One of the primary goals of our elementary school is teaching kids how to be students of God’s word and God’s world. In order to get the best from their education, and from life, kids need to become “diligent disciples.”

The Elementary curriculum is designed to provide students with a thorough and cohesive program of learning based on a Christian worldview. Teachers assist students in developing necessary skills and knowledge while fueling the natural curiosity of young children. They work to help students establish a commitment to excellence. Through the scheduled curriculum, review, and evaluation, teachers update and refine teaching material and instructional techniques in an effort to help students reach essential grade-level proficiency. The scope of learning in each subject area is designed to build on the previous year’s instruction and to prepare students for success in the next grade level. Through well-planned assignments that increase in complexity and essential independence, students leaving our elementary school are well prepared to enter the middle school years with confidence.

The kindergarten year is a year of DISCOVERY! It’s the beginning of a 13-year journey through high school graduation. Choosing the right school to begin that journey is a life-changing decision.

At Rosedale, we emphasize those ever-important academic foundations while fostering spiritual, social, and emotional growth. Our nurturing kindergarten environment is led by highly qualified teachers who love the Lord and who have a passion for what they do. Rosedale kindergarten students develop a love of reading through the Abeka phonics program.  Bible class, hands-on art, music, and personal expression round out their day and prepare them to be 1st graders who are well equipped to learn! Whether it be through numbers, letters, or skills development, we begin to cultivate the skills children need to experience satisfaction and success on whatever path God has for them.

First graders are eager to read and write. Students in first grade build on a foundation of letter sounds, sight words, and decoding abilities. A significant portion of the day is devoted to the development of these skills, taking students from a variety of starting points to ever-increasing independence in the language arts. Handwriting skills are developed for consistency in size, slant, and legibility, and spelling lessons begin. Students have many opportunities to put their thoughts into writing.

Math lessons introduce new skills daily, which are reviewed and maintained throughout the year. First graders are expected to develop a mastery of addition facts.

Students begin to work independently to complete tasks. By the end of the year, students are excited about finding scripture verses and familiar stories in the Bible that they have studied throughout the year. They’re off and running!

Students in second grade become more independent as they start to apply previously learned basic skills. They discover reading for enjoyment and develop writing skills as a form of communication. Instruction in phonics continues while increasing the amount of time on reading comprehension and reading fluency.

Second graders become firmly anchored in addition and subtraction facts. This provides a strong basis for all other math functions. Children become more aware of the world around them through a study of the seven continents, and, along with hands-on science units, this adds a lot of fun! The second grade Bible curriculum focuses on the life of Christ and allows them to respond in faith to the Gospel message.

Students in the third grade are ready to develop more as independent readers. Students fine-tune their reading comprehension skills and learn to analyze a text by summarizing, comparing, and contrasting characters and events. The reading program is novel-based, with plenty of non-fiction reading as well. Emphasis is placed on writing for different purposes, such as narrating, informing, describing, and researching. The development of skills in reading, research, and writing culminate in the presentation of a state report.

The third grade student reviews addition and subtraction facts, and then works to master multiplication facts. More demanding math concepts, math vocabulary, and modeled lessons encourage students to think mathematically.

Fourth grade is the year when students turn a corner and are expected to take greater personal responsibility for their work. Good organizational skills are emphasized across the curriculum. Students begin using the daily planner to record and check off daily assignments. Being responsible and keeping everything together is a challenge, and teachers work with students to develop ways to tackle this important new skill.

Reading instruction centers on a series of novels chosen to teach important comprehension skills that are transferable to other reading contexts. Students enjoy working in groups to share their “intellectual art” at the end of a novel. By now, basic reading skills should be in place and children begin to apply these skills in the content areas, specifically in science and history. Math instruction covers all four operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Children work to master all math facts in order to be better prepared for the challenges of more difficult operations in the coming years. Thinking carefully about math concepts involves concepts of estimation, rounding, and plenty of word problems.

The focus in our 5th grade classrooms is to develop competence in organizational and study skills as well as to provide the academic preparation students will need for success in middle school. While presenting several research assignments, kids learn more effective written and spoken communication. Mastered reading empowers students to acquire knowledge independently. Students ascertain truth about God’s world through discovery and investigation in science and math. They learn to see Jesus Christ throughout the Bible, beginning with pictures and prophecies in the Old Testament and through studying the life of Christ in the Gospels.

History picks up where fourth grade ended. Students get an introduction to American history from the beginning years of a new country through the present. They begin to recognize how events and people from these periods of history still influence our lives today.

In fifth grade science, the students investigate God’s world. They learn about nature, mammals, treasures of the earth, vertebrates, and more. Students have the opportunity to grow their knowledge with some hands-on projects and experiments.

Interested in learning more?