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Our curriculum has three major attributes:
1. Students master academic skills at each class level; these skills align with state
and national standards. In addition to ongoing and varied assessment
throughout each academic year, students in 3rd through 8th grades
also take the New Hampshire Common Assessment tests (NECAPs). Students graduating
from Hopkinton Independent School are well-prepared to succeed
in some of the most challenging secondary academic programs in
the world.
2. In addition to our standards-based skills
outline for each class level, our curriculum also includes a
comprehensive content outline for language arts,
mathematics, science and the humanities.
This outline is based on a three-year rotation of thematic concepts
that encourage curiosity and inspire students to love learning
about the world around them. Year one focuses on International
Studies; year two, American Studies, and year three, regional
New England and New Hampshire Studies. As students move through
their elementary grades, they experience an expansion of ideas
and concepts as well as more probing material with each repeat
of the rotational cycle.
3. Teachers incorporate a multiple-intelligence
approach to teaching. Based on the work of Dr. Howard
Gardner, our program encourages the identification and enhancement
of individual student intelligences in a number of domains: musical,
mathematical, kinesthetic, visual, interpersonal, intrapersonal,
logical, and naturalistic. In this way, teachers create multi-faceted
lessons, providing students with multiple "windows for learning".
Learning on the Land
We make frequent use of our wonderful 63 acre “outdoor classroom”,
with frequent field trips to local, regional and international
museums, theaters, historic places, environmental landmarks,
and places of interest. Classes in music, art, dance, creative
dramatics, health and fitness, foreign languages, community service,
and citizenship complement the curriculum at all levels. In addition,
a wide variety of specialists visit the school each year. Examples
might include the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, N.H. Fish
and Game, the Merrimack County Soil Conservation Service, as
well as traveling theater and arts performers.
Health and Fitness
Through individual and team sports, yoga, creative movement and outdoor
exploration activities children explore many factors which contribute
to maintaining optimum health. Lessons on nutrition, fitness,
goal setting, sportsmanship and the human body are presented
through age-appropriate activities. In addition, children participate
in hiking, canoeing, kayaking and fitness activities.
Art
Art is exploration of different media, techniques and personal
style. All students are encouraged to exercise their creative
instincts, while at the same time, improve observation, planning
and organizational skills. Weekly classes in drawing, painting,
clay, collage, fiber arts and photography are offered. Whenever
opportunities exist, classroom teachers also integrate art into
the general classroom curriculum. Visits from artists and trips
to many area museums and galleries enhance our program.
Music
The goal of our music program is to introduce children to the
joy music and movement bring to our lives. Seasonal school wide
celebrations related to our annual integrated theme are the focus
of our music program, but we also make recordings to share our music with
our community. Children learn vocal, instrumental and
dance pieces to share with family and friends at these celebrations.
All students participate in percussion activities. Students in
grades 5-8 participate in a drum ensemble group.
Music in the
Children's Center &
Kindergarten
Music in the
Elementary Grades
Music in the
Upper Grades
Foreign Language
Children at all grade levels participate in foreign language
enrichment classes on a weekly basis. Foreign language classes in
Spanish
and French
are designed to aid student acquisition of different phonemic
patterns, thereby enhancing fluency in a second language in later
years. We focus on exploring patterns of everyday life in other
cultures. Foreign language study in
early years instills
a love of language.
Spanish in the
Kindergarten
Spanish in the
Elementary
Grades
Spanish in the
Upper
Grades
Life Skills
At each grade level children participate
in projects designed to enhance important life skills. These
may include personal communication, money and personal finance
management, cooking, sewing and other needlecrafts, woodshop
and simple yard and home maintenance skills. |
