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Primary & Third Grade

Physical Education

Students learn to develop core motor skills and locomotor patterns

Visual Art

With a teacher’s guidance, students learn to cultivate their ideas from the beginning to the finished project.

Language Arts

Students write with greater skill and independence across all disciplines, considering the task, purpose, and audience for their writing, developing their unique voice.

Math

During math investigations, students practice mental calculations, write equations, solve story problems, play math games, and use a variety of math tools and manipulatives. 

Program Overview

From the moment they transition to the Lombard Building as wide-eyed first graders until they leave third grade confident and excited for the independence of Junior Unit, we foster the social, cognitive and physical growth of our early elementary learners in carefully scaffolded ways. Our Primary (1-2) classrooms are vertically grouped to support the broad developmental range that characterizes this stage of learning, and to intentionally build our children’s capacity to both lead and follow. Then, in third grade, students reassemble as a single grade, consolidate their skills, and begin to employ all they’ve learned to better understand the wider world around them. Throughout these years, thematic integration and collaborative learning are key to keeping students engaged and inspired in their studies.

Learn about Integrated Curriculum

Morning & Closing Meeting

Students expand their  communication skills through sophisticated conversations.  Responsive activities and group discussions provide  opportunities for  respectful communication and collaboration.

Science

Students use tools to hypothesize, work to record and organize data from investigations, interpret observations and report on their findings.

City Classroom

Students explore Philadelphia's cultural resources including the Philadelphia Art Museum.

Outdoor Learning

Students connect classroom topics such as the study of water, exploring the properties of water, the water cycle, and watersheds.

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