Lower School
Rosa Alvarado, Assistant Principal
Few phases of life are as exciting as the early years when “education” begins to take root. ISL’s Lower School appreciates that the time is ripe to not only instill the love of learning, but for children to acquire foreign language skills in an immersion environment. From kindergarten through fourth grade, ISL’s program provides a nurturing, stimulating environment for cultivating enthusiastic students. Language arts, social studies, science and math are taught in the target language in self-contained classes. English language arts are taught in grades 2-4. Enrichment teachers present music, art and physical education in a target language whenever possible. Subjects are thoughtfully sequenced and carefully integrated, to better reinforce the connections made and lessons learned. Parents share their child’s progress through twice yearly teacher conferences. Of course, ongoing, less formal communication is always encouraged.
Classroom content is tailored to developmental needs. Each child is unique. In keeping with the ISL mission to celebrate diversity, that individuality is lauded. From kindergarten on, students are encouraged to appreciate and respect the special qualities they and their classmates, teachers and families contribute to the ISL community.
These are years of emerging self-confidence and the opportunity for self-expression, performance and presentation abound. Lower school children might work collaboratively to craft a mural, recite a poem, deliver an oral presentation on a topic of their choice or develop a story and delight in acclaim as an author.
ISL incorporates technology into the classroom at a very early age. Every lower school classroom has computers with age-appropriate Internet access. A state-of-the-art computer lab supports emerging technical skills.
Homework
Grades K-2
In grades K-2, homework, when assigned, is intended to help your child develop responsibility for completing a task and returning it on time. Daily reading to a child (in any language), having a child read to family members or read independently is also a part of lower school homework. Reading is an important component of having a student become a competent reader and writer.
The time allotted toward homework should increase gradually from grade to grade. In K-2 the approximate daily time allotment for homework is 30 minutes.
Grades 3-5
In grades 3-5 homework assignments become more structured with required time increasing from third through fourth grades. Skill practice, projects and extended reading may require additional time. Homework is an outgrowth of lessons taught in class. Occasionally, additional work may be brought home as the result of the student not completing an assignment in class. It is the student’s responsibility to use class time wisely.
In grades 3-5 the approximate daily time allotment for homework is 60 minutes.
In all grades, weekend time should be reserved for family activities, but on occasion may be used to complete long-range assignments such as projects, reports and supplementary reading. Students may choose to follow up on classroom experiences on their own initiative.
Celebrations
Parties celebrating students’ birthdays are special times in Lower School. Manageable treats such as cupcakes or cookies may be sent to school for a child to share with classmates. Parents are asked to contact the teacher one week prior to the day they wish to celebrate a child’s birthday. Please confirm a time in advance with the classroom teacher. Check with the teacher regarding specifics for summer birthdays. To ensure the safety of all students, lighting candles is not permitted. Invitations for home parties must be sent from home rather than delivered at school.
Daily Schedule
The school day begins at 8:00 a.m. Students may be dropped off starting at 7:45a.m. if they are not participating in the Early Bird program. We encourage students to arrive on time to ensure they have a smooth start to their day and begin the day’s activities with their classmates.
Grading & Report Cards
In grades Kindergarten – 3, teachers do not use letter grades to evaluate student progress. Instead, the symbols: “+, √, -”, are used along with narrative comments. This focuses attention on the acquisition of skills and knowledge; these symbols are also used on the quarterly report card.
In fourth & fifth grades letter grades are introduced on the quarterly report card, but the focus is still on skills and knowledge acquired.
