Keystone International School understands the importance of creating a holistic environment for children to learn, explore and discover themselves and the world around them. We believe that the educational platform should be free of prejudice and restrictions, in order for each child to freely ask questions, develop and share ideas and As educators at Keystone International School, it is our goal to create such an environment where each child’s unique character and abilities are addressed and each child is given the opportunity to develop their self-confidence, imagination and academic foundations.
At Keystone International School we feel that first grade is when children form their first impression of school so it Is the most important step to a lifetime of learning. First Grade is an exciting time in the life of young children as they begin to make great strides in social and academic areas. First Grade children have a growing sense of independence in both of these areas with considerable variation in development among children. Teachers work closely with each child to help him/her reach individual and classroom goals. Throughout the year children work on initiating and sustaining cooperative play. They are learning to take turns, to negotiate, and to peacefully resolve social conflicts independent of a teacher. Observing the use of “choice time” is an interesting study in first grade. Many children begin the year choosing to paint or to build with blocks during their free time. As they progress through the year, children begin to choose activities with more of an academic focus, such as writing stories, creating math projects, or reading books. The boundaries between work and play fade as children gain confidence in their academic abilities. By the end of the school year, first grade children have pursued a wide range of activities and are more confident in their abilities as thinkers and learners.
K-12: Keystone Elementary School has adopted the American Common Core Standards, which are a set of clear goals for each grade level. These standards define the knowledge and skills students should have within their K-12 education. The standards are building blocks for successful classrooms, but recognize that teachers and schools need to decide on an appropriate curriculum. The standards establish a “staircase” of increasing complexity in all subject areas. There is also a focus on social intelligence, which includes self-awareness, communication and conflict resolution.
English Language Arts (ELA): The standards require the progressive development of reading comprehension so that students advancing through the grades are able to gain more their readings. Through reading a diverse array of classic and contemporary literature, as well as challenging informational texts in a range of subjects, students are expected to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspective. The ability to write creatively, informatively and logically, starts from the earliest grades. The standards require that students gain, evaluate, and present increasingly complex information, ideas, and evidence through listening and speaking as well as through media. The standards expect that students will develop their vocabularies through a combination of conversations, direct instruction, and reading. The standards will help students determine word meanings, appreciate the nuances of words, and steadily expand their repertoire of words and phrases.
Math: The K-5 standards provide students with a solid foundation in whole numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals—which help young students build the foundation to successfully apply more demanding math concepts and procedures, and move into applications. The standards stress not only procedural skill but also conceptual understanding, to ensure that students are learning and absorbing the critical information they need to succeed at higher levels.
Social Studies: The Keystone Social Studies curriculum focuses on culture, time, people, places and environments, individual development identity, global connections, civic ideals and practices. These areas are intended to teach children to become self-conscience, socially responsible, environmentally friendly global citizens. Through the selected areas, children will learn about themselves and the world around them.
Science: The Keystone Science Curriculum includes Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science and Investigation and Experiment. The Science curriculum is level specific and the levels build upon each other. The contents are standard but each year children learn new vocabulary and more complex ideas. Students are given the opportunity to learn science by direct instruction, reading textbooks and supplemental resources, problem solving, experimenting and investigating.