TK-5 Program

Our TK-5th Grade Experience Offers:

A flexible environment for learning where children are encouraged to observe, research, problem-solve and cooperate.
Innovative hands-on teaching and field trips to enrich the learning experience.
Frequent opportunities for students to exercise choice within planned learning activities.
Small group work sessions planned throughout the day.
The full resources of the Cupertino Union School District, including weekly music instruction

Lower School Experiences

Our Kindergarteners through 3rd graders all participate in enriching activities that follow the California Common Core Curriculum and our Integrated learning philosophy.

Every day students participate in:

Circle Time: To greet one another, talk about the question of the day and bring ideas to the group.
Math: Students are engaged in problem-solving using hands on techniques and real world examples.
Reading and Writing: Students are engaged in book clubs, read-alouds, and sharing stories they have authored.

Every week students participate in:

Cooking
Art
Science
Stegel
Gardening
Social Studies
Creative Explorations
Music
P.E.

Examples of Integrated Curriculum

TK: Me, You and Family

TK【Me, You and Family】

Transitional Kindergarten students work on a play-based project designed to foster a sense of community, self-awareness, and a sense of belonging. Children explore their identities, relationships, and the diverse backgrounds of their peers through various interactive activities. We start our unit with class discussions about what we want to know and how we are going to get there.

Math	Counting letters in names, family members Comparing quantities through graphing Measuring body parts Graphing data about body attributes and favorites
Science	Comparing and contrasting similarities and differences between themselves and others Using tools such as graphs and standard and non-standard units of measure Defining problems during class discussions
Reading	Songs and rhymes Following along when the teacher points to the words Discussing stories
Writing	Dictating thoughts and ideas about themselves and their families Interviewing parents Writing names and labeling
Social-Emotial	Identifying their features in stories being read Choosing from skin-colored crayons to represent themselves with paint, crayons, etc. Confidence when reflecting on things they are good at
Physical Motor Skills	Bean bag toss to learn names Fine motor manipulation in art: making clay names, painting/drawing self-portraits
Social Studies	Listening to stories about cultures, skin, self, and families Trying different cultural foods through sharing feast Sign making- All are Welcome

Kindergarten: Post Office

Kindergarten【Post Office】

Kindergarteners spend a few weeks creating mailboxes, preparing Valentine cards for each classmate, and operating a bank and post office. They get coins from the bank to buy stamps at the post office to place on each Valentine's card. Then the cards are sorted and delivered by different postal workers. Every child gets a chance to work in each role over the course of the post office operation.

Math	Buying stamps Number recognition of addresses Counting, sorting
Art	Decorating mailboxes Decorating cards
Reading	Names and numbers, Notes from friends
Writing	Names and address numbers of all classmates and teachers
Social-Emotional	Decorating cards based on what their friends like, inclusion Children are asked to make similar cards for each friend, thanking each person for their card Looking at friends face-to-face and saying thank you
Physical Motor Skills	Walking to the USPS mailbox near the school
Social Studies	Experience the postal system

1st Grade: Land Animals

1st Grade【Land Animals】

First Grade students spend several weeks studying land animals. Topics for research include habitats, prey and predators, life cycles, land zones, diets, and more. Students present a report, a clay figure, a detailed drawing, and a crafted diorama of land animal habitats. Their oral presentation is made to parents and peers in small groups followed by answering questions.

Math	Measure and compare the size of animals Scale figures of the animals
Science	Research habitats, prey and predators, diets, life cycles
Reading	Research includes reading and comprehension
Writing	Write rough drafts and edit Create final drafts
Social-Emotional	Practice oral presentations with their peers Ask each other questions about their presentations and provide feedback to each other
Physical Motor Skills	Shaping and molding clay model of the animal Drawing the animal, life cycle
Art	Creating a diorama of the animal habitat Shadow art project of land animals

2nd Grade: Ocean Animals

2nd Grade【Ocean Animals】

Second Grade students spend several weeks studying ocean animals. Topics for research include habitats, prey and predators, life cycles, ocean zones, diets, and more. They present a report, a poster board, a clay figure, and a large paper-stuffed ocean animal. Their oral presentation is made to parents and peers in small groups, followed by answering questions.

Math	Measure and compare the size of animals Scale drawings and figures of the animals, depths of ocean zones
Science	Research Habitats, prey and predators, life cycle, ocean zones, diets
Reading	Research includes reading and comprehension
Writing	Write rough drafts and edit Create final drafts
Social-Emotional	Practice oral presentations with their peers Ask each other questions about their presentations and provide feedback to each other
Physical Motor Skills	Shaping and molding clay model of the animal Drawing the animal, life cycle, prey & predators
Art	Creating a Triorama of the animal habitat Creating large-sized, stuffed paper models of their ocean animals Shadow art project of ocean animals

3rd grade: pioneer day

3rd Grade【Pioneer Day】

Third-grade students help the history of the pioneers come alive. Students are grouped in small teams to pretend to be pioneers. In parallel, students read Historical fiction set in the pioneer period. The grand finale is Pioneer Day. Students dress in period costumes and spend the day trying their hand at chores and games typical of the time.

Math	Calculating the cost of supplies for their mock journey Comparing the cost to the allotted budget
Science	Cooking - making jam, butter and bread Gardening - growing and harvesting wheat to make bread
Reading	First-person accounts of kids making the journey along the California Trail with their families in the eighteen hundreds.
Writing	Create a request for a plot of land to the mock Town Council
Social-Emotional	Negotiating and compromising with teammates Taking turns to make decisions
Physical Motor Skills	Dress in period costumes Churning butter, stamping leather, making straw dolls
Social Studies	Simulate emigrant wagon groups Determine their familial roles and occupations based on the research

4th grade: gold country

4th Grade 【Gold Country Trip】

4th-grade students spend a few weeks learning about the California Gold Rush of the mid-eighteen hundreds. The grand finale is an immersive 4-night, 5-day field trip to Gold Country. On the field trip, students visit various gold mines and caves, in addition to a Native American archeological site and several state parks.

Math	Calculating the cost of mining supplies and earnings from claims
Science	Research on the impact of the Gold Rush on the population, economics, politics, and environment of California Geography - the variety of the routes prospectors chose
Reading	Historical fiction set in the Gold Rush days
Writing	Recording the research results
Social- Emotional	Negotiating and compromising with teammates Caring for homesick friends
Physical Motor Skills	Hiking through state parks Pan for gold in Woods Creek
Social Studies	Simulated mining activities in small teams

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