Lower School

“At Rivermont, you don’t just get an education – you get a family. Teachers teach you, but they also care about you on a personal level and your classmates become your “siblings.” You develop strong relationships and your friends will remain close to you long after graduation – even if you end up living hundreds or thousands of miles away from each other.”

Cassandra Wylie, Class of 2005

Kindergarten through 5th Grade

Rivermont’s Lower School provides an academically rigorous yet nurturing environment. You can feel the energy in our halls and classrooms, filled with projects, writing, and artwork that reflect an enthusiasm for learning. A walk through Lower School classrooms will show students involved in everything from programming robots to constructing Native American dwellings to singing in another language. Teachers have the flexibility to focus on each student’s learning style, and students feel comfortable taking risks in academics, arts, and athletics.

Kindergarten Curriculum

Rivermont Kindergarten students embark on a journey to develop a lifelong love of learning. Through a combination of individual, small group, and whole group instruction, Kindergarten students develop confidence, greater independence, and a sense of pride in their accomplishments. Kindergarten is the essential foundation upon which Lower School builds.

LANGUAGE ARTS

MATH

The Singapore Math curriculum anchors learning in real world, hands-on experiences. Kindergarten students actively participate in lessons that apply essential math concepts to real world problems, creating a deeper understanding without significant repetition.

SCIENCE

Kindergarten students are introduced to the scientific method through hands-on activities. Students explore life, earth, and physical sciences and how they pertain to their daily life. Each grade level builds upon the preceding level by introducing more challenging experiments, concepts, and skills. Kindergarten science focuses on the Earth, sky, and elements of motion.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Kindergarten social studies focuses on creating awareness of the communities around us – local, national, and global. Students learn about what they can do to be good citizens and develop an appreciation for government and community helpers. With respect to geography, students begin to learn about maps, the globe, and taking care of Earth’s precious resources.

HEALTH & FITNESS

Physical education in Kindergarten focuses on hand-eye coordination, advanced motor and skill development, and basic athletic fundamentals. Developmentally appropriate activities and games integrate skill development into play. The main goals of the curriculum are that students develop physical fitness, useful physical and athletic skills, good sportsmanship, and an enjoyment of physical recreation.

TECHNOLOGY

Technology is an essential part of Lower School curriculum as technology is increasingly introduced into classrooms and lessons. Lower School is outfitted with iPad & Chrome Books that can be transitioned from classroom to classroom bringing the creative tools, interactive books, and endless educational applications anywhere at any time.

Specifically, Kindergarten students explore digital citizenship and internet safety, the basic functions of a computer and its parts, basic keyboarding techniques, and how to create and save their work.

VISUAL ART

Kindergarten art focuses on exploring and experimenting with the vast array of media available in the art studio. Creative expression is interwoven with skill development using a variety of media, tools, and techniques. Students are introduced to the elements of art and practice connecting them to their surroundings and the larger world around them. Each Lower School grade features unique anchor artists from many cultures around the world whose work and techniques students study and incorporate into their own pieces.

Kindergarten students share their artwork with a large audience during the annual Family Art Night and All School Art Show.

WORLD LANGUAGE

At Rivermont, students are exposed to world language beginning in Preschool.

MUSIC

Kindergarten students discover the different channels of the voice and use them to talk, whisper, hum, chant, and sing various types of songs. Solfege (scale tones with hand signals) is used to create an awareness of pitch, call and response patterns, and simple improvisation.

Students learn to identify and feel a rhythmic beat through games, recordings, movements, and playing percussion instruments. Rhythmic notation is introduced through flashcards and rhythm band charts. The concepts of tempo, dynamics, style, and mood are introduced. Students learn to identify the sounds of different instruments and recognize them by sight. Together students learn to work as an ensemble, whether in song or with instruments, to create music and respond to nonverbal conducting cues.

LIBRARY

Kindergarten students use illustrations and other visual elements to understand text and learn to make connections between stories and their background knowledge. Students make predictions to understand text and learn to recognize basic story structure and define the various types of literature, both fiction and nonfiction.

1st Grade Curriculum

In 1st Grade, students continue to build upon the fundamentals and lifelong love of learning begun in Kindergarten.

LANGUAGE ARTS

1st Grade students advance in The Daily 5 curriculum with extensive reading opportunities that provide a rich opportunity for comprehension, discussion, phonics, and writing projects. Students publish books and stories of their own creation throughout the year, sharing their ideas and creativity with classmates.

MATH

Through the incredibly interactive Singapore Math curriculum, 1st Grade students grasp increasingly complex math concepts in computation and equation solving. The curriculum provides hands-on opportunities for students as they tally, weigh, measure, estimate, graph, and problem solve. Students learn to apply math concepts to real world situations, becoming expert problem solvers.

SCIENCE

1st Grade students build upon the foundation set in Kindergarten with more challenging experiments and concepts. 1st Grade science focuses on the environment, meteorology, and the concept of energy and matter.

SOCIAL STUDIES

1st Grade social studies focuses on the need for laws and rules, as well as geography. Students explore national symbols and landmarks and discuss relevant current events. 1st Grade students participate in the annual Academic Fair, presenting an original research project on national monuments.

HEALTH & FITNESS

1st Grade students build on hand-eye coordination, motor and skill development, and basic athletic skills developed in Kindergarten. Activities and games integrate skill development into play as students develop physical fitness, useful physical and athletic skills, good sportsmanship, and an enjoyment of physical recreation. P.E. activities are often integrated to make connections across disciplines and with school activities, such as African dancing and martial arts during Rivermont’s annual school-wide International Week.

TECHNOLOGY

Specifically, 1st Grade students build on digital citizenship, internet safety skills, and keyboarding techniques developed in Kindergarten. Students also learn the basics of Microsoft Office tools, including Word documents and presentations.

VISUAL ART

1st Grade students advance to more complex techniques as they grow in their ability to control their media. Art projects connect with picture books as students study illustrations and artists, whose work and techniques they explore more in-depth and incorporate into their own pieces.

1st Grade students share their artwork with a large audience during the annual Family Art Night and All School Art Show.

WORLD LANGUAGE

At Rivermont, students are exposed to world language beginning in Preschool.

MUSIC

1st Grade students continue to develop the singing channel of their voice, alone and in a group, through simple folk songs, rounds, and Solfege (scale tones with hand signals). They listen to, identify, and feel the steady beat of music through games, recordings, movements, and playing rhythmic patterns on percussion instruments.

Students learn to work together as an ensemble through rhythm bands, reading from charts, counting the beats, and performing simple rhythmic notation. They improvise accompaniments with percussion instruments and learn the concepts of tempo, dynamics, style, and mood. Through selected music recordings and videos, they learn to describe musical elements and identify the sounds and names of different instruments.

LIBRARY

1st Grade students use illustrations and other visual elements to understand text and learn to make connections between stories and their background knowledge. Students make predictions to understand text and learn to recognize basic story structure and define the various types of literature, both fiction and nonfiction.

2nd Grade Curriculum

2nd Grade is a time to learn to become a self-directed learner. Students learn important strategies to manage time, learn from mistakes, and learn to love the difficult! Embedded across all disciplines is character development, where perseverance, compassion, responsibility, kindness, and respect are modeled, practiced, and become a natural part of the classroom environment.

LANGUAGE ARTS

In 2nd Grade, The Daily 5 curriculum continues to develop literacy skills as students participate daily in small, differentiated, theme-based reading groups. At the same time, students are challenged with daily oral language work to enhance mechanical and grammatical skills. Journaling and creative writing become an integral part of the curriculum, encouraging students to explore their writing and creative skills. Wordly Wise, a Latin and Greek-based vocabulary development program, is introduced to teach students to use context clues and word part analysis to improve spelling and recognize word meaning.

MATH

In 2nd Grade, the Singapore Math curriculum continues to expand students’ ability to recognize and use a variety of problem-solving strategies. The application of math to real-world problems challenges students to strive for both mastery and application of concepts. Interactive activities include measurement, place value, addition, and subtraction with regrouping, multiplication, and division. Students work through rigorous problems, applying multiple strategies in both whole class and small group activities.

SCIENCE

In 2nd Grade, students focus on the solar system and the study of energy.

SOCIAL STUDIES

2nd Grade social studies explores the vast myriad of cultures, beliefs, and traditions of our ever-shrinking world. These studies complement and help students prepare for Rivermont’s annual school-wide International Week. 2nd Grade students also participate in the annual Academic Fair, presenting an original research project on an American president of their choice.

HEALTH & FITNESS

Physical education in 2nd Grade focuses on hand-eye coordination, advanced motor and skill development, and basic athletic fundamentals. Activities and games integrate skill development into play as students develop physical fitness, useful physical and athletic skills, good sportsmanship, and an enjoyment of physical recreation. P.E. activities are often integrated to make connections across disciplines and with school activities, such as African dancing and martial arts during Rivermont’s annual school-wide International Week.

TECHNOLOGY

Specifically, 2nd Grade students continue to build on digital citizenship and internet safety skills, keyboarding techniques, and learn to use Microsoft Office tools.

VISUAL ART

2nd Grade students begin to explore the principles of design. Students are encouraged to think like artists – considering line, color, and balance – and to apply a variety of processes to their artwork. Each Lower School grade features unique anchor artists from many cultures around the world whose work and techniques students study and incorporate into their own pieces.

2nd Grade students share their artwork with a large audience during the annual Family Art Night and All School Art Show.

WORLD LANGUAGE

At Rivermont, students are exposed to world language beginning in Preschool.

MUSIC

2nd Grade students use the singing channel of their voice for folk songs, rounds, partner songs (creating simple harmony), and Solfege (scale tones with hand signals). They begin to use music textbooks to develop reading skills and study the concepts of melody, rhythm, meter, tempo, dynamics, harmony, form, and instrumentation.

Students listen to selected music recordings and videos and then analyze and describe the music, including the sounds and names of different instruments. Drum circles and improvisation activities reinforce the development of ensemble skills and responding to directing cues.

LIBRARY

2nd Grade students build on their foundation from Kindergarten and 1st Grade to work with increasingly complex text. Students use illustrations and other visual elements to understand the content and learn to make connections between stories and their background knowledge. Students make predictions to understand text and learn to recognize basic story structure and define the various types of literature, both fiction and nonfiction.

3rd Grade Curriculum

3rd Grade is a transition year in Lower School when the level of rigor and complexity of work expands significantly. 3rd Grade students begin to develop the skills for self-directed learning.

LANGUAGE ARTS

In 3rd Grade, The Daily 5 curriculum continues to develop literacy skills with an increased focus on writing and grammatical structure. Journaling and creative writing continue as an integral part of the curriculum.

MATH

The Singapore Math curriculum continues in 3rd Grade, challenging students to use a variety of problem-solving strategies. The application of math to real-world problems empowers students with not only mastery of math concepts, but also the ability to apply them usefully. Interactive activities include advanced multiplication and division, fractions, measurement, and geometry. Students develop mental math and advanced problem-solving skills.

SCIENCE

3rd Grade science explores ecosystems and the relationship between energy and the application of force and motion.

SOCIAL STUDIES

3rd Grade students continue their study of culture through an in-depth look at our nation’s cultural past, including exploration into Native American and early European colonial beliefs. Students then explore the dichotomy between a government’s responsibility to its citizens and a citizen’s responsibility towards their government. These complex concepts are examined through role-playing, research projects, and field trips. 3rd Grade students participate in the annual Academic Fair, presenting an original research project on a Native American tribe of their choice.

HEALTH & FITNESS

In 3rd Grade, physical education focuses on hand-eye coordination, advanced motor and skill development, and basic athletic fundamentals. Activities and games integrate skill development into play as students develop physical fitness, useful physical and athletic skills, good sportsmanship, and an enjoyment of physical recreation. P.E. activities are often integrated to make connections across disciplines and with school activities, such as African dancing and martial arts during Rivermont’s annual school-wide International Week.

TECHNOLOGY

Specifically, 3rd Grade students continue to build on digital citizenship and internet safety skills, as well as using Microsoft Office tools. Students also explore how to navigate and search using web browsers, the basics of computer programming, and how to create and deliver good presentations.

VISUAL ART

3rd Grade students explore increasingly complex artistic processes. Students are encouraged to not only create art but to verbally articulate why and how they solved problems in their artwork. Each Lower School grade features unique anchor artists from many cultures around the world whose work and techniques students study and incorporate into their own pieces.

3rd Grade students share their artwork with a large audience during the annual Family Art Night and All School Art Show.

WORLD LANGUAGE

At Rivermont, students are exposed to world language beginning in Preschool.

MUSIC

3rd Grade students are introduced to the soprano recorder as a class activity and pre-band training. Throughout the year, they learn to read and play from notated scores, follow directing cues, and test individually for recorder proficiency.

In their music textbooks, they continue to develop the concepts of harmony, form, tone color, and knowledge of the families of instruments. They explore various composers through books and classroom videos.

LIBRARY

3rd Grade students build on a solid foundation of library skills started in Kindergarten to work with increasingly complex text and to evaluate and use library materials for classroom assignments. Students use illustrations and other visual elements to understand the text and learn to make connections between stories and their background knowledge. Students make predictions to understand the content and learn to recognize basic story structure and define the various types of literature, both fiction and nonfiction.

4th Grade Curriculum

4th Grade is a pivotal year in building student independence, leadership, and responsibility. Students use planners, calendars, and personal organization systems to hone these skills. Teamwork, a sense of humor, and willingness to make mistakes in order to truly learn are ingredients to a fantastic 4th Grade learning environment!

LANGUAGE ARTS

4th Grade students interact and respond to reading selections to develop solid inquiry and comprehension skills. Discussion, activities, and projects revolve around the Open Court Reading series, a variety of recommended, award-winning novels, and selected genre studies. Students strengthen oral fluency and reading skills through The Daily 5 curriculum which includes small reading groups, independent reading time, and one-on-one reading with the teacher.

Students enhance their understanding of grammar and the parts of speech through a variety of activities. Students become skillful writers through practicing many forms of writing: creative, descriptive, persuasive, and informative.

MATH

In 4th Grade, the Singapore Math curriculum develops a deep math understanding through a focused, coherent curriculum that uses math concepts in real world applications without significant repetition. Students discover and learn the following six domains: operations and algebraic thinking, number and operations in base ten, number and operations in fractions, measurement and data, geometry, and mathematical practices. Students also use Reflex Math, a game-based computer program that develops math fact fluency.

SCIENCE

4th Grade science builds upon the 3rd Grade ecosystem curriculum, with more in-depth study of Earth’s geological structure, magnetism, and the application and transfer of energy. Students conduct hands-on labs led by a discipline-specific science teacher to enhance understanding of concepts and perfect their use of the scientific method.

SOCIAL STUDIES

4th Grade social studies explores the five regions of the United States, discovering the culture, geography, economy, and natural resources of each region. Students create 3-D maps, wall size state puzzles, brochures, and presentations. For the annual Academic Fair, 4th Grade students research one of the 50 states, collecting data, participating in interviews, writing a report, and creating a display. Students also explore Iowa history.

HEALTH & FITNESS

In 4th Grade, all facets of health and life skills are emphasized, in addition to a continuation of the physical education foundation started in Kindergarten. Topics of discussion include healthy behaviors and decision making. Students learn and practice life skills and are encouraged to think critically about healthy living.

TECHNOLOGY

Specifically, 4th Grade students continue to build on digital citizenship and internet safety skills, how to create and deliver good presentations using a variety of presentation software, keyboarding techniques, and the basics of computer programming. Students also begin to work with digital cameras and webcams, including using photo and video editing software.

VISUAL ART

4th Grade students incorporate themes into their work that connect to literature and correlate with classroom curriculum. Students use both conventional and non-conventional materials to create artwork inspired by contemporary artists. They are encouraged to create meaningful artwork and focus on exercising a variety of artistic processes. Each Lower School grade features unique anchor artists from many cultures around the world whose work and techniques students study and incorporate into their own pieces.

4th Grade students share their artwork with a large audience during the annual Family Art Night and All School Art Show.

WORLD LANGUAGE

Beginning in the 4th Grade, students select which language, French or Spanish, they want to pursue. Both language programs really take off in 4th Grade with language vocabulary and composition. Students begin an in-depth study of the culture and customs of their selected language, highlighted by interactions with elementary students from other countries. Through a wide variety of activities, students appreciate the value of learning another language.

MUSIC

4th Grade students begin to develop skills for two-part harmony in vocal music, as well as auditioning for solo roles in school music programs. Opportunities for narration and acting parts are also provided. Throughout the year, students study music theory and writing and are introduced to the main eras of music history, instrumentation, style, and composers.

Students prepare for the annual Quad City Youth Symphony Day concert by previewing the music and background of the program pieces and composers and learning about concert etiquette.

LIBRARY

4th Grade students build on their solid library foundation to become information literate, using nonfiction and technology as a source of information, citing information sources, and assessing the reliability of online information. Students work with increasingly complex text, fiction, and nonfiction, both for personal enjoyment and for classroom assignments.

5th Grade Curriculum

5th Grade is a key transitional year from Lower to Middle School. 5th Grade students expand and integrate skills developed throughout Lower School as they prepare for Middle School.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Emphasizing a humanities-based approach, the 5th Grade literacy program ties into the social sciences with historical novels and leveled literature circles at the core of the reading program. Group discussions revolve around analysis of content, author’s voice, and writing style to encourage students to think critically about literature. 5th Grade language arts is structured on The Daily 5 curriculum, empowering students to become independent, confident readers, writers, listeners, and speakers.

MATH

In 5th Grade, the Singapore Math curriculum focuses on algebraic and geometric principals. Students continue to enhance problem-solving skills with increasingly complex real-world problems, to which they are encouraged to find unique solutions by applying a variety of math concepts.

SCIENCE

5th Grade science shifts emphasis to biology through the study of growth, genetics, and how organisms adapt to a variety of environments. A discipline-specific science teacher brings concepts to life through interactive labs that reinforce use of the scientific method.

SOCIAL STUDIES

5th Grade social studies explores American history from early colonization to post-Civil War reconstruction. With an emphasis on developing their research skills, students learn to differentiate between primary and secondary sources and evaluate the accuracy and bias associated with source material. These skills are put to use when 5th Grade students prepare an original research project on a country of their choice for the annual Academic Fair.

HEALTH & FITNESS

The 5th Grade curriculum builds on the physical education foundation started in Kindergarten, as well as continuing health and life skills from 4th Grade. Topics of discussion include healthy behaviors and decision making. Students learn and practice life skills and are encouraged to think critically about healthy living.

TECHNOLOGY

Specifically, 5th Grade students continue to build on digital citizenship and internet safety skills, how to create and deliver good presentations using a variety of presentation software, keyboarding techniques, and the basics of computer programming. Students also begin to work with digital cameras and webcams, including using photo and video editing software.

VISUAL ART

5th Grade students incorporate themes into their work that connect to literature and correlate with classroom curriculum. Students explore a variety of materials to create both large scale and small scale artwork. Students study the process and themes of contemporary artists, who serve as inspiration for their work.

5th Grade students share their artwork with a large audience during the annual Family Art Night and All School Art Show.

WORLD LANGUAGE

5th Grade students continue learning the language they selected in 4th Grade, either French or Spanish.

MUSIC

5th Grade students are placed according to voice assessment for two-part harmony singing throughout the year. They learn folk songs, rounds, partner songs, and simple two-part harmonies from a varied repertoire of music. 5th Grade students provide a strong leadership role in Lower School music programs through solos, narration, acting, and choreography.

Students continue to study theory concepts, writing, music history, and terminology through workbooks, games, recordings, and videos. Rhythm band activities are included with standard notation. Students attend the annual Quad City Youth Symphony Day concert and prepare in advance by studying the program selections and composers.

LIBRARY

5th Grade students build on their solid library foundation to become information literate, using nonfiction and technology as sources of information, citing information sources, and assessing the reliability of online information. Students work with increasingly complex text, fiction, and nonfiction, both for personal enjoyment and for classroom assignments.

Lower School

Kindergarten through 5th Grade

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Kindergarten Curriculum

LANGUAGE ARTS

MATH

SCIENCE

SOCIAL STUDIES

HEALTH & FITNESS

TECHNOLOGY

VISUAL ART

WORLD LANGUAGE

MUSIC

LIBRARY

1st Grade Curriculum

LANGUAGE ARTS

MATH

SCIENCE

SOCIAL STUDIES

HEALTH & FITNESS

TECHNOLOGY

VISUAL ART

WORLD LANGUAGE

MUSIC

LIBRARY

2nd Grade Curriculum

LANGUAGE ARTS

MATH

SCIENCE

SOCIAL STUDIES

HEALTH & FITNESS

TECHNOLOGY

VISUAL ART

WORLD LANGUAGE

MUSIC

LIBRARY

3rd Grade Curriculum

LANGUAGE ARTS

MATH

SCIENCE

SOCIAL STUDIES

HEALTH & FITNESS

TECHNOLOGY

VISUAL ART

WORLD LANGUAGE

MUSIC

LIBRARY

4th Grade Curriculum

LANGUAGE ARTS

MATH

SCIENCE

SOCIAL STUDIES

HEALTH & FITNESS

TECHNOLOGY

VISUAL ART

WORLD LANGUAGE

MUSIC

LIBRARY

5th Grade Curriculum

LANGUAGE ARTS

MATH

SCIENCE

SOCIAL STUDIES

HEALTH & FITNESS

TECHNOLOGY

VISUAL ART

WORLD LANGUAGE

MUSIC

LIBRARY