Lower School 10.2021

Lower School 10.2021

ANN AND NATE LEVINE ACADEMY JANET AND JEFFREY BECK LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K-4 CURRICULUM GUIDE

MISSION STATEMENT Ann & Nate Levine Academy is an inclusive, dynamic, Jewish day school which fosters leadership, creativity, critical thinking, and Jewish values while empowering its students with integrity, self-confidence, and intellectual curiosity. EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

Critical Thinking

Community

Global Citizenship

Preparatory Curriculum

Creativity

Confidence

Collaboration

Zionism

Growth Mindset

Commitment

GRADES K-4 CURRICULUM GUIDE Ann and Nate Levine Academy offers an innovative curriculum combining the best of both general and Jewish studies. Our curriculum is based on recognized models of excellence and is continuously reviewed and informed by extensive research. Based practice instruction, state-of-the-art technology, fully equipped science labs, and individualized attention ensure our students’ success academically, emotionally and spiritually. Students cultivate their study skills, critical thinking, and creativity every day: at the computer, in Social Studies and Math classes, during reading, Language Arts and library, and in the study of Torah and Jewish tradition. Levine Academy is committed to creating a welcoming atmosphere of diversity. Teachers and students reflect different traditions of Jewish observance and share a variety of skills and interests. Teaching is tailored to each child’s needs and strengths, not to a class average. This allows children to move ahead in areas of strength and to receive additional attention in areas of need. Our approach fosters self-confidence and promotes success. CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS At Ann and Nate Levine Academy, development of the whole child is essential. We encourage our students to explore and achieve expertise in a wide variety of enrichment activities both during the school day and after school. Our curriculum includes studio art, art appreciation, music appreciation, Hebrew music, band instruction and choir. The P.E. classes from K through 8 emphasize the acquisition and expansion of basic athletic skills, responsible play and competition, while teaching students healthy choices and preparing them for interscholastic and intramural sports.

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JUSTICE CITIZENSHIP HOLINESS RESPECT INTEGRITY RESPONSIBILITY CARING

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF BECK LOWER SCHOOL The Janet and Jeffrey Beck Lower School curriculum is designed to foster academic excellence and meet individual needs, nurturing each student’s natural curiosity and sense of wonder. Motivated from within, our children acquire a sense of self and accomplishment that allow for experiences of creativity, independent study, choice, and responsibility. These experiences are reinforced through warm, disciplined classroom environments and loving teachers devoted to enhancing each child’s personal development. Embracing the sciences, mathematics, the humanities, Hebrew language and Jewish studies, the arts, and physical and health education, our curriculum integrates material taught within each grade and across the grade levels. In this way, we lay the foundation for a liberal education and lifetime love of learning. Through emphasis on critical and intuitive thinking, as well as analysis and creative problem-solving, our children acquire the intellectual independence essential to succeed in a world of accelerating change. Differentiated instruction designed to meet the learning needs of each individual student begins during the Lower School years as learning specialists, counselors, and classroom teachers work toward developing Individual Learning Plans. Students are stretched to meet their maximum potential in academics, the arts, and as individuals. Emphasis is placed on social responsibility within the school community and the community at large.

3 LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K- 4 | CURRICULUM GUIDE

KINDERGARTEN OVERVIEW In Kindergarten, it is our goal to provide a stimulating, nurturing learning environment where children are encouraged to work toward being independent. They are encouraged to develop self-awareness, interpersonal skills and responsible behaviors, which will enable them to be successful in school and life. LITERACY The students develop literacy skills that enable them to progress in reading, comprehension, and writing. Early in the year, the main focus is on phonological awareness and phonemic instruction. Once these early reading skills have been mastered, the reading instruction is student-centered through small groups using the Collaborative Classroom Curriculum. As a student’s reading fluency develops, they shift their attention to comprehension and making inferences. During this literacy block, the students are working independently on Word Work and Writing, including sight words and rule-based spelling. In Kindergarten, the students are introduced to Writers Workshop. They learn the beginning aspects of writing, including how-to, informational, and fiction writing. MATHEMATICS Levine Academy’s Beck Lower School has adopted the Everyday Math Fourth Edition program. This comprehensive program teaches basic math skills in a real world context, encouraging learners to think conceptually and mathematically. Students are encouraged to reason through problems and engage themselves in a wide variety of math related activities. The curriculum includes diverse concepts such as number sense, introduction to number stories, non-standard units of measure, 3-D shapes, addition, and subtraction. The program itself provides opportunities for differentiation at every level while still teaching within the range of one concept or skill. The Kindergarten thematic units are social studies and science-based, with a variety of topics that interest kindergarten aged children. These units of study range from historical characters to life science. During these units, the students participate in read aloud books, informational technology and hands-on projects to help themdevelop a deeper understanding of the subject. Additionally, kindergarteners visit the lower school science lab twice a week and have instruction with our lower school science teacher. Kindergarten is a year of exponential growth and maturity. While academics is a big focus, it is just as important to teach the students skills that will help them be successful throughout their school careers. Children are encouraged to be the best version of themselves as we learn to problem solve and show compassion in our relationships. STEM The STEM-based science curriculum follows the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) thematic model using bundles to pique the curiosity and interests of each student scientist. We dive into the year by asking questions to anchor discourse in three main natural sciences: life, earth, and physical. While in the science lab students will learn to code and program robots, build new model habitats for animals needing human support, learn better ways to dispose of waste and forces/motion. Students carry out investigations inside the lab, the makerspace, and in our outdoor learning areas. The students attend class twice weekly.

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JEWISH STUDIES/HEBREW Chalav U’Dvash program imparts basic knowledge of spoken Hebrew that will also build a foundation for future study of the language. The program develops children’s ability to communicate in Hebrew, by providing them with a variety of opportunities and incentives to use the linguistic patterns and vocabulary acquired in the program, connects Hebrew to everyday social situations related to the children’s experiences in the home, at school, in encounters with friends and holiday celebrations, makes Hebrew a source of pleasure for the children and involves the entire family in the learning experience. JEWISH HOLIDAYS Art projects, songs, stories, class celebrations and cooking experiences will help give your child an understanding and appreciation of the stories and symbols of each of the major Jewish holidays. TORAH The students will learn Jewish values through Biblical Stories from Creation to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and explore them during class discussions and dramatic play. PRAYERS The students will be introduced to many of the basic prayers of the daily morning service and Friday evening Shabbat service. FIRST GRADE OVERVIEW First Grade is a year of tremendous academic, emotional and social growth. Our primary goal for our first graders is that they receive the foundation they need to be successful 21st century learners. To achieve this goal we strive to teach them to be positive contributors to collaborative conversations, independent, curious students, critical thinkers who strive to have a deeper understanding of material learned, and responsible members of our community who show respect for themselves and others. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS The core of our language arts instruction is the Being a Reader program developed by the nonprofit learning organization, Center for the Collaborative Classroom. The goals of our work are to provide our students opportunities and skills to become confident readers, independent learners and caring members of a classroom community. The program’s academic strands provide students with a wide range of essential early literacy experiences. These strands combine to inspire the students’ love of reading, allow them to move at their own pace along a continuum of reading development, build their confidence, and establish their sense of identity as readers. The students participate in differentiated small group instruction that allows them to move at their own pace in their reading development. This work, as well as the instruction that takes place in whole-class lessons, provides many experiences using strategies to read and understand text. The students also utilize the Writer’s Workshop model developed by The Teacher’s College at Columbia University. The workshop model provides time for a mini-lesson, guided practice, independent active engagement, and collaboration/reflection.

5 LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K- 4 | CURRICULUM GUIDE

The Character Tree is a new educational video series that focuses on Social/Emotional Development. It was designed for children in grades K-3. It emphasizes positive character traits through engaging discussions, examples, role modeling and hands-on materials. It features people like Jane Goodall, Mister Rogers and Rosa Parks to teach kindness, bravery, integrity, gratitude and perseverance. The curriculum is designed to help the students to understand the importance of being a good citizen and an active member of their community. MATHEMATICS Levine Academy’s Beck Lower School has adopted the Everyday Math program. This comprehensive program teaches basic math skills in a real world context, encouraging learners to think mathematically. Students are encouraged to reason through problems and to engage themselves in a wide variety of math related activities. The curriculum includes operations and algebraic thinking, number and operations in base ten, measurement and >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16

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