Lower Elementary Experience
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF LOWER ELEMENTARY
| TIME | EARLY YEARS 3 - 4 | KINDERGARTEN | GRADE 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:50 - 8:00 | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival |
| 8:05 - 10:15 | Morning Meetings Play and Inquiry |
Morning Meetings Literacy Mathematics |
Morning Meetings Literacy - Reading Literacy - Writing |
| 10:15 -10:35 | Break | Break | Break |
| 10:40 - 12:00 | Specialist Lesson | Specialist Lesson | Mathematics |
| 12:00 - 13:10 | Lunch/ Break | Specialist Lesson | Unit of Inquiry |
| 12:20 - 13:10 | Rest | Lunch/ Break | Lunch/ Break |
| 13:10 - 14:00 | Play and Inquiry | Unit of Inquiry Play-based Learning |
Specialist Lessons |
| Dismissal at 14:00 (Optional, paid-for after school childcare until 15.30)* |
Dismissal at 15:30 | Dismissal at 15:3 |
*After school childcare is a paid optional extra service we offer. We strongly recommend children go home at 14.00 and we understand that for some families having siblings going home together is preferable. Our young EY3 students take a few weeks to settle before they can stay till 15.30. We recommend that extending a student’s day till 15.30 is done in consultation with your child’s teacher. During after school childcare, the children are looked after by our Teaching Assistants in the safe environment of the Early Childhood Centre. They are able to play and relax during the 1.5 hours of childcare; no curriculum or lessons are taught during this time.
FOOD
Food is an important part of Lower Elementary and lunch times are a key part of a child’s learning experience. Our children relish lunch times where they sit around tables, eat a nutritious meal freshly made from the School Canteen or food brought from home. They enjoy chatting with one another and learn to be independent by serving themselves.
In Early Years 3-4 and Kindergarten, students enjoy family style lunch in the ECC and in Grade 1, the children have lunch in the main canteen with the other Elementary School students.
The menu is rotated every 4 weeks so the children enjoy a wide variety of tasty foods and dishes from around the world. There is always a hot meat and vegetarian option to cater for different dietary requirements.
BUDDY PROGRAMME
Every other week, the Elementary School comes alive with students visiting each other as part of our Buddy Programme. A highlight of the elementary schedule, the Buddy Programme, involves older Elementary students being paired with younger ones. Students in Upper Elementary, Grades 2 - 5, take the role of being older buddies with children in Early Years 3 - 4 to Grade 1.
The older children develop leadership skills, responsibility and taking pride in their ability to be helpful whilst the younger children have role models whom they can look up to and follow their behaviour. Activities may range from shared reading, collaborating on projects, cross-grade units of inquiry and working with technology.
