Early Elementary Division

Our Early Elementary Division, Early Learners (three-year-olds) through First Grade, is all about learning to love learning.

Your child will run to her classroom, eager to start a new day at Trinity. She will be immersed in a language-rich learning environment, one with dedicated time to arts, music, movement, classroom responsibilities, public speaking, group discussions, and hands-on exploration and discovery. Your child is building a solid foundation for his future academic achievement as he masters the basics of literacy, numeracy, and Spanish or French.

He will enjoy engineering and design puzzles, media center time, visiting authors and scientists, service learning projects, and an innovative physical education program. Your child will be in a constant state of inquiry and experimentation, emboldened by our safe and nurturing environment. When your child advances from the Early Elementary Division to the Upper Elementary Division, she moves forward with the knowledge that she has a voice in her learning and can achieve anything through hard work and dedication.

Read on to discover more about the joyful experiences that await Early Elementary Division students.

Early Elementary Division

Upper Elementary Division

Early Learners

Pre-K Kindergarten

First Grade

Early Learners

The Total Trinity Experience begins between ages three and four in the Early Learners program. A daily routine gives our youngest elementary students a sense of security, along with spontaneous opportunities for learning both in and outside of the classroom. From visiting Discovery Woods to venturing into the music room, each day is filled with experiences that delight and challenge these young learners.

A child-centered environment matches the growing skills and competencies of students’ individual needs while at the same time inviting open-ended exploration. Learning through both guided and free play, growing socially and emotionally, and strengthening fine and large motor skills are hallmarks of Trinity School’s Early Learners program. These students also grow and develop cooperative play, share, and take turns with one another.

Language Arts

• Explores concepts of print while reading a book or picture walk.

• Recognizes title, author, and illustrator; uses left to right progression; and turns pages.

• Begins to identify the elements of a story, characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end.

• Recognizes and names most uppercase letters.

• Identifies and produces rhyming words and beginning and ending sounds.

• Understands that letters make words and that sentences are made of words.

• Begins to write by drawing, labeling, and telling.

• Participates in group conversations in which students learn to express thoughts and feelings in complete sentences.

• Explores fine motor development skills through cutting, pencil grip, drawing, and writing their first name.

Math

• Recognizes and extends simple and complex patterns.

• Identifies attributes of and names basic shapes.

• Classifies and sorts by attributes.

• Uses math language in story contexts and read alouds.

• Knows the number names and their sequence, demonstrates cardinality, and counts out quantities to eight.

Science

• Uses observational skills to make predictions and asks questions about the world around them.

• Explores the senses of taste, smell, touch, sight, and hearing.

• Identifies different types of weather and seasons.

of Contents Subject Areas

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Social Studies

• Explores the concept of community, beginning with our school.

• Listens to and follows classroom agreements.

• Learns responsibility through classroom jobs.

• Understands that there are people in our community who help us and that they have different jobs.

• Identifies various forms of transportation.

• Participates in various holidays in the United States and around the world.

Pre-K

With help from the runaway “Gingerbread Man” during the first week of school, students in Pre-K become acquainted with all the places and faces at Trinity School! Teachers focus on helping students develop a strong sense of self and healthy relationships with others, thus Pre-K students possess pride in themselves, their friendships, and their work.

Through the creation of personal journals, playing letter and word games, and sharing literature in large and small groups, the students’ language-rich environment develops the foundations for early literacy. The Pre-K Olympics, one of Trinity’s most beloved traditions, is a highlight for not only the students and parents, but also the entire school community. This event allows these young learners to shine as they demonstrate their learning about various countries and display their athleticism.

Pre-K Learning Essentials

Language Arts

• Forms uppercase letters and identifies their names and sounds.

• Retells the elements of known stories, characters, settings, events, and conclusions.

• Develops ideas for writing and illustrates details within their stories.

• Begins to write stories with approximated spelling to express their ideas.

• Develops early literacy skills through rhymes, compound words, syllables, and beginning/ ending sounds.

• Understands that letters have sounds that form words and sentences.

• Listens to and follows classroom agreements.

• Participates in cooperative discussions, expresses thoughts and feeling, and asks questions.

Math

• Knows number names and sequence, recognizes and writes numerals, counts out quantities to 12, knows the successive counting number is one more, subitizes within five.

• Represents quantities in addition and subtraction math stories or read alouds using actions, fingers, objects, and drawings.

• Identifies, extends, and describes simple and complex patterns.

• Identifies, describes, and combines shapes.

Science

• Makes observations and predictions about the world around them through a science lens.

• Explores the five senses through hands-on experiences and communicates their findings.

• Explores water concepts of absorb, repel, sink, and float.

• Learns about the weather, seasons, and how animals adapt throughout the year.

Subject Areas

Early Elementary Division

Upper Elementary Division

Social Studies

• Understands that we are part of a community.

• Becomes familiar with our school community.

• Explores different cultures around the world by learning about customs, traditions, and celebrations.

• Learns the importance of helping others through community service projects and acts of kindness.