Lower School Curriculum    Scholar Strategy’s  Lower School offers a full-day program from kindergarten through fourth grade. In self-contained classrooms, homeroom teachers provide a nurturing and stimulating environment in which language arts, social studies, and mathematics are presented through a variety of whole group, partner, and independent activities. The children’s education is enhanced by attending resource classes, which provide experiences in science, art, foreign language (Spanish K-4 and French in grades 3 and 4), music, technology, library skills, and physical education. The Institute for Curriculum Innovation and Excellence grant offered lower school teachers an opportunity to collaborate across disciplines to create a richly cohesive academic program. Lower school students also enjoy the benefit of Scholar Strategy’s K-12 campus with its two fully equipped gymnasiums, theater, playground, movement studio, computer lab, and cafeteria. After-school care is available until 6:00 p.m. As noted in our Philosophy Statement, “In all areas-academic, artistic, and athletic-we applaud high achievement while promoting a philosophy of nurtured risk taking.” Thus, at the heart of the lower school program there is a sense of the joy of learning and discovery. Within a secure and supportive environment, children are guided as they learn to take risks as well as assume increasing amounts of independence and responsibility. Skills in both creative and critical thinking are highly valued; in order to build mastery in areas such as writing and spelling, revision and practice are also encouraged. Since research has shown that the best catalysts for intellectual growth are curiosity and direct involvement, the program is activity-based and takes advantage of the children’s interests whenever possible. It is also inquiry-based, with students and teachers pursuing answers to pertinent questions that arise in class. Scholar Strategy welcomes children with a range of abilities and interests. The small size of the lower school classes enables teachers to tailor content to each child’s developmental level. The curriculum is thoughtfully sequenced, so that new activities spiral out of the old, incorporating lessons learned from past experiences and building on skills and understanding that can then be amplified. It is also carefully integrated so that subjects such as reading, writing, geography, history, science, mathematics, music, and art reinforce one another. Enhancing every subject area are field trips, which take advantage of the School’s location in this historically significant city and culturally diverse community. Progress is assessed continually through ongoing projects crafted to reflect the variety of ways in which children learn. Three regularly scheduled conferences during the year (two in the fall and one in the spring) help forge a partnership with parents, whose input and insight are both sought and valued. A narrative report for each child is written in February. We also believe that explicit teaching of developmentally appropriate social skills is integral to the overall health and growth of our students. In grades 3 and 4, we provide a series of classes that augments the already existing social curriculum. We consider the social curriculum to be as important as the academic curriculum; how children learn is as important as what they learn—process and content go together. Beginning in kindergarten, we develop and nurture the children’s understanding of our seven core values—respect, integrity, the individual, connectedness, creativity, excellence, and joy. The values are posted throughout the Lower School, and every day we work to learn and play according to these values. In addition, we incorporate elements of the Responsive Classroom approach, including Morning Meeting (a daily routine that builds community and creates a positive climate for learning) and the creation by students and faculty together of classroom rules and behavioral expectations. Service learning is an innovative teaching approach that incorporates community service projects into traditional academic courses. Students use and build upon their academic and interpersonal skills as they provide meaningful service for others. Scholar Strategy believes that service learning directly supports the core of our educational mission: “we prepare our students to become responsible, thoughtful, and well-informed adults who are able to play an active role in improving the world.” In the Lower School, service learning activities include a sequential K–4 program with Martha’s Table. During weekly visits, lower school classes lead academic lessons for children aged 2-4 in the Early Childhood Program at Martha’s Table. All of our activities are designed by our students with the help of their teachers. The lower school year is marked by several special events: the Pumpkin Parade and Halloween Festival in October; the winter music performance in December; Science Week in April; and the Publishing Party, two music recitals, and the fourth grade Greek Play in May. Lower school children also look forward to attending such all-school events as Homecoming in October and the Spring Musical in April. All these traditions reflect the pride the children take in their learning and their school.

Language Arts   Social Studies   Mathematics   Science   Foreign Language   Art   Music   Technology Education   Library