At The School at Columbia, our Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students are learning about themselves, their families and their community. The Primary Division program focuses on building a strong foundation for all aspects of learning, and developing skills necessary for school success. We teach literacy and math within a context of a conceptual, integrated, multi-disciplinary curriculum. The commitment to nurturing the young child is reflected in small classes with two teachers per class. Getting to know each child well is a priority for teachers in this division. Before the first day of school, each child is visited by her/his teachers at home or is invited to the classroom for a visit.
The school year begins with activities that help students build classroom routines and structures, while achieving a sense of community with their classmates and environment. Teachers build relationships with students a variety of ways, getting to know their interests, personalities, family dynamics, and learning styles in addition to their academic skills through individual assessments of literacy and math. At several points throughout the year, teachers collect data on each student in order to differentiate instruction of foundational academic skills for a diverse range of learning styles and backgrounds. Learning objectives for each grade level that are appropriate for the developmental needs of the age are a mainstay of the Primary Division.
We celebrate friendship every day and look forward to buddy time with our older class partners. We buddy skate in Central Park, buddy read in each other’s classrooms, and host the Grade 4-8 students to celebrate the 100th day of school. Our children are devoted to community service. We harvest pennies in the fall, collect food for the soup kitchen, plant flowers in the spring and participate in family service day with our friends and families. We have a K-2 roundtable where young philanthropists consider carefully where to donate harvest funds. Being in the Primary Division is like being part of one large extended family where each member is recognized and appreciated every day.
Kathryn Kaiser
Primary Division Director