Classes: |
Enrichment: |
Extracurricular: |
| Preschool | Computers | After School Club |
| Kindergarten | Music | Sports |
| 1st Grade | Physical Education | Hip Hop Dance |
| 2nd Grade | Resource Center | Drama |
| 3rd Grade | Extra Fun Classes | |
| 4th Grade | ||
| 5th & 6th Grades |
Classes
Preschool
Welcome! We have been very busy in the preschool and it doesn’t look like we’ll be slowing up any time soon. We are continuing our work on our fine and gross motor skills, phonics, math, science, social skills, and spiritual development. Wow! There is a lot of fun going on in our preschool classrooms.
A great big “Thank You!” to our many parents who have given of their time and support. Whether it is helping during our class parties, chaperoning for our field trips, or making our campus shine, it has been a joy for us to have the opportunity of getting to know you.
Miss Karleen Scroll to top
Kindergarten
Our youngest students are introduced to academics through a full day of developmentally appropriate, hands-on activities that provide engaging opportunities for all learners. Students meet in small groups of three or four with the teacher to ensure personalized and differentiated instruction. Independent learning is encouraged through center activities that reinforce concepts and stimulate curiosity. Under the banner of God’s love, children are met where they are and ushered into the exciting world of education.
Bible: Through the Old Testament stories, children are introduced to our loving God and His promises. The Good News of Jesus Christ completes the beautiful story of redemption and relationship. Weekly bible verses, play acting, and songs ensure a lasting appreciation of God’s Word.
Language Arts: Kindergarten begins the year learning to recognize the alphabet and associate sounds to letters. Through a program that focuses on phonics, students are taught to decode and read simple words almost immediately, and are fully prepared to read at first grade level by year’s end. The love of reading is further nurtured with daily read aloud stories that explore the wonders of the world and the people around us.
Language Development is enhanced as several languages are introduced in the class. Students learn social interactions and counting in several languages. Weekly Spanish lessons emphasize building vocabulary. Latin is introduced through song and flashcards. Acting as a bridge between English and Spanish, Latin supports English language development for bilingual students and strengthens language skills in all students.
Mathematics: All math concepts are presented with a hands-on approach. With the extensive use of manipulatives, students are able to master the concepts and apply them to everyday life. Progress is monitored through small group interaction and independent center practice. The concepts include sorting, patterns, number sense, geometry, measurement, money, calendars and clocks.
Handwriting: Because handwriting is closely connected to brain development and fine motor skills, handwriting is practiced everyday. The year begins with close attention paid to the correct way to hold a pencil, position the paper, and poster. Students write words and sentences weekly. Emphasis on proper form facilitates readiness for cursive writing in later grades.
Science and Social Science: Both science and social science are literature based. Our social studies program is driven by the calendar. Holidays and special events throughout the year are explored and celebrated with an emphasis on American traditions. The focus of science is discovering the wonderful world God has created for us. Through observation and experimentation, students will study the properties and characteristics of water, plants, animals, insects, the earth, landforms, weather, and seasons. Scroll to top
First Grade
In the first grade, our days are filled with Language Arts, Math, Bible, Social Studies, History, Geography, and Science.
Below is a list of the curriculums we use in class, all of which A) meet or exceed California standards, and B) aim to generate spiritually and academically sound students.
Please note that this list does not include the supplemental materials used within the classroom.
Language Arts: Reading Street by Scott Foresman: [Phonics (word reading), Vocabulary, Comprehension, Writing and Phonemic Awareness (blending and segmenting letter-sounds)].
Math: Houghton Mifflin: [Number Sense, Algebra and Functions, Measurement and Geometry, Statistics, Data Analysis and Probability].
Bible: Positive Action: [Studying and identifying important character traits; analyzing the character trait through a Bible character; developing life-long skills of spiritual knowledge, comprehension, discernment, application and evaluation; Bible verse memorization, singing and prayer].
Social Studies: Community Helpers: My America, my World
Science: A Reason for Science.
Second Grade
The following lists the curriculum set up by the teachers and the board to meet or exceed the California standards and to produce academic and well rounded Christian citizens. This does not list the extra supplemental materials used in my classroom.
Handwriting: A Reason for Handwriting, Published by The Concerned Group Inc. Copyright 2004
Math: Houghton Mifflin Mathematics, California Edition. Copyright 2002
Reading/Language Arts: Scott Foresman, Reading Street. Copyright 2007
Bible: Finding God’s Promises, Published by Positive Action Bible Curriculum. Copyright 2004
NIV Adventure Bible, Published by Zondervan. Copyright 2008
Social Studies: Our America History and Geography Reader, A Beka Book. Copyright 2004
Science: A Reason for Science, Published by The Concerned Group. Copyright 2006
Mrs. AllwardtScroll to top
Third Grade
Curriculum Summary:
In the third grade we have an exciting day of learning about Math, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Bible each and every day! We use Houghton Mifflin for Math; Reading Street/Scott Foresman for Language Arts; Our American Heritage for Social Studies; A Beka for Science & Health; and Growing with God for Bible.
Each curriculum book serves as the overall structure of the nature of the lessons taught. Each lesson is specially planned to address the learning needs of the students in the class and is supplemented with age-appropriate learning activities, projects, and games to make the content accessible, relevant, and fun for all learners.Scroll to top
4th Grade
In the fourth grade, our days are spent learning about Reading, Spelling/Writing/Grammar, Math, Science/Health, Bible, and Social Studies.
Reading: Reading good literature is an important part of our curriculum. We will be reading the novels: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Island of the Blue Dolphin, James and the Giant Peach, Shiloh, and Stone Fox.
Spelling, Writing and Grammar: Students will be writing creative stories, narratives, persuasive speeches, poems, and research reports. Students will learn the mechanics of writing and grammar as they go through the writing process. The curriculum we will be using is Scott Foresman, Reading Street.
Math: We will be working on mastering our multiplication facts. Basic facts are the cornerstone in fourth grade as we learn to multiply large numbers and move into higher level reasoning. We also will be working on division up to two digit quotients, making change, measurements, graphing, fractions, decimals, probability, word problems, algebra, and geometry. Our curriculum is Houghton Mifflin.
Science/Health: Students investigate Life Science, Physical Science and Earth Science through hands on learning. The curriculum is A Reason for Science. In Health, we will study the skeletal system, muscular system and nutrition. The curriculum we use is A Beka.
Bible: We will study the life of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the life and writings of Paul. The curriculum we use is Positive Action Curriculum.
Social Studies: In fourth grade we study California history. This will be broken up into the following areas: Geography of California, California Indians, Explorers to California, Missions/Ranchos/Presidios, Westward Pioneer Movement, the Gold Rush, Building of the Railroad, Immigrants to California, and California Government. Our curriculum is Houghton Mifflin.
We also go on exciting field trips!
Mrs. ChavezScroll to top
Fifth and Sixth Grades
In the 5th and 6th grade at Heart of the Valley, we build upon the student’s academic skills and enhance their learning experience. We learn not only how to succeed in school, but to succeed in life. We learn valuable skills like being organized and time management.
Bible: We study the Bible to learn Christ-like characteristic like integrity, honesty, and responsibility. We see examples from the Bible to help guide our lives to serve the Lord. Our ultimate goal is to develop a more personal relationship with Christ.
Academically, we follow California state standards.
Math: In Math, the children are expected to do basic computational functions such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. We also introduce work in algebra, geometry, fractions, decimals, and percentages.
Language Arts: In Language Arts, the children will learn most of the common writing conventions, including punctuation marks, paragraphing, and verb tenses. They will also know how to write dialogues, explanations, and comparisons.
Social Studies: For 5th graders in Social Studies, we study exploration, geography, and how the American government was formed. We study historical events from the Revolutionary War period through the Civil War.
Science: In 5th grade Science we cover a broad range of sciences. We will learn about our body systems, the life cycle, flight and space exploration, Children gain a fairly sophisticated understanding of matter, chemical elements and compounds. We will learn about weather patterns, wind directions, temperature, and precipitation.
In 5th and 6th grade we learn to love, and love to learn!Scroll to top
Enrichment
Computers:
Our goal is to foster and develop an enjoyment of computers in Preschool thru 6th grades. The students will learn all about the computer from what makes a computer work to designing their own Power Point page. Here are some activities the students will learn: hand positions, the four major parts of the computer, different kinds of software, and how to use the internet the right way and safely.
Music:
Our goal is to foster an enjoyment of music in Kindergarten thru 8th grades. Activities this year include piano, rhythm, directing, singing, and listening to and learning about classical music from the baroque through the contemporary period.Scroll to top
Physical Education:
Welcome back to school! Our first few weeks of school focus on the basics of Physical Education (i.e., stretching, warming up and following directions). Our first rotation of instruction covers field games such as Capture the flag, Fire in the jungle, Kickball, Pitstop Paradise and Steal the bacon.
This includes:
Sports: soccer, basketball and kickball
Athletic Drills: warm up agilities and relay races
Field Games: capture the flag, rain drop and “fire in the jungle”
Playground: four square, handball and dodge-ball
Resource Center:
The Resource Center has a safe, nurturing environment where each student can rise to their fullest potential. Each student will use their individual strengths to build up and improve upon their weaknesses. The small group setting encourages and stimulates ALL students to achieve their immediate and long-term goals.
Extracurricular
After School Club:
Students continue to enjoy their time in After School Club each week, playing fun playground games, spending time learning in the computer lab, creating fun projects in art class and investing time working on the week’s homework in study hall. Friday’s are a special day within ASC, as we play a big game of Capture the Flag on our grass field and then come inside for games and a movie. Have your child come join us today.Scroll to top
Sports:
At Heart of the Valley, each athlete is expected to show God’s love to their teammates and other competing teams. Using their God-given talents, students can participate in a variety of sports throughout the school year. In the fall, Football and Softball are offered. In the winter, students can participate in Basketball. We end our school sports seasons in the spring with Volleyball. Cheerleading is offered in both the fall and winter seasons.
Hip Hop Dance:
The students are introduced to many different styles within hip hop dance, including breaking, locking, popping, and freestyle dance. We aim to make the class fun, educational, physical, and funky! We work with the students on finding the beat and the rhythm of the music and finding their own style. All the music that we choose will be clean and free from any questionable lyrics or subject matter.
Drama:
Students will play theatre games and learn basics of staging, character development and improvisation. Students will be involved in two productions; a Christmas Musical and a Spring Play.
Extra Fun Classes:
Golf and KarateScroll to top