our private independent lower school

Fine Arts - The children are introduced to a wide variety of art materials that are used for creative exploration. During these interactions, the children learn about the feelings art may inspire – including pride in one’s own work.

Language Arts – Throughout the year, children focus on using verbal/nonverbal communication, pre-writing and pre-reading skills. The children covey their awareness by responding to their names and conversation prompts. Addressing others by name and conversing with peers and teachers is fundamental in building our language skills. Using words and expressing wants and needs are important elements when expanding verbal communication. Expressing themselves on paper during art activities or at the writing centers are ways toddlers develop their pre-writing. The Early Childhood Program celebrates the importance of reading by having books available throughout the day for one-to-one reading and for group time reading.

Math – Toddlers love to divide objects into categories by shape, size, color, or type. Throughout the year the children are exploring, questioning and mastering problem-solving skills. The children will demonstrate, through play, their rudimentary understanding of classification and sequencing. Numbers are viewed and counted daily during calendar activities, number signs in the classroom, counting friends and other daily occurrences.

Music – Students have the opportunity to participate in a music class once a week with the Lower School music teacher. Students are introduced to steady beat, pitch (high and low pitch differentiation), timbre (sounds of various small percussion instruments and piano), loud and quiet instrument play, and active listening (movement to simple songs with hands and bodies).

Physical – Strengthening physical development can be observed in almost everything toddlers do, from holding a pencil to running and climbing. Some activities that help develop the hand muscles and other small motions include: sorting, building, writing, drawing, cutting and eating. Gross motor skills help to develop the largest muscle groups and are usually best experienced outdoors or in the gross motor room. Balancing, running, riding a bike and climbing are movements toddlers focus on throughout the year. Personal needs, such as washing hands, wiping noses and toileting are also part of the physical development of the children.

Science – Our classroom and environmental explorations provide numerous opportunities for children to increase their scientific knowledge. By engaging in constant conversations, children are expanding their vocabulary and knowledge of their bodies and the world around them. Nature exploration is facilitated by our outdoor studies teacher. Specific areas of interest include: sound, weather phenomena, seasonal changes, magnification and magnets.

Social Studies – Through experimentation with objects, language and social interactions, toddlers are entering a new phase of mental activity. The children are learning how to be safe within their environment, how to use words to express feelings, and how to act appropriately in different situations.

Fine Arts – Students participate in visual arts and music. Visual art activities and assignments focus on the elements of line, shape, and color. Each student works to develop a meaningful connection in recognizing and identifying the function of art in everyday life. We explore two- and three- dimensional art using a variety of media and techniques, including drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, and sculpture. The music program exposes students to a more in-depth study of rhythm reading and composition through instrument work and written notation. Concepts also include recognizing types of notes and rests, singing on pitch, exploring the treble clef, identifying instruments of the orchestra and their families, and building confidence when speaking and performing.

Language Arts – Students participate in daily reading groups that use guided reading books to teach decoding, fluency, phonics, and comprehension. These skills are also practiced through daily independent reading. The word study programs emphasize the acquisition of spelling patterns and high-frequency words for use in reading and writing. Writing Workshop lessons teach writing conventions and crafts used in writing personal narratives, research reports, opinion pieces and poetry.

Math – Math skills are presented in a variety of contexts that promote problem solving, reasoning, communication, making connections, designing and analyzing representations, and real life applications. Computation strategies for addition and subtraction are taught, and the inverse relationship between the two is explored. Students also work on math facts for speed and accuracy, word problems, geometry, measurement, time telling and money skills.

Physical Education – Students develop fine motor skills by working with manipulatives, and they practice creative movement through rhythm and tempo, rhythmic instruments, and movement exploration. Character development, and sportsmanship are fostered through participation in cooperative games, understanding team concepts, and encouraging respect for others, equipment, and facilities. Classes focus on development of gross motor skills through individual and team sport and fitness activities. In swimming, the students work on development of the crawl stroke, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly. They experience water exploration and learn about all water safety.

Science – Students study all aspects of water. Students use observation techniques to learn about water habitats and food chains while building aquariums, visiting local ponds, and studying the ocean. As students focus on water in their world, they learn about purification, conservation, and usage. Water properties, including the water cycle, are investigated through experimentation.

Social Studies – A year-long focus is on the city of Cincinnati. Students learn about Cincinnati’s geographic features including ponds, rivers, and hills. Students study Native American cultures and early settlers from the Cincinnati area. The focus then shifts to the present, and students learn about Cincinnati today. Each student researches and builds a significant place in a city. Mapping skills are taught and utilized as students locate nearby places. A visit from members of the historic Heritage Village and a field trip to the Purple People Bridge reinforce and extend the social studies curriculum.

World Language – (French and Spanish) Students learn vocabulary through TPR (Total Physical Response) and they hear language in context using TPRS (Teaching Reading and Writing through Stories). Students learn how to communicate by focusing on listening and speaking to high-frequency words and phrases. Students are introduced to circumlocution or how to talk about words they do not know in a similar fashion to the way they learn their native language. As part of the world language study, they learn about the culture and celebrate traditional holidays.

Fine Arts - Students will participate in visual arts and music. Visual art activities and assignments focus on the elements of line, shape, and color. Each student works to develop a meaningful connection in recognizing and identifying the function of art in everyday life. We explore two- and three- dimensional art using a variety of media and techniques, including drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, and sculpture. In music classes, students continue vocal studies and explore the Solfege scale, intervals, and harmonic relationships. An emphasis on keyboard work (piano and xylophone) and rhythm (reading, writing, and simple dictation) allows students to build their skills as they explore how to follow along with music written on the treble clef.

Language Arts – Curriculum in second grade is comprised of reading, spelling, writing, speaking and listening and research. The goal of the program is to foster creative and meaningful expression of ideas by building vocabulary and increasing fluency in reading, writing, and speaking.

Math – Daily enVision Math lessons include interactive learning, visual animation, and story problems with emphasis on oral and written language to strengthen students’ ability to think and communicate mathematically. Students add and subtract, use measurement, geometry, and data to solve problems. They develop an initial understanding of multiplication and division as repeated addition and subtraction.

Physical Education – Students focus on improvement of gross motor skills through individual and team and fitness activities. Character development and sportsmanship are fostered through participation in cooperative games, understanding team concepts, and encouraging respect for others, equipment, and facilities. In swimming, the students work on development of the freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly. They experience water exploration and learn all water safety.

Science – Students explore the Life Sciences in second grade. Topics covered include the basic needs of people, animals and plants, world biomes, habitats, weather, and seasons. The 62–acre campus is used for exploration of our local ecosystem through nature hikes and activities when studying local plants, habitats, and seasonal changes. Scientific inquiry is a common approach, and students learn how to collect data and explain their findings in response to those observations and activities.

Social Studies – Students compare contemporary rural, urban, and suburban communities to settlements in Ohio’s past. They learn basic map skills, create timelines, and study relevant current events. The concept of citizenship is expanded through the study of diverse historical and current figures by encouraging our students to understand that one person can make a difference.

World Language – (French and Spanish) Students continue to expand their vocabulary with more high-frequency vocabulary through TPR (Total Physical Response) and TPRS (Teaching Reading and Writing through Stories). Second graders focus on solidifying their understanding of the target language through reading and begin to write. They also work toward proper pronunciation having heard the target language spoken 95% of the time. As part of world language study, they learn about the culture and celebrate traditional holidays.

Fine Arts – Students will participate in visual arts and music. Visual art activities and assignments focus on the elements of line, shape, and color. Each student works to develop a meaningful connection in recognizing and identifying the function of art in everyday life. We explore two- and three- dimensional art using a variety of media and techniques, including drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, and sculpture. In music classes, students extend their knowledge of music through introduction of the soprano recorder, continued growth in vocal performance, and creative movement. The students use their basic notation and reading skills while paying attention to intonation on recorders.

Language Arts – Students in third grade have a curriculum comprised of reading, spelling, writing, speaking and listening, research, and study skills. The goal of the program is to foster creative and meaningful expression of ideas by building vocabulary, increasing fluency in reading, writing, speaking, and furthering literal and interpretive comprehension. In Writing Workshop, our goals include: strengthening mechanics, building confidence in written expression, improving sentence structure, encouraging proofreading skills, and strengthening spelling skills.

Math – Students in third grade utilize enVision Math program, which focuses on building number sense, strengthening mathematical concepts, and learning basic facts. The math program makes a strong connection between math skills and written expression. Students are expected to use the appropriate mathematical vocabulary when explaining their problem-solving strategies, both orally and in writing.

Physical Education – Students are provided a variety of challenges and stimulating activities that promote social interaction and improvement on self-concepts, teamwork, sportsmanship, fitness, and skill development. In swimming, the students work on the freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly as we break down the specific skills of each stroke. They experience water exploration and learn water safety in all bodies of water.

Science – Students are exposed to a variety of life, earth, and physical sciences to build a foundation of general science knowledge. The curriculum includes both content and process learning. Learning about science (content) and how to do science (process) are two different, but equally important, functions of the science program. To this end, students engage in manipulative activities that allow them to construct a knowledge base of science concepts. The units of study are rocks, soil, simple machines, plants and their life cycle, and climate change.

Social Studies – Students study and develop an understanding of people and their communities past and present. Units of study are cross-curricular with an emphasis placed on learning through simulations, which provide rich, hands-on learning experiences.

World Language – (French and Spanish) Students continue to expand their vocabulary using TPR and TPRS as they increase their communicative abilities. Lessons target communication most relevant to high-frequency words in Spanish and French. Students use their developing skills in listening, speaking, reading, and focus more on writing. In addition to TPR(S), students play games, tell, and write their own stories. As part of world language study, they learn about the culture and celebrate traditional holidays. Students informally review study habits and are encouraged to practice for a few minutes each day.

Fine Arts – Students will participate in visual arts and music. Visual art activities and assignments focus on the elements of line, shape, and color. Each student works to develop a meaningful connection in recognizing and identifying the function of art in everyday life. We explore two- and three- dimensional art using a variety of media and techniques, including drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, and sculpture. In music, focus is on the complete treble staff and music rhythm reading. Students continue to work toward proficiency in vocal performance and to improve their stage presence, projection, and confidence. Recorder performance is stretched to include performance of more difficult songs.

Language Arts – The foundation of the reading program is guided reading, which includes instructional reading groups, independent reading, and literature discussion. Students engage in reading for pleasure and understanding to gain information, and as a vital tool for beginning research skills. Grammar skills are introduced and reviewed during lessons and independent writing. In writing, the goals include: strengthening mechanics and spelling skills, building confidence in writing expression, improving sentence structure, refining, editing and proofreading skills.

Math – Students strengthen and extend many previously introduced concepts in the areas of number properties and operations, problem solving, measurement, geometry, data analysis, and algebra. Mathematical reasoning and process skills are at the core of the curriculum. Students work on transition from concrete understanding to abstract application of skills and concepts. As the math program moves toward a greater emphasis on application and the ability to express the thinking process, the focus shifts from the final product to the intellectual process.

Physical Education – Students are provided a variety of challenges and stimulating wellness activities that promote social interaction and improvement on self-concepts, teamwork, sportsmanship, fitness, nutrition and skill development. In swimming, the students work on the freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly as we break down the specific skills of each stroke. They experience water exploration and learn water safety in all bodies of water.

Science – Students are exposed to a variety of life, Earth/space, and physical sciences to build a foundation of general science knowledge. The curriculum includes both content and process learning. Learning about science (content) and how to do science (process) are two different, but equally important, functions of the science program. To this end, students engage in manipulative activities that allow them to construct a knowledge base of science concepts. The units of study are earth and its changing landscape, ecology, energy, magnetism, electricity, and climate.

Social Studies – Students develop an understanding of the past and how ideas, events, and people have shaped our country and state. The study of current events helps the students understand the world we live in, as well as how we are shaping our future. Units of study include: geography, people in societies, Ohio history, economics, government, and citizenship rights and responsibilities.

World Language – (French and Spanish) While continuing in the TPRS method, students focus on writing paragraphs. Lessons target communication most relevant to the high-frequency vocabulary of their target language. Students use their developing skills in written and spoken projects, in classroom games, and conversation. As part of the world language study, they learn about culture and celebrate traditional holidays. Students informally review study habits and are encouraged to practice for a few minutes each day.