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The Garden Street and John F. Kennedy Elementary Schools work diligently to assure that a common curriculum is taught to all Brewster Central School students in grades K - 3.
The Language Arts Program teaches students to function as contributing members of society by effectively communicating information and ideas through written and oral modes, as well as comprehend information and ideas through reading, listening, and viewing. With literature as the core, reading, writing, and oral communication are taught in concert and are mutually reinforced. Students will come to value these processes as tools for clarifying, expressing, and learning new ideas in all curricular areas.
The writing program has students writing on a range of topics for a variety of purposes and audiences. They are also taught to how to use appropriate organizational patterns for a written work as a strategy for constructing meaning. The recursive stages of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising and editing, serve as a road map.
In Mathematics, K-3 students are instructed to move beyond basic arithmetic and develop higher-order critical thinking skills. Teachers instruct students to have a greater understanding of and proficiency in mathematics than traditional programs require.
Kindergarten through second grade students are being instructed using The Everyday Mathematics Program. This is a research-based program that uses a problem solving and a rigorous approach that is aligned with the New York State Mathematics Standards and Assessments. Third grade teachers have received initial training and will implement the program in the 2002-2003 school year.
Since our children will spend their adult lives in the twenty-first century, the Social Studies curriculum becomes increasingly important. Changes in our society and the larger world place new and increasing demands on our nation and its citizens. It is imperative that young Americans acquire a broader, more comprehensive and connected understanding of historical and contemporary human affairs. The Social Studies curriculum nurtures this understanding in our students.
The science program at the elementary level uses an inquiry-based model. A variety of programs are used, including SCIS-3 and Science 21 to enhance learning. The programs are supported with non-fiction literature to broaden topic discussions. The children begin to learn aspects of scientific method through experiments they carry out in class. Observations and documentation are extremely important aspects of the program. These are recorded as pictures, observations, procedures, tests and conclusions in scientific journals, which children maintain. Children leave grade three with an understanding of scientific concepts, vocabulary and reasoning skills.
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