Academics

Themes

Themes are a major program strategy. Themes are teacher-created multidisciplinary studies on broad topics that promote in-depth learning through collaborative and independent study. Themes generally involve active exploration across several traditional academic disciplines and, whenever possible, include the support and involvement of the specialty areas of art, music and physical education.

Life Skills

Social and emotional growth is viewed as an integral part of each child's development. Life skills are those qualities of character that have proven to contribute to productive, fulfilling and joyful lives. They include integrity, flexibility, common sense, initiative, perseverance, friendship, responsibility, compassion, sense of humor, cooperation, organization, effort, curiosity, problem solving, caring and patience. The school actively promotes children's growth in these character qualities and views them as having equal importance with academic development and achievement.

How do children acquire and retain these traits? When children exhibit these life skills, teachers identify and call attention to their use, providing immediate, positive reinforcement. Children are surrounded and spend considerable time with teachers and staff members who consistently model these traits for them. Focused life skill lessons are taught. Class meetings, closing circles and other group experiences are held which key on life skill awareness and usage. There is communication with children and their parents regarding specific life skill strengths and needs. Our focus on life skills and our belief in their importance is responsible for the relaxed, friendly, polite, cooperative and productive environment found in our school.

Multi-age Grouping

For years, it has been known that there are advantages to multi-age grouping. The research in this area has proven the practice to be educationally sound and beneficial. Multi-age grouping allows teachers to instruct children on the basis of interests and learning needs. Differentiated instruction assures that each child is working at an appropriate pace and level of sophistication. When children are grouped according to interest instead of ability, the opportunities to learn from each other are maximized. Children need opportunities to learn cooperatively and to experience the value of collaboration. The positive social interaction experienced, we believe, leads to better understanding of the subject matter and a consolidation of learning.

Homework

Because of the philosophy and small classroom environment, children are engaged in intensive learning throughout the school day. With regard to homework, we differentiate between what is typically "busy" (home) work and assignments that are meaningful and supportive of classroom learning. Your child will be asked to read at home daily but he/she may not have daily homework. The homework and home projects he/she does get will be purposeful and connected to the curriculum, providing opportunities for in-depth exploration and research.

Feedback

Children's Country Day School report cards are unique. While they provide parents with feedback on how their child is doing academically, a detailed description of the child's social growth is also imparted, including the identification of his/her positive characteristics and ways in which he/she has demonstrated development of life skills.

Report cards for grades K through 4 are issued in November, January, April and June. Parent teacher conferences for pre-k through 4th grade are held in the fall and spring. Grade Level readiness will be conveyed at that time. Additionally, teachers welcome the opportunity to speak with parents throughout the year.

Testing

We believe that the breadth and scope of current standardized testing practices, particularly at the elementary level, do little to contribute to the educational growth and development of children or address the needs of the whole child. The standardized testing movement fails to address the most important determinant of quality education - quality teaching. The reliance on testing has failed to support or demonstrate long-term growth in learning or assure a meaningful educational experience. Standardized testing, at best, is an imperfect art, and poor test scores, and "wrong'' answers can be caused by many factors. There are other ways to measure what a child is learning, as well as how he or she is learning. We do authentic assessment on an ongoing basis to measure the progress of our students. Most of the time, they are unaware they are being assessed. We do this through observation, evaluating work produced and by student performance. High-stakes, high-pressure testing methods, we feel, are not appropriate or beneficial.

Best Buddies

Our Best Buddy Program takes place for 30 minutes every week when a class of older students pairs up with a class of younger students. During this year-long program the "buddies" participate in a variety of activities that foster friendship between "young" and "old."

Community Service Projects

In keeping with our commitment to the community at large, we encourage children to make a positive contribution to their world. For this reason, children in Grades K-4 participate in community service projects. Once a month, each class devotes a morning to a worthwhile cause such as a local food pantry, a senior citizens' home, or a migrant workers' day care center.

"Specials"

All children in Pre-K and Kindergarten classes participate in a Morning Music Program. In addition, a variety of other special classes such as cooking, Spanish and art are offered to pre-schoolers once a week. Children in Grades K-4 attend the following weekly classes: Spanish, cooking, choral music and recorder. Art and physical education are offered twice weekly.