The middle school program offers a traditional curriculum of academic study in English, science, mathematics, and history, supplemented with Spanish language instruction, technology, art, drama, music, and physical education. We encourage students to give their best effort and work responsibly on nightly assignments, long-term projects, and in-class discussions. The fifth grade is a transition year from lower to middle school, making the change from the more developmental philosophy to a traditional/progressive curriculum.

Language Arts 

Every child wants to conquer a good book, write an exciting story, and speak clearly to others. The Alexandria Country Day language arts program differentiates instruction to meet each and every student’s needs. Our program is a cross-curricular comprehensive approach to literacy encompassing spelling, grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, and oral language. ACDS students are challenged, encouraged, and guided toward excellence through literature, writing, and public speaking.

Kindergarten, first and second graders are exposed to many different types of literacy through whole, small group, and individual instruction. Their goal is to learn phonics and spelling patterns, decode words, become emergent readers, spell high frequency words, and build a strong foundation for the future. Teachers use guided reading, independent reading, reading groups, read alouds, journal and book writing, and Cunningham’s systematic phonics.

Third, fourth, and fifth grades delve into literature by practicing Stephanie Harvey’s comprehension strategies. Using classic children’s books by Roald Dahl, E.B. White, Avi, Andrew Clements, Cynthia Rylant, and many more, teachers guide student led literature circles. Children examine plot, character traits, problem and solution, cause and effect, and author’s purpose. It’s important for students to reflect, summarize, and paraphrase to teach them higher level critical thinking skills.

The 3rd -8th writing curriculum is based on teaching the 6 +1 traits of writing. Students are taught about ideas, grammar conventions, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, and voice along with publishing and presentation. Each second grader publishes a book, third graders love to boast about their poetry journals, fourth graders write comic strips, and middle school students strive to master the research paper, thesis and persuasive essays, and speech writing.

Our oral language and public speaking opportunities are unique to the ACDS curriculum. From the 1st grade Authors’ Tea Party to the 8th grade Speeches & Sweets, students are encouraged to share their writing and present it to an audience In 3rd grade students celebrate their own poetry by having a poetry reading at the local coffee shop, St. Elmo’s. Each student is eager to write and share their poems for the ACDS and local community. The 5th-8th graders publish and present their writing through an annual presentation of Speeches & Sweets. The middle school students write speeches on advocacy, persuasion, and the Optimist’s Club yearly topic.

Grammar, vocabulary, and spelling are taught rigorously throughout all subjects at each grade level. The primary grades begin teaching spelling in conjunction with the fundamental rules of phonics. The third through eighth grades are given formal grammar instruction throughout the year using Zaner Bloser and McDougal Littell’s Language Network. The vocabulary program is introduced in fourth grade using Word Wisdom and continues through the eighth grade level. Explicit spelling instruction continues through 5th grade. All students are challenged with spelling words that are designed for their level of study.

Social Studies

At the Middle School level we believe that through an interactive approach to the study of history, students can best gain understanding and knowledge of the past and respect of other cultures, as well as their own. Through the study of the past, students are encouraged to think critically, draw informed conclusions, construct historical narratives, and defend their own interpretations in written work and discussions. Students develop these skills through a variety of means including note taking, research, simulations, field trips, analysis of primary sources, and use of technology.

The Middle School social studies curriculum continues to employ the History Alive! program begun in the 3rd grade and continued through 8th grade. The 5th grade begins the year with a study of how social scientists learn about the past. The 5th grade then focuses on ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia, Sumer, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The 6th grade focuses on world religions and cultures. Topics include controlling ideas of culture, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Sikhism. In 7th grade the curriculum takes us from the medieval world to the French Revolution with units on feudalism, The Byzantine Empire, The Crusades, The Renaissance, The Reformation, The Scientific Revolution, and The Enlightenment. In addition to Europe, 7th graders study West Africa and East Asia during the medieval time period. The 8th grade focuses on American history from The Revolution to The Vietnam War. Topics covered include The Constitution, pre-Civil War events, The Civil War and Reconstruction, Industrialization, America becoming a world power, The World Wars, and The Civil Rights Movement. The 8th grade students prepare a paper and project for The National History Day.

All middle school students write research papers, analyze current events, and participate in the National Geographic Bee.

Mathematics

Math is a vital part of the world in which we live. The math program at Alexandria Country Day School recognizes the need to nurture confident problem solvers capable of applying mathematical knowledge to their everyday lives. We offer a competitive math program with the opportunity for individualized instruction for all students, achieved by our small class size and differentiation offered at all levels. Concrete activities help the students to develop the abstract thinking inherent in mathematics. A multidisciplinary approach to the teaching of math allows for the integration of math into all areas of the curriculum.

The students in grades kindergarten through fifth follow the Everyday Math program developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project. This program emphasizes using and sharing a variety of strategies to solve problems, games and daily routines to practice basic skills, hands-on activities that help introduce and reinforce concepts, and instruction though large group, small group, and partner interaction. As a part of the spiraling curriculum, all students are exposed to content from the following six strands: number and numeration; operations and computation; data and chance; measurement and reference frames; geometry and patterns; and functions and algebra. In all of these strands, students are taught to use algorithms, estimation, mental arithmetic, number sense, and problem solving. Student progress is monitored by teacher observation, daily journal work, and formative and summative assessments (both oral and written). Concepts are introduced, revisited, and mastered over several years in order to attain maximum understanding and retention. This gives the students a firm mathematical foundation as they progress to middle school.

The Middle School math program continues to build on the fundamentals introduced in the earlier grades and transitions students to algebra. The curriculum is designed to strengthen their number sense and develop the skills necessary for the abstract concepts in algebra and beyond. Students are grouped according to ability, which allows for the flexibility to address each individual child at his or her level, whether it is reinforcement of concepts or extending learning for enrichment purposes. All students in the middle school complete both pre-algebra and algebra, and those in the advanced track are given an introduction to geometry. The middle school program encourages students to become independent thinkers who can use a wide variety of strategies to solve problems. We also help students develop an appreciation for the usefulness of mathematics and its connection to real life.

In addition to our math program, students at ACDS enjoy a variety of math related activities throughout the year. Middle School and Lower School buddies get together for a cross curricular experience to explore and extend the concepts they are learning in math and other subjects. Students in grades K-2 celebrate the 100th day of school with a variety of activities relating to the number 100. Students and parents in the Lower School enjoy playing math games together at Family Math Night in the spring. Pi Day is celebrated in the Middle School on March 14th with a focus on circles, and of course, pie!

Science

ACDS Science Teachers have a passion for the world around them that they pass onto their students. Through exciting hands-on experiments, amazing demonstrations and interactive lessons, they bring a curiosity for the world to their students each and every day. Our teachers are always striving to find better ways to teach Science, learn more about their grade level science content, and discover hands-on experiences for the children to make science content come alive.

ACDS science teachers assist students in gaining an understanding of science concepts, while encouraging and developing appreciation for, and curiosity of, the world around them. Everyday in Science class students are asked to think critically, observe, analyze experiments, and predict. Students communicate the knowledge they gain through speaking, writing, and drawing. While K-4 teachers are helping their students understand and appreciate the physical world around them while building a set of skills to prepare them for middle school science, our 5-8 teachers are striving to prepare students for high school and college.

Our teachers are always seeking new and innovative approaches to Science education. Some teachers have explored Interactive Notebooks, a new approach to taking notes for lower school students that incorporates drawings and collages and students making meaning of the content for themselves. Other teachers are working to incorporate more inquiry-based lessons; open ended lessons where teachers create situations in which students are asked to solve problems as a group. These lessons are designed so that students make connections to their previous knowledge, bring their own questions to lesson, and create ways of testing their ideas. While still other teachers are striving to incorporate more technology into their science units. Tablets have opened the door to a variety of techniques and programs. DyKnow is a new program used by 2nd - 8th grade teachers that increases student engagement in lessons and presentations. Students can take notes and quizzes, even chat live with their teacher and group members while the teacher facilitates the session and views every word and key stroke students make.

ACDS Science teachers go out of their way, even beyond the classroom, to become experts in their units of study. We have had teachers travel to Pompeii and the ice fields of Sweden to gain a better understanding of the material they are teaching. Other teachers have spent a week ‘knee-deep’ in the Chesapeake Bay learning about ecosystems and ecology. We have sent science teachers to the National Science Teachers Association Conferences so they can learn more about advancements in our field and then come back to ACDS and share the knowledge they have gained. It is because our science teachers have a life long passion for learning that many of our students have developed this passion as well. As Science Department Head I have many ACDS students come up to me to show me a cool rock they found, ask me a question about how to properly care for a plant, or any other variety of science questions. I know I get these questions because all of our K-8 teachers encourage our students to keep questioning, learning, exploring and growing just like they do in their free time.

Finally, ACDS teachers are tireless in seeking opportunities to get students to learn and grow outside the walls of our school. Field trips, demonstrations, speakers, nature hikes, and more are a part of every ACDS Science unit K-8. Teachers spend weekends searching for new field trips and outdoor education experiences so that students can experience nature and the world first hand. Even after teaching a unit for years, teachers seek new field trip experiences that will work to make the sometimes challenging science topics, such as erosion or space exploration, come to life for our students. This helps students make connections to science in the real world, and gain a curiosity for a possible career in the field of science. There is nothing an ACDS science teacher won’t do to make science learning come alive for our students.

Technology

Technology at ACDS is used to integrate, support, reinforce and enhance teaching and learning. Students and teachers are encouraged to use technology skills in their everyday class work. Technology is also used to assist with and demonstrate mastery of higher order/critical thinking skills such as problem solving, performing successful research and organizing research results and communicating knowledge. Hardware, software and technology activities are selected and implemented to meet the needs of students with varied learning styles and interests.

The technology curriculum provides students with the technological foundation needed to be responsible and active learners in our society. Two computer labs, three mobile carts, the library media center, projectors, science sensors, digital video and still cameras and calculators provide a connected, collaborative teaching and learning environment.

An example of technology in action is Margi Weaver and Suman Krishnan making use of the tablet computers and the Dyknow software that the PTL wishlist made available. The teacher uses her tablet and its pen technology to write math problems on her screen and then “sends” them to her students’ tablets. She can then see each student’s work on her screen. She can also put a student’s work up on the projector for the class to see or the can “poll” the class through the computers to see who understands the concept and who would like more practice. This anonymous polling where the responders identity is only known to the teacher gives students freedom to explore and get extra help without concern about the opinions of other students. Students and teachers can also use the functionality of Dyknow from home to see the math lesson played out stroke by stroke.

Many other examples of technology integration happen at ACDS everyday. From the Lower School students reinforcing their math skills with the online EveryDay Math Games to the 5th graders using a secure blog to practice their language arts skills, from 2nd graders use of the tablets to write stories and illustrate them electronically to 3rd graders illustrating and writing about predators and prey , from the Middle School students’ use of NoodleTools to document, organize and share their research for class reports, to kindergarteners working with MaxWrite, a lower school version of Microsoft Word, to write and illustrate math concepts.

Teachers are using technology to focus on concepts and to help students practice skills. They are also facilitating the use of technology by students to expand understanding and organize information for better learning.

Music, Art and Drama

The MAD (Music, Art and Drama) Department at Alexandria Country Day School teaches each student to combine creativity with conceptual knowledge; to help each student develop interpretive and problem solving skills through the arts; and to make fine, applied and performance arts relevant to each student.

We believe that students should be educated about the role of the arts in modern society as well as the historic role of the arts throughout world cultures. As musicians, the students are guided to develop an understanding of the basic elements in the musical arts through movement, singing, listening, playing, reading/writing, and creating. As artists, the students are instructed to develop concepts and skills regarding the basic elements and principles of fine art, the aesthetic response to art objects, and the production of art work. As actors, the students are encouraged to step outside of their normal comfort zone and challenge themselves with new identities and new environments. We also believe that it is important for students to develop their ability to self-direct; in the seventh and eighth grades students are offered the opportunity to explore areas of interest in depth through our Independent Study Program in the Arts.

Alexandria Country Day School recognizes the significance of the arts, not only as a motivator and a means to foster the educational and emotional development of each individually unique student, but for the impact that music, art and drama have on fostering a cohesive, culturally sensitive supportive school community.

It is our hope that the MAD department at Alexandria Country Day School encourages students to shine within our community and within themselves. Student performance opportunities include drama productions, Grandparents and Special Friends Day, The ACDS winter holiday program, and Celebration of the Arts.

Music:
At Alexandria Country Day School, music is taught by a general music specialist and the program is built on an eclectic orientation. Many of the approaches are influenced by the pedagogical premises of Carl Orff’s Schulwerk. The process of structuring musical reading experiences reflects the principles of Zoltan Kodaly. Essential experiences and learning activities stem from the knowledge of how children learn. The following principles are the foundation of this program:
• All music learning begins with the ear and is continuous with motor/eye learning.
• Music skills are first expressed through the body and voice; instruments are viewed as an extension of these.
• Meaning must be brought to symbols. The students need experience in hearing, naming, and producing musical sounds before symbolization is introduced.

Essential experiences have been developed in the areas of rhythm, melody, harmony, form, and expressive qualities. The elements are sequenced with in each grade and spiral from grade to grade. Characteristics of the music education program include:
• All students are involved in activities that represent a wide range of musical processes. These include: moving, speaking/singing, listening, playing, reading/notating, and creating/improvising.
• The program is characterized by a layered elemental ensemble approach. This begins with speech, movement, and song and extends to unpitched percussion, barred instruments, and more sophisticated forms.
• Curwen hand signals and devised notation are used as a bridge to traditional notation in primary grades; the soprano and alto recorder is used as a tool in the upper grades to support music reading experiences.
• Activities are adapted for individual differences. Each child experiences a high degree of success in both classroom demonstrations and ensemble experiences.
• The music program functions as a part of the total education program in the school. The music specialist(s) and classroom teachers integrate appropriate content to reinforce continuity in student learning.
• The music program in the school provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their skills and abilities. The musical accomplishments of students are presented in demonstrations and programs for the school and community.

Art:
The art program prepares students to become competent and confident visual thinkers. The scope of the program includes art criticism, aesthetics, art history and art production. At each consecutive grade level student artists are challenged to add another level of mastery of materials and intuitive sophistication to their work.

A specialized art experience is provided to Kindergarten students at ACDS for 30 minutes twice during a seven day cycle. The first graders are provided with a 45 minute art class once during the seven day rotation and second grade through fourth grade students meet for a 45 minute art class twice during the seven day cycle. Our middle school students experience art on a six week rotation once or twice per year. The art classes are 45 minutes long five times during a seven day cycle. Beyond exposing students to traditional and technological art materials and inspiring students to challenge their own creativity, the art department supports the social development of our students by introducing group art critiques and preparing students to give and receive constructive criticism. In an effort to enhance the academic program, wherever possible, art is used as a vehicle to make academic studies more relevant to our students.

The art program also serves as a unifying factor at ACDS by offering students the opportunity to interact on different grade levels while viewing and discussing art on our buddy art field trips. Our student art is proudly displayed throughout the building and is formally presented each spring at our Celebration of the Arts.

Drama:
Fifth and sixth grade drama at ACDS is designed to provide students with an introduction to several different aspects of acting and performance and to introduce them to a base set of dramatic skills. Skills covered in 5th grade drama include sound and movement (finding appropriate sounds to match up with various movements, acting out various emotions using sounds and movements, finding sounds and movements to express our own personalities); pantomime (acting without words, using our bodies to express actins and emotions without words); improvisations (acting spontaneously, coming up with lines and actions off the top of our heads to act out various scenes), non-scripted acting; and comedy (what makes things funny, how can we use our bodies and voices to make others laugh, using props to create comedy.) Sixth grade students are presented with the same set of skills and work on honing them through both games and a series of short skits. In addition, students work on concentration, trust and community-building skills in both fifth and sixth grade drama.

Seventh and eighth grade drama is an acting course, designed to help students progress as performers. Its goals are twofold. First, a key component of the course is encouraging actors to step outside their comfort circles. Regardless of where an actor begins in terms of comfort in roles outside the normal and familiar, all actors are expected to explore boundaries and push their confidence. This part of the course will be explored primarily in improvisational games and secondarily in scenes. Second, 7th and 8th grade actors will become conscious of the tools and elements of strong acting. Although some of this will occur in games, scene assignments will require actors to use their voices, faces, and bodies to convey distinct goals and tactics. Finally the course will conclude with the basis of method acting; the use of emotional memory to enhance the actor’s investment in a scene.

Physical Education 

The goal of the Physical Education Department at ACDS is to enhance the physical growth of each student as well as equip each student with the knowledge needed for leading a healthy lifestyle in and beyond grade school. We have seen some big changes this year in our department in hopes to prepare for an even bigger change next year. With the gymnasium being built this year we have been challenged to become a little more creative in our planning and it has really helped us grow. We are collaborating in each grade to prepare the students at ACDS with a quality program. The earlier the involvement in a quality program, the easier it will be for students to develop the skills required to acquire and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The focus in the lower school is to expand basic understanding of movement and build confidence in student performance. The focus in middle school is to improve skills and include team concepts. Each student will come away understanding how to win graciously and how to accept defeat honorably.

Evolution of a physical healthy student:
In Kindergarten and first grade, students learn about movement, spatial awareness and beginning ball skills. In second and third grades growing confidence helps students continue to develop gross and fine motor skills. At this point we introduce lessons in team game play and well as provide individual fitness challenges. In fourth and fifth grades, we emphasize the importance of sportsmanship during competition and introduce more complex skills involved in playing team and individual sports. As we approach and continue through middle school we touch on many different sports and games that will help develop the skills needed to pursue a lifetime of healthy activity. By the end of 8th grade, students will understand the importance of physical activity and will demonstrate the ability to perform a wide range of gross motor and fine motor skills.

Evolution of an emotionally and socially healthy student:
Physical Education is important to the development of the whole student. PE is a unique venue to teach children how to build and foster healthy relationships. Students are expected to respect the abilities of others. Starting in Kindergarten, students should work well with others and display a willingness to try new things in class. By the end of 8th grade, each student will understand the importance of responsible personal and social behavior that respects others in a physically active setting. They will also value physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self expression and social interaction.
 
 

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