Introduction to The Elementary School Program

The building that once housed the entire school, Little School today is the home to our elementary students, who receive a personalized education.  Building on the foundation of Chilton House, the elementary school faculty differentiates instruction by establishing reading and math groups within the classroom in addition to accommodating diverse learners.  The students' academic classes along with physical education, science, music, art, Spanish, and technology complete their comprehensive educational experience.  The Little School also has a full-time librarian, focused on the literature and research needs of the elementary student. Students gather for an assembly once a week, and the year includes celebrations of holidays and student achievement in the classrooms as well as field trips that support the curriculum.

The Little School also features a Support Services Program, under the supervision of the Director of Special Learning Services, providing additional academic support.  Working in small groups and individually, learning specialists and support teachers work to strengthen student reading, writing and comprehension as well as mathematical development using a variety of strategies.  Depending upon the aptitudes of the groups, enrichment activities are also provided.

Some students in grades three and four delay second language learning in order to take advantage of the Language Skills class. Students’ reading and writing needs are addressed through the integration of skill-based instruction with curriculum content.

Language Arts

Direct and indirect instruction as well as a print- and conversation-rich environment leads kindergartners to develop reading skills. The classroom environment surrounds them with tools, materials and opportunities to become confident learners. They explore language and develop phonemic awareness through stories, songs, games, cooking, dramatic play and group discussions. Teacher instruction in phonics, multi-sensory activities, word recognition and story comprehension also help develop reading skills. Teachers help kindergarten children engage in independent and collaborative writing experiences during “Writing Workshop” (journals and experience stories) throughout the week. As they continue to associate sounds with letter symbols, the children incorporate them into their work. They begin to learn correct letter formation and incorporate lower case letter construction. Research experiences occur throughout the day and are recorded in charts, graphs, illustrations and logs. Their confidence in their use of language is built through Morning Meeting, sharing time, group discussions, brainstorming and presentations.

Library

The Chilton House library is designed especially for young children, with a dedicated, full-time librarian. This wonderful resource is always open and available for planned activities or independent use. Stories are read by the librarian (or parent volunteers), and puppet play, book making, and story board design are all choices for the children within a cozy, calm, light-filled room. Kindergartners visit the library once a week in small groups for an in-depth discussion of a book chosen by the librarian.

During the course of the year, all students, in small groups, are invited to a cocoa party in the Chilton House library. Five students at a time join the librarian for hot cocoa and story time. This tradition began in 1930 and continues uninterrupted to this day.

Mathematics

Kindergarten children utilize mathematical concepts in everyday experiences. Through direct instruction, guided discovery and independent exploration, they begin to build a bridge from concrete experiences to more abstract understandings. Students study counting, grouping and place value concepts, graphing, patterns, collecting, organizing and describing data, mental computation, estimation, geometry and measurement. Children add, subtract and solve problems, using such manipulative materials as Cuisenaire rods, blocks, an abacus, and measurement tools.

Social Studies

Social Studies in kindergarten occurs daily as the concept of community expands to include civil and cultural tolerance. The year begins by setting goals—their hopes and dreams—for the school year. At this stage, the children are developmentally ready to interact with others, as their abilities to regulate self-control and integrate information are forming. Through specialized units (such as Thanksgiving and Post Office), constructive play and group activities, students learn to recognize how they are members of their own communities. They practice being a cooperative, respectful citizen all while working together to solve problems and have fun.

As individuals within a classroom, they begin to appreciate the similarities and differences that exist among their peers. This lends itself to the sharing of customs and traditions. Families are encouraged to join our classes, enlightening the children about their own heritages, which develops a sense of pride and understanding for all cultures represented at The Elisabeth Morrow School.

World Language

Children explore and express sounds and words in Spanish and learn beginning Spanish vocabulary through stories, rhymes and songs.

Science

A walk to the science lab in the Little School building one day a week for science class is an exciting new experience for kindergarten students. In science, students focus on the study of the many live animals that are housed in the science lab. Students are able to make connections between animals and literature, to make observations and to produce portfolios. Kindergarten classes also plan, plant, cultivate and harvest crops from their own gardens.

Music

Students are introduced to basic musical concepts such as beat (clapping, moving, tapping), tempo (fast/slow), dynamics(loud/soft), and timbre (different instrumental sounds) using traditional children’s songs and chants sung in a group. Students learn the names, sounds and proper care of the classroom instruments. Simple improvisation is introduced as the students create rhythms on the classroom instruments. On Fridays, all Chilton House students join together for an exuberant sing-a-long.

A very special hallmark of the kindergarten program is the year-end “Kindergarten Circus.” Each classroom puts on a circus with songs and acts chosen by the students. Backdrops are created and it culminates with a reception in the classroom following the performce. Years later, alumni gather and watch the recording of themselves performinf in the Circus.

Art

Students use a variety of materials to create two-and three-dimensional art forms. Students learn how to safely use the tools and materials in the classroom and develop their fine motor skills. This area affords children the opportunity to develop their creativity and experimentation with materials in addition to eye-hand coordination and small-motor control. Often artwork grows from stories that teachers read, as children experiment with paint, markers, collage, scissors, glue and paste. Writing grows from controlled scribble to recognizable shapes and letters.

Physical Education

Students develop spatial awareness (general and self-space, directionality, levels and pathways, locomotor skills (such as walking, running, galloping, jumping, hopping, skipping and sliding), ball skills (such as catching, throwing, kicking, rolling, striking with hands and objects and bouncing), and movement (such as stretching, curling, twisting and body shapes). Students focus on the important concepts of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

English as Second Language

The Elisabeth Morrow School provides English language instruction to non-native speakers of English, thus helping these children to function more effectively in self-expression, reading, listening comprehension and writing. Instruction is individualized according to student’s level of proficiency.

Special Events in Kindergarten

 
Phase-In

The phase-in schedule for Kindergarten is limited to the first week.  The length of the day is shortened to a half day for the first three days moving to a full day by the end of the week.  Parents will be given a schedule in their June mailings.  Childcare is available during the phase-in schedule.

The Kindergarten Zoo Trip

Each May the Kindergarten classes attend a field trip to the Turtle Back Zoo.  The event occurs during the spring.   A parent or a special caregiver, grandparent or family friend is asked to accompany each child.  The children love sharing this special experience with their guest but the school will provide an alternate supervision when a family is unable to meet the request.  Children may leave with their grown-up upon the return of the bus to school.  Childcare is provided for any child who needs to remain in school after the trip.

Kindergarten Circus

The Kindergarten prepares and performs a circus each year.  The event occurs at the end of the school year. Families are all invited for this special event.  A class party is scheduled to celebrate directly after the circus and dismissed for a shortened day.  Childcare will be offered for any children needing care after dismissal.

Other Field Trips

Throughout the school year the PreKindergarten and Kindergarten attend field trips that support their learning and go beyond our campus.  Parents will have opportunities to volunteer as chaperones for these special events but attendance is not mandatory.

Language Arts

As students move to the Little School for first grade, the Language Arts curriculum increases in complexity: learning vowel sounds and consonant blends continues to be the focus for developing phonetic skills; comprehension is enhanced through pictorial clues, event sequencing, character identification, story retelling, and making predictions; and the reading selection opens up to a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, fairy tales, folk tales and legends. Our first graders participate in daily “writing workshop” activities where they experiment with a variety of forms such as personal narratives, poetry, journals, responses, invitations, and letters.  As they write, students learn to spell (phonetically), while learning to apply correct capitalization and punctuation. 

As well, simple research projects are incorporated into units of study.  Through these projects students develop questions, make observations, record findings, gather information from the library and learn to use graphic displays and media. They also practice interviewing, speaking in front of their piers and recording their findings in simple narratives.

Social Studies

Students study communities within the classroom, school and neighborhood.  Students create class rules, develop interview questions and share information in written form and during discussions.

Mathematics

Our students start to develop and apply addition and subtraction strategies for single- and double-digit problems.  They also learn to identify and categorize geometric shapes and their fractional parts, identify coins and count their value, as well as measure time to the hour and half-hour on both analog and digital clocks.

Library

Independent use of the Little School Library affords students daily opportunities to hear stories, choose books, work with puppets, create storyboards or participate in book-making activities.

World Language

Building basic vocabulary and language structures through modeling, they also begin to acquire familiarity with simple topics and the fundamental patterns of the lSpanish anguage.  Oral communication is emphasized; students act and respond to basic commands and directions given in the classroom.  The cultural component of the curriculum centers on major Mexican and Spanish holiday celebrations.

Science

Science for first grade focuses on the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell).  Students also study the plants and animals they have read about in Beatrix Potter literature—comparing and contrasting the characteristics between the real and fictional creatures. At this stage, first graders begin work on planning, planting, cultivating and harvesting crops from the community garden. 

Music

For first graders, musical concepts (beat, tempo, dynamics and timbre) are reinforced and Orff instruments (xylophones and percussion) are introduced. Students begin to learn aural skills; they are able to distinguish between high/low, fast/slow, loud/soft, as well as identify common instruments (piano, violin, trumpet) by sound.  As well, they learn to verbalize the music they hear using appropriate vocabulary such as dark, light, happy, sad, etc.  Students perform songs they have learned for the December and June concerts, as well as performing a ten-song operetta, which tells the story of Peter Rabbit.

Art

First-grade art assignment work toward expressing creativity and improving small motor skills.  Using a variety of media, students will create paintings, drawings, collage, sculpture and sewing projects.

Physical Education

The physical education curriculum focuses on the important concepts of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle.  The class seeks to develop spatial awareness (general and self space, directionality, levels and pathways), locomotor skills (walking, running, galloping, jumping, hopping, skipping and sliding), ball skills (catching, throwing, kicking, rolling, striking with hands and manipulatives and bouncing), and movement (stretching, curling, twisting and body shapes).

English as Second Language

This program provides instruction to non-native speakers of English, enabling these students to better function in the mainstream classroom setting.  Classes focus on speaking, reading, listening comprehension and writing.  Students enter the E.S.L. Program through recommendation of the Admissions Committee or a teacher. Instruction is individualized according ability.

Language Arts

Second-grade students broaden their reading skills through further development of phonetic skills, including vowel diagraphs and beginning syllabication. Other reading skills include expanding vocabulary, making predictions, sequencing events, developing character descriptions, recognizing details and identifying the beginning, middle and end of stories. Students continue to participate in “writing workshop” activities: they experiment with personal narratives, fiction, poetry, invitations, recipes, letters, journals, and learning logs. Simple grammatical concepts, along with editing skills and cursive writing, are introduced. Our second graders continue to gain experience and confidence in their spoken use of language. They also continue building their research experience, as they observe, record, create graphic materials, develop questions, conduct interviews and access the library and appropriate websites. Students then share their research knowledge through discussion, presentation, illustration, written projects and timelines.

Library

Along with research, independent use of the Little School Library affords our students daily opportunities to hear stories, choose books, work with puppets, create storyboards or participate in book-making activities.

Social Studies

Our students study cultures:personal,family and those of their classmates. They develop interviewing skills, compare and contrast results, work cooperatively, establish common goals, organize findings and present research.

Mathematics

Our students continue study in addition and subtraction, with regrouping of two-digit numbers, geometry and measurement. At this stage, they are also introduced to multiplication and work with equivalent fractions (such as halves, thirds and fourths).

World Language

Students begin to build basic vocabulary and language structures in Spanish. Through modeling, they begin to acquire familiarity with simple topics and fundamental patterns of the language. Oral communication is emphasized; students act and respond to basic commands and directions given in the classroom. The cultural component centers on major Mexican and Spanish holiday celebrations.

Science

Students focus on what different scientists do. The program emphasizes a wide range of scientific endeavors, the interrelatedness of scientific disciplines and common attributes of scientists. Students create individual or small group research projects and presentations. Students focus on chemistry and ecology in their study of the Hudson River.

Music

Second graders reproduce and create short four-beat rhythmic patterns, first by clapping, then by moving to classroom instruments. Students are introduced to syncopation (clapping “off the beat”) and the difference between accompaniment and melody. They improvise and create their own accompaniments to fit short poems. Beginning a history component, students are introduced to the lives and work of Beethoven, Mozart and J.S. Bach.

Second graders memorize songs for the December and June concerts, a short musical telling of the story of Stone Soup, and the lengthy song “Family Tree” by Tom Chapin in conjunction with the second grade’s study of families.

Art

Second graders work on a variety of collage projects, drawing and painting experiences, as well as sewing and quilting. While working on their creative assignments, students develop small motor skills cutting, folding, brushwork, pencil grip and sewing.

Physical Education

Second grade focuses on the sequential development of physical skills that relate to sports, movement, dance, gymnastics and physical fitness. The program is structured to include warm-up activities, stretching exercises, fitness stations, skill development through modified games and follow-up activities. Skill development emphasizes catching, throwing, bouncing, kicking and striking with a variety of manipulatives. Students learn the importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

English as Second Language

This program provides instruction so children who are non-native speakers may better function in the areas of speaking, reading, listening comprehension and writing. Students enter the E.S.L. Program at different levels through the recommendation of the Admissions Committee or their teachers. Instruction is individualized according to student’s ability.

Language Arts

In the third grade, our students practice summarizing, sequencing, comparing and contrasting, identifying problems and solutions, and begin to develop inferential skills. They read historical fiction, biographies, poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Their writing skills continue to develop as students learn to organize information and practice proof reading and editing. They create narratives, essays, myths, poetry, letters, reflections, observations and responses to literature. To insure continuous practice, writing is integrated in all curricular areas. Effective oral skills continue to develop through discussions and presentations. To gain information as they expand research skills, the students develop questions, interpret graphic materials, use reference materials and other library resources and the internet, take notes, and present their information in written, visual and oral form.

Library

Independent use of the Little School Library affords students daily opportunities to hear stories, choose books or work with puppets, storyboards or book-making activities.

Social Studies

Student study Native American culture of the Lenni Lenape , as well as the colonization of Jamestown and Plymouth and simulate the establishment of their own colony. They are shown how human civilization and the environment affect one another. They also learn to connect previous historical knowledge to current topics, work together collaboratively, derive and assess key information, take notes and create basic outlines.

Mathematics

Third grade mathematics focuses on operations; students begin work on addition and subtraction of four-digit numbers, multiplication of two-digit numbers, solidify basic math facts and are introduced to division with remainders. They also learn basic fractions: this includes naming, writing, comparing, equivalency, as well as addition and subtraction with like denominators.

World Language

Third graders expand upon basic vocabulary and language structures in Spanish. Through modeling, they begin to acquire familiarity with simple topics and fundamental patterns. In the classroom, spoken communication is emphasized and students act and respond to basic commands. The cultural component centers on major Mexican and Spanish holiday celebrations.

Science

Classes explore magnetism, static and current electricity. Students create a book of basic science skills. In addition, classes address the science related aspects of the social studies program including “colonial science” and the habitats of the rainforest, desert, and arctic.

Music

Our second graders study the recorder to better understand pitch and rhythm, and to develop fine motor coordination. Students also learn to recognize common rhythmic patterns in notation and the names of the notes on the treble clef. Students prepare for the multi-media LinkUP! event in Carnegie Hall and study the composers Tchaikovsky and Dvorak. Students are expected to recognize the basic parts of written music and be able to identify the key signature, time signature, pitches and rhythms from a piece of music.

Art

The second-grade program integrates with social studies units by learning the various arts of colonial era. As well, students learn about the crafts of society and building new environments. Projects include weaving, collage and monoprinting. Students also study individual artist and present their analysis through oral presentation.

Physical Education

Our third graders focus on the sequential development of physical skills that relate to sports, movement, dance, gymnastics and physical fitness. The program is structured to include warm-up activities, stretching exercises, fitness stations, skill development or modified games, and follow-up activities. Motor development features catching, throwing, bouncing, kicking and striking with a variety of manipulatives. Students also focus on the importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

English as Second Language

This program provides English language instruction to non-native speakers of English so children may enhance their function within the classroom. Students work on speaking, reading, listening comprehension and writing. Students enter the E.S.L. Program at different levels by recommendation of the Admissions Committee or their teachers. Instruction is individualized according to student’s ability.

Language Arts

Fourth graders read and examine a variety of literary genres including fiction, non-fiction, novels, poetry, student literary magazines and biographies. They focus on the elements of a novel, literary technique and ways to respond to literature as they make predictions, state opinions, summarize, develop an understanding of cause and effect, recognize figurative language and draw conclusions. Writing form, style and content are further developed during writer’s workshop which includes essays, poetry, narratives, fiction, non-fiction and mysteries.  Research skills are also expanded as students use library resources and the internet to locate information. At this stage, students develop greater skill in taking notes, paraphrasing and organizing information as they produce written reports and create multimedia presentations.

Library

Independent use of the Little School Library affords students daily opportunities to hear stories, choose books or work with puppets, storyboards or book-making activities.

Social Studies

Students study the ancient Egyptians (archaeology, geography, culture) and immigration during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  Students also develop understanding, respect and appreciation of other cultures; identify and extract important information; use note taking and summarizing to record information; work cooperatively and present research results through projects, writing and presentations.   Students study current events using time for Kids.

Mathematics

Students study operations with whole numbers and decimals (money), time, data, graphs and geometry.  Students add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.  They also evaluate and simplify algebraic expressions.

World Language

By fourth grade, students have built basic vocabulary and language structures in Spanish.  Through modeling, they acquire familiarity with simple topics and fundamental patterns of the language.  Oral communication is emphasized and students act and respond to basic commands and directions given in the classroom.  The cultural component centers on major Mexican and Spanish holiday celebrations.

Science

Students focus on ecology of the temperate deciduous forest including invertebrates, plants, and birds of our campus. Environmental responsibility is stressed through the study of Jean Craighead George’s book There’s an Owl in the Shower.

Music

Our fourth graders sing from a repertoire of songs, including folk and patriotic, along with songs from other cultures.  Work continues on the basic sightreading of music through rhythms and through use of the recorder. Basic conducting skills in 2/4, 3 /4, 4/4 time is introduced, as well as recognition of what the different meters feel like.  Students are exposed to clips from classic musicals that demonstrate elements of dance and song.

In addition to the general music program, there are a number of music options for students in Little School.  There are separate violin groups for grades three and four, a combined third and fourth grade chorus, and an ensemble non-string group of fourth grade instrumentalists.  Each of these voluntary ensembles meets before school.

Art

The art program encourages creative problem solving and the acquisition of technical skills.  The focus is on developing fine motor coordination and learning to draw familiar objects more realistically.  Students visit museums or galleries and develop an awareness of artists and their work.  As well, each student keeps a sketchbook journal.

Physical Education

Students are given the opportunity to learn numerous athletic and manipulative skills.  Group participation, team work, fitness and sportsmanship are stressed in all tasks and activities.  Throwing, catching, kicking, shooting, dribbling, striking, and passing skills were practiced using a variety of equipment such as footballs, football tees, soccer balls, and hockey sticks. The students are taught many techniques and strategies that will enable them to perform these skills successfully.

English as Second Language

This program provides English language instruction to non-native speakers of English to enhance student speaking, reading, listening comprehension and writing.  Students enter the E.S.L. program at different levels by recommendation from the Admissions Committee or classroom teachers. Instruction is individualized according to student ability.