Lower School

Language Arts

• The Letter People program focuses on public speaking, comprehension, phonics, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary.
• The Handwriting Without Tears curriculum is a multi-sensory approach to letter formation that aligns with the science of reading.

K-2: Literacy instruction in K-2 focuses on phonemic awareness, phonics, reading, and comprehension, grammar, writing, and spelling.  Both whole group and differentiated learning opportunities are key to a successful literacy program.

Math

• Explore basic math concepts
• Participate in hands-on experiences to build number sense
• Use concrete objects to show their thinking
• Become math thinkers and problem solvers
• Visualize numbers
• Learn to form numbers properly

K-2: Math In Focus builds understanding using a concrete-pictorial-abstract method of learning. As students begin to make meaning of the numbers and symbols they encounter, their understanding, confidence, and love of math will grow! This method of learning creates problem-solvers that make connections to the world around them. 

Science

• The primary goal of Science in TK is to spark the child’s natural curiosity about the world around them.
• Make observational drawings and dictation
• Explore the world with their five senses
• Observe weather and weather patterns
• Classify animals, living and non-living things
• Life cycles

K-2: Inquiry-based learning drives our Science program. Students learn important scientific and engineering concepts and develop the ability to think specifically through their own investigations and analyses.

Social Studies

• School routines
• Social skills and friendships
• Self-help skills
• Community
• School
• Family
• Community Helpers
• Digital magazine and current events
• Global Partners

K-2: Students engage in the history of our country and the world at large through our interactive social studies program. It’s important to prepare students to understand the intricacies of the social world and how we got to where we are today. 
 

Language Arts

K-2: Literacy Instruction in K-2 focuses on phonemic awareness, phonics, reading and comprehension, grammar, writing, and spelling. Both whole group and differentiated learning opportunities are key to our successful literacy program.

• Phonemic awareness
• Letter identification and sound associations
• Letter sound associations
• Handwriting and letter formation
• High-frequency words
• Concept of a sentence/writing process
• Differentiated small-group instruction
• Differentiated readers

Math

K-2: Math In Focus builds understanding using a concrete-pictorial-abstract method of learning. As students begin to make meaning of the numbers and symbols they encounter, their understanding, confidence, and love of math will grow! This method of learning creates problem-solvers that make connections to the world around them.

• Using concrete objects to develop abstract thinking
• Developing strong number sense (base 10)
• Becoming math thinkers
• Discovering multiple methods to solve a problem, communicating these strategies
• Learning basic patterns, measurement, estimation, and geometry
• Exploring calendar concepts

Science

K-2: Inquiry-based learning drives our Science program. Students learn important scientific and engineering concepts and develop the ability to think specifically through their own investigations and analyses.

Science is also integrated with the Open Court curriculum through the following units:

• Weather
• Push and Pull
• Plants and Animals
• Five Senses

Social Studies

Students engage in the history of our country and the world at large through our interactive social studies program.

Social studies is also integrated with the Open Court curriculum through the following units: 

• Kindness
• Patriotism
• Family and Community
• Cultures and traditions
• Rules we follow
• Global Partners
   

Language Arts

Instruction in first grade focuses on phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency and comprehension, grammar, writing, and spelling. These focuses are supported by Open Court Reading. Both whole group and small group differentiated learning opportunities are key in a successful literacy program.

• Letter sounds and spellings
• Base words, prefixes, word endings
• High Frequency words
• Comprehension strategies and skills
• Parts of speech, capitalization, punctuation 
• Autobiographies, narratives, descriptive writing, instructions, opinion
• Print letter and number formation (Handwriting Without Tears)

Math

Math In Focus builds understanding using a concrete-pictorial-abstract method of learning. As they begin to make meaning of the numbers and symbols they encounter, their understanding, confidence, and love of math grows. This method of learning creates problem solvers that make connections to the world around them. 

• Number Bonds
• Numbers to 120
• Addition and Subtraction to 100
• Shapes and Patterns
• Ordinal Numbers and Position Words
• Measurement: Length and Weight
• Picture Graphs and Bar Graphs
• Calendar and Time 
• Money

Science

• Science Cycles
• Light and Sound
• Roots and Seeds
• Animals from Head to Toe

Social Studies

• Going to School
• Being a Friend
• Around Our Town
• Around Our World
• Red, White, and Blue
• Stars and Stripes
   

Language Arts

• Phonemic awareness and phonics
• Fluency and expression
• Vocabulary development
• Predicting
• Visualizing
• Summarizing
• Sequencing
• Comparing and contrasting
• Making connections (text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world)
• Drawing conclusions
• Inferencing
• Identifying main ideas and supporting details
• Story structure and story elements
• Nonfiction text features
• Conventions and Mechanics: spelling, capitalization, punctuation, types of sentences, organization
• Composition: descriptive, narrative, persuasive, informative, friendly letters
• Handwriting: D’Nealian review, D’Nealian cursive
• Writing Process: planning, drafting, revising/editing, publishing

Math

• CPA Approach: Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract
• Fluency development
• Mental math strategies
• Numbers to 1,000: Place Value, Adding, Subtracting, Regrouping
• Multiplication
• Division
• Length, Distance, and Weight/Mass
• Graphs, charts and line plots
• Bar models
• Money: Identify, count, compare
• Geometry: Identify, describe, sort, and classify 
• Time: AM and PM, nearest 5 minutes, elapsed time
• Real-world problems using various strategies to solve
• Explore, investigate, communicate, and share mathematical thinking through collaborative activities

Science

• Physical Science: Matter
• Life Science:
• Plants and animals
• Ecosystems
• Habitats
• Earth and Space
• Volcanoes
• Earth’s changes
• Landforms and bodies of water
• Fossils and dinosaurs
• Weather 

Social Studies

• Indigenous peoples
• Schools Around the World
• Biography studies
• Community
• Citizenship
   

Language Arts

Literacy instruction in grades 3-5 focuses on reading to learn. Students apply specific reading strategies to make deeper connections with main events, character development and the exploration of themes. Students are immersed in novel studies that promote and build independent readers. A variety of comprehension strategies are explored to build strong comprehension skills and enable students to make deeper connections to their reading.

Reading and Language Arts include:

• Novels: Hockey Night in Kenya, A Boy Called Bat, and Stella Diaz Has Something to Say
• Writing: Narrative, Expository, Persuasive
• Spelling
• Grammar 

Math

• Numbers to 10,000
• Addition Within 10,000
• Subtraction Within 10,000
• Multiplication Tables (0-12)
• Multiplication
• Using Bar Models: The Four Operations
• Fractions
• Measurement
• Area and Perimeter
• Time
• Graphs and Line Plots
• Angles, Lines, and Two-Dimensional Figures

Science

The 3rd grade science experience is all about being curious, asking questions, and exploring the world like a scientist. Students will collaborate to conduct experiments, make discoveries, draw conclusions, and learn how science is a part of everything. 

•  Weather & Climate (Our First Adventure!): What makes it rain, and how do we predict the weather?
•  Fossils & Changing Environments: We'll travel back in time to uncover the secrets of dinosaurs and ancient life.
•  Life Cycles: How do plants and animals grow and change from beginning to end?
•  Heredity, Survival, & Selection: We'll investigate how traits are passed down and how living things adapt to survive.
•  Forces, Motion, & Magnets: Get ready to explore the invisible forces that push, pull, and move the world around us!
•  Engineering Adventures:  We'll use our creativity to design, build, and test solutions to fun challenges.

Social Studies

• Geography
• Diversity and Cultures Around the World
• Economics
• Government and Citizenship
   

Language Arts

Literacy instruction in grades 3-5 focuses on reading to learn. Students apply specific reading strategies to make deeper connections with main events, character development and the exploration of themes.

• Spelling Connections
• Grammar study
• Expository, Descriptive, Narrative, and Persuasive Writing
• Novel studies and end of novel celebrations
• Fiction/Non-Fiction texts
• Book Tastings
• Research projects
• Poetry Recitations

Math

Math In Focus builds understanding using a concrete-pictorial-abstract method of learning. As they begin to make meaning of the numbers and symbols they encounter, their understanding, confidence, and love of math grows! This method of learning creates problem-solvers that make connections to the world around them.

• Numbers to 100,000
• Multiplying by a 2-digit number
• Dividing by a 1-digit number
• Adding Fractions
• Subtracting Fractions
• Mixed Numbers
• Improper Fractions
• Decimals to the hundredths
• Adding and Subtracting Decimals
• Angles
• Area of Squares and Rectangles
• Measurement
• Symmetry

Science

The 4th grade science experience is all about being curious, asking questions, and exploring the world like a scientist. Students will collaborate to conduct experiments, make discoveries, draw conclusions, and learn how science is a part of everything. 

• Energy, Electricity, Light, & Heat (Our First Adventure!): Let's investigate the power that makes things go!
• The Human Body, Vision, & The Brain: How do our amazing bodies work?
• Animal & Plant Adaptations: Discover the clever ways living things survive.
• Earth's Features & Processes: Become a geologist and explore volcanoes, rocks, and the forces that shape our planet.
• Sound, Waves, & Communication: What is sound, and how does it travel?
• Engineering Adventures: We'll design, build, and test our amazing creations to solve problems

Social Studies

Students engage in the history of our country and the world at large with our highly interactive social studies program. It’s important to prepare students to understand the intricacies of the social world and how we got to where we are today as a country. 

• North Carolina History
• Discovering Social Sciences
• Regions of our Country
• States and Capitals

Language Arts

Literacy instruction in grades 3–5 focuses on reading to learn. Students apply specific reading strategies to make deeper connections with main events, character development and the exploration of themes.

• Writing - informative, narrative, expository, character analysis, poetry, free (creative) 
• Grammar - parts of speech, types of sentences, sentence structure
• Morphology - Greek & Latin roots, prefixes, suffixes
• Novel studies, independent reading, and book clubs, Notice & Note annotation
• Research, note-taking and citing
• Public speaking- persuasive, debate, formal presentations

Math

Math In Focus builds understanding using a concrete-pictorial-abstract method of learning. As students begin to make meaning of the numbers and symbols they encounter, their understanding, confidence, and love of math grows! This method of learning creates problem solvers that make connections to the world around them.

• Place value to 10,000,000
• Whole number multiplication and division
• Fractions and Mixed Numbers - all operations 
• Algebra
• Area
• Ratios
• Decimals - all operations
• Percents
• Graphing and Probability
• Angles - on a line & point

Science

• Ask curiosity-driven questions and test ideas through investigations.
• Collaborate with lab partners to reach shared goals.
• Persevere and think critically to solve problems and refine experiments.
• Collect, organize, and interpret data using observations, tables, graphs, and models.
• Read and annotate nonfiction science texts to expand understanding.
• Communicate findings clearly in writing, conversation, and presentations.
• The theme for 5th Grade Social Studies is: Journeys Across Time - How and Why People Move. Students will learn that human movement is shaped by push and pull factors, natural environments, and historical events, and it continues to shape communities and our natural world today.

Social Studies

• Ask big questions about people, places, and events in history.
• Work together to investigate multiple perspectives and sources.
• Use critical thinking to make connections between past and present.
• Gather, organize, and interpret information from maps, documents, and images.
• Read nonfiction and primary sources to build understanding.
• Share ideas clearly through writing, discussion, and presentations.
   

physical education

Each Lower School physical education class promotes lifelong wellness through exposure to team and individual sports, health education, and collaborative challenges. It’s not only about getting stronger — it’s about honing skills, bonding with teammates, and enjoying movement.

The Arts

Every student participates in music and art courses beginning in TK. Our youngest learners explore painting, singing, rhythm, and papier mâché. They are introduced to the elements of color, harmony, shape, music composition, and principles of design, all rooted in history, culture, and cutting-edge technology. Our Grade 5 students are able to choose and instrument and participate in Band or Strings. They also participate in Choir. 

spAnish

All students in TK through fifth grade participate in the Lower School Spanish program. In our program, students build their interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication skills. Through the use of comprehensible stories, songs, games, movement, and other meaningful activities, teachers enhance understanding, provide cultural insight, and engage students in active communication. The use of authentic resources also fosters a better understanding of cultural products, practices, and perspectives of the Spanish-speaking world. At the novice level, students are expected to be able to recognize, identify, copy, and speak in simple words and memorized phrases, and much focus is placed on the importance of putting forth their best effort versus seeking grammatical perfection. 

STEAM

Our TK–2 STEAM program gives young learners the chance to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math through hands-on, creative projects. Students practice curiosity and problem-solving while following the Engineering Design Process—ask, imagine, plan, create, and improve. In this program, children learn to think like scientists, engineers, and artists as they work together to explore ideas, test solutions, and share their discoveries in fun and engaging ways.

Library

Our Lower School Library program brings stories to life with interactive read-alouds, a calendar full of themed events, thoughtful instruction, creative projects, and vibrant displays that spark a lifelong love of reading.  The Library is more than books - it’s a hub for imagination, discovery, and joyful learning!

Beyond our 16,000-volume print collection, students have access to age-appropriate digital resources that allow them to explore their curiosity. We highlight voices from around the world, connect stories to classroom learning, engage in early research, and create opportunities for students to share their own ideas. Students discover that the library isn’t just about books - it is about building a lifelong love of learning!

extended day and enrichment programs

Hawks’ Club gives us the space to transition from school to home each day. With plenty of activity and enrichment class options, we learn new skills, compete in sports, make friends, study, and play.