Preschool children learn through play as they actively explore materials and activities and interact with children and adults. Parents continue to be a preschooler’s most important teacher. The purpose of preschool is to provide your child with an opportunity to practice being part of a larger group of children in an environment focused on providing social and academic learning opportunities.

Our preschool is a full-time program where children attend for a minimum of 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with care available before and after school. Our program includes a daily naptime and weekly Music, Physical Education and Spanish classes. 

The Preschool Curriculum and Assessment were designed by the state to ensure that children enter kindergarten with the behaviors and skills most important to be successful learners in the areas of Personal and Social Development, Physical Development, Cognitive Development, and Creative Expressive Development.

The list below shows examples or explanations of behaviors or skills that relate to the standard.

Personal and Social

• Shows Self Direction: independently joins in a wide variety of activities
• Sustains Attention: completes a chosen activity or a teacher led activity
• Participates in groups: listens, takes turns, giving responses in large groups
• Manages Transitions: follows routines and rules, cleans up, washes hands, understands the schedule of the day
• Expresses emotions: uses words to express feelings and reasons for them
• Shows empathy: understands when others’ needs are different
• Cooperates with peers: can play with friends by taking turns, suggesting/accepting ideas
• Resolves Conflicts: tries to solve a problem with a friend appropriately before asking a teacher for help
• Appreciates differences: respects that all children are different

Physical

• Uses large muscles: can coordinate movements like hopping, catching, etc.
• Uses small muscles: can control a puppet, pencil, scissors
• Cares for self: dresses, eats, toilets independently

Cognitive

• Engages in inquiry: notices and describes things in science and nature, predicts what will happen and tests the prediction
• Solves problems: finds different ways to solve a problem when working with materials
• Sorts objects: can separate objects that are the same color, shape, size, etc
• Makes patterns: can make and describe a pattern … hop, jump, clap, hop, jump, clap
• Compares and orders: can put pictures in order from what happened first to last, can share what happened yesterday, today and tomorrow
• Quantifies: counts objects and compares what is the same, less, more
• Shows spatial Awareness: can use terms like behind, under; draws to realistic size
• Uses sentences: increases the number of words per sentence and the number of sentences on one topic
• Understands conversations: can take turns making comments on one topic
• Understands stories: understands characters and events of a story and can make personal connections
• Understands books: understands that print has meaning and is read left to right
• Recognizes sounds: connects rhyming words and words that start with the same sound
• Identifies words: identifies some printed words like STOP
• Writes for meaning: goes from scribbling to writing messages with letter like shapes and then letters

Creative

• Builds and Constructs: builds with materials (blocks, clay,etc.) to show ideas
• Draws and Paints: shows detailed thoughts and ideas threw paint/drawing
• Pretends in Play: can pretend play with other children over time
• Responds to Music: keeps a rhythm, claps to a beat, etc.

Kindergarten introduces children and parents to the public school experience and sets the tone for all future learning. Our kindergarten program encourages a positive self-image by providing age and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Kindergarteners are socially and emotionally supported to move into a wider world by balancing their desire for independence with their need for structure and routine. Our program is a full-day program from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Families may enroll in our fee-based before school and/or afterschool programs.

Language Arts
Students are introduced letters and sounds to prepare them for learning to read. Concepts of print show students the structure and organization of books and writing. Phonemic Awareness helps students to identify sounds with letters and words that rhyme. Comprehension skills are enhanced by retelling stories and paired/shared reading of simple text. Students are encouraged to make connections between what they read or hear and their experiences. Writing begins with printing upper and lower case letters and simple words.

Mathematics
Our program is based on Math Investigations which allow students to develop mathematical reasoning and use communication in small groups and individually to build skills. Students use counters, unit blocks, geometric shapes, measurement tools to sort and identify patters and attributes. Students learn to count and write numbers as well as do simple addition and subtraction.

Science
Science is taught so that children will develop a sense of wonder about the natural world around them. The skills of observation, description, measurement, and communication are developed through our inquiry-based program. Kindergarten focuses on living organisms, weather/seasons, and magnets. Our classrooms offer a rich variety of materials from which children ask questions, make predictions, design experiments and answer their own questions by careful observation and measurement.

Social Studies
Our social studies program focused on the role of family, neighborhood, and community. Students learn about the diverse cultures that make up our school. Children discover how families are alike and different as well as how communities, like their school, are organized. Children learn that rules can help people to live together and how to resolve conflicts.

Weekly Specials
Students participate in weekly instruction in Art, Music, Physical Education, Library Media, and Spanish.

First-graders are eager to participate in activities that build the foundation for a lifetime of acquiring, organizing, and using information. The curriculum supports and encourages a balance of rich learning activities for each child and provides an excellent start for their academic careers.

Language Arts
Our program supports young readers by involving students in stories, poems and non-fiction works. Our school uses the readers' and writers' workshop model to instruct our students as independent learners focused on reading and responding to literature, communicating with others, and understanding English language conventions. Our program emphasizes a balanced approach and includes interactive read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, word study, literature study, writers' workshop, and independent writing.

Mathematics
Our program is based on Math Investigations, which allow students to develop their own mathematical reasoning and use their communication skills in small groups. Students build their ability to compute and solve problems using counters, unit blocks, geometric shapes, and measurement tools to increase their understanding of math. Students apply and extend their math to the "real" world during their lessons.

Science
Science is taught so children develop a sense of wonder about the natural world around them. The skills of observation, description, measurement, and communication are developed through our inquiry based program. Our classrooms offer a rich variety of materials from which children ask questions, make predictions, design experiments, and answer their questions by careful observation and measurement.

Social Studies
Our social studies program focuses on the role of family, school, and community. Students learn more about diverse cultures that make up our nation and how families and communities are alike and different. They discuss the meaning of national symbols, pledges, and anthems. Maps and globes are used so children can discover their place in the world.

Weekly Specials
First-graders participate in weekly instruction in Art, Music, Physical Education, Library Media, and Spanish. Students in first grade also have the option to participate in Chorus.

The curriculum in Grade 2 provides rich learning activities that build new academic and social skills focusing on supporting independence. Through our Responsive Classroom philosophy students see themselves as part of a learning community.

Language Arts
Our program supports young readers through involving students in stories, poems and non-fiction works. Our school uses the readers and writers workshop model to instruct our students as independent learners focused on reading and responding to literature, communicating with others, and understanding English language conventions. Our program emphasizes a balanced approach and includes interactive read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, word study, literature study, writers' workshop, and independent writing.

Mathematics
Our program is based on Math Investigations, which allow students to develop their own mathematical reasoning and use their communication skills in small groups. Concepts of time, calendars, money, distance, temperature, predicting the probability of events, and solving word problem extend second-grade math to the "real" world.

Science
Science is taught so children develop a sense of wonder about the natural world around them. This includes a focus on solids and liquids and plants and socials in the second grade curriculum. The skills of observation, description, measurement and communication are developed through our inquiry based program. Our classrooms offer a rich variety of materials from which children ask questions, make predictions, design experiments, and answer their questions by careful observation and measurement.

Social Studies
Our social studies program focuses on the role of community, citizenship, map skills, and famous Americans. Students create a school wide postal service. By exploring the lives of a few extraordinary citizens, students come to understand how people can make a difference in the world. Maps and globes are used so children can discover their place in the world.

Weekly Specials
Students in second grade participate in weekly instruction in Art, Music, Physical Education, Library Media, and Spanish. 

Language Arts
Third grade continues to develop independent reading and writing, involving students in stories, poems, and non-fiction works. Our school uses the readers and writers workshop model to instruct our students as independent learners focused on reading and responding to literature, communicating with others, and understanding English language conventions. Our program emphasizes a balanced approach and includes interactive read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, word study, literature study, writers' workshop, and independent writing.

Mathematics
Our program is based on Math Investigations, which allow students to develop their own mathematical reasoning and use their communication skills in small groups. Concepts of time, calendars, money, distance, temperature, predicting the probability of events, and solving word problem extend third-grade math to the "real" world.

Science
Science is taught so children develop a sense of wonder about the natural world around them. This includes a focus on properties of matter, animal adaptations and rock and minerals in the third-grade curriculum. The skills of observation, description, measurement, and communication are developed through our inquiry based program. Our classrooms offer a rich variety of materials from which children ask questions, make predictions, design experiments, and answer their questions by careful observation and measurement.

Social Studies
Our social studies program focuses on the role of Native Americans and early colonial life. Students compare and contrast the seven continents that make up our world. Cardinal points and map reading skills are taught so children can discover their place in our world.

Weekly Specials
Students in third grade participate in weekly instruction in Art, Music, Physical Education, Library Media, and Spanish. Students also have the option to participate in Chorus. The Physical Education curriculum at this grade level includes swimming.

Discovery Techbook
Room 209 Reading Log

Other links and information:
Biography Resources
Note-taking Organizer
Historical Fiction Resources
Historical Fiction Organizer
Science-Erosion/Stream Table Links
Spelling Words
Reading Log

Fall Curriculum
Math
Place Value
Addition using algorithm
Subtraction using algorithm
 
Readers' Workshop
Elements of a personal narrative
Poetic structure
Using evidence to support responses
 
Writers' Workshop
How to write a personal narrative
How writers publish
Absorbing aspects of mentor texts into our writing
 
Social Studies
Structure of government
Role of taxes
Election process
 
Science
Different types of ecosystems
How biotic and abiotic factors interact
Forms of energy
How to build a circuit

Grade 5 Math Resources

The fifth-grade curriculum supports the needs of students to see themselves as competent and positive contributors to their school community. Reading and math skills and strategies are applied to social studies and science to study "real world" topics. Students learn to evaluate, research, and report new information using a variety of technology as they continue to grow as independent learners.

Language Arts
Fifth grade challenges our students to become avid readers and independent writers. Our program supports middle school students to become involved in literature and non-fiction reading using active reading strategies that engage their imaginations. Students keep detailed journals to make their thinking concrete and visible. Our school uses the readers' and writers' workshop model to instruct our students as independent learners.

Mathematics
Our fifth-grade mathematics program allows students to develop their own mathematical reasoning and use of communication skills in small groups and individually to build computational and problem solving skills. Students apply rules to probability and algebraic functions. Concepts of elapsed time, unit conversion, relative distance, force measurement, probability of events, and solving word problems extend their math to the "real" world.

Science
Middle school science focuses on students designing their own experiments and learning the scientific method. The skills of observation, description, measurement, and communication are developed through the inquiry method. Science journals are used to develop a written record of students' discoveries in their work around light, sound, relative motion of the sun, earth, and moon as well as our sensory functions. Children explore how a real radio telescope works through the GAVRT NASA project.

Social Studies
The fifth-grade social studies program focuses on exploration and colonization of the Americas. The foundations of government, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, are studied as the foundation of our modern society in the United States. Students are asked to connect their experiences today with their understanding of the influence of history on current events.

Weekly Specials
Fifth-grade students participate in weekly instruction in Art, Music, Physical Education/Health Spanish and Technology. Students may also participate in Band, Orchestra, and/or Chorus. The Physical Education Program includes swimming instruction.

Unit 1: Number Operations

• Use an area model for division of 4-digit dividends by 2-digit divisors

Ixl Strands for Practice:

Multiplication (5th grade)
F.2, F.12

Division (6th grade)
L.5

Unit 2: Volume
Volume

Unit 4: Fractions

• Draw pictures for division of unit fractions
• Find the area of a rectangle with fractional side lengths by tiling
• Find the product of a whole number and a fraction by using area models ​​​​​​​

The curriculum supports the needs of sixth-graders to see themselves as competent and positive contributors to their school community. Reading and math skills and strategies are applied to social studies and science to study "real world" topics. Students learn to evaluate, research and report new information using a variety of technology as they continue to grow as independent learners.

Language Arts
Sixth grade challenges our students to become avid readers and independent writers. Our program encourages students to become involved in literature and non-fiction reading using active reading strategies that engage their imaginations. Students keep detailed journals to make their thinking concrete and visible. Our school uses the reader and writer workshop model to instruct our students as independent learners.

Mathematics
Our sixth-grade mathematics program allows students to develop their own mathematical reasoning and use of communication skills in small groups and individually to build computational and problem-solving skills. Students work on problems of the week that are differentiated for their skill level.

Science
Middle school science focuses on students designing their own experiments and learning the scientific method. The skills of observation, description, measurement, and communication are developed through the inquiry method. Science journals are used to develop a written record of students' discoveries in their work around weather, basic chemistry and ecosystems.

Social Studies
The sixth-grade social studies program focuses on ancient civilizations. Students are asked to compare various aspects of ancient cultures and to develop an understanding of the influence of history on current events. Students learn to distinguish fact from opinion and support a position in essays. Analyzing maps, graphs ,and tables to draw conclusions and inferences are skills integrated throughout the curriculum.

Weekly Specials
Sixth-grade students participate in weekly instruction in Art, Music, Physical Education/Health Technology and Spanish. Students may also participate in Band, Orchestra, and/or Chorus. The Physical Education Program includes swimming instruction.

The seventh-grade curriculum supports the needs of students to see themselves as competent and positive contributors to their school community. Reading and math skills and strategies are applied to social studies and science to study "real world" topics. Students learn to evaluate, research, and report new information using a variety of technology as they continue to grow as independent learners.

Language Arts
Seventh grade challenges our students to become avid readers and independent writers. Our program encourages middle school students to become involved in literature and non-fiction reading using active reading strategies that engage their imaginations. Students keep detailed journals to make their thinking concrete and visible. Our school uses the reader and writer workshop model to instruct our students as independent learners.

Mathematics
Our seventh-grade mathematics program allows students to develop their own mathematical reasoning and use of communication skills in small groups and individually to build computational and problem solving skills. Students work on problems of the week that are differentiated for their skill level.

Science
Middle school science focuses on students designing their own experiments and learning the scientific method. The skills of observation, description, measurement, and communication are developed through the inquiry method. Science journals are used to develop a written record of students' discoveries in their work around weather, basic chemistry, and ecosystems.

Social Studies
The seventh-grade social studies program focuses on the study of geography and its impact on human cultures and events. Students will study the impact of geography on movements, conflicts, sources of energy, and cultures. Analyzing maps, graphs, and tables to draw conclusions and inferences are skills integrated throughout the curriculum.

Spanish
Students in Grades 7-8  meet four times a week and use the foundational vocabulary (from the earlier grades) to work at a higher level of Spanish to prepare them for Spanish II coursework in high school.

Weekly Specials
Seventh-grade students participate in weekly instruction in Art, Music and Physical Education/Health, Spanish and Technology.  Students may also participate in Band, Orchestra, and/or Chorus. The Physical Education Program includes swimming instruction.

The curriculum in Grade 8 builds upon the skills and content of the previous grades in preparation for high school. Reading and math skills and strategies are applied to social studies and science to study "real world" topics. Students learn to evaluate, research and report new information using a variety of technology as they continue to grow as independent learners.

Language Arts
Eighth grade challenges our students to become avid readers and independent writers. Our program encourages middle school students to become involved in literature and non-fiction reading using active reading strategies that engage their imaginations. Students keep detailed journals to make their thinking concrete and visible. Our school uses the reader and writer workshop model to instruct our students as independent learners.

Mathematics
Our eighth-grade mathematics program allows students to develop their own mathematical reasoning and use of communication skills in small groups and individually to build computational and problem solving proficiency in algebra. Students work on problems of the week that are differentiated for their skill level.

Science
Middle school science focuses on students designing their own experiments and learning the scientific method. The skills of observation, description, measurement, and communication are developed through the inquiry method. Science journals are used to develop a written record of students' discoveries in their work around force and motion, genetics and reproductive biology, solar system, and bridge structure/design.

Social Studies
The eighth-grade social studies program focuses on the study of United States History. Colonization and the effect on Native American populations are studied. The exploration and settling of the West along with the factors leading to the Civil War are connected to our local history in Connecticut. Events of the 20th century, including conflicts, treaties, the civil rights movement and the changing role of women are examined. Students are asked to connect current events with their understanding of history. Analyzing maps, graphs, and tables to draw conclusions and inferences are skills integrated throughout the curriculum.

Spanish
Students in Grades 7-8  meet four times a week and use the foundational vocabulary (from the earlier grades) to work at a higher level of Spanish to prepare them for Spanish II coursework in high school.

Weekly Specials
Eighth-grade students participate in weekly instruction in Art, Music, Physical Education/Health, Spanish and Technology. Students may also participate in Band, Orchestra and/or Chorus. The Physical Education Program includes swimming instruction. There also is a Ballroom Dance program for all eighth-grade students.