in collaboration with peers.

RIGAMAJIG

Using a collection of wooden planks, wheels, pulleys, nuts, bolts, and ropes, the Rigamajig encourages students to create, discover and learn using their imagination. The Rigamajig:

• Strengthens fine motor skills as the children attach the various collection pieces using nuts and bolts.

• Strengthens gross motor skills as children bend, lift and hold in place heavier pieces while attaching them to the wooden planks.

• Strengthens problem-solving skills.

• Supports learning cooperation and teamwork.

• Promotes social skills and executive functioning such as waiting and taking turns.

• Promotes communication and verbal skills.

Sample Challenges:

Build something that has a hook

Build a box that will hold something

Make two gears move at the same time

CARPET AREA

Used for whole or small group work, activities in the Carpet Area are planned so students can ask questions, make plans, improve ideas, share developments, and communicate information.

Discussions in the Carpet Area also give students an opportunity to reflect upon and share the reasoning behind their predictions and results.

MAGNETIC WALL

For children who are fascinated with building, the Magnetic Wall adds an additional challenge of building off a vertical surface. Magnetic ramps, blocks and “recycle-ables” help the children:

• Collaborate and work together

• Think critically and creatively

• Communicate with each other

• Strengthen both fine and gross motor skills

• Strengthen math skills by making patterns and identifying shapes, and using analytical thinking, number sense, representation, and spatial awareness.

Sample Challenges:

Build something that a ball can roll down and then switch directions

Build a ramp that will guide a ball into a container

Build a pattern using two colors, three colors, different shapes

LIGHT TABLES

Students can build vertically and horizontally using transparent materials which support sensory development. While nurturing curiosity and helping them develop a variety of necessary competencies, the Light Table:

• Encourages social interaction and interpersonal development.

• Develops fine motor skills, such as grip strength and finger coordination.

• Strengthens creativity and communication skills.

Sample Challenges:

Build a ramp that a ball can roll down using transparent blocks, cups and lids Build something that an animal can hide under

ACTIVITY TABLE

Myriad Table activities encourage and strengthen language, physical and social skills for children. Using materials like natural wood blocks, tree cookies or LEGOs help children design, build and make structures. Table activities help:

• Strengthen vocabulary

• Support interpersonal actions such as learning to share and take turns with materials

• Encourage creativity

• Strengthen fine motor skills

Sample Challenges:

Build something that can fly

Build a creature

Art

The art program in First School fosters creativity and self-expression with a focus on process rather than product.

Engaging in creative art is valuable for young children’s personal development. They learn to participate, they learn to make choices, and above all they have the opportunity to express themselves.

ART GOALS

• Develop of creativity and self-expression

• Strengthen self-concept and confidence

• Explore a variety of textures, media and styles of art

• Develop an appreciation of the work of oneself, peers, famous artists, and local artists

• Encourage fine and large motor development

• Learn to make choices and try out ideas

• Enhance capabilities in planning, organizing and carrying out a task

• Work cooperatively with adults and peers

• Understand and build abstract ideas using symbols

• Develop visual spatial skills

• Use as scaffolding for more advanced architectural and engineering concepts

When children have ample time for art, they begin to develop a keen understanding of its elements. As students develop, the random marks they initially make become controlled and the children begin to use symbols to represent ideas and feelings.

Through a student-centered approach that promotes creativity, risk-taking, listening, and collaboration, children experience beginning musical concepts.

Music

The First School program strives to build a musical community through active music-making. All students are engaged in the study of speech, rhythm, instruments, singing, creative movement, dance, drama, and improvisation.

MOVING

• Exploring gross and fine motor movement possibilities

• Developing body awareness

• Exploring individual and shared space

• Exploring non-locomotor movements: twist, bend, shake, stretch

• Exploring locomotor movements: crawl, jump, hop, walk, run, gallop, slide, twirl

• Pantomiming and acting out stories

• Learning simple folk dances

• Responding to music with creative movement

SPEAKING/SINGING

• Demonstrating talking, whispering, calling, and singing voices

• Matching pitch with a singing voice

• Experiencing a wide-range of traditional folk songs, singing games, holiday songs, and songs related to classroom units

• Chanting traditional nursery rhymes and play tea parties

• Using the voice expressively in dramatic play

PLAYING

• Practicing body percussion (tapping, clapping, snapping) to demonstrate steady beat

• Exploring small percussion instruments as tools for music-making

ACADEMIC/SOCIAL SKILLS DEVELOPED THROUGH MUSIC

• Eye/hand coordination

• Cooperative work with a partner and in small groups

• Left to right tracking (pre-reading)

• Body control/self-awareness

Life Skills

The instruction of life skills is at the heart of the First School curriculum. Taught implicitly and explicitly, life skills are integrated throughout individual units and academic disciplines. With the primary goals of developing each child’s self-awareness, self-regulation and capacity to collaborate, teachers draw from a variety of resources to develop a cohesive, sequential curriculum focused on the development of:

• SKILLS FOR LEARNING: Students gain skills that help them learn how to focus, stay on task, listen carefully, and self-advocate

• EMPATHY: Students learn to identify and understand their own and others’ feelings

• EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT: Students learn specific techniques for calming down when experiencing strong emotions such as anger, anxiety or sadness

• PROBLEM SOLVING: Students learn techniques for solving problems with others

Lessons include visual, auditory and kinesthetic elements. Reinforcement of life skills lessons occurs throughout each day in diverse, real-life situations. Key’s School Nurse, School Counselors, and “Specials” teachers partner with classroom teachers in the enhancement of the curriculum.

Many of the games and activities that are presented and practiced in P.E. can be applied to recess. Kindergarten students visit the K/1st grade climber early in the school year and talk about the rules and safe practices that will guide them through their exploration of this new equipment.

Physical Education

Key’s physical education program in the First School is designed to encourage children to cooperate in small and large groups, to learn new skills, and to help build physical fitness through play. The children participate in a variety of games and activities. Some of which involve the use of manipulatives such as hula-hoops, bean bags, jump ropes, large and small balls, and parachutes. All of the games the children play in P.E. reinforce one or more of the following skills:

• Perceptual motor development

• Attention span and concentration

• Listening skills

• Self-control

• Development of the thinking process

• Reinforcement of basic concepts

• Recognizing and creating patterns

• Estimating distance

• Social growth

• Physical abilities

P.E. provides an excellent environment to help each child improve perceptual motor development, vital to daily functioning; therefore, most of the activities the children participate in during the year promote the further development and reinforcement of the following motor abilities:

• Body awareness

• Body control

• Body and space relationships

• Spatial awareness

• Visual awareness

• Auditory awareness

• Temporal awareness

• Tactile awareness

Campus & First School

There are 16 buildings on Key’s 15-acre campus in Hillsmere Shores and the School is currently developing Fusco Athletic Park, a 70-acre facility in the neighborhood of Annapolis Roads.

FIRST SCHOOL BUILDING INCLUDES

• 7 classrooms

• Treetop Learning Center & Build-It Lab

• Community Room (meeting, media and music)

• Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom Playground

• Class Gardens

• Nurse’s Office

ADDITIONAL FACILITIES USED BY FIRST SCHOOLERS

• Activity Building (gym and theater)

• Katharine Hall (multi-purpose athletic space)

• Arts Building

• Manse Library

• Manse Library Arts Resource Room

• Manse Addition Thinkering Studio

TThe First School playground earned the national designation of a Certified Nature Explore Classroom from the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation, in December 2012.

he Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom was planned collaboratively by Key faculty, Dimensions Education Research Foundation, and the National Arbor Day Foundation. The concept design for this outdoor learning environment promotes connecting children with nature and supporting the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of each student. Foundations for reading and mathematics occur with skill development in visual-spatial awareness. The concept design was developed based on field-tested, research-based principles for creating effective spaces for young children to play in and learn about the natural world.

First School Playground -Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom

Divided into ten delineated activity areas, the Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom provides a variety of activities to actively engage young children. Props and materials in each area are changed seasonally throughout the school year.

BUILDING AREA

The surfacing for this area is a natural “tree cookie” flooring. Children can build with both organic blocks and geometric blocks made from a variety of types of woods.

CLIMBING AND CRAWLING AREAS

A large piece of equipment specially designed for children who are three to six years of age is located in an area that is defined by wooden beams and includes a deep mulch ground covering for safety.

POLLINATOR GARDENS

Each grade level has a garden. Children plant and care for a variety of annuals and native perennials. Teachers select plants with a diversity of textures, colors and shapes and that attract indigenous butterflies and insects.

MUSIC AREA

A stage invites children to express themselves through singing and creative movement. An amadinda allows children to make music together. Other instruments such as rain sticks and gourds are introduced throughout the school year.

NATURE ART AREA

This area includes a nature art table that can hold a variety of natural materials (such as pine cones and seed pods) that can be used to create patterns and mosaics as temporary works of art.

MESSY MATERIALS AREA

This area is bordered by shrubbery and the surfacing is mulch. It includes sections of cut trees for seating, small pieces of driftwood for children to manipulate, a large tree trunk for climbing and jumping, and a raised planter bed filled with dirt for digging. Wheelbarrows, hoes, rakes, and spades are equipment and tools readily available for the children to use.

SAND AREA

A large L-shaped sandbox allows many children to work and play at one time. Buckets, shovels and other tools are available to the children.

SWING AREA

Defined by wooden beams and deep mulch ground covering, the swings help children strengthen their core, develop balance and build coordinated movement.

GATHERING AREA

Platforms at three different levels inspire children in creative play. Fabric, scarves and seasonal items provide props that students use to create and recreate different games and stories.

LOOKING AHEAD TO LOWER SCHOOL

Foundational skills and development continue to be the focus in grades 1 through 4. Informed by the latest studies in neuroscience, Key’s teachers regularly evolve the curriculum to better serve the needs of the students. Through professional development opportunities and collaborative internal work, teachers devise curricula based on what is being learned about the brain and cognition as well as with an understanding of how societal shifts impact educating the whole child.

LOWER SCHOOL FACTS

Lower School Enrollment: 136

Lower School Faculty: 27 (10 classroom teachers, 15 specialists, 1 counselor, 1 Division Head)

Lower School Student-Faculty Ratio: 5:1

Average Class Size in 1st Grade: 15 (with Lead and Assistant Teacher)

Average Class Size Grades 2-4: 18

Specials include: Science, Technology & MakerTech, Art, Music, Life Skills, Library, French, and P.E.

2 Thinkering Studios: Dedicated educational makerspaces designed to encourage the development of problem-solving, creative thinking, stamina, and intrinsic motivation.

Coding classes in grades 1-4 employ programs such as Scratch and ScratchJr, Blockly, DreamBox, and Makey Makey. Debugging, circuitry, algorithms, coding, visual reasoning, and problem-solving are presented through hands-on projects and games.