Lower School - Grades Kindergarten - 5th

Trinity School of Texas’s Lower School is comprised of students from kindergarten through fifth grade.  In these formative years, our students begin to develop the essential habits of mind they will need to succeed-at Trinity and in life.  Equally important, the Lower School years are a time for children to acquire an appetite for learning, a curiosity about the world, a heartfelt concern for others, and a confidence in their own abilities and accomplishments. Throughout, we provide the solid foundation of skills that children need in order to discover and reach their greatest promise: intellectually, socially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

English / Language Arts

The language arts program concentrates on written and oral expression through reading, writing, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.  The reading program strives to develop confidence, creativity, initiative, and independence.  Students read a variety of genres, speak in both formal and informal settings, and strengthen the mechanics of English through formal instruction and student writing.  Central to the department's mission is the conviction that students confident with words and their usage will be able to express themselves more effectively and better understand the ideas of others. The program of instruction, built around diverse reading lists and progressive instructional skills, aims to nurture in students in the following areas:

• Clarity of thought
• Creativity
• Facility with language
• Open-mindedness.

History / Social Studies

The Lower School social studies program encompasses history, geography, and current events.  It centers on real life issues, the study of which enables students to acquire an understanding of themselves and of society in relation to the human condition over time and space.  The social studies curriculum attempts to lead students to an understanding of the significance of the past.  Through the study of history/social studies students will:

• Acquire an understanding of diverse cultures and of shared humanity
• Recognize the importance of individuals who have made a difference in society
• Understand where, and of what significance, places are on the earth's surface

Mathematics

The four major strands of the Lower School mathematics curriculum are reasoning and problem solving, spatial sense with geometric concepts, number sense and estimation, and patterns and relationships.  These strands move through the grade levels, and the concepts are extended each year.  Problems are presented using a variety of mediums including role-play, stories and literature, manipulatives, real objects, and pictures and graphs.  Students work independently, in pairs, in cooperative learning groups, and on whole class endeavors.  Students apply their understanding of mathematics toward solving problems in the real world and their everyday lives. The curriculum is designed to enable students to be:

• Creative and efficient problem solvers
• Technologically literate
• Enthusiastic and effective in cooperating with others

Science

The Lower School science curriculum is taken from the life sciences, the physical sciences, and earth and space science. The direct, hands-on approach to science provides each student with the opportunity to build a conceptual framework of the scientific method.  At each grade level, instructional units are selected that enable those students to discover and practice scientific behaviors most compatible with their level of cognitive development, interest, and learning style.  The goals of the program are:

• To develop a positive attitude toward, and an interest in, science
• To observe and investigate the physical and natural worlds
• To develop a working science vocabulary
• To develop the art of asking good questions
• To develop basic problem solving strategies
• To encourage independent exploration and discovery

 Foreign Language

 Spanish is offered in the Lower School.  The main goals of the Lower School program are to develop basic oral language proficiency and to stimulate awareness of the cultures and lifestyles of the people who speak the languages.  The completion of their language program will be in the Upper School, with goals to be attained by students by the end of their experience.  These goals are:

• To develop oral and written proficiency on an advanced level
• To foster an appreciation of language and culture in all of their dimensions
• To encourage the use of technology and travel abroad in the acquisition of language skills and cultural understanding

 Arts

 All students attend music and art weekly.  In music, students learn songs, participate in movement activities, and have opportunities to create music.  They are exposed to the music of the well-known composers of history.  As students progress through the music curriculum the instruction becomes increasingly more focused on music theory.  Time is spent using the learned concepts in all aspects of music: reading, writing, improvising, composing, and listening.  In art, students learn the principles and elements of art, in an age appropriate manner.  They create a variety of art projects using an assortment of mediums.  The students are exposed to the great artists of history as well as many art techniques.  Their time in art is spent exploring many facets of the subject. 

 Library

The library provides diverse materials and opportunities for literary and curricular enrichment for all grade levels. Students are given instruction using a variety of search strategies. The instruction is integrated across the curriculum.  

 Physical Education

At the core of each physical education class are three general objectives. First and foremost, class procedures and activities are designed to teach each student the importance of physical fitness.  Secondly, class instruction is combined with opportunities to help students learn basic loco-motor patterns, kinesthetic awareness and age appropriate sport related skills.  Finally, class sessions allow students to engage in positive social interaction in large and small group settings. 

TextBooks

• Math - Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley
• English/Writing-Shurley English
• Science - Harcourt
• Reading - Scott Foresman
• Kindergarten- McGraw-Hill/Wright Group
• Social Studies-Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

Special Field Trips

• Fourth grade trip to Vicksburg, MS
  
• Fifth grade trip to Washington D.C.