Primary School
The Primary School has over 400 students in grades 1 through 5 with two certified/degreed teachers in each classroom. Average class size is 1:14 with no classes having more than twenty-three students. Housed in Building “A”, the school is large with expansive hallways geared towards mini assemblies, concerts, art shows and rainy day indoor games. All subjects are taught in English except for Chinese language and Shanghai Math. In grade 5 the students begin to transfer math in Chinese into English. By Middle School all Math is taught in English.
Primary School children are active, happy, and very curious and love their lessons, teachers, surroundings and daily activities. With a beautifully maintained campus, extensive buildings, electronic boards in each classroom, swimming pools, large bilingual library with two librarians, and expansive playground, the students thrive in a caring and resourceful environment.
English
Children write in their student journal daily. Additionally, they also write in their Humanities and Science journals when focusing on those subjects. The SCLS students write reports, poems, essays, descriptive paragraphs, book reports, interviews and nonfiction stories. In grades 2-5 the writing process includes at least 1 to 2 drafts before the final product is posted.
In grades 1-5 the teachers also have Literary Circles using chapter books. Often these titles include award winning novels from Newbery, ML King, Moonbeam, American Library Association Award Winner, Scholastic, or Caldecott selections. Books such as Frog and Toad Are Friends, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, and Freckle Juice are used in grade 2. Grade 3 reads Ramona Quimbly, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Babe The Pig, The BFG, and Charoltte's Web are read in grade 4. How To Train Your Dragon, The Dog, and Shel Siverstein's Falling Up are read in grade 5.
English comprehension and vocabulary development are extremely vital skills which are reinforced through daily conversations, Treasures, the grade level novels and a Modern Press workbook, Comprehension Plus. The Common Core curriculum dictates that students read with depth and understanding and not just memorize a book. Reading to deeply understand character development, setting, plot and sub-plot, environment, author's intention, inferences, prediction, outcomes are only some of the deeper understandings students must take away from reading in Treasures and/or novels.
Oral speaking and conversation are worked on daily. All lessons, conversation and interactions take place in English (except for math, Chinese language). Both the Western teacher and the Chinese teacher follow the mission of the school which is to have the students think, reflect, converse, write, enjoy and understand all elements of the English language.
For students needing extra support we offer a Super Kids Program (grades 2 through 5), Phonics Monsters (grade 1) and English Plus (Middle School) if needed. Treasure Chest Club (grade 1) and Fast Track (grades 2 through 5) are offered for accelerated readers.