Pre K Three: Ratio 1:8
In Bible, we are learning how wonderful and uniquely made we are, created by God in His own image, and how much God loves us. We are beginning to know and love God’s Word and we memorize Bible verses every week. Three-year-olds are just beginning their academic journey. In our Phonics class, we are learning pre-reading skills such as print awareness, letter recognition, number recognition, color recognition, language expression, auditory discrimination and we enjoy dramatization. We are learning listening skills and to strengthen our visual memory. With hands-on learning we make discoveries about nature and science, sensory and language experiences. We use cooking and other activities to learn to listen and follow directions. We sing, draw, move and play to learn appropriate social interactions and creative expression.
Pre K Four: Ratio 1:12
At Bible time we learn about Bible heroes whose stories show us the power and love of God and we begin to apply those principles to our own lives. We continue to learn Bible verses every week. We are strengthening our pre-reading skills with recognition of short vowel sounds and beginning and ending consonant sounds. We enjoy traditional literature, fanciful prose, and poetry, nursery rhymes as we develop our vocabularies and enrich our comprehension. By the end of the year, many of the Pre-K students are reading. PreK Fours are beginning pre-writing skills and learning to write the upper and lower case letters as well as the numbers from 0-12. We learn to recognize numbers from 0 – 20, recognize shapes, work with patterns, and begin simple addition and subtraction equations. We discuss environmental awareness, sharpen our observational skill, and we recognize and appreciate our community helpers. We participate in songs, rhymes and musical games as well as fine and gross motor development activities to strengthen our social and emotional health.
Kindergarten: Ratio 1:12
At five we are still strengthening our fine motor co-ordination by performing tasks that require small muscle strength. We are learning to discriminate between a variety of sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes. We participate in structured and unstructured activities both indoors and outdoors that increase strength, endurance, and flexibility. We learn this year to independently follow rules and routines. Socially we develop and maintain friendships, and play cooperatively with other children.
In Kindergarten we become readers. There is an emphasis on sequencing and listening for rhyming words. We strengthen our letter-sound associations and work on consonant blends. In phonics, we work with word families and some high frequency words (sight words). We work on oral communication and oral reading, and we begin to focus on comprehension. In Math, we identify and write numbers from 1 to 100. We begin whole number operations, discussing sums and differences. We solve word problems by using manipulatives.
In Elementary Grades (1st thru 5th) the ratio is 1:15
FIRST GRADE
In Bible, we work on applying Biblical principles to life. As First Graders we work to become responsible citizens accountable to authority. We are still working on listening skills and following directions as we become better readers. We read a variety of genres and focus on comprehension. We are expanding our vocabularies and learning to get meaning from the text as we work with synonyms, antonyms, prefixes, contractions, etc. In literature, we study character development, motives, settings, and plot. We are learning to compose our own sentences, use correct punctuation and correctly use the parts of a speech (verb, noun, and adjective). We will learn to write paragraphs and stories. In Math, we memorize the basic addition and subtraction facts. We explore place value, graphing, measurement, telling time and counting money. In Science, we learn skills such as classifying, predicting outcomes, observing and drawing conclusions. We focus on life science, plants, animals, and our own bodies.
SECOND GRADE:
In Bible, we continue our weekly memorization of scripture and discuss concepts such as obedience, humility, thankfulness, faith, forgiveness, and courage. In Math, second graders review basic addition and subtraction and learn renaming and regrouping. Multiplication and division are introduced with factors 1-5 and divisors 1-5. In English, we expand our knowledge of parts of speech, tenses, pronoun usage, and punctuation, so that our independent writing projects are grammatically correct. In Reading, we work on expanded vocabulary and drawing meaning from context. We are reading for comprehension, fluency, and expression. We write in response to reading and learn to write descriptively. We write poems, friendly letters, instructions, and opinion statements. We learn about our earth and about living things and how they grow, as well as the systems of the human body. In Second Grade we begin technology classes and we study American History and famous Americans from history.
THIRD GRADE
3rd, 4th and 5th Graders study Bible stories that show them their need for Christ as Savior, and ways to apply Bible principles to life situations. Students are learning the writing process; planning, draft, revision, proofreading, and publishing their original work. We also work on listening skills, speaking skills and making an introduction. The reading concepts we master are sequencing, classifying, comparing and contrasting, recognizing cause and effect, and problem and solution. We learn to make inferences and draw conclusions as well as predict outcomes. We have become proficient readers beginning to recognize idioms, imagery, personification, metaphors, similes, humor, sarcasm and suspense. In Math, we memorize the multiplication tables through 12s. We work on time and money word problems, and we are beginning our understanding of fractions. We work with some geometrical shapes and learn area and perimeter. In Technology, we have moved past basic keyboarding skills and are beginning to learn powerpoint and excel.
FOURTH GRADE
3rd, 4th and 5th Graders study Bible stories that show them their need for Christ as Savior, and ways to apply Bible principles to life situations. In Math, fourth graders continue to work with the multiplication facts, and we master division with one or two-digit divisors. We continue our work with fractions both common and decimal, learning to add and subtract them and to rename improper fractions. In Geometry, we are working with plane and solid figures and discovering the radius and diameter of a circle. We are estimating and rounding. In English, we write paragraphs and begin putting them together into papers and essays. We are learning speaking skills and beginning to make presentations. Our technology skills are increasing as we learn to use Google Classroom and work on collaborative projects.
FIFTH GRADE
3rd, 4th and 5th Graders study Bible stories that show them their need for Christ as Savior, and ways to apply Bible principles to life situations. Fifth Graders are learning the five-step writing process and they are composing compare-contrast essays, personal and business letters, book reviews, and research reports with bibliographies. In Math, we are working with multiplication and division of two to four digits. We are multiplying and dividing mixed numbers and fractions, finding the lowest common denominators and multiplying and dividing decimal fraction. We have added triangles to our geometry skills with sums of angles and types of angles and triangles. We are starting to learn ratios, proportions, and percents. In Vocabulary, we are studying Latin and Greek roots and analogies. We read a variety of genres and focus on settings and plot, discussing crisis, point of view, moral, mood, resolution and theme. Our technology skills are increasing as we learn to use Google Classroom and work on collaborative projects using Word and PowerPoint.