RO CKY HILL SCHO OL
L o w e r S C H OO L
L o w er S cho o l M i S S i O N The Rocky Hill Lower School offers students in Preschool through Grade 5 an opportunity to learn in a positive, nurturing, and safe environment. Our goal is to educate the mind, body, and spirit of young children and to excite them about the process of learning. The aim of our activity-based curriculum is to— • develop confident, independent learners through a strong, traditional academic program • Build character and develop responsible community members • offer students a broad exposure to the visual and performing arts • encourage children to be physically fit and to help them learn how to maintain healthy lifestyles • Promote children’s ability to be creative problem-solvers Our students participate in small classes, receive individual attention, and have the unique opportunity to use the school’s woodlands and waterfront as a classroom. We feel that a strong partnership between home and school is essential to the development of purposeful and successful students.
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“We fell in love with the S chool on our first visit. The individual attention our children receive is extraordinary. The commitment of the Lower S chool teachers has fostered a love of learning in our children, and for this we are most grateful.” —Katie Adelstein, parent
Academics For the youngest children, an outstanding school must both nurture and inspire. Children deserve the inspiration of a vibrant learning environment. They also need to know how much we care and value them as individuals. The goal of the Lower School at Rocky Hill is to educate the mind, body, and spirit of our young children as we motivate each child to explore new ideas, build self-confidence, excel academically, and gain enthusiasm for school. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the Lower School teaches the academic skills and knowledge that lead to success. Reading, writing, math, critical thinking skills, creativity, and scientific discovery are key building blocks to learning in our small classes. The children participate in foreign language, visual and performing arts, technology, and physical education as well as community service projects. It’s a small school with a global perspective.
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Lower School trAditions
“ L i t e racy is th e core of o u r L o w e r Sch ool program. Te ache rs are en th usiastic and p as s ion ate about g i vi ng s t u den ts th e sk ills t he y ne e d t o be successf ul re ade rs , writers, an d t hi n k ers. ” —NiKi STANLeY, Literacy coordinator
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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Arts week Book Fair enviroed (Grade 4 & 5) Family spring dance Field day Grandfriends’ day Great impressions Program Halloween Parade interdisciplinary week Kite day lower school musical mariners’ Bowl multicultural story tellers narragansett Puddles Poem of the week reading Buddies spirit week student talent showcase thanksgiving Food drive Veterans’ day winter Breakfast writers’ celebration
in the Lower School, enrichment activities spice up each day. A second-grade unit on insects culminates in the students’ creating their own stop-action animated film. each fifth grader “buys, trades, and tracks” a personal portfolio of stocks and bonds. Spanish begins in Kindergarten. The children regularly publish their own collection of stories, poems, and essays. educational intrigue and challenge are heightened by special opportunities such as the Lower School Musical, the Student Talent Showcase, waterfront discoveries, and dissecting sharks.
e X P e R i e N T i A L learning • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Boston museum of Fine Arts ellis island Florence Griswold museum Haffenreffer museum isabella stewart Gardner museum Jamestown estuaries massachusetts state House middletown Butterfly Farm new York city tenement museum Pequot museum rhode island state House roger williams Park Zoo Plimoth Plantation Providence city Hall salem, massachusetts slater mill smith’s castle
“M y girls are excited about goin g to sch ool ev ery d ay. T h ey f eel th eir th ough ts matter an d th eir id eas matter. T h ey k n ow th at th eir teach ers really listen an d care about th em as people. ” —MeG STOWe, parent
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“ My c h i ld r e n h ave acqu i re d a g re at l ov e of learn in g at Ro c k y H i ll. I t ’s w o nde rfu l t o s e e yo u r ch ild ren so excited a nd e n e r gi z e d a b o u t l e arni ng . My t hi rd grad e son said h e w ant s t o g o t o c o l l e g e t h ere. ” —trAcie seed, parent
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TeCHNOLOGY highlights • Kindergarten: interactive computer reading and writing programs foster readiness skills • First Grade: iPod program enhances reading and comprehension skills • second Grade: creating story boards, scripts, and stop-action films cultivates imagination • Third Grade: Keyboarding skills enhance the writing process • Fourth Grade: reading blogs continue learning conversations throughout the year • Fifth Grade: social studies PowerPoint presentations and animations heighten understanding of complex concepts
“Lower School te a c h e r s r e c o gn ize the i n d i sp e n sa bl e c o n n e c t i o n o f the a r ts i n e d u c a t i ng the w h o le c h i ld. W e e n d e a vo r t o f ul ly i n t e gr a te the a r t s i n t o al l c l a s s r o o m su b j e ct s . In th e se c o n d grade , o ur s t u d y o f f a b l e s c ulm i n a t e s i n a m us ic a l p r o d u c t i o n ba s e d o n A e so p’s w o r ks, a n d o u r s tud y o f i n se c t s i s e xpa n d e d t h r o u gh the p r o d u c t i o n o f thr e e - d i m e n si o n al c r ea t u r e s i n a rt c la ss.”
t he A rts Art is the language of a child’s thought. The main objective of the art program in the Lower School is to develop the freedom to explore and experiment with subject matter and materials. Art lessons are structured to help students develop flexibility in their thinking and in their imagination. The Lower School music program is designed to instill a love of music. Students are exposed to music of all cultures through singing, listening to recorded music, dancing, and playing of musical instruments. Opportunities for students to perform on stage are an integral part of the program. Throughout the year, field trips to concerts and the opera enrich our students’ understanding and appreciation of music and the performing arts.
—Jack Crow,
second grade teacher
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“ R e c e ss i s a n e s s e nt i al c o m p o ne nt o f our sch ool d ay. It p r o vi d e s st u de nt s t he o p p o rt u ni t y f or much - n eed ed un st r u c t u r e d p l ay w hi l e ho ni ng t heir social sk ills. S tud e n t s o f t e n cho o s e fro m t he ri c h array of activ ities t h e y h a ve e x p e ri e nc e d i n t he i r PE classes. R ecess c o m p le m e n t s the S cho o l ’s co m m i t m e nt to citizen sh ip, s c h o la r sh i p , and s p o rt s m ans hi p , and giv es stud en ts an e n vi r o n m e nt t o p ract i c e t he s e core v alues. ” —sUe wood, physical education teacher
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A thl e t i cs Rocky Hill School’s physical education program is an essential part of the total educational experience and fulfills the School’s mission to educate each child’s mind, body, and spirit. Physical education allows each student the opportunity to grow in the affective, cognitive, and psychomotor areas of development. Focus is placed on the teaching of skills, the acquisition of knowledge, a positive attitude towards self and others, and the benefits of physical fitness for life. This program emphasizes good sportsmanship at all times, while allowing each student to progress at his or her own pace. The basis for all lessons is to encourage each student to achieve his or her personal best and to find joy in being physically active. In June, Field Day occurs for all Lower School students (Preschool—Grade 5). The day consists of individual and team events, and ribbons are presented to all. Traditional activities include the hippity-hop race, high jump, 400m run, and tug-of-war, all of which provide fun and enjoyment for each student as a culminating event for the year.
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our EN V IRONMENT At this age, children learn to be keen observers through outdoor exploration and experimentation. Rocky Hill’s beautiful, 88-acre waterfront campus is an ideal location to explore and appreciate the natural environment. Our teachers find imaginative ways to create learning activities that include our wide range of habitats: fields, forest, beaches, and saltwater marshes. Each grade adopts an annual environmental theme such as gardening, wildlife species, recycling, or Native American habitats. The Lower School uses the campus as our outdoor science laboratory. Such a picturesque, diverse, and historic setting deepens students’ awareness of the need to respect, care for, and learn from our natural world. Our teachers celebrate living and learning in the moment by using every corner of our magnificent waterfront campus as a classroom. Imagine walking across campus when the discovery of a spotted turtle by a first-grade class sparks a spontaneous lesson on the life and habits of reptiles. You might see kindergartners learning to orient themselves using a compass to navigate paths around the salt pond, or watch third graders using binoculars to observe an osprey building her nest.
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“ I c h o se R o c ky H i l l Sc ho o l b e c a u se I k n e w m y so n s w o u l d thr i ve t h e r e f or diff e r e n t r e a so ns . Fo r m y o ld e r so n , I k n e w t h e w a t e r f ro nt campus and its natural beauty w o ul d i n sp i r e h i m to l e a r n e ve n mo re a b o u t sc i e n c e , m a r i n e li f e , b i rd l if e , a n d o ve r a ll n a tu r e , w h i c h h e l o v e s. I k n e w my youn ge r so n w o u l d thr i ve i n a sm al l c l assr o o m , w i t h in div i d u a l a t t e n t i o n a nd e n ga ge d , h i ghq ua l i t y t e a c h e r s .”
F L O AT i N G classroom The floating classroom is used by our faculty not only to teach marine sciences, but also to create an environment where all our students can learn on narragansett Bay, whether the subject be history, writing, art, or even math.
—ellen donAHUe-dAlton,
parent
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our C O M M U N i T Y One of the many legacies that distinguish life at Rocky Hill School is our spirit of community. We aim to uphold the ideal of a family school, where all of us—teachers, staff members, administrators, students, and parents—share a common responsibility for maintaining an atmosphere of educational excellence in which children can grow and learn to know themselves as valued members of our community. The Lower School Morning Assembly is a time when the entire Lower School comes together as a community. We use this assembly as a vehicle to discuss and promote our students’ sense of respect and responsibility towards themselves and the community at large, to foster awareness of important current events, and to practice public speaking skills throughout the grades.
AFTeR SCHOOL eNRiCHMeNT programs • • • • • • • • • • • • •
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Acoustic guitar lessons Basketball Beading chess chinese culture and Conversation cooking extended day Program Karate music Appreciation Quilting soccer suzuki violin lessons theatre
c o m m U n i t Y s e r V i c e projects • Band-Aid collection for Hasbro children’s Hospital • Friendship Bags: toiletries and children’s book collections for CrossRoads Rhode island • Holiday mitten tree • Jump rope for Heart—American Heart Association • Pet food drive for north Kingstown Animal shelter • soccer equipment to south African children • thanksgiving Food drive • walk-a-thon for Haiti • wrap-a-Friend coat drive
“ I n t h e L o w er Sc ho o l , t he p ro c e s s of learn in g is in tertwin ed with th e d ev elopment o f o u r c o r e c o m m u ni t y val u e s . The s e v alues sh ape h ow stud en ts learn an d h ow th e ir c ha r ac t e r e vo lve s. The val u e s are no t t augh t in isolation , but are con sisten tly in teg ra ted thr o u gh o u t o u r s cho o l day i n nat u ral , mean in gf ul, an d d ev elopmen tally appropriate wa y s. Em b r a c i n g, m o d e l i ng , and p rac t i c i ng th ese v alues impact a stud en t’s success, wh ether pl a yi n g a t r e c e ss, s hari ng a b o o k w i t h a f rien d , learn in g a n ew con cept d urin g a le sso n, o r wo rki ng o ne- on - on e with a teach er. ” —PATTY PONTAReLLi, first grade teacher
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KNOW THYSeLF
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“ On e d a y w h e n I p i c ke d u p my dau g h ter f rom sch ool, I no t i c e d t h e at t i t u de o f many o f t he ch ild ren playin g tog e t h e r o n t h e fi e l d. I was s t ru ck b y h ow toleran t an d a c c e p t i n g t h e y w e re . I t was o nl y l at er th at I came to un d e r st a n d t hat t hi s w as no t ju s t a h appy accid en t, b u t a n i n t e nde d re s u l t o f a co re c ompon en t of th e L o w e r Scho o l cu rri c u l um. ” —Michael Weiler, parent
We continually teach and reinforce the Lower School motto Treat others as you want to be treated through many innovations and service programs. At the first grade’s Peace Table, children practice a proven conflict resolution technique. One Lower School fourth grade teacher developed the nationally renowned program on respect, Go Fourth! Through the Internet and international travel, Go Fourth! has inspired children across the U.S. and as far away as China, Israel, Romania, and Russia to champion respect in their own communities. The children become “virtual ambassadors” of respect and good will.
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“ Em p h a si s i n t h e Low e r S c h o o l on the c o r e va lu es ha s se t t h e st ag e for m y c h i ld r en to d e ve lo p c r i t i cal inte lle c t u a l a n d in t e r p e r so n a l s k i lls t h a t a re s o n e c e ssa r y f o r a s uc c e ssf u l t r a n si t i o n in to M i d d le S c h oo l . The c o m b i n a t i on of t h e se sk i ll s w ith i n a n u r t u ri ng educational e n v ir o n m e n t p r e p are s s tu d e n t s a s t h ey move into the next ph a se o f t h e ir e d u c a t i o n .”
m o V i n G up every fifth grader eagerly anticipates rocky Hill’s moving Up day. it’s that special day in early June when we celebrate students’ completion of the lower school’s requirements and welcome them into the Middle School, where new opportunities await them. lower school children love to pause at this time and remember all they’ve learned and accomplished. They recall that special teacher, that eye-opening trip, their supportive classmates, and other fond memories. Through mentors, campus-wide events, and older friends, they already know about the Middle School. Lower School students feel enticed by the Middle school’s broader curriculum and intrigued by its challenges and additional opportunities.
—JAYne sieGel,
parent
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illus tration: JoHn BUrGoYne ph oto graphy: TeRRY COeS
Glenn osmUndson
writing: Bill Fields
doUG PosKitt cAtHerine wAsHBUrn design : Good desiGn, llc
Rocky Hill School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, handicap, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its admissions, ďŹ nancial aid, employment, educational policies or other school programs. Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Ro cky Hill Scho ol 530 Ives Road East Greenwich, RI 02818 (401) 884-9070 www.rockyhill.org