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Academic Programs
Integrated Thematic Instruction (ITI)
Kindergarten at CCDS
6th Grade Stewards at CCDS
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| | The educational program of the Chico Country Day Charter School is informed by research and highly respected philosophies regarding teaching and learning.
Our program is based upon what we know to be best teaching practices in a classroom we create and is referred to as a brain-compatible environment. Our approach to educating our students is based on the educational philosophy of The Basic School (Ernest Boyer) and our instructional model is based on Susan Kovalik’s Integrated Thematic Instruction.
From the Basic School model, we extract a few core beliefs that are at the heart of building a community of learners at CCDS: - getting to know each student well
- leadership opportunities for our older students
- cooperative learning for students and teachers
- ongoing professional development
- displaying student work through exhibitions, celebrations, and portfolios
- focusing on creating an engaging curriculum that emphasizes depth and understanding of “essential” topics, rather than one that focuses on breadth of material covered.
Our use of challenging service learning projects, student learning based in study trips throughout our community, and the solving of real-world problems comes from embracing Kovalik’s instructional model Integrated Thematic Instruction.
From embracing Kovalik’s instructional model, Integrated Thematic Instruction, we extend our curriculum to include: - challenging service learning projects
- student learning based study trips throughout our community
- the solving of real-world problems
Much of the CCDS curriculum is planned and developed by teachers, and based on the California Content Standards for each grade level. CCDS teachers are trained to use the Integrated Thematic Instruction Model to plan, sequence, integrate, and structure the units of instruction. Teachers make their plans by integrating a large concept that is woven throughout the day, across all subject areas.
Their ITI training encourages planning developmentally-appropriate sequenced activities that build a “scaffolding” of understanding that connects learning across the various disciplines on a daily basis. Once this scaffolding is built, more and more conceptual teaching/learning may be added onto the basic foundation established early in the day/ week/ year. Children’s understanding begins to grow and connect, because all skills are taught in the context of meaningful engaging content, as opposed to skills or facts being taught in isolation.
The ITI curriculum planning and instruction model aligns with our educational philosophy and inspires teachers to create innovative and engaging hands-on curriculum based on student understanding of grade level content standards and skills. Building on our school culture of collaboration and accountability, CCDS teachers welcome the opportunity to gather at Professional Roundtables. By design, these times are planned times weekly to encourage collaboration on curriculum planning and projects. These collegial times offer each teacher an opportunity to be accountable to others, ensuring that all curricula meet high levels of academic rigor at every grade level. | |
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| | “The main goal for kindergarten is to convey to students that the world is an exciting place worthy of intense investigation. Thus, students should be given as many opportunities as possible to experience and interact with their environment and the living and non-living things within it.” --Karen Olson, Science Continuum of Concepts
Reading/Language Arts: Each day, your child will be exposed to stories, poetry, music and chants to become enriched with language. We meet in large and small reading groups daily to work on reading or reading readiness skills and concepts. One of the programs we use is Scholastic’s Literacy Place. Phonics and Whole Language are both important pieces of the puzzle.
Writing: As children learn letters and the sounds they make, they begin to hear sounds in words as they write. They learn to print letters, words and sentences at their own pace without pressure. Students dictate stories, keep a notebook, copy print and use inventive spelling to express ideas.
Math: We are a Harcourt Math school, but we also use Mathland and Math Their Way. The units are Sorting and Classifying, Patterns and Movement, Matching and Counting, Numbers, Geometry, Money, Measurement, Time and Exploring Addition and Subtraction. These are all taught using a hands-on approach.
Science/Social Science: Thematic units are used each month to teach important concepts in this area. Health and Safety are ongoing themes taught in lessons throughout the year.
The Arts: Chico Country Day School has an emphasis on the Arts. Music, dance, visual art and drama connect with our theme. Children have an opportunity to learn techniques as well as express themselves creatively. We are pleased to have a music teacher twice a week.
Physical Education/Movement: Kids love to move! We call it EXERCISE and we do it four times each week. We learn what our bodies can do, movement activities, large body skills, simple games, and aerobics for kids.
Homework: Homework includes reading, printing, math, and poetry. The work is not independent, so your child will need your help. This needs to be a positive experience. They usually love homework in Kindergarten!
Field Trips: We call these “study trips.” We value “being-there experiences” and they are a huge part of our curriculum. We have at least one each month related to our themes.
Discipline: The word means “to teach,” so we teach them Lifelong Guidelines and behavior expectations. We believe in positive discipline and recognize and reward positive behavior in many ways: recognition, prizes, parties, and privileges. We use class meetings to solve problems as they arise. One class came up with these rules:
*Be safe." *Be smart" *Be fair."
Parent Volunteers: Throughout our school and grade levels, we would love your help in the classroom with the many little hands at stations, field trips, prep work, etc.
Our VERY Flexible Daily Schedule: Children thrive on routines. It makes them feel safe. Our school day begins for morning kindergarten at 7:55am Monday through Friday, ending at 11:25am. For our afternoon kindergarten, we begin at 11:40am, Monday-Thursday, and at 9:00am on Fridays, ending at 3:10pm, Monday-Thursday, and at 12:30pm on Fridays.
Here is an example of our daily schedule: | |
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| | | Monday-Thursday (morning Kindergarten) | | 7:55-8:30 | Class begins | Opening-music, stories, calendar | | 8:30-9:45 | "Brain Smart" stations | Language Arts, Science, Art, Phonemic Awareness, Math, Social Science, and Movement | | 9:50-10:10 | Snack and Recess | | | 10:10-10:30 | Story and Share | | | 10:30-11:00 | Math | | | 11:00-11:30 | Choicetime/Physical Education | | | 11:25 | Dismiss | | | Monday-Thursday (afternoon Kindergarten) | | 11:40-12:15 | Class begins | Opening-music, stories, calendar | | 12:15-1:30 | "Brain Smart" stations | Language Arts, Science, Art, Phonemic Awareness, Math, Social Science, and Movement | | 1:30-1:50 | Snack and Recess | | | 1:50-2:15 | Story and Share | | | 2:15-2:45 | Math | | | 2:45-3:15 | Choicetime/Physical Education | | | 3:15 | Dismiss | |
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| | Kindergarten Admission
Requirements for application: - Parent attendance at a school orientation meeting
- Completion of the waiting list application
- Proof of minimum age requirements (e.g. birth certificate)
Kindergarten Lottery
If the School receives more applications than there are spaces for students, each application will be given equal chance for admission through a random public lottery for placement. Your child must be 5 years old by December 1, 2006 to apply for the lottery.
Lottery Date: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Parent Orientation Meeting: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Please click here for full details of our Lottery Policy. | |
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| | We have a unique sixth grade program here at CCDS.
Some of the big ideas, or concepts, we use to guide us are: - purpose
- adaptability
- change, and
- stewardship.
These ideas fit perfectly with our big units of learning: Ancient Civilizations and Earth Science. We'll be taking the idea of stewardship and really finding ways to make changes in our classroom, in our school community, and hopefully the community at large. We have been learning about Resource Management and natural, non-renewable resources.
One huge way for us to conserve our natural resources is to recycle. The sixth graders run our recycling program at school. Additionally, they are running an aluminum can and #1 plastic bottle drive. Not only does this encourage recycling, but it raises money for our class and school in a very simple way. We have made a connection with the Work Training Center, and they pick up our cans/bottles when we need them to and bring us back the money. The sixth graders will be speaking at All School Sing and in other ways to educate our school community about recycling and their can/bottle drive. Paper is a recyclable product, and schools in general can do a much better job of recycling this product, rather than sending it off to a landfill.
Our annual trip to Mt. Lassen is a great opportunity to see our natural environment, Earth Science in our backyard labratory, and how our limited natural resources need to be preserved. Interestingly, Mt. Lassen has recycle bins next to all of their trash bins, something we'd like to improve at our campus.
Our sixth graders also take some leadership roles around our campus in other ways: - They help Fox run our lunch program.
- They raise and lower the flag daily.
- They escort Kindergartners in taking the roll folder to the office.
- They lock gates.
- They set up and take down our All School Sing.
- They design, set up, and run the booths at the 100th day celebration.
We are also exploring opportunities for starting a school newspaper and a student council. As the year progresses, we'll see the kids take on more of these types of roles. Many of the kids have already shown some leadership and stewardship by collecting recyclables and picking up trash during their free time.
Exciting field trip experiences challenge them as a team: - hiking Mt. Lassen
- biking in Upper Bidwell Park
- hiking Feather Falls
- spending three days in Bidwell Park challenging themselves in an Adventure Game
- camping at Black Butte Lake
All these experiences allow them the opportunity to see how they can make a positive difference at our school, in our community, and in the world as a whole.
As our mission statement says, CCDS is a safe, joyful community where all learners are inspired to achieve their personal best. The 6th graders here at CCDS have many opportunities to show their personal best to the benefit of themselves and their school. | |
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