Private Elementary School | Barnhart School

Elementary School
Our school offers a stimulating learning environment where students are encouraged to express themselves creatively, and artistically, and to show genuine compassion for others. Our elementary school program strives for academic excellence while instilling our core values of integrity, inclusiveness, and perseverance in our students.

Reading
Reading instruction in the elementary grades centers around a balanced literacy approach, which includes shared reading, read-alouds, guided reading, and independent reading.

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
3rd - 5th Grade

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade

In the primary grades, students have daily practice in phonics, spelling and word work, all of which come together to support their development as readers. Teachers read a different mentor text each week that models a specific comprehension skill - such as making predictions and connections or identifying character traits and motivations - which students then practice in small guided reading groups or one-on-one with their teacher. The emphasis in these grades is building reading fluency, comprehension, and most importantly, a love of reading.

3rd - 5th Grade

In the upper elementary grades, the focus shifts from learning to read to reading to learn. Students work daily to build their vocabulary and understanding of English grammar. Teachers guide students in thinking about deeper concepts like theme, metaphor, and author’s purpose and motivation through whole class novel studies and small groups called literature circles. Students also begin to work with textbooks and use nonfiction text features effectively.

Writing
Writing instruction in the elementary grades incorporates a writer’s workshop approach. Each quarter, students focus on a different genre of writing: narrative, expository, persuasive, and creative writing, such as fairytale or realistic fiction.

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
3rd - 5th Grade

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade

Students learn to write complete sentences with proper punctuation and capitalization and to take their writing through the full writing process, with teacher support: brainstorming, planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. As they progress from one year to the next, students learn to craft more detailed sentences, develop a variety of writing techniques, and produce longer pieces. Each writing project culminates in a publishing party so that student authors can share their work with an authentic audience.

3rd - 5th Grade

In the upper elementary grades, students continue their work in writer’s workshop but also use a program called Write Now, Right Now to support their work in crafting strong paragraphs and writing in response to their reading. By the end of fifth grade, students are adept at using the full writing process independently and producing the classic 5 paragraph essay, which supports their smooth transition into the increased expectations of Middle School. As in the primary grades, each writing project in the upper elementary grades culminates in a publishing party.

Math
Math instruction in the elementary grades focuses on developing flexible thinkers who can solve problems in a variety of ways and explain their reasoning to others. Elementary students use the Illustrative Math curriculum.

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
3rd - 5th Grade

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade

3rd - 5th Grade

Students continue to build on the skills they developed in the primary grades, extending their work with whole numbers into fractions and decimals, learning multi-digit multiplication and division, solving multi-step story problems, and developing geometry concepts such as area and volume. As in the primary grades, students learn to solve problems using a variety of strategies and methods and explain their thinking to others.

Science
Science instruction in the elementary grades centers around the NGSS or Next Generation Science Standards, which focus on thinking like a scientist rather than simply memorizing scientific facts.

Students use a program called Mystery Science that provides a combination of video prompts, discussion questions, and hands-on experiences and experiments to guide them through the scientific process as they solve real-life mysteries.

Social Studies
Social Studies instruction in the elementary grades is intended to broaden students’ concepts and appreciation of the world around them. With our school-wide commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, teachers incorporate texts, videos, hands-on experiences, and field trips that both reflect the students in our classrooms as well as expose them to new concepts, cultures, and perspectives.

Each year, students complete projects or participate in project-based learning around social studies concepts such as 4th grade Gold Rush Town and 2nd grade Market Day.

Class Trips
Barnhart has an extensive progression of hands-on Environmental and Physical Science Field Trips for all grade levels. With this first-hand exposure to new places, people, and ideas, they open their eyes and expand their knowledge. Field study also builds a sense of community among the student body through shared experiences. When students interact with the world around them, they become actively engaged in learning. A dynamic environment sparks a very engaging learning process.

These extensive learning excursions benefit students by reinforcing the academic curriculum through hands-on experiences in the real world. Equally important, students progressively build independence and resilience as they are systematically led to step “out of their comfort zone, and into their learning zone.”

4th Grade
Students enjoy their first overnight field trip in 4th grade. They first visit Mission San Juan Capistrano to see what life was like in a California mission, then spend the night on The Spirit of Dana Point at the Ocean Institute where they live and work as sailors, learning about the Boston-to-California hide trade of the 1840s.

5th Grade
5th graders enjoy a two-night field trip to Catalina Island Marine Institute. They participate in hands-on marine science labs, learn about pollution, explore the ocean, and stretch themselves through adventurous activities like kayaking and snorkeling.

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Kindergarten - 2nd Grade

3rd - 5th Grade

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade

3rd - 5th Grade

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade

3rd - 5th Grade