Curriculum
Curriculum information
The St. Margaret's Episcopal School curriculum provides young learners with a solid educational foundation through carefully planned instructional goals and objectives. Essential learning skills, cooperative social behavior, appreciation of the arts, good study habits, and physical coordination are sequentially developed for each grade level. Teachers concentrate not only on what students learn but how students learn. We incorporate an active learning approach to learning. This process encourages cooperative learning, oral presentation, problem solving and higher order thinking through classroom discussion and creative writing.
Our curriculum information is noted below. Base curriculum is listed by grade first, then special curricular programs for all grade levels is listed subsequently.
**PRE-KINDERGARTEN**
Our Mission
To provide a learning environment that is developmentally appropriate, stimulating, nurturing, enjoyable, and one that helps children to experience God's abiding love through daily teaching of the word.
Our Philosophy
It is the philosophy and firm belief of St. Margaret's Episcopal School that each child is a unique person with particular needs and abilities. It is our overall goal to encourage the growth of the "whole child" through cognitive, physical, social, and spiritual development. A daily schedule, which includes a balance of teacher-directed and child-directed activities serves to reinforce, enrich and challenge in an environment where each child is respected as an individual.
Our Staff
Each staff member has been carefully selected for educational qualifications and experience in the early childhood field. Equally as important is a loving and genuine interest in young children and the ability to relate this concern to the children. Continual staff growth is encouraged through evaluations, classes, workshops and in-service training.
**GRADES K-5**
Language Arts
Because communication forms much of the basis for a child's success in and out of school, much time is devoted to language arts. Our curriculum is based on the premise that students learn language by using it, writing it, thinking it, and reading it.
The School uses an integrated approach in language arts instruction based on the belief that integrating subjects makes learning more meaningful and, ultimately, more useful. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities are included in all areas of our curriculum (language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, etc.). Our teaching methods and materials vary in order to meet different learning styles. Our students are involved in learning center activities, cooperative projects, and individual assignments.
Reading instruction is taught through whole language experience, with a strong emphasis on phonics and creative writing. Students use a variety of reading materials (basal readers, literature books, big books, poetry, unit-related stories and readers.) Reading for comprehension and interpretation is stressed at all grade levels, as are rules for spelling and grammar. The approach is comprehensive and provides continuity from grade to grade. From researching reports in the library and sharing information orally to writing poetry and participating in plays, our students are given a strong, varied language arts program. St. Margaret's teachers and students work toward a love of language and its uses, and teachers make themselves available to students to meet individual interests and growth in these areas.
Mathematics
In a world demanding various forms of computation and problem solving, mathematics activities are incorporated into all areas of the school day. Learning centers and a wide variety of activities are used daily, allowing teachers to monitor student progress. The specific approach used is Everyday Math, a spiraling experiential math curriculum, beginning in Kindergarten, and supplemented by exercises in building skills. Activities are designed to stress higher order thinking and complex problem solving skills, as well as to develop the ability to transfer and apply skills across various disciplines. Everyday Math is taught.
Social Studies/History/Geography
Students learn through a variety of experiences to understand and appreciate the society in which they live. They begin to extend their horizons to include more of the world, its people, their differences and their similarities. Three major interrelated learning guides our curriculum. Historical literacy, geographic literacy, and civic literacy are the strands that develop a spirit of inquiry and help students become responsible solvers and decision makers. Our program incorporates an international perspective and provides multi-cultural experiences in an authentic and culturally sensitive manner. Learning often takes an imaginative and hands-on dimension when students participate in celebrations, dramatic presentations, and create original projects to share with the school community.
Science
The science program is designed to teach students to observe and understand their world through exploration and through a growing familiarity with the scientific method. Physical, life, and environmental science experiences are taught through a variety of ways. The students investigate and experiment with materials that have been carefully selected to enable them to discover concepts and develop skills. In the colloquium, the teacher encourages students to say what they have discovered in their own words orally, in journals, and research reports.
**MIDDLE SCHOOL**
The St. Margaret's Episcopal School Middle School curriculum is designed to transition students from the self-contained elementary classroom to the departmental structure of a college preparatory high school. We transition students from childhood to young adulthood by providing basic skills through high interest academic content and experiential, hands-on learning.
Language Arts
St. Margaret's Middle School staff is committed to teaching and sequentially developing the essential skills of language-reading, writing, and oral expression. Because so much of a student's education depends on competency and fluency in these skills, the core of the middle school curriculum is focused on them. In developing these skills, students are exposed to literature including the genres of the short story, novel, poetry, play, formal essay and the research paper. We are dedicated to instilling in students a love of reading and developing their abilities to share ideas articulately as well as to listen actively to the contribution of others.
Social Studies/History/Geography
St. Margaret's Episcopal Middle School curriculum is designed to teach students specific historical and geographical knowledge in addition to intellectual, reasoning, reflection, and research skills. Students develop chronological thinking and understanding time related terms such as past, present and future, decade, century, and generation. They demonstrate spatial thinking and can use map and globe skills to determine the absolute location of places and interpret information from the legend, scale, and symbolic representation on maps. They are able to distinguish the differences between research, evidence, and point of view and make historical interpretations about the key events of an era and explain their historical contexts. The emphasis by grade level is:
Grade Six – World History and Geography: Ancient Civilizations
Grade Seven – World History and Geography: Medieval and Early Modern Times
Grade Eight – United States History and Geography: Growth and Conflict
Mathematics
This is a comprehensive curriculum that includes numbers and operations, proportional reasoning, geometry, and probability and data, with a focus on algebraic thinking. The specific approach used is Pre-Algebra/Geometry, an integrated mathematics course in grade six; Algebra I-A, linear equations and inequalities in grade seven; and Algebra I-B, exponential functions and quadratic equations in grade eight. Dividing the Algebra I curriculum over two years allows more time for: remediation or enrichment, to practice acquired skills, and to do “hands-on” applications. At the end of grade eight, students have learned the content of a first year algebra course. They have learned to express functions using variables and to graph these functions. They know how to use variables to set up and solve equations, how to factor polynomials, and to understand the origin and use of the quadratic formula.
Science
The science program is designed to teach students to observe their world and to understand that scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful explorations. Students learn concepts of earth, life, and physical science through experiences, experiments, reading, and research. We believe that our students are capable of and deserving of a science education that will prepare them for a productive future in a technological society. With our commitment to learning science by doing science comes the responsibility to provide for the safety of students as they learn, and to instill in them responsibility, development, and practice of sound safety procedures and methodology. The focus by grade level is:
Grade six – Earth Science
Grade seven – Life Science
Grade eight – Physical Science
Study Skills
Instruction in study skills is integrated into all academic subjects. Specific instruction in effective study techniques, time management, organization, test taking, note taking, group work, memorization, and preparation for high school and college entry assessments is included. The goal of the study skills curriculum is to have each student understand his or her learning style and how to become an active, strategic learner.
SPECIAL CURRICULAR PROGRAMS PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE EIGHT
Chapel
Each Wednesday morning begins with a Chapel service in St. Margaret's Episcopal Church. During these services, which are led by a School Chaplain, assisted by students from grades 3-8, students are exposed to the Bible as the history of the Judeo-Christian heritage, the teachings of Jesus as the basis of the Christian faith, the awareness of the needs of others, our relationship with God, and the concept of God's unconditional love for each of us. Our chapel services are intended to provide our students with the basic building blocks of our faith and to under gird the religious education they may receive in their homes. Chapel services include hymn singing, formal and informal prayers, scriptures, and lessons. Students and school personnel are required to attend chapel, and families and friends are encouraged to attend these services with their children. Dress uniform is required for Chapel services. Brownie, Cub, Boy and Girl Scout uniforms are acceptable Chapel Day attire.
Religious Education
St. Margaret's Episcopal School incorporates a recognition of our students’ unique attributes, physical well being, and need for healthy social relationships. Students are encouraged to explore new areas of learning and to participate in new activities. Weekly classes in Christian education and ethical behavior are taught by the Rector and Associate Rectors of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church. The core values of respect, responsibility, honesty, integrity, justice, and compassion as described in scripture are discussed and related to current happenings in the students’ lives. Development of tolerance, personal integrity, self-esteem, good sportsmanship, and a respect for the rights and interests of others is considered essential to the growth process.
Computer Education/Technology
Technology is integrated into all aspects of a St. Margaret's Episcopal School education, beginning in kindergarten. Each classroom is equipped with several computers, and the students have periodic sessions with a computer specialist who works with the classroom teacher to support the curriculum. Students are scheduled in a technology lab where all classes K-8 will learn appropriate skills and programs to enhance their learning experiences. The integration of technology and curriculum within the school's learning environment is important. We recognize the importance of teaching children to use technology in a manner consistent with the highest ethical standards. St. Margaret's Episcopal School complies with all copyright laws. Students are expected to follow all classroom/school rules regarding computer and Internet use. Parents and students will be expected to sign an agreement to abide by all classroom/school rules regarding computer and Internet use.
Foreign Language
Spanish is introduced in Kindergarten and taught twice weekly through middle school. In grades Pre-K to three, the program is total immersion in the Spanish language; an introduction to reading, writing, and geography en Espanol continues in grades four through eight.
Physical Education
St. Margaret's physical education program fosters opportunities for students to develop their potential for physical movement in a variety of ways, psychomotor, cognitive, and affective, not merely in the restrictions imposed by a particular sport, game, or exercise. Three times a week, physical education classes give students the opportunity to develop their skills for a lifetime of healthy activities and use.
Art and Music
The aesthetic aspect of a young person's education fosters a positive self-image, encourages self-expression and conveys the idea that each individual should be a creative part of his/her culture. Music and art are not considered enrichment or add-on activities; they are basic to St. Margaret's well-rounded education for life. The music program is multi-faceted and taught by a professional musician; the art program is incorporated into the curriculum and taught by the classroom teachers.
Library
The Nordstrom campus library is an essential part of the St. Margaret's School curriculum, and library skills are taught weekly by our Resource Specialist. As a resource center, the library helps integrate the curriculum. Its homey atmosphere welcomes students and encourages them to become independent and confident readers.
All Pre-K to Grade 5 classes are scheduled into the library at least once a week to receive library instruction and check out books. Literature appreciation and information search skills are cooperatively planned and integrated with classroom assignments. Students are encouraged to use the library at any unscheduled time, including lunch recess, when the specialist is present.
Books may be checked out for one week and renewed for an additional week. Students with overdue books will receive written notice and depending on the circumstances, may have checkout privileges suspended. If a book is lost or damaged, there are two options: replace the book with a new identical copy, or pay the cost of replacement.
Field Trips
Developmentally appropriate field trips are among the most valuable learning experiences students have and are part of every grade level at St. Margaret's Episcopal School. Throughout the School we emphasize the study of science and art, and field trips naturally enrich these studies. The purpose of every trip is to extend the classroom curriculum. Each trip must have a clear educational purpose which is related to the curriculum, be appropriate content for the age of the students, be of reasonable length considering the age of the students, and not be a unique experience for a majority of the students. Sometimes, parents assist with the field trips by driving students or taking responsibility for chaperoning a group of students on a field trip. Parents who want to drive on a field trip for their child's grade should fill out a Volunteer Driver Form authorizing a confidential DMV screening and insurance confirmation.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
While not a formal course or program, the process of problem solving goes on each day. The school environment is a problem-solving laboratory. Learning centers, special projects, and myriad forms of activities require students, under the caring guidance of teachers, to find solutions to problems and learn to develop their self-confidence as independent learners. Crucial for this form of ongoing problem solving is the notion that students enjoy the process and that they should feel safe when they make mistakes.
Assemblies
Monthly assemblies are held in Karns Hall. These are educational assemblies, conducted and presented by the students of each grade for the entire student body. Some of our assemblies will focus on the core values (respect, responsibility, honesty, integrity, justice, compassion) of St. Margaret's School. At other assemblies, themes, units of study, or field trip experiences will be the topic. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend.
St. Margaret's Episcopal School Student Council
The goals for this group are:
v To enrich the school life of our student body
v To enhance the development of students through leadership opportunities
v To enhance the development of students through participation in school and community service
v To enhance the development of faith-based attitudes and value.
The student council will be composed of room representatives from grades three through eight. Officers are elected in the fall. Offices include but may not be limited to: President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, and Coordinator of Student Activities. Middle School Teacher, Rod Schrag, will be the advisor. The student council meetings, which will be presided over by the President, with minutes taken by the elected Secretary, will be held regularly and will follow Robert's Rules of Order during its business meetings.
St. Margaret's Episcopal School Community Service Program
Community service habits and attitudes should be instilled in the early childhood years. St. Margaret's students are incredibly privileged, and we must help them to develop an awareness and a sense of gratitude and responsibility for their many privileges, not the least of which is their opportunity to be a part of SMES. We are working with the church's outreach ministry to identify developmentally appropriate community service projects for our students. We welcome your suggestions and support.
St. Margaret's Episcopal School consistently exceeds the expectations of parents and students. We invite you to visit our campus to discuss your child's education future or email us at school@stmargarets.org.