Lower School Academic Program

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is an exciting first step in a youngster's elementary school life. Nurturing each child's natural curiosity, interests and talents is at the heart of Presidio Hill School's TK curriculum.

Students enjoy a program in which both nonfiction and fiction books are read aloud to them, helping them to build a strong foundation for reading development, listening and comprehension skills. Math concepts, including number sense, counting, estimation and measurement, are explored. The study of animal habitats, plant life and the forces of nature introduce students to scientific concepts. Visits to local resources, such as Presidio National Park, museums and farms, further enhance classroom learning. Students learn to become members of the school community, participating in composting, recycling, and care of the classroom and playgrounds.

An example of the hands-on learning that TK students enjoy is the Transitional Kindergarten Food Unit. Each year the TK class studies food in an integrated science unit; students grow food on campus, make and learn the history of food sources and popular food items, and experience mindful eating of various foods and recipes. In past years, students ate their way through a food and nutrition unit that ended with a very special TK Farmers Market.

TK Feature

TK Sample Schedule (PDF)

The kindergarten year is a magical one, and at Presidio Hill School we focus on the daily delights and discoveries that naturally unfold. With an undercurrent of community building and cultivating the strength and kindness of each individual child, the kindergarten experience is collaborative, mutable, and steeped in mindful self-discovery. Students at the kindergarten age are learning to explore and engage in the world around them in deeper, more meaningful ways. We work to establish clear structure and routines, frequently discussing important facts of life (such as logical consequences), which help students take risks and try on new behaviors in a safe, trustful environment. In kindergarten the students learn how to share their voices and opinions with the understanding that mistakes and disagreements are an essential part of learning.

John Dewey said, “Education is not preparation for life, it is life itself,” and we strive to echo that sentiment in our daily kindergarten agenda. Students have class jobs, strengthen their ability to solve problems independently, and build awareness of their own place within the community. We make decisions as a group, sharing ideas and listening to each other’s reasoning. Within the first six weeks of school the class will create the year’s job chart, class agreements, and name their class.

We build our framework from an amalgam of resources including the California State Content Standards, benchmarks created by the Presidio Hill School faculty, school-wide curriculum (such as Investigations for math and The Teachers College Reading, Phonics, and Writing units for literacy) and, perhaps most important, the natural trajectory of student learning. As we engage in a physical science unit, for example, a particular class may discover a shared fascination for bridges. The teachers will then work the content standards and benchmarks into the lesson planning and allow the curiosity and enthusiasm for understanding and learning about bridges to propel an authentic and exciting learning experience.

One our favorites among the great leaders and thinkers in progressive education is Deborah Meier. She has written many books, including The Power of Their Ideas, in which she describes key characteristics of a good school environment. She spells out that the curriculum is rich and interesting and full of powerful ideas. She explains that these experiences are designed to inspire students with “the desire to know more” and that the learning “...sustains students' natural drive to make sense of the world and trusts in their capacity to have an impact upon it.” These themes of inspiration, desire, natural drive, and trust in the impact each child can have are what motivate us as educators in everything we do.

Kindergarten Feature

KINDERGARTEN Sample Schedule (PDF)

First grade is a fun and challenging journey. An emphasis on problem solving and the application of skills in new contexts make for an exciting year of discovery. Students are encouraged to explore their interests, learn from their mistakes, and grow as unique individuals.

In first grade, a literacy workshop approach—which incorporates mini-lessons, small group work, sharing, and individual time with the teacher—supports students’ development as strong, confident readers and writers. Problem solving and flexible thinking are emphasized as students are introduced to math concepts such as pattern recognition, geometry, addition, subtraction, measurement, algebraic thinking, place value and more.

An inquiry-based science and social studies curriculum challenges students to make observations, apply prior knowledge, ask research questions, create hypotheses, use materials and methods, collect data, analyze results, construct conclusions and prepare presentations. Topics may include: Native Americans, astronomy, oceans and trees. Community service, interpersonal relationship skills, connection to nature, and multiculturalism through the lense of hobbies and affiliations are also part of the social studies curriculum. First graders spend the first half of the year working with fifth-grade buddies, and the second half of the year with fourth-grade buddies. These powerful relationships provide opportunities to share knowledge across grades and build a strong sense of community throughout the school.

Forest Fridays are a good example of the engaging curriculum offered in first grade. Students spend most Fridays immersed in the natural world of the Presidio National Park learning about everything from native and edible plants to how to identify animal footprints.

First Grade Feature

FIRST GRADE Sample Schedule (PDF)

Second grade is a magical year for learning and social/emotional growth. Students make the transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” During Reader’s Workshop, students are taught how to choose “just right” books so they can read self-selected literature throughout the year. They work on building their reading stamina so they can work independently on their personal reading goals during the workshop. This allows the teacher to teach individual and small groups of students important reading strategies in the areas of comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and vocabulary. In Writer’s Workshop, second graders write narrative, opinion, poetry, and nonfiction pieces. Student choice is at the forefront of all literacy activities.

In math, students learn to apply computation skills to solve problems with an emphasis on mathematical practice standards. Place value, regrouping, telling time, fractions, measuring, and money skills are taught using concrete materials and with games and other tasks. Science is also integrated into our Presidio excursions and second-grade scientists make real-world connections in our Animal Biodiversity, Plant Adaptations, Earth’s Surface, and Material Properties units. These units align with Next Generation Science Standards. 

Our curriculum includes weekly Social-Emotional Learning lessons to support students with Personal Power Skills. These are skills that we develop to help us unveil the strengths that we hold within us so we can use them to connect with others and our learning. Students are taught to size problems for themselves whenever possible and work to repair and restore them to find solutions to their problems. Class meetings are used to problem-solve with each other when the class is struggling with a particular social or emotional issue.

Second Grade Feature

Second Grade Sample Schedule (PDF)

Third grade is an extraordinary time as students continue developing their individual voices and their ability to express themselves. An integrated and engaging curriculum encourages students to deepen their understanding of the interconnectedness of the world and their place in it.

From People in Profile, to the study of how humans across the globe communicate, third graders enjoy exploring people and places and the connections we all share. People In Profile, a biographical research project, challenges students to understand how the lives and actions of individuals affect the lives of others over time.

Third graders' study of communities, both past and present, local and distant, further develops an understanding of the interconnectedness of our world. In language arts, comprehension is the focus as students develop the ability to recognize personal connections to the text. Third graders are also introduced to editing and cursive handwriting. Students explore the water cycle, where water comes from, and the water crisis as part of earth science. For natural sciences, they look at adaptations and biomes, as well as study our local redwood and eucalyptus trees to understand their bark adaptations, structures, and functions. For the physical science unit, we look at force, motion, simple machines, and energy. In math, we cover multiplication and division, fractions, computations, and multi-step problems.

As students transition from enthusiastic 8-year-olds to 9-year-olds, some social changes begin to occur. Students often become highly competitive, self-aware, and impatient. They can be critical and individualistic. As these developmental changes take place, the third grade classroom becomes a refuge for the 9-year-old. Third graders are encouraged to work things out with their peers and practice kindness in the classroom. As third graders explore the boundaries with social graces and become more self aware, character education becomes a priority of the classroom. This is a year when we begin to tackle issues of bullying as it links to self-awareness, self-image, and competitiveness.

Third Grade Feature

Third Grade Sample Schedule (PDF)

Fourth grade is a time to explore who you are, what you stand for, and how to reach your goals. In fourth grade students spend time discussing literature, writing informational and opinion essays, and building confidence with multiplication and division. In fourth grade, literacy is a journey through language.

Using workshop models, teachers work one-on-one with individual students, meeting them where they are and taking them as far as they can go. Social Studies and Science are discovered through real world simulations, hands-on experiments, and projects based around student choice. Fourth graders study California history from the perspective of nondominant cultures. Through the lenses of global sustainability and environmental conservation, students investigate earth’s systems, energy, and organism structure and processes. During math, students spend at least an hour learning new concepts, playing games, and practicing strategies independently. Students work with partners and groups to explore math ideas and stretch their math thinking. Fourth graders strengthen their knowledge of algebraic concepts, number sense, and geometric theorems.

Fourth grade is also a time a self discovery. Students learn about their own identity, diversity of others, seeking justice, and taking action for social justice. Fourth graders spend time focusing on who they are as individuals and how individuals come together to make a kind, sustainable, just community. Students are constantly practicing self reflection and mindfulness in order to set goals.

For an in-depth look at fourth grade curriculum, check out our People in Profile Unit.

fourth grade Feature

fourth grade Sample Schedule (PDF)

As students are transitioning to middle school, they are guided to increasingly take ownership of their learning. Independence, responsibility, and depth of inquiry are emphasized. As they are intellectually maturing, students will learn more sophisticated tools to examine a point of view, examine different viewpoints, and critically reflect on their own learning and role in their community. They are equally challenged and supported. Through project work in different settings–individual, partner, and group work–students learn to become collaborators. Presenting and sharing their learning is an important part of our learning, and students gain confidence in their presentation skills.

In our 5th grade Humanities curriculum, reading and writing, and social studies are taught interdisciplinary and center around the themes of Early American history, the founding of the nation, and immigration. In addition to our poetry and non-fiction readings, students explore these topics in book groups, simultaneously studying the elements of literature. Students are guided through the writing process as they learn to write personal, persuasive, and informative essays. In this context, research skills are taught and practiced. Word Work centered around morphemes, as well as grammar and spelling is integrated in our morning message, retaught throughout the day, and especially emphasized in our poetry unit. In our final fiction unit, students have the opportunity to show their understanding both of the elements of literature and of their command of grammar and language. 

Math skills continue to be framed in problem-solving scenarios. Building on their previous knowledge, students practice the operations with increasingly larger numbers, applying them to real-world scenarios, and are taught the standard algorithms. In addition, students explore percents, decimals, fractions, and two- and three-dimensional geometry. Basic algebraic concepts are introduced in fifth grade. Whenever possible, an interdisciplinary approach is favored, for example, when graphing science data. 

5th grade science learning takes place both in the Presidio and in the classroom. Students might learn in the classroom about biotic and abiotic factors or food chains and then hike through the Presidio, applying their knowledge to their local ecosystem. In addition to life science which includes the human organ systems and photosynthesis, students are introduced to chemistry and study the solar systems. These lessons involve experiments and are taught interdisciplinary whenever possible: For example, their photosynthesis experiment correlates with our Math unit on graphing data and ordered pairs, and the solar system unit culminates in an informative research essay. 

fifth grade Feature

fifth grade Sample Schedule (PDF)