Town School values academic excellence. Within the context of an academically
rigorous program which also includes physical and emotional development
and social responsibility, the school supports and encourages each student
to fulfill his individual potential, and discover his strengths and talents
within his style of learning. We have developed a curriculum that involves
the student by incorporating project oriented activities, shows various
paths can lead to the same objective, acknowledges there are various learning
styles, and helps students to recognize their own style.
My goal as Director of curriculum is to create a support
system for the faculty concerning curricular issues. This includes providing
information about resources, overseeing the maintenance of a written curriculum
that is available to faculty and parents, informing faculty of professional
development opportunities, creating opportunities for faculty to meet
to discuss curricular concerns, and providing a forum for exploring new
ideas and programs.
Lower School
Curriculum K-4
The Lower School curriculum is designed to engage and challenge each child's
intellectual, social, aesthetic, and physical abilities in ways that build
self-confidence and foster a love of learning. Students are exposed to
effective traditional approaches as well as innovative methodologies and
technologies. Students are given opportunities to develop particular strengths
and interests, and encouraged to explore new possibilities.
To explore the Lower School Curriculum in greater detail,
download a printer-friendly version (PDF) here.
Upper School
Curriculum 5-8
The goals of the Upper School are designed to provide a challenging, enriching,
and effective education for the fifth through eighth grader. Building
on the skills taught in the Kindergarten through grade four division of
the School, the curriculum is designed to develop competency while emphasizing
the academic and character developmental needs of the students. In order
to develop independence and responsibility, students are no longer taught
in self-contained classrooms.
To explore the Upper School Curriculum in greater
detail, download a printer-friendly version (PDF) here.
Co-curricular Courses - Electives
and Selectives
The co-curricular courses are from the worlds of fine arts and technology.
Boys take two, one semester courses each year. In grades three, four,
and five, the courses are selected for the boys so they will have exposure
in more than one area. In grades six, seven, and eight, the boys choose
which course they will take and they may choose to take the course for
both semesters. In order to have the time to work on a project in depth,
the seventh and eighth grade music and art courses are one year in length.
Co-curricular programs (Selectives) in the Lower
School:
Grade 3 teachers divide boys into 2 groups and they do one semester of
drama and one semester of woodworking.
Grade 4 boys rotate through two of the following: drama,
woodworking, introduction to digital photography, and recorder.
Co-curricular programs in the Upper School:
Selectives
Grade 5 boys rotate through two of the following: drama, woodworking,
digital photography, and bells for one semester each.
Electives
Grade 6 boys elect to take either: drama, woodworking, digital design,
or bells for one semester.
Grade 7 boys elect to take either: drama, woodworking, music
composition, studio art, or desktop publishing.
Grade 8 boys elect to take either: drama, woodworking, Orff
ensemble, studio art, or desktop publishing.
In addition to the Fine Arts/Technology courses, seventh
and eighth grade boys are given the opportunity to explore a topic each
semester. All the students take a Public Speaking class once a week for
one semester during either his seventh or eighth grade year. They then
have a choice of a variety of topics on which to concentrate for the remaining
three semesters. The classes are not graded and include both seventh and
eighth graders working together. The classes that are offered change each
semester.
For the current list of selectives and electives,
visit the Electives
(3-8) page.
Homework policy
Homework is assigned in grades one through eight for
the purposes of review and practice, introduction of material to be presented
in subsequent lessons, opportunities for the student to transfer previously
learned skills to new situations, and to integrate skills learned separately
to produce a single product.
Lower school
The goal of homework in the Lower School is to foster achievement, to
promote good study habits, and to enhance learning inside the school and
out.
Homework is assigned Monday through Thursday beginning with
ten minutes of math practice a night in the fall semester of the first
grade. During the spring semester, first graders work for twenty minutes
each evening on math and reading. Second and third grade students are
assigned thirty minutes of work and fourth graders are given forty-five
minutes of assigned work each of these evenings. Assignments vary, but
usually focus on math and the language arts. No homework is assigned during
holiday breaks.
Upper school
Homework in the Upper School is an integral part of instruction and as
such is evaluated and counted as a part of the grade. The goal is to teach
students to be independent learners by doing assignments that supplement
classroom lessons by giving practice in following directions, making judgments,
managing time, and developing responsibility and self-discipline.
Assignments are given Monday through Thursday and
may be given over the weekend in the fifth and sixth grades. In the seventh
and eighth grades, homework is assigned during the week and is generally
assigned over the weekend. The amount of time to be spent on homework
varies between fifteen to thirty minutes per subject. Consistent effort
is an essential component of homework. Homework is not assigned during
holiday breaks.
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