Wilmington Friends Lower School Program of Studies 09-10

LOWER SCHOOL :: PROGRAM OF STUDIES 2009 • 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Wilmington Friends lower School Division Objectives

Division Objectives....................................this page

A child’s intellectual, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual development are important in all aspects of the lower school program, with the development of the child’s self-confidence as a central theme. In nurturing diverse talents and strengths, we strive to help children to feel secure and confident in their work and play, in peer and adult relationships, and to develop respect for themselves and members of the community. Our program is purposefully designed to provide sufficient scope, encouragement, and flexibility to meet the individual needs and talents of all lower school students, maintaining high standards for intellectual endeavor and personal responsibility.

Preschool Program of Studies...............................1 Alapocas Threes Program...............................3 Pre-Kindergarten-Fifth Grade Logistics ………....……3 Pre-K through 5th Curriculum: Overview…….....….…4 Language Arts.........……………………….............…4 Mathematics......………………………………....…..…6 Science.……………………………………………..…8 Social Science………………………………......…....9 Spanish...........................................……......…10 Computer Technology...................................…11 Performing Arts.................................................14 Physical Education.............................................15 Visual Arts........................................................16 Library Media Center…....................................…17 Human Dynamics and Development……………...…18

Intellectual and Academic Growth A lower school child...

• is curious and eager to learn about the world in which we live.

• participates actively in the learning process.

• considers and questions different opinions.

• finds answers and solves problems by making observations, collecting data, hypothesizing, testing and drawing conclusions.

• demonstrates knowledge and application of academic skills.

• demonstrates critical thinking through spoken and written work.

• expresses ideas creatively through various means.

• initiates the exploration of ideas independently.

• expresses his/her own opinion and is able to support it with relevant information.

• is comfortable in many roles: scientist, author, mathematician, poet, historian, leader, follower, collaborative committee member.

• initiates and accepts opportunities to stretch intellectually.

WILMINGTON FRIENDS PRESCHOOL PROGRAM OF STUDIES Development of a Child’s Relationships with Others A lower school child...

• recognizes that there is unique and infinite worth to each person.

• recognizes, respects, and supports diversity among people—races, cultures, family traditions, lifestyles, opinions, religions, languages, abilities, appearance.

• treats others with respect and dignity.

• demonstrates responsibility to others and to the community.

• develops positive relationships with peers and adults.

• works to solve conflicts in non-violent ways.

Development of a Child’s Self-Concept A lower school child...

• recognizes his/her own unique and infinite worth.

• freely expresses feelings in constructive ways.

• strives for personal excellence.

• demonstrates an awareness and appreciation of his/ her strengths and weaknesses.

• demonstrates increasing independence and selfreliance.

• demonstrates a sense of right and wrong.

• understands the value of making mistakes and taking risks.

• asks for help when needed.

• seeks a physically active and healthy life style.

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Overview Wilmington Friends School was founded by Quakers in the City of Wilmington in 1748, to serve “the children of the neighborhood,” whatever their race, gender, or religion and regardless of their families’ financial resources.

The Wilmington Friends Preschool, founded in 2004, is a contemporary expression of that historic commitment and of the continuing mission and identity of Wilmington Friends as a private school with a public purpose. The preschool is located at First and Central Presbyterian Church, Rodney Square, in downtown Wilmington.

As part of the Wilmington Friends lower school, the preschool program supports the development of the whole child, engaging children in experiences which stimulate intellectual, emotional, and social development with the hope that they will continue as students in pre-kindergarten and beyond, at the school’s Alapocas campus.

The program is guided, in the Quaker tradition by values of respect for each individual, responsibility as members of a community, commitment to personal best, and the peaceful resolution of conflict.

The preschool program reflects best practices based on current research in early childhood education. Implementation of developmentally appropriate practice provides a framework in which to promote young children’s optimal learning and development. Teachers seek opportunities for authentic experiences that allow young children to see, negotiate, and participate in the real world, leading to meaningful cognitive connections. The preschool teachers recognize the importance of play, which allows children to experience social interactions, develop language, and tap into their creative thinking. As stated in the most recent Position Statement on Developmentally Appropriate Practice (3rd edition, 2009) by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), “Play is an important vehicle for developing self-regulation as well as for promoting language, cognition, and social competence.” In recognition of this and other guidelines developed by NAEYC, as well as the Delaware Early Learning Foundations for School Success, the preschool uses play to incorporate skills such as self help, decision making, problem solving, and observation of cause and effect.

The preschool serves children, who generally start the school year at age two or three, in two classes of fourteen students. The First and Central facility provides an auditorium-size room for indoor play, an on-site play yard, and additional classrooms for music and other activities. The downtown location offers nearby open space to explore nature, use of books and special programs at the Wilmington Institute Library, walking trips to the post office, banks, restaurants and other cultural resources, and educational programs. Some special activities include dance classes at the Baby Grand (part of the Grand Opera House), programs at the Delaware History Museum, and children’s performances at the DuPont Theatre.

Preschool Logistical Overview The School Day Preschool begins at 8:30 a.m., with dismissal at 3:00 p.m. Early morning care is available at no extra charge, beginning at 7:30 a.m., with breakfast provided.

Extended day care is also included as part of the program, Monday through Friday, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Child care, by pre-registration and for an added fee, is available during designated weeks of winter and spring vacations, the weeks immediately before and after the school year, and on designated noon dismissal days (such as professional development afternoons for teachers and the last day of school).

Expression of Quakerism Preschool students participate in weekly or daily Quaker Meeting for Worship, when children and teachers gather and sit in silence for a very brief period of time.

Although it is a form of religious worship, Meeting in a school setting is not intended as an assertion of religious ideology, but rather serves as a time of quiet reflection, with the experience largely defined by each individual. A conflict resolution program and service learning projects further reflect the school’s Quaker philosophy, and help support classroom work to encourage each student’s sense of belonging and responsibility to their communities.

Two Teachers in Each Classroom In each preschool classroom there are two teachers (a lead and an associate), adhering to state guidelines for early childhood ratios. In addition, one assistant is shared between the two classrooms during the morning hours, providing additional support and greater flexibility for small group work and to ensure individual attention for each child.

Connection with the Lower School Campus Although many resources for the downtown preschool program are within walking distance, the program also strives to maintain a positive connection with the Friends lower school program on the Alapocas campus.

Monthly trips are planned to Alapocas, allowing the children to visit a variety of classrooms, to build connections, and to establish a positive sense of security at “the big school.”

Progress Reports and Conferences Preschool parent-teacher conferences are scheduled three times a year: in September, November, and March. Written reports are provided to parents in November, March, and June. Communication between teachers and parents is always encouraged through personal meetings at drop off or pick up times, by email or phone. Parents are always welcome to visit, and often

stop by for lunch with their child, since many parents work nearby in downtown Wilmington.

Preschool Curriculum Preschool Language Arts Preschool children are rapidly acquiring language, experimenting with verbal sounds, and beginning to use language to solve problems and to learn concepts.

The preschool program seeks to make the most of the opportunity presented by this developmental stage.

Preschool students are immersed in literacy experiences in and outside of the classrooms, through formal instruction and woven through daily interactions, developing skills for both expressive and receptive language. A key focus in the classroom is daily exposure to children’s literature, reciting poems and rhymes, singing songs, and finger plays. Objectives for receptive language development include the skills to follow one-step directions and to engage in auditory and visual discrimination when recalling stories and songs. Reading readiness activities include recognition of upper case letters and their sounds, and telling stories by acting them out and through drawing and dictation in journals. Children work with various manipulatives to develop fine motor skills; they utilize drawing and writing materials, learn to cut with scissors, and move on to practice writing their names. Children are encouraged and actively supported in the use of language skills to articulate their wants, needs, and thoughts throughout the day, in their communications with both teachers and classmates.

Preschool Mathematics Preschool students explore mathematical concepts each day. They are exposed to numbers, counting, shapes, and colors through activities related to calendar work and thematic studies. Counting, sorting, and patterning are incorporated into daily transitions, small group activities, and large motor activities. Additional mathematical activities include comparing objects by size, shape, and color. Math in literature is also a key element in exposing children to new concepts and language to help to support mathematical understanding.

Preschool Social Science Appropriate to the age of our preschool students, social science topics are examined through their personal experience and the experiences of people around them.

Children are encouraged to share their family traditions and celebrations with classmates, and our downtown location provides additional opportunities to develop on an appreciation of different cultures and celebrations.

Students are active members of their preschool community, taking on “jobs” that demonstrate a shared responsibility for classroom management, and they engage in service learning that contributes to the broader community as well.

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PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE LOGISTICAL OVERVIEW Preschool Science Preschool students are engaged in hands-on science experiences throughout the year. Buying apples and pumpkins at the Farmers’ Market in Rodney Square and examining them with all five senses provides preschoolers with an opportunity to compare, contrast, and make lists or graphs of the properties of materials. Other themes included throughout the year involve spiders, farm animals, the life cycle of a butterfly, and chick hatching. These activities encourage children to observe, predict, estimate, count, measure, record, discuss, and develop an appreciation for living things. A walking trip to the Brandywine Zoo, as the school year winds down in May, is an enjoyable culmination of our science adventures. Involving children in these handson activities also encourages language development and provides opportunities to share personal experiences.

Preschool Performing Arts Children at the downtown preschool have many opportunities to sing, move, or listen to music in a variety of settings. They participate in a 30-minute structured music class every other week with a teacher from the Music School of Delaware, in support of daily exposure to music in the classroom. Students explore tone and rhythm, and elements of sound, silences, space, and time in children’s songs, traditional folk songs, seasonal music and with instruments. Preschoolers attend noontime concerts sponsored by First and Central Presbyterian Church, providing them with an opportunity to hear a variety of musical instruments and songs of many different styles. Children also participate in dance classes at the Baby Grand, learning steps and vocabulary from ballet and jazz as they follow rhythms and interpret tempo through movement.

ALAPOCAS THREES PROGRAM In addition to the Preschool, Wilmington Friends offers a half-day program for three-year-olds on the lower school campus in Alapocas. The guiding philosophy and educational objectives are consistent with those of the Preschool and Early Years (prekindergarten, kindergarten/prefirst) program. The Alapocas Threes program is offered to families best served by a half-day schedule.

The School Day Lower school begins at 8:15 each morning, with dismissal beginning at 2:50 p.m.; early drop-off is available, at no extra charge, beginning at 7:15 a.m. Families may enroll in the After-School Program, with a choice of 4:45 or 6:00 p.m. pick-up, either by contract (for the same days each week) or as needed on a drop-in basis. All-day child care is also available during school vacations, except on federal holidays. Lower School Summer Camp operates for 10 weeks each summer, serving children age three through fifth grade.

Two Teachers in Every Classroom From pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, every homebase classroom has two teachers (a lead and an associate, who works either a full or half day depending on the grade level), allowing for greater flexibility in small group work as well as for simultaneous individual and group instruction. In fifth grade, there is one associate who supports the three lead teachers.

Pre-First and Vertical A pre-first grade program is offered for students who would benefit, for a variety of reasons, from an additional year of education before moving on to first grade.

There is a “vertical” classroom, combining students from third and fourth grades, allowing students to work with one lead teacher for two years and to work with both older and then younger children in a close classroom community. Again, there are a variety of reasons that a child may be well served by a vertical classroom; it is not an ability-based grouping.

Core Subjects, Grades PK-4 Through fourth grade, “core” subjects—language arts, math, science, and social science—are centered, but not isolated, in the homebase classroom. The lower school curriculum is integrated around themes, and teachers work in teams to coordinate projects across disciplines.

For example, a first grader studying ants as part of an insect unit in the homebase classroom might also make a papier maché ant in art class and do Internet research on ants, learning to paste a photo from a web page, in the computer lab.

Fifth Grade Fifth graders rotate classrooms and teachers for social science, science, and writing (although the curriculum remains integrated across disciplines), giving students in this last year of lower school additional responsibility for managing a departmentalized program and for working with a greater variety of teachers. Reading and math classes are taught by the homebase teacher. Letter grades to assess student work are also introduced in fifth grade.

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In the fifth grade year, students take a two-day class trip to the Chesapeake Bay, which combines studies in science, mathematics, social science, and language arts, with community building for the class and an experience away from home and campus.

As a culmination of their lower school studies, fifth graders also participate in the “Presentation of Learning” (POL), coordinated through the Library Media Center, in which students do extended research on a topic and make oral presentations to classmates, teachers, and parents. Through the POL, fifth graders demonstrate that they have developed the level of analytical thinking, as well as the research and presentation skills, expected of our lower school “graduates.”

“Specials” Classes beyond the core subjects are known at lower school as “specials.” Pre-k and K/pre-first students have four 20-minute classes per week in physical education; grades 1-3 have three 30-minute P.E. classes each week; and grades 4 and 5 have three 45-minute classes each week. Beginning in pre-k, every student also has classes each week in Spanish, art, and music. Library Media Center classes meet in coordination with homebase classroom activities. Beginning in kindergarten, students also have science lab and computer lab.

Expressions of Quakerism All lower school students participate in weekly Quaker Meeting for Worship, in which students and teachers gather and sit in silence. Anyone who feels moved to do so may stand and speak briefly. Young students who speak in Meeting tend to relate feelings about personal experiences, such as, “I’m happy because we got a new pet.” Although it is a form of religious worship, Meeting in the school setting is not intended as an assertion of religious ideology, but rather serves as a time of quiet reflection, with the experience largely defined by each individual (and informed by each person’s own religious tradition and identity). A conflict resolution program and service projects further reflect the school’s Quaker philosophy, and help support classroom work to encourage each student’s sense of belonging and responsibility to their communities.

Optional Activities Fourth and fifth graders may choose to participate (no audition required) in Kids Choir and/or band, which rehearse both during the school day and one day each week after school. Other after-school activities are also available, through the After-School Program or independently.

Progress Reports and Conferences For pre-kindergarten and kindergarten/pre-first students, parent-teacher conferences, with a review of brief written reports, are scheduled three times each year. An

extensive written report is sent home at the end of the pre-k and K/P1 years. For grades 1-5, conferences are scheduled, again with brief written reports, twice each year. Lengthy narrative reports are sent home at the end of the year. Only fifth graders receive letter grades.

Parent-teacher communication is always encouraged via phone or email.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE CURRICULUM The planned program of studies for each subject area and for each grade at lower school is summarized below. The curriculum is defined with established objectives for student progress at each level, and with respect to proven teaching methods as well as an openness to innovations in materials and methods based on sound research and trials. Although the program remains quite stable in learning objectives and philosophical foundation, curriculum is, by nature, evolving (and improving) from year to year, and even within the school year, there may be minor revisions to the program described, as teachers respond to the dynamics of individual classes and to events in and beyond school.

LANGUAGE ARTS: OVERVIEW Lower school students progress from learning to read to reading to learn, with building skills in receptive and expressive language, from the mechanics of grammar and handwriting to the conceptual understanding that allows for inference, prediction, and abstraction.

Throughout the program, students are immersed in a literature- and language-rich environment, exploring different genres, and learning to appreciate a variety of cultures and traditions through reading and research.

Challenging students to meet high standards, while developing an enthusiasm for learning and lifelong love of reading, is a key objective of the program.

Related to that objective is the development of “student voice,” a unifying theme of the lower school curriculum.

We seek to provide students with a variety of skills and opportunities for self-expression that will allow for their fullest possible participation in the learning process and in the school and broader communities. In the language arts program, students are supported in expressing their ideas, feelings, and observations openly, effectively, and appropriately. Again, expectations rise steadily throughout the program, with high standards in such skill areas as handwriting, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary, but with a continuing emphasis on encouraging students to feel confident in expressing themselves and presenting their work.

As part of the presentation of student work, many lower school teachers are coordinating across grade levels to develop student writing portfolios. Each year, selected “final” work for each student will be placed in his or her portfolio, so that students build a record of their writ4

ten work from first through fifth grade. We acquire core materials that support the philosophy and objectives of our program, but the curriculum and classroom tools are not limited to such materials. In language arts, core materials include Handwriting Without Tears and Open Court basal readers.

Pre-Kindergarten Language Arts Through immersion in a literature and language-rich environment, pre-kindergarten students begin their journey to literacy. Our focus is on developing reading and writing readiness through multi-sensory experiences and direct and explicit phonics instruction, with an emphasis on auditory and visual discrimination, listening skills, and spoken language development through thematic learning. Sample objectives for pre-k students in receptive language include learning to recognize rhyming patterns, following multi-step directions, and engaging in auditory discrimination with phoneme units. In expressive language, objectives include students’ expressing feelings in an appropriate manner and recalling and restating facts and sequence from stories read aloud. Students also begin to create and share their own stories through storytelling, illustration, and journaling. Toward goals specific to reading readiness, students learn to identify letter sounds and to discriminate letters and words; they are introduced to beginning consonant sounds, and learn to recognize upper and lower case letters. They experience the functionality of written words in a variety of contexts, and are asked to demonstrate left to right directionality. Fine motor activities are also emphasized as children learn to write their upper case letters, refine their pencil grip and explore small manipulatives.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Language Arts In k/pre-first, students work on the specific reading and writing skills they need to become literate learners. Through a variety of approaches, students further develop their phonological awareness; they learn the sound-symbol relationship and increase their inventory of sight words. In reading readiness, specific skills include blending syllables and two of three sounds orally into words. Students identify and separate words into beginning, medial, and ending sounds. Read-alouds from a broad selection of genres and authors heighten students’ pleasure in books and provide enhanced vocabulary as well as exposure to literature and information. K/pre-first students develop their ability to listen for content and to predict possible story outcomes. Students become more involved in the process of writing and develop a conceptual understanding of print as “talk written down.” Expressive language is emphasized, as students convey feelings, ideas, fantasies, and observations verbally and in drawing and writing. There is an increasing emphasis throughout the year on expressing ideas with text, which includes phonetic spellings and learned words. Handwriting strokes and conventions are taught concurrently throughout the year.

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First Grade Language Arts First grade students build on their decoding ability, developing fluency and adding sight words to their phonics skills. Comprehension of written text develops through direct reading strategies of story elements, surveying, predicting, and setting a purpose for reading.

Students are exposed to various genres, both through reading and in directed writing assignments. They also undertake their first research study, using library resources and preparing a final project. First grade is a year of tremendous progress in work on punctuation, grammar, and editing skills, as well as phonetic spelling and handwriting. Specific objectives include decoding using sound-syllable relationships (initial, medial, and ending consonant sounds, digraphs and blends, and long and short vowels); an understanding of word patterns and families; and a beginning structural analysis of words (such as compound words and contractions). The basics of process writing are also strengthened.

Second Grade Language Arts Second grade students develop reading comprehension skills through a variety of experiences, including reading independently, in pairs, and in larger groups. They increase their vocabulary through the study of themerelated words; and they develop their ability to analyze the structure of words, sentences, and stories, including an awareness of parts of speech and how to express ideas in a thoughtfully organized way. They advance comprehension skills to make more sophisticated inferences and predictions, to draw conclusions, and to differentiate between fiction and non-fiction and between fact and opinion. There is a greater emphasis beginning in second grade on following written (as well as oral) directions, and on moving beyond phonetic spelling, as students proofread their work using tools such as dictionaries and editing checklists. The basics of process writing are developed further, including writing for a variety of audiences.

Third Grade Language Arts Third graders learn to comprehend both literal and implied meanings, and skills of decoding and defining unfamiliar words, with the dictionary as an everyday tool. They learn to analyze plot, character, theme, and setting from works in a variety of genres, with an emphasis on connecting what they read to what they are learning and “real world” experiences. In their written work, third graders advance in organizing ideas, in clarity of expression, and in the process of editing and revising. They are introduced to parts of speech and paragraphing. Third grade students write for different purposes and audiences—to inform, persuade, entertain, and reflect. They also learn to write upper and lower case cursive letters with connections.

MATHEMATICS: OVERVIEW Fourth Grade Language Arts Fourth grade students read from a number of genres, including a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts.

They read both assigned materials and books that they choose, and are expected to report on their reading, both in writing and orally. Fourth graders use context clues more in their reading, with greater attention to cause and effect in a story. Within the variety of material, inferential comprehension becomes increasingly important.

In developing their writing skills, students are expected, as they progress through fourth grade, to use correct punctuation and sentence structure, to demonstrate an increasing understanding of formal grammar as it applies to effective writing skills, and to develop ideas effectively into paragraphs. Fourth graders also grow more independent in the process of editing and revising, and continue to work on the mechanics of cursive writing skills. Students take on greater leadership roles in reading and writing groups.

Fifth Grade Language Arts Fifth grade students are expected to communicate clearly, in writing and orally, and to demonstrate their ability to draw inferences from both concrete and abstract materials.

Fifth graders show growing maturity in their writing, adding depth and breadth to its substance while still applying correct sentence structure and demonstrating an increased understanding of formal grammar as it applies to effective writing. Students use their writing skills to inform, to persuade, and to express personal ideas. There is a continuing emphasis on peer review and active participation in classroom discussions, and particular emphasis on using newly acquired vocabulary in a variety of contexts and across academic disciplines.

Fifth grade is a culminating step in the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Specific reading skill objectives include summarizing material, using specific details to support comprehension answers (written and oral), and identifying and discussing literary terms.

The lower school math program is grounded in the standards and principles of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and draws from national and international research, including the work of the National Science Foundation and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). We seek to apply the proven best practices of mathematics teachings, with a planned structure of scope and sequence and consistency of method, to deepen and reinforce students’ understanding of mathematical concepts, as they expand and secure their mastery of math facts.

Students learn through a deliberate and balanced blend of hands-on inquiry, mathematical and meta-cognitive analysis, and exercises to develop and reinforce computational skills. There is a purposeful connection of mathematical studies to “real-world” situations and to other disciplines. Our goal is to help students achieve 21st century math literacy, with the full range of qualities necessary for them to succeed as mathematical thinkers.

As with language arts, the math program employs core materials that support the philosophy and objectives of our program, with such materials representing one of the strategies and tools used in our classrooms. In math, core materials include the most recent edition, which includes renewed emphasis on computation, of Everyday Math in grades 1-5.

Pre-Kindergarten Mathematics Students in pre-k experience math through a variety of hands-on, everyday activities, like “calendar math.”

They are exposed to math terminology and incorporate it into their own vocabulary. Students gain a foundation for number sense and mathematical operations by counting, reading numerals, and developing an understanding of the value of numbers (e.g. by matching a number to a set). Pre-k students work extensively with patterns, space, shape, and measurement as foundations of algebra and geometry. Our youngest mathematicians also learn to classify objects, to record patterns in data, to make graphs, and to estimate and hypothesize.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Mathematics Kindergarten/pre-first students continue to build on their foundation of mathematical knowledge by working with physical objects: sorting and classifying attributes, identifying and extending patterns, and exploring shapes.

Hands-on activities that include estimating, counting, and comparing support their development of number sense. Number relationships are further investigated when students collect and record data in picture and bar graphs and the use of tally marks. The students explore numerical operations by using manipulative materials including coins, and by solving problems that relate to real-life experiences. Engaging in discussions about calendar math provides an opportunity for students to understand the passage of time by focusing on the cycle of days, months, and seasons. The students participate 6

in meaningful games and activities that are integrated with other areas of the curriculum to build on their understanding of nonstandard units of measurement— including measures of time, temperature, length, and width.

First Grade Mathematics As first graders begin to incorporate larger numbers into their activities, their work reinforces quick recall of addition and subtraction facts and an understanding of place value. By the end of first grade, students are expected to count by 2s, 5s, and 10s (recognizing patterns), and to begin to add and subtract two-digit numbers. Students also learn to use predictions, estimations, and validations in problem solving, and their data and graph work becomes more complex. First graders continue to focus on comparing, classifying, and patterning, working with manipulatives, shapes (including pyramid, rectangular prism, sphere, and cone) and measures. They develop skills in telling time and working with currency, “real world” applications of their work on fractions and the concept of a whole divided into parts.

Second Grade Mathematics The second grade math program continues to strengthen mastery of addition and subtraction facts, as students work more with adding and subtracting two-digit numbers, using a variety of strategies including algorithms, and further develop their understanding of place value and number patterning including counting by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 10s, and 100s. Students begin to work with multiplication for 0-5; and they begin to write fractions and relate them to partial sets and divided figures. Second graders also apply addition and subtraction to situational problem solving, and continue to practice estimation and validation of answers. Measuring and shapes are emphasized in second grade. Students measure length, area, perimeter, volume, capacity, weight, and temperature. They use rulers to draw figures, and learn to recognize the sides and corners of polygons, to find lines of symmetry and draw symmetrical figures, and to relate plane figures to space figures.

Third Grade Mathematics Third graders work to gain quick recall of multiplication facts and to apply them to division. Students explore different algorithms for multiplying multiple-digit numbers. They work more extensively with fractions, learning to compare and use symbols such as “<” and “>”. They also add and subtract three-digit numbers with regrouping, and apply different strategies to solving two-step word problems. Students develop their ability to explain their thought processes for problem solving.

Geometry becomes more sophisticated as vocabulary broadens to include types of angles, polygons, and parts of a circle. Third graders are also introduced to parallel, intersecting, and perpendicular lines and congruent figures, and learn to plot coordinates on a grid. They also continue to explore probability.

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Fourth Grade Mathematics Fourth grade students apply skills in multiplication (two and three digit number) and division, as well as addition and subtraction, in problem solving. They also begin to develop their ability to solve multi-step problems and to explain their mathematical reasoning in solving such problems using numbers, pictures, and words. Students’ understanding of mathematical concepts expands as fractions are related to decimals; measurements are converted to smaller and larger units; and angles are measured (using a protractor) and recognized as parts of a circle. Students learn about improper fractions and equate them with mixed numerals, and they learn to work with uncommon denominators. Fourth graders learn to read, interpret and create bar graphs, tally charts and tables, and to draw conclusions about the data represented.

Fifth Grade Mathematics In fifth grade, students explore relationships between numbers using terms such as multiples, factors, prime, and square. The students continue to develop their fact fluency and understanding of the relationship between multiplication and division through the use of number stories and group activities.

Fifth graders also study various ways to represent values less than one: decimals, fractions, and percents.

Through different problem-solving applications using models such as clock faces and grids, they develop strategies to find solutions in all three categories, enabling them to move more freely from one form of notation to another and to better select the method most relevant to a given situation.

Students also develop a variety of computational and estimation strategies for multiplication and division, such as using reasoning based on multiples, approximating and adjusting, or breaking large problems down into smaller, simpler ones. They also use estimation to check the reasonableness of their answers.

In measurement, students focus on length, area, and volume. They use both standard and metric units as they estimate with familiar, non-standard references and then take actual measurements with rulers, balances, and other tools.

For data investigation, students organize, display, analyze, and interpret data. They create line plots, bar graphs, and stem-and-leaf plots, and recognize and interpret patterns shown in these displays. They also compute the mode, median, mean, and range of a data set and use these statistics to describe the data and make predictions.

Throughout the year, students explore problems indepth, inventing their own strategies, using a variety of concrete materials, and often searching for multiple solutions. They work individually as well as in a variety of groupings as they express their thinking verbally, in writing, and through visual representation.

SCIENCE: OVERVIEW In pre-k, science activities are centered in the homebase classroom. In kindergarten through fourth grade, students study science in the homebase classroom and in weekly science lab, supplemented by outdoor nature studies, special projects, and field trips. The fifth grade science course combines direct instruction, lab and project work, experimentation, group and cooperative learning, and field trips. Throughout the program, there is an emphasis on supporting children’s natural curiosity and joy in discovery through hands-on investigation, connection of classroom activities to “real world” situations (including the use of household objects, as well as lab equipment, in projects), and mastery of investigative skills in the context of the scientific method. Developing an understanding of the human body and healthy lifestyle choices, as part of the school’s overall Human Dynamics and Development curriculum, is also emphasized.

and observe the life cycle of a “fast plant” from seed to seed. In the insect unit, students explore “what makes a bug,” and study the growth of milkweed bugs from egg to adult, journaling their observations.

Pre-Kindergarten Science Pre-k science focuses on hands-on, discovery-based experiences related to classroom themes such as apples, spiders, farm animals, vegetables, life cycles, and seasons. These activities, as well as field trips that support the lessons, provide students with the opportunity to develop an appreciation for living things and to discuss their observations about the world in which we live.

Students learn to recognize similarities and differences, often recording characteristics like size, color, shape, and weight. Through guided instruction, they are introduced to the scientific method.

Second Grade Science Second grade science begins with a study of soil.

During this unit, students examine and test the properties of three soil components: clay, humus, and sand.

Students are challenged to test various soil samples for the three components. They also study how water affects different kinds of soil. Through long-term experiments, students explore roots and plants grow in various soils and “make” soil through composting. Second graders also investigate balance and motion. Students are challenged to balance different shapes and pencils on their points by finding a stable position. They are then given an opportunity to investigate objects that have a rotational motion and investigate variables that affect the motion of a system. Using what they have learned about balance and motion, the class creates a marble roller coaster that allows a marble to run nonstop. The bird unit focuses on the question, “What makes a bird?” Students observe the similarities and differences of feathers, including the down and flight feathers, as well as the waterproofing some birds have.

Beaks are another focus of the unit. Using household items, students model beaks to identify the habitat and eating habits of each bird. Students observe bird characteristics and behaviors first hand as they go bird watching.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Science Kindergarten/pre-first science includes units of study from the life sciences and the physical sciences, as well as specific instruction about the scientific method.

Through spontaneous play, guided instruction, and hands-on investigation, students are encouraged to build on the body of knowledge that they have acquired through their own experiences and to further develop their sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Discovery-based activities encourage students to develop problem-solving skills by formulating questions and by collaborating in their search for the answers. Recent topics have included living things, wood, water and solids, magnetic force, and habitats.

Homebase teachers work with the science specialist to integrate topics studied in the science lab. The science teacher also works to support the homebase teachers by helping to “find the science” in classroom themes.

Third Grade Science Third grade science begins with a unit about earth materials, with a focus on rocks and minerals. During this unit, students investigate observable characteristics of rocks and minerals, taking the materials apart to find out what they are made of in order to better understand their properties. Third graders also observe, compare, and care for different organisms. During this unit, students investigate the structures of an organism and learn how the function of structures supports survival and growth. Students are able to use observable properties to sort and group different organisms.

In the sound unit, students explore properties of pitch and volume. Through explorations with tuning forks, nails, rulers, and pegboards, students learn how pitch and volume are created and how they can be changed.

Students are then challenged to apply what they have learned in creating their own musical instruments.

First Grade Science The first grade science curriculum includes units from both life and physical sciences. Students begin the year working on the process skills of making observations and predictions, skills honed through discoveries with magnets, liquids, and color. The plant unit includes explorations both in the lab and in the homebase classroom. Students identify what a plant needs to grow

Fourth Grade Science With a continuing emphasis on hands-on learning, fourth graders acquire greater proficiency in recording findings with scientific language. In a unit about land and water, students create landforms to model the effects of water on various land features. A unit on food chemistry requires students to investigate the basic nutrients found in foods through a series of physical and chemical 8

SOCIAL SCIENCE: OVERVIEW tests. Fourth graders also develop their understanding of electricity, by using materials such as batteries and bulbs in series and parallel circuits. Applying that knowledge, students are challenged to create their own electric inventions.

Fifth Grade Science In fifth grade science, students are asked to clarify, categorize, and integrate their thinking as they manipulate information; exploration, prediction, investigation, interpretation, and analysis of information enhance conceptual understanding as well as the application of acquired knowledge.

The fifth grade science unit in biology focuses on ecosystems. Students learn to use a hand lens, pH paper, and various measuring instruments to collect data; they conduct, record, and organize observations, and plan, implement, and analyze experiments, and draw conclusions. They also make and test predictions and apply previously collected data to new problems. Applying those same skills in investigation and analysis, fifth graders also work in science units in mixtures and solutions (chemistry) and motion and design (physics). In the motion and design unit, students design, build, test, and modify vehicles to meet certain requirements.

A final fifth grade science unit is specific to the coordinated life education/physical education curriculum, and includes a study of the cardiovascular and circulatory systems (including common diseases and healthy lifestyle choices), parts and functions of the reproductive systems, and body changes that occur during puberty.

For pre-k through fourth grade students, study in social science is centered in the homebase classroom, coordinated with work in the “specials.” Students study physical geography (including progressively complex map work), culture (including art, music, literature, daily life customs, and special celebrations), biographies and careers, and history. In addition, the social science curriculum works to develop each student’s sense of belonging and responsibility in communities as small as the classroom and as broad as the world. The fifth grade social science course focuses on defining eras in the history of the United States. As students progress through the social science curriculum, skills in research and presenting work are emphasized with increasing expectations at each level, with both teacher-directed and student-selected topics.

Pre-Kindergarten Social Science Pre-k students undertake a social science unit informally called “me,” learning and communicating about themselves, their feelings and ideas, their responsibility for their actions and toward others (e.g. sharing), their capacity for self-reliance, and their uniqueness in identity and in what they can contribute. Students broaden their study to family, including a sharing of traditions and celebrations, the school community, and then an introduction to “my world,” with an early appreciation of different cultures, celebrations, and languages.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Social Science As in pre-k, students in kindergarten/pre-first continue to focus on their sense of identity as it relates to their family, their classroom, and the school community.

Through active participation, they are encouraged to develop responsibility and to make independent decisions while gaining an appreciation for the ways in which others contribute to classroom and school life.

Conflict resolutions skills are modeled, and students begin to assume independent responsibility for them.

Students strengthen collaborative skills through work and play as partners, in small groups, and with their entire class. Stewardship and service learning play a formative role in this process. Students also develop an appreciation for diversity among individuals and cultures. By engaging in the study of assigned topics, students develop observational skills and broaden their view of the world around them. The introduction of research skills enables the students to develop an awareness of the range of available resources to find answers to their questions.

First Grade Social Science Students begin the year with a focus on friendship. In addition to developing their understanding of classroom and school communities, first graders begin to learn about the services that enable neighborhoods and cities to function. There is specific focus on the City of Wilmington, including field trips, as students learn about emergency services, careers, and basic commu-

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nity needs. First graders learn map skills including the four-point compass and other basic concepts, as well as how to identify their own state and country and how to locate other geographic markers. Students also study the contributions of individual Americans to the common good. As students analyze communities and their own responsibility to people with whom they share surroundings, they also develop an awareness of similarities and differences among individuals. They learn the importance of respecting various points of view, as they are supported and become more confident in asserting their own ideas.

Second Grade Social Science Second graders broaden their knowledge of their place in the world by expanding their previous focus on neighborhood and city to include an understanding of their membership in the global community. Students study the physical geography, history, and culture of Delaware. They develop an understanding of the interrelationships among neighborhood, city, county, state, region, country, continent, and planet. They also develop their map skills to use an eight-point compass, a key, and a basic political map. As their understanding of physical geography expands, students also learn more about world cultures, developing their appreciation for similarities and differences. They also study people who have made contributions to the world as a whole.

Third Grade Social Science Third graders begin a two-year continent study; over the course of third and fourth grade, all of the continents are studied, with all of the students in the two grades working on the same continents at the same time to allow for greater coordination and collaboration on projects. The third grade physical geography studies involve increasingly sophisticated map skills, such as learning to identify various land formations and bodies of water, and understanding and using geography terms like peninsula, equator, and longitude/latitude. Third graders also study different types of maps. In their cultural geography studies, students continue to develop their understanding and appreciation of different celebrations, customs, foods, stories, art, and music of people (both indigenous and contemporary) around the world.

Fourth Grade Social Science The world culture and physical geography study continues in fourth grade, with a particular emphasis on developing research skills, as students learn about continents.

In their physical and political geography work, fourth graders apply their understanding of cardinal directions in locating cities, states, oceans, continents, and assigned countries on a globe or map. They learn and apply an understanding of latitude, longitude, tropics, prime meridian, and time zones, and deepen their appreciation of geography as related to the social, economic, and political climates of a region. In cultural studies, students focus on the daily lives of native peoples,

including language, art, and literature. Specific research skill objectives include learning how to decide which concepts or characteristics to study, and incorporating library reference material fully into the research process.

Students are also expected to meet higher expectations in their research projects, using the “Big 6” method, and oral presentations.

Fifth Grade Social Science Fifth graders examine the history of the United States by studying the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement. During these units of study, students explore various aspects of peace, justice, and social change. The learning process emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, working efficiently and respectfully within a group, role-playing, and informed decision making. There is an emphasis on skill development, including note taking, map skills, research skills, and report writing. Throughout the year, fifth graders produce research projects in a variety of styles, lengths, and manners of presentation.

SPANISH: OVERVIEW The Spanish program is designed to introduce students to the Spanish language and to Hispanic cultures, both for the inherent value and to lay the foundation for future language learning and a lasting appreciation for diversity. Given demographic changes in our country, familiarity with this language and culture are especially valuable to students. Students engage in activities that generate enthusiasm for the study of language and culture while learning basic communication skills in the target language. The program utilizes materials such as books, pictures, photographs, flash cards, DVD’s, CD’s, puppets, computer resources, and the technique called Total Physical Response (TPR), which helps young children learn languages by incorporating gestures.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Spanish Kindergarten and pre-first students learn to follow oral directions in Spanish and to ask and answer simple questions. They interact with their teacher and peers using basic greetings, farewells, and expressions of courtesy. Other specific language objectives include learning to count from 1 to 20, and learning the names of colors, days of the week, body parts, and animals.

Students also learn songs (for both language and culture learning), games, Spanish stories and tales, and develop a beginning appreciation for different Hispanic foods, celebrations, and holidays.

First Grade Spanish In first grade, students build upon their Spanish language skills by practicing familiar vocabulary through games involving increased recognition and recall as well as activities that incorporate beginning reading in Span10

COMPUTING: OVERVIEW ish. They also learn specific content vocabulary such as shapes and the weather. They develop their skills in following oral directions and communicating in basic phrases with their teacher and peers, learning to understand more complex classroom directions. First graders also begin to make comparisons and connections among cultures.

Second Grade Spanish Building Spanish vocabulary, second graders learn the names for family members, clothing, and to say and recognize numbers 1 to 50. As their vocabulary increases, they engage in conversation to express and exchange feelings and personal information with their teacher and peers. They also practice reading familiar phrases through repeated class activities and become more aware of the sounds in the Spanish language through song and cooperative group games. Students learn more about Hispanic holidays and celebrations through books, photographs, and video.

Third Grade Spanish Third grade Spanish conversational skills focus on interaction using basic words and memorized phrases, including how to ask permission from the teacher and answering simple questions with complete sentences.

Students begin to learn some adjectives and the concept of masculine and feminine words in Spanish. They also practice writing content vocabulary and familiar phrases.

Expanding their cultural study, third graders explore some traditional foods, the basic rhythms of a few types of Latin music, and the history of how the Spanish language spread to different parts of the world.

Fourth Grade Spanish Continuing the focus on classroom and personal interactions, fourth grade students become more fluent in their comprehension and oral expression in Spanish. They begin to use adjectives and verbs in a more focused way in their conversation. They also listen to stories and tales from different Hispanic countries and engage in extended activities to build understanding. As Spanish-speaking countries are discussed through cultural and language activities, students also learn about their geographical locations.

Fifth Grade Spanish By the end of fifth grade, students are increasingly proficient in their receptive and expressive language skills. They are able to communicate feelings and personal information in complete sentences, and describe objects and events using verbs, adjectives and nouns.

With their exposure to the sounds in the Spanish language, they are more comfortable writing familiar words and phrases as well as phonetically writing and spelling words. They also expand on their cultural studies by learning about art and basic dance steps to Latin rhythms.

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Formal weekly computer lab instruction begins in kindergarten/pre-first. Kindergarten/pre-first students have class in the lab once a week for a 30-minute period, first through third graders for a 45-minute period, and fourth and fifth graders for a 60-minute period, which includes 15 minutes of keyboarding. In addition to their scheduled sessions, classes may sign up for additional computer time in the lab, use classroom computers, or signout the lower school “iBook” cart (laptops with wireless network access). This diverse access allows projects to move seamlessly from the lab to the classroom and to the Library Media Center.

The computer program is carefully integrated with the rest of the curriculum to be an “extension of the classroom,” so that technology skills support what students are learning, and specific projects they are undertaking, in core subjects and specials. Students use technology in all core disciplines, so that in a given year they will have had a math, science, social studies, and language arts technology experience. Projects are designed to help students learn how to identify and define problems, formulate hypotheses, answer questions, and offer conclusions that can be applied to new situations and applications. Our program guides students in the acquisition of essential skills in keyboarding and word processing, Internet research and communications, and basic programming. Students are also taught to express themselves and to present their work creatively with graphics, databases, spreadsheets, and multimedia.

These skills spiral across the grade levels with varying tools and growing complexity. Our ultimate goal is to provide our students with the skills they need to work successfully in an increasingly international, interdependent, and technologically information-rich society.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Computing Kindergarten/pre-first grade students learn basic terms and functions of the computer, and acquire foundation skills such as how to use the mouse, log on and off a network, open and close folders, and start and quit programs. They learn the basics of keyboarding (left versus right hand keys, space bar, delete key, and shift key) and begin word processing (lists, short passages). They also create artwork in graphics programs, and begin to transfer skills between programs. Kindergarten/pre-first students are introduced to multimedia presentations and how they can be used, and they create individual multimedia slides that are arranged by the teacher. With careful teacher guidance, students begin to explore the Internet as a source of information and means of communication, viewing selected web pages. The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics.

Applications: Appleworks suite (word processing/drawing), Kidspiration (customized activities), Kid Pix (drawing/multimedia), Type to Learn Jr. (keyboarding), math software, “Bee-bots”, “Roamer” and MicroWorlds Jr. (programming), Safari (Internet).

Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Explored shape substitutions and patterns using math software • Identified and sorted “living versus non-living” things as an extension of a science lab unit • Created a multimedia alphabet and number book • Typed and wrote sentences about friendship for their friendship unit • Programmed Roamer through a 3-D maze First Grade Computing First grade students expand their understanding of computer terminology and function. They add skills in keyboarding and word processing and learn to highlight, edit, and proofread text. Since they begin to do more story writing in first grade, students use tools to assist them in planning and brainstorming. They also begin to use a greater variety of tools for creating and manipulating graphics, and increase their understanding of the role of multimedia presentations in education and in society. First graders are introduced to spreadsheets and create and evaluate the usefulness of graphs. They also learn some basic programming commands. First graders develop their understanding of the Internet, and begin to define its place in information-seeking and problem-solving strategies they learn in the integrated curricula of the homebase classroom and the Library Media Center. The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics.

Applications: Appleworks suite (word processing, drawing, spreadsheets), Kidspiration (story planning), Kid Pix (drawing/multimedia), Type to Learn Jr. (keyboarding), math software, MicroWorlds (programming), Safari (Internet).

Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Graphed monthly weather data using spread-sheet software • Used pre-defined Kidspiration templates to help plan and write a fairy tale • Experienced a cybertrip to several Australian zoos while studying Australian animals • Programmed the turtle using Logo through 2-D mazes and towns.

Second Grade Computing In addition to expanding their application of general computer skills, second grade students learn more about the role of servers and networks, and saving, retrieving, and printing documents. They continue to use planning tools for writing and organizing information. In keyboarding, they begin two-handed typing, and in word processing, they begin more routinely to publish their work applying skills such as centering text. They continue more advanced work in graphics and multimedia and participate in longer-term 12 projects. Spreadsheet and graphing work continues with a focus on learning to

collect and enter data. Programming skills also continue and are taught as an extension of the geometry study.

Students also program their own animation in multimedia projects. Second graders become more sophisticated in their approach to the Internet, as they develop skills to navigate selected web pages. The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics. Students are also introduced to Web 2.0 technologies such as blogging.

Applications: Appleworks suite (word processing, drawing, spreadsheets), Kidspiration (story planning, concept mapping), Type to Learn 3 (keyboarding), math software, MicroWorlds (programming, multimedia), Safari (Internet).

Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Designed their own bird utilizing information learned from a science unit, and created a multi-media presentation which described its physical characteristics, habitat, a scanned drawing, and a haiku poem • Created study “webs” of a collection of facts learned about the human body from their homebase study • Used Kidspiration to plan and organize class newspaper articles Third Grade Computing At the third grade level, there is a significant change in applications, and students are guided to transfer prior knowledge and skills as they undertake new challenges with a greater variety and sophistication of tools.

Third graders begin to maneuver among open documents and learn to work between multiple applications simultaneously. Keyboarding continues as students are expected to use the “home-row” routinely. They create longer and more advanced word processing documents, adjusting page orientation and border widths and using functions such as spell check and the “select all” and “undo” commands. In multimedia, they plan and design presentations using three or more slides, importing graphics, sound, and text and adding transitions between slides; they also evaluate the effectiveness of different presentations. Students begin to define and label spreadsheet columns and rows, and to create, manipulate, and begin to understand the comparative strengths of bar, line, and pie graphs. Databases are also introduced and created at this level, and are compared to the effectiveness of spreadsheets. Basic programming skills continue in support of geometric math concepts. Students also write their own procedures to code animations in multimedia projects. Working on the Internet, students begin to understand keywords in using search engines effectively, and also to compare the usefulness of different search strategies. They also begin to use on-line electronic databases and to compare using the Internet to these databases. The “Big 6” information skills are introduced by the Library Media specialist, and students are expected to use those skills when accessing electronic resources. The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics. Students work with Web 2.0 technologies such as blogging. At 12

this grade level the iBook cart is often used for research and for word processing.

Applications: Appleworks (databases), Microsoft Office (MS word and MS Excel), Kidspiration and Inspiration (story planning, concept mapping, character analysis), Type to Learn 3 (keyboarding), math software, MicroWorlds (programming, multimedia), Scratch (programming), Safari (Internet), UD/Lib Search and other electronic on-line databases.

Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Created a database of rainforest plants and animals researched in class • Designed an electronic travel brochure for a planet in our solar system • Created character web using Kidspiration for selected books • Wrote procedures to code animations in their multimedia projects Fourth Grade Computing Fourth grade students continue to develop their skills through assigned projects, experimentation with different software, and a balance of individual and group work. They undertake more challenging projects in multimedia presentations, Internet and on-line database research, spreadsheet and graph work, and word processing and graphics. Students transfer skills from a procedural Logo programming environment to a graphical programming environment. In this year students have a dedicated 15-minute period for keyboarding weekly, in addition to their regularly scheduled computer period. They also work more independently at this level.

Students use a wider range of electronic databases and the Internet more routinely and their research is guided by the “Big 6” information skills. By this level of the computer program, students are also asked to become more sophisticated in their critical evaluation of different computer tools and resources. The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics. Students work with Web 2.0 technologies such as blogging. The iBook cart is used more routinely for the continuation of projects and activities.

Applications: Microsoft Office (MS word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint), Inspiration (story planning, concept mapping, character analysis), Type to Learn 3 (keyboarding), math software, MicroWorlds (programming, multimedia), Scratch (programming), Safari (Internet), UD/Lib Search and other electronic on-line databases.

Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Using MS Excel spreadsheets and MS PowerPoint, graphed and presented a comparison of fast-food nutritional information; different graph types were created and evaluated for a given data set • Created a clay-animation nutrition movie (using iMovie) in which characters represented various food groups • Used GPS units to find geo-caches at lower school 13

Fifth Grade Computing Fifth grade computer represents the culmination of a six-year, progressive course of study, supported by additional technology experiences in the homebase classroom and Library Media Center. During this year students are being prepared for the transition to middle school. They receive their own computer accounts that they manage and use independently.

Students continue with a 15-minute keyboarding period weekly in addition to their scheduled computer period.

Their word processing documents are now multi-page products, created through a variety of tools and commands. Their graphics skills include applying a variety of tools to manipulate inserted and original images.

Using a variety of multimedia tools, they design multimedia presentations that include multiple slides, importing graphics and sound. They gain confidence working with a variety of spreadsheets. Their Internet skills include: identifying different components in web sites, citing referenced web sites, and identifying and modifying keywords to use search engines effectively (and an early understanding of how search engines work).

The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics. Students use a variety of Web 2.0 tools such as blogs and wikis. Additional on-line electronic databases are introduced, and the “Big 6” information skills continue to play a significant role in research activities.

Students continue their study of programming through a study of LEGO robotics. The iBooks are used regularly since technology projects are assigned in all disciplines.

Students also refine their skills of critical evaluation of programs, presentations, and Internet resources. Their study of computers goes beyond the acquisition of basic skills, to sophisticated application of technology for a purpose and higher-level thinking toward problem-solving and creative expression.

Applications: Microsoft Office (MS word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint), Inspiration (story planning, concept mapping, character analysis), Type to Learn 3 (keyboarding), math software, MicroWorlds (programming), Robolab (programming), Safari (Internet), UD/Lib Search and other electronic on-line databases, iMovie (multimedia).

Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Designed programs using Robolab to program LEGO robots • Created a “Chesapeake Bay” fifth grade wiki • Used MS Powerpoint to present their “Simple Machine” science unit challenges

PERFORMING ARTS: OVERVIEW Through a sequential program encouraging active participation and self-expression, students develop musical understanding and appreciation. The music curriculum is coordinated with other classroom lessons, such as social science and geography studies, for example, so that students might learn music from countries or cultural traditions they are studying, or so that composer biographies are timed to fit with other biographical studies. Skills in music are also related to other disciplines, such as the science of sound production and the math of musical notation.

All students receive formal musical instruction twice weekly; 30-minute classes for pre-k through third grade and 45-minute classes for fourth and fifth grades. All students perform in winter and spring concerts, and individual classes have the opportunity for smaller group performances throughout the year. Every fifth grade student performs in a spring musical production. Students in fourth and fifth grade may choose to participate (no audition required) in band and/or Kids Choir. Private instrumental lessons are offered on campus with teachers from the Wilmington Music School.

Pre-Kindergarten Performing Arts The pre-k program offers a variety of experiences in singing, moving, listening, and playing, with activities that encourage both group cooperation and the expression of individuality and independence. Students explore the elements of sound, silence, space, and time.

They echo tonal and rhythmic patterns, master the concept and production of a steady beat, and distinguish between sounds produced in different ways and by different sources. Dance activities emphasize following a rhythm, and interpreting tempo and dynamics through movement. Those and other activities help lay the foundation for more formal study of rhythm, melody, and musical notation and dynamics.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Performing Arts Kindergarten/pre-first students are asked to participate in activities with increasing attention to accuracy; where any response might have been encouraged in pre-k, K/ pre-first students are guided toward an accurate musical response to help them develop a vocabulary of musical sounds and movements. Musical activities integrate with classroom themes throughout the year by focusing on patterns, rhymes, seasonal songs, animals, numbers, letters, and sounds. Students continue to work with percussion instruments (pitched and non-pitched), and begin to distinguish characteristics (e.g. ascending versus descending) of melodic phrases.

First Grade Performing Arts In first grade, students begin to understand the conceptual foundations of music, and they learn to identify symbols and terminology such as repeat sign, dynamics, forte, piano, tempo, meter, accent, bar line, time signature, and introduction. Through a variety of activities, students begin a more formal sequential study of

rhythm and melody. For example, first graders listen to recorded music focusing on particular elements, such as distinguishing between duple (simple) and triple (compound) rhythms, and they perform more complex rhythmic and melodic exercises, like singing and playing rounds. First graders also continue to develop their ability for aural recognition of instruments (like violin and trumpet), and learn to identify the basic orchestral instruments and their families. They also learn basic notation, using quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, and pitches on the staff.

Second Grade Performing Arts Continuing the sequential study of the fundamentals of music, the rhythmic and melodic material gradually increases in complexity, as second graders are introduced to more involved exercises, and are required to master more challenging listening, instrument playing, reading, and writing skills. Students learn both aural and visual recognition of repeated, similar, and different phrases in music, and begin to label them as A, B, and C to derive form. They practice recognition of material from notation (without hearing it), and compose and write notation for short songs and rhymes. Second graders continue to expand their musical vocabularies to include terms such as timbre, crescendo, and decrescendo. They also begin to learn about some famous composers and their music.

Third Grade Performing Arts By the end of third grade, students acquire a sound understanding of the musical notation system. The curriculum in music continues to be coordinated with classroom study, including the continent studies of third and fourth grade, and math skills are reinforced as students learn note values and time signatures. Third graders begin instruction on the soprano recorder. They also continue to expand their musical knowledge and vocabularies, learning, for example, to distinguish between major and minor tonalities and to understand terms and concepts such as staccato, legato, and syncopation.

Fourth Grade Performing Arts As students progress in developing their musical understanding and skills, there is growing emphasis on accuracy, facility, and clarity. In addition to refining their singing and instrumental techniques, and undertaking more challenging pieces, fourth graders also learn to recognize a greater variety of instruments by name and family and a greater variety of musical styles (jazz, folk, classical, etc.) and forms such as fugue. They also develop their knowledge and use of musical notation and structure, working in a greater variety of meters, key signatures, forms, and harmonic combinations and changes. Their vocabularies continue to grow with symbols and terms like natural, Allegro, Andante, and fermata. Fourth graders continue their study of the recorder, and have the option of participating in band and/or Kids Choir.

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Fifth Grade Performing Arts There is special emphasis on the musical theatre, as fifth graders prepare for their own musical production in the spring. By the end of fifth grade, students are able to read, write, and perform melodies and accompaniments through singing and playing classroom instruments (including recorder). They are able to perform with independence and an understanding of a range of musical concepts, symbols, and terms. At this point in the program, many students have defined their own musical preferences, and take a more focused interest in musical expression and style. Fifth graders have the option of participating in band and/or Kids Choir.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION: OVERVIEW The pre-k through second grade physical education curriculum offers each child the opportunity to develop physical skills through a movement education curriculum. Participation in fitness activities and building foundation skills are of primary importance. A non-competitive environment allows children to engage in activities that promote their physical and emotional well-being.

The program is spiraling and sequential, offering ageappropriate activities that enhance skill development.

The third through fifth grade physical education program emphasizes the integration of foundation skills with fitness activities and team sports. Games with more complex rules, strategies, and team concepts are introduced.

Sportsmanship and participation are emphasized.

Pre-Kindergarten Physical Education Using a variety of materials and activities, pre-k students are engaged in movement activities that develop foundation skills. Understanding and negotiating the physical environment and integrating locomotion with levels and pathways are fundamental principles during the pre-k year. Students also learn how to handle equipment safely and properly.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Physical Education Kindergarten/pre-first students develop an understanding of the physical environment in which they move. Locomotion and non-locomotion movements, in self-space and general space, allow children an opportunity to develop and explore their individual skills in a safe physical environment.

First Grade Physical Education First graders engage in fitness activities while continuing to develop their foundation skills. Children are introduced to multi-step directions, while becoming more sophisticated in their knowledge and use of shuttle, relay, and line formations. Lead-up and tag games, utilizing concepts and skills that underlie team sports, are also introduced. First graders develop an understanding of fair play, safety, and cooperation through group play.

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Second Grade Physical Education Second graders participate in games with three or more rules, with a continued emphasis on fair play and safety issues related to movement. They integrate foundation skills with basic sport skills in simple lead-up games and cooperative activities.

Third Grade Physical Education Third graders participate in a variety of team sports.

Through team play and specific rules, they learn about positive social interaction, self-control, self-discipline, and sportsmanship. Third graders use their conflict resolution skills in more competitive settings, and learn to understand increasingly complex class and game rules.

Third graders engage in activities that combine locomotion, force, and time with manipulation skills.

Fourth Grade Physical Education Fourth graders continue to participate in team sports with an emphasis on physical and social skills. Ageappropriate progressions allow fourth graders to develop accuracy while throwing, striking, and kicking from static and dynamic positions. They become more efficient in carrying and manipulating objects during skill and drill work and in lead-up games.

Fifth Grade Physical Education Fifth graders continue to participate in team sports, an approach that provides leadership opportunities and helps develop efficient locomotion skills. The mechanics of bouncing, dribbling, throwing, striking, and kicking are emphasized. Working with stationary and moving targets, students can improve visual tracking skills, while integrating balance, force, and time. Sportsmanship, cooperation, and responsibility are an integral part of the program. Fitness testing and participation in strength building and cardio-respiratory activities help students achieve a healthier lifestyle.

VISUAL ARTS: OVERVIEW All lower school students receive formal visual art instruction. Pre-k students meet two times weekly for 30 minutes per class, kindergarten and pre-first students meet one hour weekly, and the first and second grades meet two times weekly, 45 minutes per class. The third, fourth, and fifth graders meet once a week for 75 minutes. There are two art teachers at the lower school, who teach the core visual arts curriculum and also coordinate projects across academic areas. The visual arts program is designed to be a vehicle for creative and personal discovery, in which students learn about themselves, their environment, world cultures, and art history. The program provides an ongoing exploration of concepts, techniques, and materials that develop students’ ability to create visual solutions by implementing design principles and elements of art. Students are encouraged to express themselves with joy, imagination, clarity, and skill, and at all grade levels are encouraged to explore individual solutions to assignments. Diverse learning styles and choices are respected.

Pre-Kindergarten Visual Arts Variety is at the core of the pre-kindergarten visual arts program where self-expression is encouraged. The program is experiential and process- rather than productoriented, though cognitive and manipulative skills are introduced and reinforced. By the end of pre-kindergarten, students will be able to distinguish a shape from a line, and will use different tools and materials appropriately. Routines are established for independent gathering of supplies and clean up. Exposure to famous artists and artwork is meaningful as a way to discuss elements of design. Students are encouraged to talk freely about their work without preconceived adult expectations.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Visual Arts With the basic skills of objective drawing, cutting, and use of attachment methods obtained in pre-k, kindergarten projects become more concept-oriented while creativity and self-expression are still encouraged. The basic elements of design, line, shape, color, texture, and pattern are visited and revisited throughout the year using a variety of media. Students explore both two and three-dimensional materials. Emphasis at this level continues to be process- rather than product-oriented with students exploring drawing, painting, printmaking, fibers, ceramics, collage, and also many projects in conjunction with the homebase classroom. Each student is encouraged to relate concepts to his/her life experience in order to enhance authentic learning.

First Grade Visual Arts The first grade visual arts program is structured to develop students’ abilities to combine concepts and use problem-solving strategies. Some of the projects at this level become longer and can last for many consecutive art classes. Each project is designed to accommodate as well as challenge each student at his/her own level of development. By the end of first grade students

will know the difference between a two- and threedimensional work. Students throughout the year will be learning to draw representational objects as they appear in space—in front of/behind, above/below, and beside.

They also learn to mix primary colors to create secondary colors, and to model ceramic and papier-mâché animals. Pattern is the focus of a fibers unit. Students record their art projects in journals, which continue to be updated through the fifth grade.

Second Grade Visual Arts The second grade curriculum continues with conceptoriented projects, which last for consecutive classes.

Assignments are given to stretch each student’s imagination and challenge them to problem solve with a specific goal in mind. They will use sketching as a means of visual note taking and plan projects to develop a course of action. By the end of second grade, students should demonstrate an understanding of color concepts that include mixing and using intermediate colors and also using colors in warm and cool families. Symmetry, front and profile views, basic proportions of the human face, and ceramic form as function are among concepts introduced at this grade level. Students will catalog their projects in their journals including written descriptions of methods and materials. American art is a recurring theme. The works of the Wyeth family are viewed during a visit to the Brandywine River Museum correlating with a classroom study of the Brandywine River Valley, and John Audubon is studied in conjunction with a grade level thematic bird unit.

Third Grade Visual Arts In third grade, assignments become longer and increasingly more complex. Manipulative skills, such as drawing and painting, clay modeling, and three-dimensional constructions continue to develop. Design principles, overlapping, positive/negative space, scale, and composition are among the concepts taught in order to develop more skillful work. Craftsmanship and organizational skills are emphasized. Visual images of famous works are used on an ongoing basis to gain greater appreciation for artistic movements and techniques. Projects are put into context as they relate to the art timeline encompassing the Ancient World, Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Modern World.

Fourth Grade Visual Arts Students in fourth grade begin the year by building a twelve inch ceramic coil form which involves the use of three dimensional elements of design, line, pattern, and texture to sculpt solid, voluminous, organically formed containers. In fourth grade, students are beginning to recognize perspective in drawing, applying value scales and use of monochromatic and complementary color schemes. Famous works of the Impressionist painters are viewed as inspiration. Students in fourth grade also explore cultural symbols and patterns from all continents, which involve the use of positive and 16

LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER: OVERVIEW negative space. This serves as a starting point for the students to produce their own unique black and white images, which they use for their linoleum block designs.

Students carve linoleum and then produce a series of signed, named and numbered prints. The human form and figures in motion are explored in both two- and three-dimensional gesture studies. Several projects are linked to the classroom study of the continents. All assignments are recorded in student art journals with care taken to use proper art vocabulary along with drawings, plans and reflections.

Fifth Grade Visual Arts The fifth grade visual arts program is a culmination (with mastery expected) of the concepts and techniques taught in previous years. At this point, students are able to arrive at artistic solutions with a wide range of appropriate answers. Throughout the year, students explore concepts using two- and three-dimensional materials, which include projects, such as watercolor painting using established techniques, linear perspective, and ceramic slab containers with fitted lids. Students learn how to critique famous works according to principles of art. Visual images are used on an ongoing basis to gain greater appreciation for artistic movements and techniques. Students continue to record their work in personal journals that have documented all the projects they have completed since first grade. This becomes a record to take with them as they journey to their new art experiences in the middle school.

The Library Media Center (LMC) is an integral part of the lower school education program, fostering enthusiasm for the process of learning and for lifelong reading, developing an appreciation for different cultures through literature and non-fiction research, teaching specific learning skills, and developing students’ sense of responsibility in using a shared resource. We recognize that students retain skills best when our lessons are taught in the context of the classroom curriculum, so information-seeking strategies and other library-related skills are taught in various subject areas. We plan teaching units closely with classroom teachers and integrate lessons based on the “Big 6 Information Problem Solving Model” into assignments and research projects.

This type of library program is uniquely suited to the kind of project-based learning we promote at Wilmington Friends.

The Big 6 is a general information problem-solving model created by Michael Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz.

It is a six-step process that teaches students to analyze their information needs and to make a plan. Although the Library Media Center staff members are the primary teachers of the process, the Big 6 provides every student and teacher in our school with a common vocabulary to use in the research process. The six steps are: (1) task definition—what am I supposed to do? (2) information-seeking strategies—what information do I need? (3) location and access—what would be my best sources/where can I find this information? (4) use of information—how do I record and organize this information? (5) synthesis—how do I create something new with this information? (6) evaluation—how could I have improved my process?

Pre-Kindergarten Library Media Center In addition to early information-seeking strategies (such as learning that the materials in the LMC have a specific order) and responsible library behavior, pre-k students engage in a variety of reading related activities in the LMC. They participate in drama groups, acting out stories; they learn the roles of author and illustrator; and in listening to literature, they are asked to predict outcomes and to relate stories to personal experiences, and to focus on the person reading or telling the story without interrupting. Pre-k students are also introduced to book selection, as they identify areas of interest and favorite authors. Activities that reinforce the themes they are studying include making apple pies and visiting our pretend “farm stand.”

Kindergarten/Pre-First Library Media Center K/pre-first students begin to use the borrowing and return procedures of the LMC. They also learn to name two possible sources of information to answer a question, and begin to work more formally in groups to pursue and generate information. As part of the coordination of LMC teaching with classroom curricular goals, the students experience “authentic learning” activities, such as acting out nursery rhymes. They continue to

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participate in both listening and interactive story times, drama groups, and individual consultations for book selection.

First Grade Library Media Center First graders become increasingly sophisticated in their approach to information sources, acquiring a conceptual understanding of citing information sources and a developing ability to read for information and to take notes with adult assistance. In two different units, they identify facts together and categorize those facts together.

They learn to approach a research topic by examining many different library books in a “book tasting.” First graders continue to participate in drama groups and increase their book selection skills through individual consultation with the library staff. They are also introduced to more genres of literature.

Second Grade Library Media Center With assistance but growing independence, second grade students continue to locate their own books on the library shelves. Gradually, they learn to pick a book that not only interests them but also is appropriate in reading level and size, no longer feeling that just carrying around a really big book means that you’re a good reader. They develop their research skills by practicing “skimming and scanning” to locate information and by extracting information from a variety of sources with assistance. Second graders learn to plan individual and group projects, and present more formal written and oral reports. Book tastings, book talks, and drama groups continue.

Fourth Grade Library Media Center Fourth graders become independent in their ability to compare and contrast sources for relevance, consistency, and comprehensiveness; they begin to look for and recognize inconsistencies in information sources.

They also become increasingly independent and successful in locating materials and using information. The skill of reading for information is strongly developed in the continent study, with lessons that emphasize highlighting keywords and citing sources. Genre book talks, as well as those highlighting books new to the LMC, continue. The service-learning project of poetry performance in preschools is coordinated through the LMC and culminates in a field trip in late spring.

Fifth Grade Library Media Center Fifth graders continue to become more independent in their information-seeking skills, and in their understanding of the importance of following the steps of the Big 6 and making a plan when given a research assignment.

By the end of fifth grade, they have had considerable practice formulating good research questions, locating and using information to solve a problem independently, and organizing and presenting that information in an appropriate and interesting way. They are usually able to differentiate between fact and opinion in sources, to recognize inconsistencies in sources, and to evaluate the currency, authenticity, and objectivity of sources. All of these skills are brought to bear in a fifth grade Presentation of Learning (POL) project during which students demonstrate that they have “learned how to learn” at a developmentally appropriate level. Fifth graders continue to explore different literary genres, and they learn to write book reviews.

Third Grade Library Media Center In third grade, students learn to be more independent in many of the steps of the Big 6 model. In continent research, they work on evaluating their information needs, locating books by call number, taking notes from and citing a variety of sources, and using general reference materials such as online and print encyclopedias.

Work in the LMC is closely coordinated with third grade curricular focuses on reading for information. In addition, as students become more advanced in using the computer as a tool, they also learn to recognize out-ofschool information sources, such as the public library, museums, the telephone, and human sources such as speeches and interviews. Book tastings continue to introduce them to the wealth of printed resources in the LMC. Book talks that focus on various genres, such as historical fiction, travel and history, mystery, and poetry, expand their interest in reading. Students have periodic formal lessons in research skills, co-taught by the library and computer staff.

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HUMAN DYNAMICS AND DEVELOPMENT Human Dynamics and Development is a cross-divisional (lower, middle, and upper school) program at Wilmington Friends, encompassing social and emotional awareness, interpersonal relationships, and healthy living habits, including strategies and processes for making informed decisions. In middle and upper school, there are specific courses, required for all students, in the program (sixth grade-Connections; seventh grade-Conflict Resolution; eighth grade-Decision Making; upper school-Wellness I & II). In lower school, the program is centered in the homebase classroom and is closely aligned with division objectives regarding the development of a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self-concept and relationships with others. Themes in lower school Human Dynamics and Development include treating others with respect, peaceful resolution of conflict, appropriate expression of emotions, the process of assessing risks, increasing independence and self-reliance, and making informed and healthy choices.

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Wilmington Friends School 101 School Road Wilmington, DE 19803

Quaker, coed, preschool (age two) through 12th grade, all college preparatory Global thinking, engagement and leadership: • School Year Abroad (SYA), consortium member (first in Delaware) • International Baccalaureate (IB), authorized school (first in Delaware) • American Field Service (AFS), participant since program was founded in 1947 • Global focus throughout curriculum National/international faculty searches, emphasis on continuing professional development Competitive athletics, grades 7-12 Visual and performing arts, with major courses (preparing for college study) and performance opportunities; middle/upper school campus arts Classrooms renovated, summer 2009; lower school arts wing new construction, 2005 Integrated technology program, with specialized computer instruction K-12 Current class size averages: • 14 students per preschool classroom

(with 2.5 teachers) • 16 students per early years (PK, K, P1) classroom

(with 2 teachers) • 22 students per classroom in first grade

(with 2.5 teachers) • 20 students per classroom in grades 2-5

(with 2 teachers in grades 1-4; 1.3 teachers in 5th) • 16 students per section in grades 6-8

(10 students per advisory group) • 16 students per section in grades 9-12

(10 students per advisory group) Need-based financial aid, calculated by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) in Princeton, New Jersey After-school care for PS through sixth grade

Middle/upper school campus: (Grades 6-12)

Located in the residential neighborhood “Alapocas,” just outside the City of Wilmington: approximately 25 acres, one building of 175,000 square feet; includes five athletic fields, six tennis courts, three full-size gyms, fitness room, a 500-person capacity theatre/auditorium, Meeting Room, seven science labs, and three computer labs, with equipment regularly updated through lease arrangement; the Library Media Center offers additional computers, wireless Internet access, and connections to multiple databases through the University of Delaware.

Lower school campus:

(half-day three-year-olds and pre-kindergarten through fifth grade) Located on the wooded boundary of Alapocas: approximately 30 acres (including wooded areas), two buildings totaling 68,000 square feet; includes two gyms, two science labs, three outdoor playgrounds, two additional paved outdoor play areas (for basketball and other hard-surface activities), two athletic fields (also used by middle and upper school sports teams), a Library Media Center open all day every school day, Meeting Room/auditorium, and facilities architecturally designed for music (including practice rooms), art (including ceramics studio), and computer classes.

Preschool campus:

The Wilmington Friends Preschool is located at First & Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Wilmington, occupying two classrooms, with additional access to an auditorium-size room for indoor play, an on-site outdoor play yard, additional classrooms for music and other activities, and nearby open space, public library, and other city cultural resources.

For more information, contact: Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (302) 576-2930 admissions@wilmingtonfriends.org

Summer camps for age three through ninth grade

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