PROGRAM OVERVIEW
In addition to classroom teachers, a number of additional teachers serve as specialists in the lower school. Their varied expertise enhances the program and their offerings are known as "specials."

Art
The most important aspect of the art curriculum is the development of students' visual perception and imagination. Students are encouraged to look closely at various objects and draw that which they see. The subject matter starts with simple forms; as the children develop, the objects become more complicated. After close observation, halfway through the class, students may be asked to finish their drawings using their imagination. For example, after drawing popcorn, a child may turn it into an imaginative image or turn a twisted stick into a creature. Creative observation, or finding the visual similarities between objects, is taught through fourth grade. Students are also encouraged to draw according to their personal vision and expressive style. By third and fourth grade, mathematical concepts and ratios are introduced into drawing and painting. For example, they begin to draw figures and portraits with traditional proportions and they draw in response to photographs or life, using ratios. We explore linear perspective, as well as aerial perspective, to create the illusion of space in two dimensions. Various media such as clay, wire and plaster are explored to help strengthen small muscles and develop perception and imagination on a three-dimensional level. Children also experiment with wood sculpture, printmaking and painting. Basic elements of design are approached on appropriate developmental levels. Color concepts, nature of lines, tonal and textural effects and shape relationships are explored.

Many art classes are directly connected to classroom curriculum. This may be as simple as the integration of watercolor painting and close shell observation with a class studying marine life. It may be more complex, such as incorporating art with culture (e.g. Africa, Central America or the Hudson Valley) through printed designs on costumes, landscape painting, scenery for plays, pottery, animal sculptures, cultural aesthetic values, sewing or Indian cornhusk dolls.

Music Our overall aim is to have children develop a lifelong capacity for the enjoyment of music and the ability to expand that capacity independently as they grow. We begin with connecting music with their everyday experiences emotionally, mentally and physically. Rhythm, melody, timbre and text are explored through movement, song, CDs and DVDs of performances. More complex materials are used as the students grow and mature. The use of small motor movement is applied to an instrument. Notation, improvisation, sight-singing, ear-training, composition, listening and

music history are all a part of becoming musically literate. Part singing in a chorus is experienced for the older students. Self confidence grows as students evelop competence. Cross-curricular topics are carried into the music classroom on a consistent basis. We integrate dance, drama and visual arts whenever feasible. Artists visit the school to inspire the students and demonstrate real life applications of musical skills. At selected times throughout the year, performance is experienced as a culmination of all of the skills the children have developed, giving them the experience of the joy of sharing music with others.

Drama
The drama program in the lower school introduces children to the joys of creative expression. Activities are designed to provide children personal ways of integrating imagination, movement, and understanding of the world around them. The program reflects and respects the developmental needs of each age group, and connections to classroom themes are investigated though a creative process.

Age-appropriate literature serves as the basis for many group activities in the younger grades, as storytelling, fairytales, and characters are explored through dramatic play. Listening and communication skills are emphasized as the children experience how to compromise with group partners to create scenes together. Older students begin to develop acting skills though improvisation and pantomime, as they learn elements of theatre production. Theatre games that help build confidence, concentration and use of the imagination are played at every level.

Spanish
The lower school Spanish program is based on the knowledge that language is most efficiently acquired in a context that is natural and communicative. We provide opportunities for children to listen, to do, to guess at meaning, to interact with and observe others and to see many examples of the printed word. Lessons often include games, projects (art, cooking) songs and storytelling, which encourage children to try the different sounds of the language in a fun and safe environment. Older lower school students have Spanish folders where they keep all their written work, which we review periodically. Culture is also an important part of our program. Students are exposed to the richness of the Hispanic and Latin cultures through stories, songs, games and projects. These activities help us lay the foundation for speaking, reading and writing in Spanish, but the emphasis is always communicating meaningfully.
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Library
The library at PDS functions as a resource to support the curriculum; classroom themes are integrated into the library program. Students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade have weekly classes in small groups with the lower school librarian. During this time, students are introduced to new books and authors through stories and displays and are encouraged to look up favorite authors as well as explore new genres. The classes provide students with various age-appropriate activities.

For the youngest students this may include read-alouds, storytelling, literature-based art projects, learning to browse the collection and borrowing books. Older lower school students begin to develop library skills, such as using the automated catalog, identifying different sections of the book collection and learning how to find books by gaining familiarity with the Dewey Decimal System. Introductions to different genres, such as folktales and biography, are also part of the lower school library program.All students are made aware of the borrowing rules and how to take care of library materials.

The library is also a resource for the whole school and students are encouraged to browse or gather in small groups to work on their assignments. The librarian is available for student and faculty inquiries and computers with supervised internet access are available as one of the many reference sources in the library.

Physical Education
All PDS students participate in physical education classes. The curriculum is designed to give students the opportunity to discover and improve their physical abilities, to expose them to the sheer joy of being active and to help them learn sportsmanship and cooperative team play. Students are introduced to a variety of sports through games and activities. It is our goal to provide experiences and activities that help students make informed choices in order to maintain an active, healthy level of fitness.

Movement awareness activities help to develop fundamental movement skills. These skills are integrated into all aspects of sport, games, dance, as well as movements through everyday life. These themes are further divided into sub-themes which provide a wide variety of movement experiences and are sequentially arranged. Beginning with basic locomotor movements, activities progress to manipulation of equipment and from individual tasks to partner and group activities. Sub-themes include: exploring personal and general space; identifying boundaries, directions, pathways and patterns; using equipment; exploring large muscle group movement, right/left and cross-lateral movement; exploring body shapes; balance, creative movement, rhythm and dance; and elements of health and fitness.

Literacy Specialists
The literacy specialists in the lower school work with teachers and students to reinforce and enrich the literacy curriculum, observe and assess students, and provide specialized instruction. They confer with all teachers, additional specialists and families to ensure the acquisition of the literacy skills necessary for children to become proficient readers and writers. Careful attention is paid to each student's receptive and expressive language, fine and gross motor skills, decoding ability, vocabulary development, memory /sight word knowledge, reading strategies, comprehension strategies, and writing mechanics and expression.

Teachers are supported in their classrooms during literacy sessions at least once a week. When needed, students also receive literacy support individually or in small groups. Individualized support is designed to identify the best mode of learning for each child and to promote every student's literacy growth. Competencies are developed in a variety of ways, including multi-sensory activities, direct instruction, and discussion. Throughout the year, an appreciation of great literature and active engagement in reading and writing are fostered.

Math Specialist
Most of the math specialist's work consists of regular observation, consultation, and teaching in K-4 classrooms. He visits 1-2 and 3-4 classrooms twice each week and pays one weekly visit to each kindergarten class. He also meets on a weekly basis with teaching teams to discuss curriculum, students, and other math-related issues. The math specialist puts together "mathtubs," boxes containing math materials, activities and suggestions for projects; each lower school student takes home a mathtub at some point during the year. He also creates "Problems of the Week," puzzles which require creative and flexible mathematical thinking, and develops long-term projects for students at the 1-2 and 3-4 levels. On occasion the math specialist works one-on-one or in small groups with students in need of extra support.

Revised Fall 2007