Elementary School
Kehoe-France School has long been recognized as a school that stands out not only for its academic and liberal arts curriculum but also for the importance it places on developing social skills and building character among its students.
Our purpose is to develop the child intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and socially. It is in a child’s formative years that a love for learning develops, and Kehoe-France offers the opportunity to embrace and enjoy that adventure.
The Learning Environment and Our Staff
As an authorized IB PYP school, our first through fourth-grade students are challenged in their learning to ask questions, examine curiosities and work together to consider multiple solutions.
Our degreed, certified teachers work in classrooms with low student-teacher ratios to provide individualized attention and instruction which encourage an inquiry-based approach to learning. We want and expect our students to be involved in their learning.
We believe that in addition to a focus on the fundamentals, our students must be prepared to apply their learning to real-world situations. Teachers receive ongoing professional training in the International Baccalaureate® program as well as in other areas of interest.
The Daily Elementary School Curriculum
As a part of the IB PYP, each classroom in first through fourth grades explores six units of inquiry throughout the year, centered around universal themes that promote interdisciplinary, conceptual learning.
We believe that all learning is related and once students have a strong academic base they must be encouraged to strive to make these content connections themselves. Our goal is to explore traditional subjects in both traditional and creative ways.
The language arts approach in first and second grade provides systematic, explicit skills instruction that includes phonemic awareness (sounds in spoken words), phonics and decoding skills. Literature and language-rich activities ensure that all students develop the skills to become fluent readers, writers, listeners, speakers, and thinkers.
As students move into the third and fourth grade they apply this knowledge of phonics, letter patterns, syllabication, and word parts to achieve fluent oral and silent reading. Students also continue to build their understanding of the writing process as well as writing strategies with an emphasis on written and oral English language conventions and correct spelling. A wide variety of literature is explored.
The math program provides opportunities for students to build their understanding of mathematical concepts and ample practice to master important skills. Most importantly, all concepts are taught and practiced with the philosophy of building lifelong problem solvers.
As students build their foundational knowledge, they will gain an understanding of place value and number relationships as they add and subtract, as well as use simple concepts of multiplication. Students will also measure, classify, and collect and analyze data to verify answers.
By the time our students reach third and fourth grade they are able to extend their basic skills to deepen their understanding of math concepts and relationships as well as begin the more complex processes of estimating, describing, and using patterns to solve problems. The students are exposed to the first theoretical concepts of mathematics as they prepare to move forward.
Our science program focuses each year on students’ development and use of basic process skills as they learn, investigate, hypothesize, evaluate, and build an understanding of the scientific process.
Students explore topics within the physical and life sciences as well as an emphasis on the concepts that living things grow, change and are diverse as well as interdependent and interacting with the changing environment. Science news related topics along with child-initiated topics are incorporated into the curriculum.
Students build a fundamental understanding of anthropology, geography, history, civics, and economics in the first through fourth grades. Students will use basic geographic and technological tools to organize and interpret information about people, places, and environments particularly as it relates to the United States.
Students also explore the purpose and structure of governments as well as their role as a responsible citizen and the ways in which individuals must work together to solve conflicts. Leaders and cultures from around the globe are explored to study diverse groups, cultures, religions, traditions, and their contributions to the global community.
Additionally, students gain an understanding of the economic concepts of goods and services as well as supply and demand within their school, community, and around the world. Finally, an emphasis is placed on making connections to our past and present and the ways in which local, regional, and national government and traditions have developed and left their mark on society.
