Ponte Vedra Beach Campus
2010-11 Ponte Vedra Beach Student-Parent HandbookStudents in pre-kindergarten through grade five receive a firm foundation in reading skills, writing, math, science, and social studies within an intimate environment which the lower school faculty is committed to offering each student. Small, homelike classrooms with 20 students accentuate the vital, personal relationship that develops between the teacher and each young child. Teachers encourage students to develop their own personal work ethics and to build a set of personal beliefs and sense of self on which they can rely as they progress through their teenage experiences.
Parents are offered many opportunities to be involved in students’ daily educational experiences. Frequent conferences keep parents informed about their children’s academic and social progress. The lower school faculty and administration believe that involved, informed parents are better able to help their children master the accelerated academic curriculum at Bolles. The curriculum is based on hands-on learning, which emphasizes activities to teach the importance of exploring and experimenting.
Each child is encouraged to explore personal limits and abilities as an important part of the process of self-acceptance. The School’s character development program instills within each child positive values and self-esteem, the tools each will someday need to make decisions about matters such as alcohol and substance abuse.
Kindergarten
The kindergarten program provides students with a stimulating academic and developmental environment that is conducive to learning. The program focuses on the whole child and allows for cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development at a level and pace with which each child is comfortable, and uses a variety of instructional techniques. Reading and language readiness skills are taught through a systematic introduction to consonant and short vowel sounds, individual writing experiences, and exposure to children’s literature. Math skills and concepts are explored through the use of a variety of manipulatives, games, and activities. A strong foundation is built for the transition to grade one. Science and social studies concepts are explored through a series of units based in themes of interest to kindergarten-aged students. These themes are explored using art, music, and literature. Resource teachers in physical education, art, music, library, technology, foreign language, and drama further enrich the kindergarten curricululm.
Grades One through Five
The curriculum for grades one through five emphasizes a close student-teacher relationship and the total development of the child—academic, social, emotional, and physical. Class sizes are limited and a sense of community is stressed within each class. Respect, responsibility, hard work, and concern for others are keys to success.
The curriculum includes the following core subject areas: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Additional areas of participation study are foreign language, technology, the arts (music, drama, and art), physical education, library, and character development.
Language Arts: The language arts curriculum includes reading, phonics, English grammar, spelling, vocabulary development, creative writing, and literature. Using a phonetic approach to instruction, students learn effective decoding strategies early. Particular attention is given to those skills critical to the reading process: comprehension, vocabulary, writing, literary, and study skills. English, spelling, and creative writing are not only a key ingredient of the language arts curriculum, but are also emphasized and reinforced in other academic disciplines.
Mathematics: Emphasis is placed on building a strong foundation of skills to allow for the continuity and development from one grade to the next. Using all modalities (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic), emphasis is placed on integrated problem solving, reasoning, and use of manipulatives and cooperative learning.
Science: The activity-based science curriculum allows for students to understand scientific concepts through inquiry and investigation. Students engage in hands-on activities and are encouraged to explore questions and answers and, in turn, develop and identify resources, interrelationships, and attitudes of the world around them.
Social Studies: Students study their own communities, families, other countries, and both U.S. and Florida history. Appropriate field trips and art projects are planned to complement social studies activities. Activities and reading assignments provide motivation and experiences that help students expand their knowledge of the world at large and the concept of change and its effect over time.
Resource Classes: Students are exposed to the cultures and language of both the French and Spanish.
Physical Education Classes: meet several times a week emphasizing fitness, cooperative learning and games, and a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Music, art, and drama meet weekly and ensure an appreciation for and an awareness of the wide variety of artistic experiences.
Technology Classes: meet weekly. Students are exposed to keyboarding, word processing skills, PowerPoint, and internet research relating to other areas of the curriculum. The library encourages reading for pleasure and circulates books regularly.
After School Activities: Both campus locations offer an Extended Day Program for working parents who need reliable before and after-school care for their children. In addition, the Advantage Program gives children an opportunity to participate in activities such as dance, music, sports, and more.