Central Theme: Communities-Our City: Corpus Christi
Central Theme integrates history, literature, geography, art, English composition, science and religion. Each theme has its own central projects, re-enactments, role playing, research topics, field trips, written reports and oral presentations.
The main goal of first grade is to increase knowledge of the community of Corpus Christi, and understand to raise understanding of the concept of community in general. Students will research the discovery and settlement of Corpus Christi, study maps of the city, read books about community life and participate in field trips, experience guest speakers, and compose original, illustrated stories. Students will compare and contrast the city of Corpus Christi to other cities.
A research project is assigned. It can be done at home independently or with the guidance of family members. A variety of projects is suggested, but students are free to design their own project. A brief oral presentation will be made.
The culminating activity for the year is “Box City”. As city planners, the students use boxes to design their own city.
Reading
The first grade reading program aims to broaden experiences, to create a love for books, and to encourage interest in written and oral communication. In addition to class instruction, all students are expected to read (or be read to) from fifteen to thirty minutes each day.
Reading is taught in large and small groups using both phonetic and sight-word approaches. A variety of materials including library books, basal readers, games, worksheets, tape recordings and video tapes, are used to develop specific skills.
Language Arts
The first grade language arts curriculum is designed to provide beginning instruction in the writing process. Students are encouraged to write journals, original stories, and short reports throughout the year using inventive spelling. Proper pencil grip, correct numeral and D’Nealian manuscript letter formation and placement on the page are taught in the handwriting program. The style of the D’Nealian Handwriting Program lends itself to an easy transition into cursive writing which will be taught in later grades.
Mathematics
The mathematics program is designed to meet the wide range of learning styles and levels that children bring to the first grade classroom. The objective is to help the student acquire skills as well as confidence in approaching mathematics. A strong emphasis is placed on understanding through modeling mathematical concepts with concrete materials such as unifix cubes, design blocks, goeboards and bands, tangram blocks, and attribute blocks. Small and whole class discussions and lessons help to reinforce skills and concepts. Daily routines are also used to reinforce mathematical concepts. In addition to math instruction provided in the classroom, students attend classes in a math laboratory for thirty minutes one day a week with a math specialist.
Science
First grade science includes the experience of looking for reasons to explain various phenomena. The students use their natural curiosity to learn and understand more about their world. They begin to learn about the processes of the scientific method. In addition to the “hands-on” experiments, science is integrated into the language arts, math and social studies programs.
Students attend a hands-on Science Lab forty five minutes each week. Activities compliment what the classroom teacher is discussing in Science.
Spiritual Formation and Growth/Life Skills
First grade students attend Chapel once a week with the Preschool students during the first three marking periods of school. In April, they join the Lower School students for Chapel once a week. A thirty minute Spiritual Formation class is taught once a week. Spiritual values are taught and an emphasis on how to live a Christian life through familiar Bible stories is encouraged. First grade students also participate with other students in grades two through four as a family group in the “Educating the Heart” curriculum. Each morning begins with a devotional time.
Physical Education
First graders participate in a P.E. class five days a week for thirty minutes. During this time students explore the possible movements and capabilities of their bodies. The goals of this P.E. program are to guide students in acquiring both fine and gross motor skills and in gaining confidence in their individual abilities.
Music
A music specialist teaches music to the students twice a week for thirty minutes. This program is designed to create a comfortable environment in which students sing together or alone, share experiences through movement, and learn the beginnings of reading and writing music. Students participate in several programs related to Central Theme during the year under the direction of the music specialist and classroom teacher.
Computer
Students spend thirty minutes per week in the computer lab. Graphic arts skills are developed throughout the year. Word processing skills are extended and a typing program is used. Projects usually relate to Science and Central Theme topics.
Library
The students attend library class thirty minutes per week. Students listen to a story and then select a book for individual personal reading. The Librarian introduces beginning library skills.
Spanish
Students attend Spanish class twice a week for twenty-five minutes. The overall objective is to develop listening and speaking proficiency. The vocabulary is related to the student’s immediate surroundings such as the classroom, colors, numbers, parts of the body, the school, rooms of the school, people in the school, and weather expressions. Puppets, hands-on activities, games, stories, songs, and filmstrips are used to teach the Spanish vocabulary.
Art
In addition to the activities completed within the classroom, students are scheduled for formal art instruction in painting, printmaking, design, ceramics and construction with other media. Art class is taught for fifty minutes weekly in the Art Studio under the direction of an Art Specialist.
Parent Communication
Parent Orientation is held to introduce the room, teacher and curriculum to the parents. One regular parent conference is scheduled each year, and one optional conference is also offered.
Each Monday a packet will be sent home with announcements, calendars, newsletters, notes from the teacher, the previous week’s student papers and other important documents.
Report cards are sent home four times during the year. Progress reports will be sent home at the mid point of each quarter.
Central Theme: Communities-Our City: Corpus Christi
Central Theme integrates history, literature, geography, art, English composition, science and religion. Each theme has its own central projects, re-enactments, role playing, research topics, field trips, written reports and oral presentations.
The main goal of first grade is to increase knowledge of the community of Corpus Christi, and understand to raise understanding of the concept of community in general. Students will research the discovery and settlement of Corpus Christi, study maps of the city, read books about community life and participate in field trips, experience guest speakers, and compose original, illustrated stories. Students will compare and contrast the city of Corpus Christi to other cities.
A research project is assigned. It can be done at home independently or with the guidance of family members. A variety of projects is suggested, but students are free to design their own project. A brief oral presentation will be made.
The culminating activity for the year is “Box City”. As city planners, the students use boxes to design their own city.
Reading
The first grade reading program aims to broaden experiences, to create a love for books, and to encourage interest in written and oral communication. In addition to class instruction, all students are expected to read (or be read to) from fifteen to thirty minutes each day.
Reading is taught in large and small groups using both phonetic and sight-word approaches. A variety of materials including library books, basal readers, games, worksheets, tape recordings and video tapes, are used to develop specific skills.
Language Arts
The first grade language arts curriculum is designed to provide beginning instruction in the writing process. Students are encouraged to write journals, original stories, and short reports throughout the year using inventive spelling. Proper pencil grip, correct numeral and D’Nealian manuscript letter formation and placement on the page are taught in the handwriting program. The style of the D’Nealian Handwriting Program lends itself to an easy transition into cursive writing which will be taught in later grades.
Mathematics
The mathematics program is designed to meet the wide range of learning styles and levels that children bring to the first grade classroom. The objective is to help the student acquire skills as well as confidence in approaching mathematics. A strong emphasis is placed on understanding through modeling mathematical concepts with concrete materials such as unifix cubes, design blocks, goeboards and bands, tangram blocks, and attribute blocks. Small and whole class discussions and lessons help to reinforce skills and concepts. Daily routines are also used to reinforce mathematical concepts. In addition to math instruction provided in the classroom, students attend classes in a math laboratory for thirty minutes one day a week with a math specialist.
Science
First grade science includes the experience of looking for reasons to explain various phenomena. The students use their natural curiosity to learn and understand more about their world. They begin to learn about the processes of the scientific method. In addition to the “hands-on” experiments, science is integrated into the language arts, math and social studies programs.
Students attend a hands-on Science Lab forty five minutes each week. Activities compliment what the classroom teacher is discussing in Science.
Spiritual Formation and Growth/Life Skills
First grade students attend Chapel once a week with the Preschool students during the first three marking periods of school. In April, they join the Lower School students for Chapel once a week. A thirty minute Spiritual Formation class is taught once a week. Spiritual values are taught and an emphasis on how to live a Christian life through familiar Bible stories is encouraged. First grade students also participate with other students in grades two through four as a family group in the “Educating the Heart” curriculum. Each morning begins with a devotional time.
Physical Education
First graders participate in a P.E. class five days a week for thirty minutes. During this time students explore the possible movements and capabilities of their bodies. The goals of this P.E. program are to guide students in acquiring both fine and gross motor skills and in gaining confidence in their individual abilities.
Music
A music specialist teaches music to the students twice a week for thirty minutes. This program is designed to create a comfortable environment in which students sing together or alone, share experiences through movement, and learn the beginnings of reading and writing music. Students participate in several programs related to Central Theme during the year under the direction of the music specialist and classroom teacher.
Computer
Students spend thirty minutes per week in the computer lab. Graphic arts skills are developed throughout the year. Word processing skills are extended and a typing program is used. Projects usually relate to Science and Central Theme topics.
Library
The students attend library class thirty minutes per week. Students listen to a story and then select a book for individual personal reading. The Librarian introduces beginning library skills.
Spanish
Students attend Spanish class twice a week for twenty-five minutes. The overall objective is to develop listening and speaking proficiency. The vocabulary is related to the student’s immediate surroundings such as the classroom, colors, numbers, parts of the body, the school, rooms of the school, people in the school, and weather expressions. Puppets, hands-on activities, games, stories, songs, and filmstrips are used to teach the Spanish vocabulary.
Art
In addition to the activities completed within the classroom, students are scheduled for formal art instruction in painting, printmaking, design, ceramics and construction with other media. Art class is taught for fifty minutes weekly in the Art Studio under the direction of an Art Specialist.
Parent Communication
Parent Orientation is held to introduce the room, teacher and curriculum to the parents. One regular parent conference is scheduled each year, and one optional conference is also offered.
Each Monday a packet will be sent home with announcements, calendars, newsletters, notes from the teacher, the previous week’s student papers and other important documents.
Report cards are sent home four times during the year. Progress reports will be sent home at the mid point of each quarter.