Grades 3-4
What Do We Offer Students in Grades 3-4?
A sense of belonging in a vibrant community of learners
- Friends older and younger in a close-knit community
- Adults who know them well and enjoy their zest for life
- The cultivation of curiosity and creativity
- Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship
- Generous amounts of time to explore the natural environment
A bridge between early learning and academic independence
- An overall approach to learning and teaching that expects and enjoys individual differences, and that allows children to develop foundational skills in the context of following their natural desire to ask, explore, and create
- Science learning through hands-on inquiry outside and inside, critical thinking, observational drawing, increased writing, and stewardship. Year One: Plant ecology near and far, properties of matter, and simple machines. Year Two: Animal ecology near and far, reading the environment of Casco Bay, circuits and pathways.
- English Language Arts with a strong and continuous emphasis on writing and critical thinking; vocabulary development; reading skills solidified and broadened; discussion and interpretation of a wide variety of literature, including nonfiction and Junior Great Books; reader's theater, novel exploration, information skills, handwriting, and spelling.
- Social Studies that actively explores Maine's geography, history, and economy in Year One; and landforms, United States geography, and our 50 states in Year Two.
- Mathematics that balances the introduction and practice of core concepts and operations through games and hands-on activities with the mastery of basic multiplication and division facts and real-life application in cooperative and creative problem-solving.
- Foreign Language: American Sign Language and Spanish.
- Art instruction that combines the playful exploration of different materials and media with the introduction of skills, techniques, and perspectives of current and past artists.
- Music literacy in rhythm, melody, ear training, composition, and movement in an active, fun, and creative context.
- Physical Education and Health promoting enjoyment of movement and habits for healthy lifestyle; outdoor running and fitness, sportsmanship, ball skills, game strategy and teamwork, coordination and balance.
