Grades 1-4

St. Timothy's Grades 1-4 students eating lunch

Children lay the groundwork to become lifelong learners from a young age. Our Lower School offers an academically challenging, age-appropriate program that builds confident and caring learners. We introduce our students to a broad spectrum of experiences with small classes, a high degree of personal, differentiated attention. 

Our teachers understand the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs of each student in a child-centered environment. Our research-based curriculum encourages students to develop independence, creativity, problem-solving abilities, perseverance, and confidence. We promote curiosity, discovery, and community in the classroom and through opening and closing meetings, co-curricular classes (Music, Spanish, Science Lab, Imagination Lab, Movement, PE, Art, Media) as well as outside the classroom in our school learning garden and on class field trips. A daily moment of prayer and weekly Chapel services provide spiritual education, and our Character Education program promotes the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.

 As they complete their lower school years, students begin to see themselves as capable individuals who use their gifts and talents for the good of others, armed with the key skills to excel in Middle School and beyond.

In first grade, we foster the unique potential of each child. Our program incorporates opportunities for social and academic learning and growth through research-based, whole class, individual, partner, and small group instruction. We believe the social curriculum is as important as the academic one and that students learn best when they feel included and safe in their classroom community.

Academics:

  • Foundational phonics skills
  • Reading and comprehending grade-level texts
  • Writing for different purposes and audiences
  • Building basic number sense
  • Adding and subtracting two-digit numbers
  • Graphing
  • Fractions
  • Money and time
  • Using strategies to solve problems

Program Highlights:

  • Classroom and grade-level team building
  • Community field trips and speakers
  • Pumpkin Parade performance
  • Salvation Army Stocking Stuffer Service Project
  • Christmas Pageant (Angels and Shepherds)
  • Study Buddies (1st/5th grade buddies)
  • Student Author’s Night
  • Mother’s Day and Father’s Day events

In second grade, students participate in engaging instruction that encourages a love of learning which allows for personal, academic, and spiritual growth. We provide a classroom environment that supports the diverse learning styles of our students. Students discover more about the world around them through experiential learning and cooperative activities which foster relationships built on kindness, respect, and inclusion.

Academics:

  • Foundational phonics skills
  • Reading and comprehending grade-level texts
  • Writing for different purposes and audiences
  • Building basic number sense and place value to 1,000
  • Adding and subtracting two and three-digit numbers
  • Geometry and fractions
  • Measurement and estimation
  • Using strategies to solve problems

Program Highlights:

  • Classroom and grade-level team building and STEM activities
  • Community field trips and speakers
  • Pumpkin Parade performance
  • Boxes for Soldiers Service Project
  • Christmas Pageant (Children of the World)
  • Presidents Project
  • Poetry Party

In third grade, we continue to build on a strong academic foundation and foster independence. We encourage students to be curious and motivated to learn. As third graders become more sophisticated in their thinking, abstract concepts, inferring, problem solving, and critical thinking skills are emphasized as they apply existing skills to new situations. Third grade is a pivotal year of self-discovery and tremendous social, emotional, spiritual, and academic growth.

Academics:

  • Reading and comprehending grade-level texts
  • Predicting, summarizing, and synthesizing information from text
  • Writing for different purposes and audiences
  • Multi-digit addition and subtraction
  • Single-digit and two-digit by one-digit multiplication
  • Geometry and fractions
  • Collect and interpret data
  • Measurement and estimation
  • Using strategies to solve problems

Program Highlights:

  • Classroom and grade-level team building and STEM activities
  • Community field trips and speakers
  • Mars Rover Engineering Project
  • Christmas Pageant (Chorus)
  • U.S. Landmark Project

In fourth grade, we encourage students to stretch themselves to reach higher academic and social-emotional goals. We encourage students to become self-sufficient problem solvers who learn through productive struggle. Our classrooms provide a fun and emotionally safe environment that helps students grow into confident, caring individuals and teammates.

Academics:

  • Reading and comprehending grade-level texts
  • Summarize and identify plot, theme, characterization in a text 
  • Develop characters, opinions, and facts in writing
  • Multi-digit addition and subtraction to 100,000
  • Collect and interpret data
  • Geometry, fractions and decimals
  • Measurement and estimation
  • Multi-digit multiplication
  • Division
  • Using strategies to solve problems

Program Highlights:

  • Classroom and grade-level team building and STEM activities
  • Community field trips and speakers
  • 9/11 First Responder care package service project
  • Christmas Pageant (Actors and Acolytes)
  • Biography Night event
  • Overnight beach field trip