Lower school (1-2)
1The first grade program reinforces the foundation laid in kindergarten, providing a deeper respect for the environment and our responsibility in it. The year-long theme, “On Wings and Fins,” presents children with opportunities to make real life connections between the world outside of school and the skills and concepts taught in school. It also integrates the impressive migrations of the monarch butterfly and the local whale population into the students’ classroom experiences.
All subject skills are taught within this thematic framework. In language arts, first graders experience a variety of literary genres, read independently, in partnerships and begin to study parts of grammar. In math, first graders learn about place value, measurement and collecting and organizing data in various ways. Science focuses on the analysis of migratory animals and their importance in the balance of nature. In addition, knowledgeable educators provide an environment that promotes the joy of learning through collaboration and hands-on experiences.
Blanketing the first grade curricula is an emphasis on the social environment within individual classrooms and the school as a whole. Children and adults are expected to share in the practice of the Village Values as a means to nurture an environment in which children can explore, stretch, succeed, and learn from their mistakes.
2The second grade program challenges and engages students, allowing them to strengthen and develop their skills, and emerge as fluent readers and writers.
In language arts, second graders hone their critical thinking skills by making inferences, predicting outcomes, and comparing and contrasting literature. They practice oral fluency and expression, begin a grammar study, and read and write in a variety of genres such as narrative, prose, and expository styles.
In math, children strengthen their abilities to tell time to 5 minutes, identify and discuss polygons, construct and interpret graphs and solve single step word problems.
Social studies provides students the opportunity to explore, in long-term units of study, topics such as ancestry, historical biographies and the rainforest. Second graders learn mapping skills, study America’s past and government,t and make direct connections to their science class during the rainforest unit.
In second grade, teachers become facilitators as the students are guided to become active participants in their learning and to become more independent in both their academic and social lives. Self-motivation, completion of work in a timely manner, resolving conflicts independently, and developing a sense of being a life long learner remain goals for all second graders.
