Pre-K

Art surrounds our youngest students throughout the school year. Students work on art projects in their classrooms throughout their time in Primary School. Formal art classes begin in kindergarten with the introduction of new art mediums, and artist studies—Renaissance for the 1st trimester, Impressionism for the 2nd trimester, and Modernism for the 3rd trimester. 

Students in Primary School are introduced to the Spanish language through play and discovery. Young learners explore Spanish through the use of songs, rhymes, games, manipulatives, and stories. The focus for early language learners is the element of repetitive, simple, and comprehensible language through the use of context. Simple words and phrases when connected with movement, music, and visuals provide an excellent means for early language learners to begin their introduction to a second language. Primary School students are provided song books, manipulatives, games, and activities. Students learn about Spanish culture, as well as many seasonal words and phrases. Spanish classes incorporate thematic vocabulary and concepts used in students’ daily classroom learning, helping to develop a cross-curricular understanding for students as they learn elements of a new language.

The Religion curriculum aims to provide a foundation in the Christian faith while recognizing the diversity of our students. As an Episcopal school we welcome students of all faiths and encourage the sharing of religious traditions. The inclusive nature of St. Mark’s creates a deeper respect for denominational differences and different religious beliefs as students share their own faith experiences. The objective of religious education at St. Mark’s is to help students experience and realize the spiritual dimension of life.

Explorers, Seekers, and Preschool 3s: Religion classes in the early childhood years use the Frolic Nursery preschool curriculum. Frolic Nursery explores faith concepts through storytelling, interactive activities, music, and prayers to nurture faith through play. Each week, lessons follow the same process with a time to gather and share, play songs, listen to stories, and engage in a creative play space. This curriculum provides an age-appropriate introduction of faith concepts and offers consistency of routine for children.

Pre-K and Kindergarten: Primary School students have religion class weekly throughout the year. The Godly Play curriculum is a creative, imaginative, Montessori-based approach to religious education that spirals over three years, allowing children to explore the mystery of God’s presence, find direction in their lives, and make meaning through story, wonder, and play. As part of the Episcopal identity of welcoming other faiths, students learn about other religious observances incorporated throughout the year. 

In pre-K and kindergarten, students continue to listen to stories from different genres, sing songs, retell and reenact stories, and recite rhymes and poems. Literacy skills are expanded and include group discussions about books. Students also begin to learn how to navigate the library in order to choose and check out books. In kindergarten, students begin to learn research skills by using online databases.

Computer Science classes begin in pre-K, where students participate in a robotics program using KIBO robots. Students develop computational thinking skills as they learn what a robot is, about the symbols that make up KIBO’s programming language, and that a program is a sequence of instructions. Students use sequencing and decomposition to create programs for KIBO and algorithms with sequencing and decomposition, and learn how to debug programs. Students are introduced to the engineering design process and work collaboratively to create “debugging challenges” for each other.

Pre-K and kindergarten students continue to develop motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform various physical activities. These skills include traveling in different directions at different speeds, throwing, catching, kicking, hand-eye coordination, and sequencing movements. They also begin to learn physical fitness concepts such as stretching and elevating their heart rate. Pre-K and kindergarten students learn and play a variety of games and participate in fun obstacle courses to practice movement, experience winning and losing, setting goals, and following directions.

Explorers, Seekers, Preschool 3s, and Pre-K: The music program in the first years of Primary School engages students in the earliest exploration of musical understanding, including tuneful singing, beat competency, listening skills, and instrument skills. Through organized lessons and the use of manipulative materials such as puppets, scarves, parachutes, and books, students explore music and develop their own musical abilities. They practice body awareness, self-control, and emotional regulation while singing and moving to a wide repertoire of seasonal songs. Starting in Preschool 3s, students perform in the Primary School Christmas Pageant. 

Kindergarten: Kindergarten students continue their musicianship journey with further practice of tuneful singing, beat competency, listening skills, and instrument skills. The kindergarten year sets the foundation for a multi-year music curriculum that will continue throughout Lower School. During this year, students will learn to differentiate between musical opposites such as singing voice and speaking voice, loud and soft, fast and slow, high and low chanting and melodies, and beat and rhythm. Through songs, singing games, classroom activities, and the use of manipulatives, Music exposes students to a wide repertoire of seasonal songs and musical experiences. Kindergarten students perform in the Primary School Christmas Pageant.