Our Engaging Curriculum

Grades 1&2

Mondays through Thursdays at 4:00-4:45 pm we read, discuss, and create art. We are reading a potpourri of classic children’s stories ranging from works like The Lorax by Dr. Seuss to stories like  The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. We also will have local author, Christina Trudden, reading her book “Billy and Gracie: Unplugged Adventures” with us in mid-July. 

Grades 3&4

Mondays through Thursdays we read, discuss, and create art. The first book we are reading is The Name Of This Book Is Secret  by Pseudonymous Bosch. Next, we will aim to read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a mystery by E. L. Konigsburg, which is a beloved novel and winner of the 1968 Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature. 

Grades 5-8

Mondays and Wednesdays are reserved for reading. The first book we are reading is Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. Next, we will aim to read New Kid, a graphic novel by Jerry Craft, which won the 2020 Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award. 

Tuesdays and Thursdays are meant for creative writing. Students will be exploring poetry, satire, speeches, and a number of other literary formats to expose them to a wide breadth of writing styles and voices in an effort to stimulate their own voices. Some sample lessons included reading Nikki Giovanni’s poem, Knoxville, Tennessee, and then having students write their own poems about summer, and watching a TED Talk from a child prodigy called, “What adults can learn from kids,” and having students brainstorm and discuss what they might be able to teach the adults in their lives.