Curriculum

List of 12 items.

• Early Kindergarten

  Due to the increase in demand for our Kindergarten program, the Early Kindergarten program was introduced in 2014 to provide another opportunity to introduce new families to the school. The program follows the kindergarten structure of homeroom and specialist offerings complete with its own set of unique themes that are integrated throughout the curriculum.

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• Kindergarten

  The kindergarten program provides a stimulating academic curriculum which recognizes the needs of five- and six-year-old children to move about easily, to socialize fully, and to learn through play and exploration. The curriculum is designed to provide a well-balanced, integrated program that emphasizes the daily teaching of reading, oral and written language, mathematics, and social studies. Thematic teaching incorporates specialist teachers and allows for in-depth studies across the curriculum. Equally important is the development of personal integrity, confidence, and consideration for others.

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• First Grade

  Learning becomes an enjoyable, hands-on experience in first grade with many opportunities to understand the academic disciplines through classroom activities, practice assignments, and learning games. Students engage in thematically-based learning activities both inside and outside the classroom. The integration of new ideas and learning with other subject area specialists allows students to practice new concepts through song, drama, science experiments, computer activities, physical movements, and art projects.

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• Second Grade

  Focusing on the intrinsic value of learning, the second graders develop a love for learning and the motivation to succeed in and out of school. Students learn to be more self-sufficient and take more responsibility for their work and social interactions through role-play activities and good decision making techniques. The five Keys to Citizenship are incorporated throughout the classroom community each day, creating an atmosphere in which important qualities of character are understood, modeled, valued, and practiced.

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• Third Grade

  In the third grade classroom, students continue to build upon their earlier academic and social lessons as they move from the primary to the intermediate grades. The students begin to establish and develop a sense of community on multiple levels, create and maintain a comfortable social environment where community members feel safe and valued, and expect outstanding citizenship of themselves and others in order to make the school community an outstanding place. With continued emphasis on the Keys to Citizenship program, the students are encouraged to exude respect, responsibility, kindness, honesty, and service.

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• Fourth Grade

  Fourth grade is an exciting year of learning as students look toward moving to the middle school. Because a strong foundation for learning has been established in the previous grades, fourth grade students are prepared to expand their reading and writing skills, explore more complex math concepts, and dig deep into our state’s history. Students transition from using iPads as centers for reinforcing skills to a one-to-one program. Students use technology to strengthen math skills, practice the writing process, research information, organize thinking, connect with the world, communicate ideas, and demonstrate learning. Our fourth grade students experience a robust program that emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, and communication.

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• World Languages

  The Spanish language is introduced in the Lower School in early kindergarten and continues through sixth grade. The students are exposed to reading, writing, listening, and speaking in the target language. Instruction promotes and encourages students to convey meaning through speaking, writing, and appropriate gesturing. Authentic events and materials enhance language learning—historical celebrations, stories, legends, poetry, art, music, games, and dances. Students are engaged in the enjoyment, understanding, and appreciation of the diversity of the cultures in the Spanish-speaking world.

• Science

  Students explore science through hands-on experimentation, individual project design, and interactive computer simulations. Experiments involve both laboratory and field work and include both short-term and long-term observations. Short-term observations often occur within a class period or two, versus long-term experiments which may occur over a week to several months. All students are exposed to the concept of the scientific method and use it to outline experiments. The curriculum emphasizes conveying these observations into written form by the third grade. In addition, the students are taught to use basic graphing skills to analyze data and make comparisons.

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• STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering & Math

  As a nation, education policy is shifting focus to improve competitiveness in technology development and innovation. Laguna Blanca is staying abreast of these changes with a newly minted STEM program, which will broaden the study of engineering within our current science, technology and mathematics courses. We offer multiple electives with our Middle and Upper school programs that will emphasize critical thinking and problem solving through project based learning. These beginning engineering skills will also be integrated into the Lower School courses. All courses will place emphasis on inquiry-based learning with students developing their own solutions to complex problems through hands-on experiential activities. The learning opportunities posed will focus on real world scenarios, relating to students' lives and experiences. Technology is integrated into the program from the earliest levels and includes the use of coding, computers, LEGO, robotics, tablets, 3D printers, 3D scanners, and vernier based data collection.

• Computers & Technology

  Technical literacy is important in today’s information-rich, technological society and in the future. The School strives to provide students with the tools, skills, and access to the technology they need in order to be productive members of the school community and beyond. Instruction in the use of technology is developmentally appropriate from early kindergarten through grade 12, and technology is used to enhance learning, research, and productivity in the arts, mathematics, science, and humanities.

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• Library

  The Lower School Library is a cozy, inviting space that students can visit during both morning and lunch recesses in addition to their weekly scheduled class time.

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• Academic Services

  The Lower School utilizes the expertise of a learning specialist regularly to assess student performance in math and reading and to assist teachers in selecting materials and methods of instruction which best accommodate the learning styles of each student. The learning specialist works with small groups of students from each class several days a week to teach or reinforce specific skills or to provide enrichment activities.
  
  The learning specialist is able to perform screening in the areas of decoding and reading comprehension, spelling, math, auditory processing and reasoning, and phonological processing. The learning specialist also serves as a valuable resource to direct professional development education opportunities for faculty as well as programs of interest to parents. In addition, a selective collection of parenting resource books is available for checkout in the library.