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Our Program
PRESCHOOL PHILOSOPHIES AND CURRICULUM Our preschool respects and values children, their families, and their cultures. We recognize that all children have their own strengths and potentials for thinking and learning. We encourage children to communicate and represent their understandings, feelings and creative selves through written and spoken words, drawings, paintings, sculptures, block constructions, drama, movement, dance, music, computers and more. Teachers use their own knowledge and skills to support and help develop children's abilities and willingness to use communication in many ways. We welcome collaboration of families with the teachers and children in developing and implementing our educational program, and we encourage their contribution of skills, materials, ideas, and home experiences to enrich the educational process for their children. Teachers set guidelines for the curriculum. Within these broad guidelines, activities and projects develop through the teachers' attention to the children's interests and cues. Ongoing planning and collaboration by teachers and children together helps determine the direction taken as they work with specific educational values and objectives in mind. The children have the opportunity and freedom each day to engage in a variety of developmentally appropriate activities for the 'whole child,' along with long-term group projects that reflect the interests of the children. These activities integrate the areas of science, math, pre-reading/reading, language, social studies, and fine arts into the curriculum and continually provide for the development of social skills. The Open Court Phonics Program is one channel through which children are introduced to letters and sounds. Games, manipulatives, literature, art and music reinforce ideas introduced and incorporate all of the senses and every learning style into our approach. Exploration of a 'theme' each month in a variety of ways leads to many discoveries! Our library, as well as classes in Physical Education and Spanish, are valuable resources and contributors to the growth of children. Building and enhancing self-esteem and fostering a positive attitude toward learning are of primary importance! KINDERGARTEN - FIFTH GRADE CURRICULUM St. Peter's Episcopal School has developed a solid approach to the basics of an elementary education while recognizing the need for innovative and diverse academic activities. Using the Core Knowledge Sequence as a guide for social studies and science topics and as a checklist for language arts and math skills, we hold ourselves accountable to an interesting and challenging curriculum. We support the core movement begun by E.D. Hirsch Jr. and his strong belief that we most desperately need a solid, coherent foundation of learning. As important as our Core Knowledge guide, we continue to stay in touch with our roots. St. Peter's has always been a creative, hands-on, inspirational place to teach and learn. We do not teach subjects; we teach the whole child, stressing character as much as academic achievement. Another emphasis is that of academic integration. Although the following section addresses each academic area separately, it is not uncommon at St. Peter's for a unit to encompass history lessons, a related novel, writing assignments, and an art connection across a grade. Furthermore, our teachers are involved in vertical observation and planning to help create more vertical academic projects. READING
Accelerated Reader is an incentive program that tracks reading accomplishments through computer tests. First - fifth graders are involved in A.R., with the older students delving deeper into the program through vocabulary and literacy tests. The A.R. program is accessible in each classroom, as well as the 16 computer lab and the library. We also use the STAR diagnosis testing system for assistance in placing students in the appropriate level books. St. Peter's proudly supports the Read-Aloud Program initiated by Jim Trelease. Teachers model good oral reading and also teach our students to read to younger students at St. Peter's and the greater community. The pairing of 5th and 1st, 4th and K, and 3rd and the preschoolers promotes oral reading and fosters friendships. The fifth grade has had "Reading Buddies" at the Children's Home since 2005, designating reading as a viable community outreach. Because of our dedication to Read - Aloud, we were blessed with a gift from Read Aloud in our library's entrance - a hand painted mural by the official Read Aloud artist, Gale Hinton, with the input of the students of school year 2005/06. LANGUAGE
St. Peter's involves its students in several essay and poetry contests for exposure and challenge. For specific practice with grammar, vocabulary and spelling, various resources are used to complement units of study. MATHEMATICS
SCIENCE
SOCIAL STUDIES
COMPUTER
-A computer lab and qualified instructor provide individualized advancement through the Mavis Beacon program for keyboarding. -Word processing and appropriate Internet usage is taught in the computer classes for the upper grades and applied in the classrooms through various aspects of the curriculum. -A network of computers connects the individual classrooms with the library and provides access to the Internet, and all library holdings can be accessed from individual classrooms through the Athena program. FOREIGN LANGUAGE
-Our current program uses the Rosetta Stone foreign language series that is based on the theory that we learn language by associating words with objects and ideas. The program emphasizes the teaching of words in their grammatical context using photographs identified by spoken and written cues. Taught by a qualified Spanish teacher, grades 1 through 5 meet twice a week, while preschool and kindergarten meet weekly. PHYSICAL EDUCATION
-Conditioning, basic skills, and rules of the various sports are covered, along with opportunities for actual game situations. -Each child participates in the President's Physical Fitness Program annually. -Physical education skills expand into afternoon sports options: cheerleading (grades 1-5), track (grades 2-5), basketball and soccer (grades 4-5). FAITH DEVELOPMENT
-Above all, each child should leave St. Peter's with a sense that his or her beliefs, no matter what religion, are equal under God. -Topics of discussion in faith often correlate with the history and geography focus. FINE ARTS
-The various arts are integrated into the curriculum, most often with the History and Geography focus. Children learn to appreciate a wide variety of art examples by focusing on the history of the work, learning how to critique it, and discussing it aesthetically. A study of art of any kind would not be complete without production. Using all kinds of medium, our children create visual arts and music, perform, and move with purpose. -All four areas are integrated with the curriculum, while music also has additional formal weekly classes. MUSIC
-Appreciation of a wide variety of genres of music more typically occurs in the academic classes, leaving time in music class for music instruction, including reading music, identification of various instruments, and exposure to music history. -Production is a vital component at all levels through choral singing, chapel performances, and plays. -Afternoon opportunities include voice and instrumental lessons and the 4th-5th grade annual musical production. LIBRARY
-The implementation of a fully networked Athena System enables both teachers and students to access data and resources from individual classrooms. -Rather than just a 'once-a-week visit policy,' our library maintains an open-door policy that encourages extensive use of the library to ensure that students become independent users of libraries and media centers. The library is seen as the 'hub' of the school where both teachers and students gather to gain information on all subjects, thus enhancing our curriculum.
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St Peter's Episcopal School848 Ashland Terrace · Chattanooga, Tennessee 37415 · 423.870.1794
