1st Grade

Our 1st Grade students move from Primary School to Lower School with an intentional, structured transition that helps them develop focused learning behaviors and ownership of their work. Hands-on learning opportunities are carried into 1st Grade, with a greater emphasis on independence and depth of understanding. Students also spend time in more structured, sequential lessons that encourage them to develop listening skills, engage in active participation in academic discussions, and apply new knowledge to follow-up assignments. Our 1st Grade students participate in whole-group, small-group, and independent learning experiences around the classroom, with frequent chances for movement and active learning.

1st Grade Curriculum

Math

1st Grade Math

In Math, 1st Grade students continue their understanding of counting and number sense. They use many visual tools such as number lines and hundreds charts to compare, add, and subtract numbers. 1st Grade students learn to identify different types of 2-digit addition or subtraction problems, and choose from a variety of explicitly-taught strategies to solve them. Math topics also include geometry, data, and word problems. Through a daily calendar lesson, students practice telling time, counting coins, skip-counting, and identifying patterns. All math topics are introduced with concrete, hands-on manipulatives with the goal of moving towards abstract understanding.

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Language Arts

1st Grade Language Arts

The 1st Grade Language Arts program includes reading, writing, grammar, word study, and phonics. The structured literacy approach to teaching reading is based on the Science of Reading, which demonstrates that both word recognition and language comprehension are required for skilled reading. 1st Grade small group reading lessons focus heavily on phonological awareness and accurate decoding skills which are taught in structured, explicit lessons. Language comprehension skills and vocabulary are taught and practiced through whole-group read-alouds, small group differentiated reading instruction, and social studies lessons.

1st Grade writing lessons move students through a writing process of prewriting, drafting, editing, revising, and publishing. Emphasis is placed on independence, moving between each step of the process. Teachers support each student’s growth by conferring with students and identifying areas for mini-lessons. Throughout the year, students write fictional stories, nonfiction reports, and personal narratives. Students practice grammar and word study concepts through these authentic writing tasks.

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Social Studies and Thematic Learning

1st Grade Social Studies and Thematic Studies

Social Studies and Science thematic topics provide opportunities for 1st Grade students to learn about the world around them, past and present. A goal is to not only provide mirrors for them to better understand themselves and their world, but also to provide windows into the lives of others. Students conduct research projects, often aided by enrichment teachers such as librarians who support research skills. Students practice presenting information to an audience through presentations and projects. Hands-on learning experiences help students further their understanding of concepts. In the past, units have included bats, the Wampanoag People, Christmas past and present, evergreen trees, Black History Month, Texas history, Women’s History, and Insects.

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Science

1st Grade Science

1st Grade students attend science class twice every six days. Students learn about and engage in the scientific process and use many scientific tools such as microscopes, thermometers, and devices to measure time, weight, volume, and capacity. Science process skills include observing qualities, measuring quantities, sorting/classifying, inferring, predicting, experimenting, and communicating. Science experiments offer students many opportunities to work in groups, follow their own interests, explore cause and effect, and get messy!

1st Grade Science topics include: Motion; magnetism; classifying objects; heat, light, and sound; weather patterns and seasonal patterns; properties of soil and rocks; natural resources; living and nonliving objects; plant parts; animal features and life cycles; food chains.

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Social-Emotional Learning

Lower School Social-Emotional Learning

Lower School classrooms use the Responsive Classroom approach to classroom management. This approach focuses on establishing classroom routines, procedures, and relationships so students learn to make good choices that contribute to a positive learning environment. Students participate in classroom meetings where they discuss class issues, set goals, and practice active listening to work together to reach a common goal. Teachers guide students to collaborate in whole-class and small group settings successfully.

2nd graders focus on showing grit and perseverance through STEAM challenges, which require them to create and follow a plan, test their product, and reflect on the outcome of the challenge.
In 3rd Grade, St. Mark’s students begin to receive math and language arts grades, which are based on classwork, homework, participation and work habits. Teachers help students make the transition to receiving grades by showing examples of high-quality work, providing rubrics, and meeting with students one-on-one to discuss areas for improvement along the way.
Our 4th Grade program embraces the principles of the Responsive Classroom approach to support emotional well-being and social skills. Every classroom begins the day with a Morning Meeting, where students work together to establish class expectations, solve problems, and develop a sense of community.

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Enrichment Classes

Lower School PE / Athletics

Lower School students attend PE classes two times every six days. In PE class, students learn form and technique for many physical skills such as running, throwing, and catching. Students learn about good sportsmanship, strategizing with others, and working as part of a team. Formal rules of several sports including basketball, soccer, and volleyball are taught and practiced. Students participate in games that involve individual competition, group competition, and cooperation.

In addition to PE classes, Lower School students have athletic opportunities in the fall, winter, and spring to play on competitive sports teams including soccer, bounce ball, and basketball. These teams are open to all students without try-outs, and practice and compete after school hours or on the weekends.

Lower School Spanish

Lower School students build their communicative competence in the Spanish language through listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural activities. Meaningful communication is achieved through the use of TPR (Total Physical Response), which combines gestures with words to assist with comprehension in young students’ minds. Social studies, science, language arts, and math topics are integrated into Spanish class which help students review academic concepts while also acquiring the Spanish language. Students enjoy creating artwork, singing songs, dramatization, and movement to deepen their understanding of the Spanish language and Spanish-speaking cultures and celebrations.

Lower School Library

Lower School students attend Library class one time every six days, but are welcomed into the Library to explore and check out books several times each week. The school librarians love working with students to help them select diverse books from the robust collection. Lower School Library classes teach library skills, literacy skills, and research skills. Students learn skills needed to enjoy and navigate the library, such as using the catalog to search for books and place holds, checking books in and out, finding books in the library using alphabetical order or call numbers, and why and how books are shelved by topic in libraries. Literacy skills include listening to and learning about many genres and types of books, as well as features of books. Students study award-winning authors and illustrators, and develop an awareness of characteristics unique to selected authors’ or illustrators’ books. Students learn research skills in Library classes that help them conduct research for their classroom projects, Social Studies lessons, and Science classes. Students explore and practice using a variety of print and digital resources, including PebbleGo and WorldBook Online. Our Lower School Librarian partners with classroom teachers to help students develop basic concepts of citing sources in 1st and 2nd Grade, and independently cite sources by 3rd and 4th grade.

Lower School Religion

Our Episcopal identity is at the heart of our school. In addition to attending Chapel service each week, students attend Religion classes . Our Religion class employs the Godly Play curriculum, which is a creative, imaginative, Montessori based approach to religious education. Children explore the mystery of God’s presence, finding direction in their lives, and making meaning through story, wonder, and play. The Godly Play curriculum is a three-year, spiral curriculum. Within this time students explore core stories, expanded core stories, and enrichment stories which continue to stretch our student’s biblical knowledge. Lower School students serve as acolytes or readers in chapel services, roles which they prepare for during Religion class. As part of our Episcopal identity of welcoming other faiths, students learn about other religious observances incorporated throughout the year.

Lower School Music

Lower School students attend Music class two times every six days. Our Lower School music classes follow the Kodály Today curriculum, a sequenced program emphasizing singing, music literacy, and musicianship skills. Musical elements such as pitches and rhythms are prepared, presented, and practiced through a multi-year sequence, allowing students to gain greater literacy skills. Students develop musicianship through singing, playing instruments, movement and folk dancing, using manipulatives, reading music, improvising, composing, and performing. Students perform for the school community at holiday chapel services and spring concerts, and they learn performance skills and audience manners in preparation for these exciting events.

Lower School Computer Science

The Lower School Computer Science course teaches students how to safely and effectively navigate technology devices, how to learn through using technology, how to share their learning using technology, and introduces them to coding. Students participate in lessons about digital citizenship, learning how to be safe, respectful, and responsible online. They learn how to use functions and features of iPads, apps, and websites. Students learn how to use several apps to conduct research, and practice research skills by working on Social Studies or Science projects. Research apps include online encyclopedias, databases, Google Earth, and online books. Students learn a variety of ways to organize and present information using technology. For example, they learn how to use Google Docs, Google Drawing, and Google Slides. They use Wixie to create presentations including both visual and auditory components. Children build their typing skills by participating in the Typing Club Web App Lessons throughout the year. As we move further into technology education, children develop computational thinking skills in preparation for learning to write code and solve other problems.

1st and 2nd Grade Art

1st and 2nd grade students attend art class once every six days, where they learn about artists and art techniques and produce their own art. Some of the elements of art our 1st and 2nd graders learn include line, shape, color, texture, and form, and the principles of design, including emphasis, repetition/pattern, and balance, in nature and human-made environments. Students practice each technique or element they learn, and often create artwork in the style of artists they learn about. In addition, they create seasonal art and have many opportunities to make choices about how or what they create. Students learn creative problem-solving skills and explore a wide variety of art mediums. Each trimester, students will focus on one time period in art history. The 1st trimester will start with the Renaissance. Impressionism will be the focus for the 2nd trimester and Modernism for the last trimester.

Learn more about enrichment courses across the St. Mark's experience.