Kindergarten

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Language Arts & Literature Hide

The English and language arts curriculum is designed to develop and promote the student's interest in and knowledge of language and literature, including his abilities to listen, speak, write, and read effectively. He accomplishes this through a comprehensive program that includes a balance of written and oral language. Teachers employ a variety of instructional activities to help students learn the necessary skills and strategies to become proficient communicators. It is hoped that each boy will acquire a lifelong appreciation for the power of the spoken and written language, a love of literature, and a personal belief that literacy can enhance his life. The English/language arts program is built upon three critical strands: listening and speaking, reading, and writing. It also includes four essential conventions: grammar, sentence structure, punctuation and spelling. Through a variety of activities, including circle time, picture books, show and tell, author study, journal writing, and personal observations, kindergarten students build a foundation to become good listeners, readers, writers and speakers. They begin learning grammar and punctuation through teacher modeling. In their writing lessons, they begin to learn and use simple, complete and coherent sentence structures. Through phonemic awareness and knowing letter sounds, they learn to estimate the standard spelling of words.

Mathematics Hide

The mathematics curriculum assumes that students will make sense of mathematics in which they engage and become confident, active learners. Building this understanding is a long process that is in sequence and includes mathematical tools, technology and manipulatives. Students solve real-life problems and investigation, explore and investigate mathematical ideas and think both inductively and deductively. Communication is essential: "Students communicate to learn mathematics, and they learn to communicate mathematically" (NCTM Standards). Stuart Hall mathematically-literate students exhibit confidence in their abilities, are flexible, efficient and accurate with basic facts and computation, and demonstrate a variety of problem-solving strategies. The mathematics curriculum is built upon five essential strands:

• numbers and operations
• patterns, functions and algebra
• geometry and spatial sense
• measurement
• data analysis, statistics and probability

The following topics will be covered in Kindergarten:

• Sorting, Classifying and Graphing
• Patterns
• Number Concept and Skills and Greater Numbers
• Calendar and Clocks
• Measurement and Money
• Addition and Subtraction Concepts
• Geometry, Symmetry and Fractions

Social Studies Hide

Stuart Hall social studies is a study of humanity. Students study the past in order to understand its connection to the present and how it directs the future. The curriculum emphasizes that ethnic and religious groups of the United States and other countries have a role in shaping the diverse society in which we live. The curriculum educates students to use critical thinking to understand the world and how each person fits in the world. The social studies curriculum is built upon four strands:

• civic values, ethics, rights, responsibilities and social participation
• geographic literacy
• historical literacy
• cultural literacy

Kindergarten social studies begin with the self and provides opportunities for the student to display a sense of self-worth. The curriculum stresses sharing and cooperation as the student thinks about the roles of family members and families as unique. The student recognizes and identifies land and water boundaries and appreciates school celebrations as well as various religious, national and family celebrations and traditions. The student recognizes that families come from many backgrounds as he develops an appreciation for the richness of the culture from which he comes.

Science Hide

The science curriculum is designed to promote an understanding of the nature of science and an appreciation of its methods and philosophy. The program prepares each student for the future by providing opportunities to investigate, explore, and evaluate the world. The program addresses how science works and what processes and methods expand scientific understanding. In kindergarten through grade five, all three strands (Earth, Physical and Life) are studied. In contrast, in grades six through eight, students study one strand per year. This reflects a shift to more in-depth study in the older grades. The science curriculum is built upon three critical strands: Earth Science, Physical Science and Life Science. Hands-on exploration and the use of the scientific method are central to the approach used to investigate the natural phenomena associated with the various strands of science. This approach includes eight essential processes: observing, communication, comparing, ordering, categorizing, relating, inferring, applying. Kindergarten students begin to observe, sort, discuss and chart the characteristics of living things as they begin to note what they have in common and where they differ from each other as well as from non-living things. Students also discover what living things need to grow. They make studies of properties of different materials, learn how the materials are used and what happens when certain materials are combined with other materials. They understand human physical characteristics and how they are similar and different from other people, from other mammals, and from other living things. Students learn that all living things develop and grow over time.

Religion Hide

In an endeavor to educate the whole child, we are guided by and faithful to the Roman Catholic tradition of faith in God and in Jesus Christ who reveals to us the love of God for all people. Studying the basic symbols, practices and concepts of religion makes much of history, literature, art and contemporary life intelligible. The intent of the curriculum is to help the student discover and articulate his own beliefs. Because the family is the primary educator in matters of faith and spirituality, we support both parents and students in their religious identities and in the faith foundations established in the home. Active faith propels one toward the pursuit of peace and justice in a diverse world. By educating each child to the love of God, self and neighbor, religious education at Stuart Hall forms in each student deep human values, a sense of wise freedom, and an informed, active faith. The religion curriculum is built upon four strands:

• Scripture: the student understands that scripture is an account of faithful people and that it has literary and historical contexts and inspirational aspects.
• Tradition: the student understands tradition as the collective lived and living response in relationship with God.
• Faith: the student understands faith as trust in God.
• Reason: the student recognizes the role of conscience and discernment in religious and ethical understanding.

In Kindergarten religion, the primary goal is for students to understand God's great love for mankind. This is accomplished by helping students comprehend faith messages in stories. The students distinguish between individual and communal prayer by learning traditional prayers and also creating their own. Students practice values of sharing and caring through class activities and service projects. They share their own faith stories and learn to be respectful listeners to others.

Art Hide

The study of the visual and performing arts provides the students with opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge of the arts through a sequential, creative, integrated and inclusive program that prepares them for further, more focused study. The arts teach students to participate in society in an intelligent way by encouraging them to "look at things carefully, hear things thoughtfully, feel things sensitively, and understand the role of the arts in the life of the individual and the collective life of [world] culture." The focus for the kindergarten year in art is on materials and expression. A kindergarten student begins to understand how to use and maintain art materials in the art room. He uses tools to create artwork. He learns to care for these tools and develops an understanding that art creation is a matter of preparation, doing and clean up. He learns how to work cooperatively on small group projects through large scale mural work and ceramic projects. He uses a variety of two- and three-dimensional media to create his art as he identifies elements and principles that make his art unique. He begins learning to develop symbols to express thoughts and ideas.

Music Hide

The study of the visual and performing arts provides the students with opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge of the arts through a sequential, creative, integrated and inclusive program that prepares them for further, more focused study. The arts teach students to participate in society in an intelligent way by encouraging them to "look at things carefully, hear things thoughtfully, feel things sensitively, and understand the role of the arts in the life of the individual and the collective life of [world] culture." The focus for the kindergarten year in music is on the introduction to the elements of music. The kindergarten student begins to understand the music classroom as a safe environment in which he can and will express himself. He begins to sing and create rhythmic patterns. He is introduced to whole and half notes and the respective rest patters. He begins to learn about instruments and instrument families.

Physical Education Hide

The primary focus of the physical education program is the student's total physical and emotional development. All students learn the motor skills needed in everyday living and in recreational activities. Students develop and maintain sound physiological functions through vigorous muscular activity. The curriculum provides situations for learning to compete so students learn to cooperate with others, treat others with respect and strive for achievement of common goals. Students learn to accept responsibility for their actions. The program provides a lifelong sense of responsibility for health and well-being. The physical education curriculum is built upon four strands:

• physical activity
• movement skills and knowledge
• physical fitness and mental wellness
• social development and movement interaction

Through a variety of activities, including running, skipping, hopping and leaping, the kindergarten student develops his basic locomotor skills. He develops knowledge and understanding of cooperative games that require him to work with others. He begins to develop proficiency in non-locomotor movements such as balancing, bending, stretching, pushing and pulling. Through throwing and catching large objections, stationary kicking, grasping and releasing, he develops eye-hand and eye-foot coordination. Through walking and running, he develops and maintains cardio-respiratory endurance.

Computer Studies Hide

The computer lab provides an environment in which students, teachers, librarians and lab instructors collaborate on curricular-based projects. Through their years at Stuart Hall, the students explore a variety of hardware, software applications and telecommunications media. Students are introduced to these things at an early age and continually develop their skills. As the field changes, they adapt easily and explore confidently as new technology is incorporated into the curriculum. Critical thinking skills and problem solving strategies are a primary focus. Students will be knowledgeable, independent users of powerful computer applications. The Unkefer instructors, librarians and classroom teachers collaborate to create projects that use open-ended software such as multimedia programs and word processing. Students develop computer skills (copying and pasting, draw tools, etc.) that transfer easily across applications and computer platforms.

Changes in hardware, software and curriculum keep the program alive and in a constant flux. The following yearly plans for each grade level are subject to variations depending on classroom teacher input, new products, and changes in technology. Technology is integrated into the curriculum as early as kindergarten. Computers are available in the classrooms, hallways and in the Unkefer Computer Lab. During their weekly class in the computer lab, kindergartners explore a variety of software while learning to manipulate the mouse, the keyboard and various Macintosh system components. The classroom and the computer teachers plan projects that integrate the work in the lab with the activities in the classroom. These activities reinforce the reading readiness, math patterning and counting skills, and problem solving strategies inherent in the kindergarten program. By the end of kindergarten most students are comfortable using the mouse and key-board to create simple drawings and to write simple words and phrases.