Welcome to Lower School

Pre-K through 5th Grade

Fayetteville Academy’s Lower School offers a research-based curriculum for children in Pre-K through fifth grade with emphasis on the development of skills and knowledge in the core academic subjects of communication (reading, writing, spelling, grammar), mathematics, science and social studies.

Pre-K and kindergarten are full-day programs for children ages 4 to 6. This is an important and crucial time for young children making the transition from home life to a school setting. At this point in a child’s life, it is important to provide young learners the opportunities for exploration and discovery. The early grade levels (Pre-K - 1) provide children with age-appropriate learning experiences designed to enhance their continuing growth and development in each domain of the "whole child": intellectual, social/emotional and physical. These children develop and learn with hands-on activities as well as group experiences.

Students in grade levels 2-5 build on those early childhood experiences to become independent, motivated learners with a foundation for success in future grades.

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Curriculum

Language Arts

The Pre-K through third grade reading program, Fundations, is a comprehensive reading, writing, and learning program, designed using thoroughly researched instructional reading strategies. The research base used to develop Fundations is designed to achieve success with a wide variety of learners. Fundations is a multisensory structured literacy program that presents all skills in a systematic and sequential manner.

Fundations makes learning fun while laying the groundwork for life-long literacy. The program systematically and comprehensively instructs students in phonemic awareness and word study (both phonetic and high frequency/sight words) and contributes greatly to fluency, vocabulary development and the applications of strategies for understanding text.

Fundations presents the following concepts and skills in a cumulative manner from unit to unit and year to year:

Letter formation
Phonological and phonemic awareness
Sound mastery
Phonics, word study, and advance word study
Irregular (trick) word instruction
Vocabulary
Fluency
Comprehension strategies
Written composition (spelling and handwriting)

Third through fifth grades utilize novel studies for their Language Arts curriculum.

Mathematics

Fayetteville Academy uses Sadlier Mathematics for Kindergarten through 5th grade, a comprehensive core math program that provides a pedagogy that reflects the keystones of mathematical learning. Sadlier Math is a program that:

Fosters conceptual understanding and skill development with explicit instruction
Strengthens students metacognitive development with real world problem solving and applications related to STEAM

STEAM

The Lower School features a unique elementary STEAM program. Beginning in pre-Kindergarten, the students receive Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) instruction from three dedicated Lower School facilitators in our two state-of-the-art SmartLabs. One of our labs is designed for Pre-K through 2nd grade students, and the other lab is home to our 3rd through 5th grade students.

SmartLab learners explore and apply a wide range of technologies to complete project-based work. In the lab, students develop and practice real-world skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, innovation and communication. Students create ePortfolios to document and present their work.

In grades 1-5, Fayetteville Academy also utilizes Mystery Science’s online curriculum. Mystery Science is an innovative, standards-aligned, hands-on curriculum that teaches children how to think like scientists. This helps students better understand and communicate about the world around them through writing, discussion and exploration.

Our STEAM program enables students to seamlessly integrate STEAM skills, while applying this knowledge in a real world context. Students incorporate the use of 21st Century Skills to empower them in areas such as:

Information Literacy – the ability to find useful and appropriate information in any given challenge
Creativity & Innovation – exploration of imagination; refining and improving original ideas
Collaboration – working together to share, advocate, and compromise on issues critical to success
Problem Solving – experimentation of new and familiar concepts while processing information until a viable solution is reached
Communication – ability to read, write, present, and comprehend ideas between a variety of mediums and audiences
Responsible Citizenship – demonstration of proper technology use, global awareness, and moral capacity in and outside of the classroom
Failing Forward – ability to learn from mistakes

Social Studies

Social studies in grades Pre-K- 5 incorporates all social studies disciplines including geography, history, economics, government and citizenship. In addition, our social studies program focuses on developing map and graph skills and thinking skills.

Thinking skills are taught systematically at each level. Lower grade levels utilize Scholastic Classroom Magazines, as well as thematic units of study. The magazines cover current events, American history, foreign culture and more. Students in 5th grade use Our Nation Studies Weekly. Students in these grades learn about America through the use of this curriculum. This expansive, spiraling nature of the elementary social studies curriculum is consistent with the Academy’s priorities of developmentally-appropriate practices, 21st century skills and our understanding of child-centered pedagogy.

Spanish

With the ever-increasing interdependence of nations, the study of a foreign language has become essential to the effectiveness of the United States in a global world. Students proficient in a foreign language will be prepared to function in that global world by acquiring needed communication skills and developing cultural understanding. Fayetteville Academy offers Spanish instruction to all Lower School students. Research indicates that the optimal window of opportunity for second language learning occurs between birth and age 10. Other benefits include fostering creativity, memory and listening skills. Furthermore, studies show that students who have studied a foreign language attain higher scores on the Scholastic Achievement Tests (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT), particularly in the verbal area.

The Pre-K-5 program’s primary goal is the development of listening and speaking skills aimed at the progressive development of proficiency and cultural awareness through concrete experiences. Learners in grades Pre-K-5 begin with content topics close to the self, home, school and community. Topics can include family, friends, home, house, etc. The topics taught at our school are selected from the school curriculum. They are introduced in a meaningful communicative context involving concrete activities aimed at developing language and reinforcing content from other disciplines. Age-appropriate literature, arts, music and games are also an integral part of the Lower School second language program.

Technology

All Lower School students receive weekly instruction in the use of computers and technology. Each of our labs is equipped with 20 computers so children have access to their own system during instruction. As computer literacy has joined the traditional college preparatory disciplines, we strive to provide our Lower School children with teachings designed to prepare them to use technology as an educational resource. Beginning in Pre-K, children learn their way around the computer and gradually progress into higher levels of computer operation. Students learn to use the power of the Internet to do research and find information.

The Wood Center for Technology and Learning provides our students and faculty with state-of-the-art access to computers and information technology. Chromebooks and iPads are utilized as additional tools, with students in grades 2-5 students receiving Chromebooks on a 1:1 program.

Physical Education

Lower school students in Pre-K through 5th grade attend physical education classes twice weekly in one of our two modern gymnasiums. Students also have recess daily on the Lower School playground, and this provides children with monitored, unstructured time to enjoy the playground equipment with classmates. Physical education, however, is a structured period of physical activity during which children perform age appropriate conditioning exercises and develop their physical skills under the supervision of a physical education specialist. The program also incorporates the President’s Physical Fitness Award Program. Children establish personal goals for improvement at the beginning of the school year and work to attain them throughout the year. At the end of the school year, children who meet or exceed their goals receive formal recognition through an award presentation ceremony.

Art

Lower School art is taught on a weekly basis to students in Pre-K through 5th grade. While art activities are often part of the regular classroom program as teachers reinforce learning through this medium, art instruction is provided from a different perspective by the art instructor, that of the art specialist. Students explore art through a variety of media, providing them with hands-on experiences designed to allow creative expressions of ideas, emotions, thoughts and mental images.

Music

Music is part of the Lower School routine. Student learning is often reinforced in the classroom through singing and movement. All Lower School students also attend music class weekly. During music class, students are exposed to a variety of musical styles through listening, singing and playing instruments. The music curriculum is designed with the age of the students in mind. Therefore every grade level has a separate curriculum suited for their personal growth and developmental skill level. As students move through the Lower School music program, they learn music theory, aural training skills, music history and more. Students in 5th grade are introduced to band, as well as chorus. We also have an extensive ukulele program and utilize the Orff Shulwerk method which incorporates xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels and hand percussion to create instrumental patterns, reinforce music literacy and play songs as an ensemble. Singing is an integral part of Lower School music as children explore the foundations of correct vocal technique through the discovery of the head tone, partner songs, rounds and the use of harmony. Every child in the Lower School performs throughout the year. During performances students might be singing, playing instruments, or both!

Media Center

The Lower School Media Center provides children access to well over 6,000 volumes of children’s literature, in addition to a wealth of other media resources such as periodicals, audiovisual materials and research and reference materials. All Lower School students visit the Media Center weekly with their class, and we encourage additional visits before and after school.

LEAP SmartLab

The LEAP SmartLab is our innovative STEAM lab for grades Pre-K - 2.

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Systel Smartlab

The Systel SmartLab is our state-of-the-art STEAM lab for grades 3 - 5.

Learn More