| The curriculum is interdisciplinary, focused on broad social studies themes that bring together ideas and skills from varied subject areas. In the younger grades, students are immersed in themes such as families, Germantown, Native American culture, Colonial America, and Asian and African countries. Students in upper grades undertake in-depth studies of Ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, and Islam. To a significant extent, language arts, music and visual art, and even mathematics are integrated into these thematic studies. Learning is enriched by travels to natural, historic, and cultural sites, by many opportunities to perform on stage, and by experiences learning and working with neighbors in Germantown and members of other communities.
LANGUAGE ARTS: The goal of the language arts curriculum is to develop avid, knowledgeable, life-long readers; writers fluent in many genres — personal, reflective, imaginative, persuasive, academic; confident speakers; and careful listeners. We use a wide-range of language experiences to nurture critical and reflective thinking,including compelling literature, meaningful opportunities to write, and thoughtful instruction in composition, spelling, vocabulary,mechanics, and reading.
MATHEMATICS: In math we strive for strong calculation skills and number sense balanced with deep understanding of the operations, the ability to see and communicate about patterns and relationships,problem solving ability, an appreciation for the beauty and usefulness of math, and plenty of direct experience with objects and materials to provide the basis of solid mathematical intuition. The math curriculum is an interplay of exploration, hypothesis making and testing, direct instruction, and mastery of facts and skills.
SCIENCE: The major goal of the lower school science program is the development of thinking skills and factual knowledge that will help students to use their natural curiosity to become better problem solvers and intelligent decision makers. We believe that children learn science concepts best by firsthand observations of the natural environment and by hands-on experiences with appropriate materials. The program is designed to provide a balance between the environmental, physical, and biological sciences.
MUSIC: Concepts and skills are introduced through a wide variety of activities, including singing, folk dancing, music theory, recorder playing, and violin lessons. Major emphasis is placed on each child’s active participation in all learning experiences. Older students may join the lower school orchestra, jazz group, or world percussion group.
COMPUTERS: Computers are used in many ways by our students, from playing math games to making multimedia presentations. The use of computers is integrated into the classroom curriculum, supported by our computer teacher and a state-of-the-art computer classroom. Students are taught keyboarding, word processing, graphics, multimedia, and research skills.
HEALTH: Our curriculum aims to help children make informed and responsible decisions about their health and behavior. We teach children accurate, age-appropriate information about human development, nutrition, relationships, and sexuality.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION: In PE, our aim is to develop a strong and healthy mind, body, and spirit. The curriculum progresses from games and activities that develop gross-motor abilities to the skills needed for team sports. Cooperation and excellence in performance are given higher value than the competition itself.
ART: The art curriculum provides a variety of opportunities for students to explore and develop their creative abilities with an emphasis on finding original solutions to a range of artistic problems. Skills in a broad variety of media are taught in appropriate
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