Curriculum Overview

Advanced Courses

All of our 8th grade students are eligible to take the Living Environment and Algebra I Regents, through our accelerated curriculum in our middle school grades.

Foundational Literacy Skills

In Kindergarten through 2nd grade, our teachers employ Wilson Fundations to support foundational literacy skills. “Fundatons utliizes a structured literacy approach grouned in the science of reading to make learning to read fun while laying the groundwork for lifelong literacy. The program’s research-based approach and extensive materials allow K–3 teachers to confidently present a carefully structured reading, spelling, and handwriting curriculum using engaging, multisensory techniques. Fundations is aligned with the science of reading and guides teachers to provide effective instructional practices.”

Reading and Writing

We are a Teacher’s College Reading and Writing program (TCRWP) school.  Our teachers follow the units of study and are provided instructional coaches from Teacher’s College (K-8). It is a workshop model with a mini lesson, independent or small group work (during that time teachers are assessing by conferring or teaching in a small group and then a share.

Math

Our math curriculum is Illustrative Math, a problem-based curriculum that makes rigorous mathematics accessible to all learners. “In a problem-based curriculum, students spend most of their time in class working on carefully crafted and sequenced problems. Teachers help students understand the problems, ask questions to push their thinking, and orchestrate discussions to be sure that the mathematical takeaways are clear. Learners gain a rich and lasting understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures and experience applying this knowledge to new situations. Students frequently collaborate with their classmates—they talk about math, listen to each other’s ideas, justify their thinking, and critique the reasoning of others. They gain experience communicating their ideas both verbally and in writing, developing skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.”

Social Studies

We follow The NYCDOE K-8: Passport to Social Studies program that integrates the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) and the New York State K-8 Social Studies Framework to support strong social studies teaching and learning.

It allows students to make sense of the world in which they live, make connections between major ideas and their own lives, and see themselves as active members of a global community. It engages our students in historical thinking and challenges students to think like historians and encourages them to raise questions, think critically, consider many perspectives, and gather evidence in support of their interpretations through the practice of chronological processing, decision-making, and historical research and analysis.

Science

We follow the Greenhouse Project core curriculum (we wrote the curriculum and we are the The Sun Works Center for Environmental Studies–the flagship Greenhouse Project Science Laboratory) introduces students to cutting-edge technology and connects science and the environment through sustainable urban farming asking questions, investigating systems, making predictions and designing solutions. The curriculum emphasizes the child’s perspective in the process of learning and promotes project based, critical thinking, and collaborative work. Students not only learn the general requirements of the mandated New York State Science Standards and the Scope and Sequence Standards, they go beyond by addressing issues of today’s environmental global concern.

In 6th grade, energy, 7th grade, earth science, Regents Living Environment and Challenge Based Modules intensive, short-term interdisciplinary courses developed around real-world challenges. They are designed to enhance students’ understanding of big ideas and broad global concepts, and their development and application of 21st century skills.

Greenhouse & Environmental Science

Environmental Science Education is taught in our Greenhouse Classroom Lab that offers students the opportunity to grow food, while learning hands-on about nutrition, water resource management, efficient land use, climate change, biodiversity, conservation, contamination, pollution, waste management, and sustainable development. Our Greenhouse classroom includes hydroponic growing systems, a fish farm, a rainwater catchment system, a weather station, integrated pest management and a vermicomposting station.

Discovering Sustainability Youth Conference

Our 5-8 students participate at the NY Sun Works Annual Youth Conference. Our students share their scientific creativity and their Greenhouse projects that promote urban sustainability.

Celebrations of Learning

Publishing Celebrations and Student Work Showcases in each classroom community are celebrations of learning for children, their teachers and families. Publishing Celebrations, are organized by the teachers after a unit of study.  This is a culmination of all the work the students have learned throughout the course of the unit. Each child should be an active participant in the celebration—planning and organizing, sharing their work, listening and responding to the work of others.  Likewise family members and staff should also be active participants. Teachers will establish a protocol that allows all students who have published to share and that also allows families to understand the importance of listening and responding.

Arts Rich Programming

Visual Art

At MSC, all students participate in studio art classes. In addition, art activities are integrated into the daily study of the academic disciplines. Children in all grades learn about the many genres of art and the formal aspects of art including color, line and composition through the use of art materials in many media. The creative process is designed to reproduce that of a real working artist, from ideas suggested in a sketchbook, through execution, to review by their peers and display for the public. 

At MSC, we believe that art is both a process and a product: children learn to approach a problem creatively and expressively while they also create works of art. Studio work is primary and central, a way to think critically and problem solve in the various media. The studio experience follows one pattern at all developmental levels. Students are introduced to materials, techniques and concepts, and then have the opportunity to explore or practice, and finally use their knowledge to solve a particular problem or complete a specific project. 

We encourage students to develop a vocabulary to talk about art and visual expression and to feel comfortable expressing their aesthetic responses to their own and others' work. We encourage the children to explore the relationship between art and other disciplines, and we link their art experience to the curriculum in each classroom, including language arts, math and especially social studies. MSC has a full-time art teacher and a dedicated art room.

Music

In music, our focus has been on providing a foundation of music literacy through utilizing folk repertoire. In the process, student will be given an opportunity to express themselves in music by way of singing, movement, playing instruments, improvising and composition. Students who actively participate in music will be given an opportunity to perform, play games and create. Within the 2022-23 calendar school year, students will play ukuleles & Orff instruments. MSC has a full-time music teacher and dedicated music room.

Annual Middle School Musical

Charlie Brown, Grease, Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast Jr., Legally Blonde Jr., Once on this on Island Jr., Grease, Seussical, ANNIE, Music Man!!! Each spring semester, middle school students have the opportunity to produce a Broadway musical under the direction of MSC’s theater teacher. It is a proud culmination of our arts curricula across K-8 in drama, dance, visual arts and literacy. In MSC tradition, the experience is hands-on; from audition to design, to acting, song and dance, costumes, and tech. Students realize full production values and the thrill of bringing a show to life in front of an audience of peers, family, and the MSC community.

Physical Education

Physical education prepares children to be physically and mentally active, fit and healthy for life.  It supports motor skills development, teaches self discipline, influences moral development, reduces stress, strengthens peer relationships, improves self-confidence and self-esteem, and facilitates development of student responsibility for health and fitness. Although we are a co-located building, MSC has exclusive use of our basement gym.

Social Emotional Learning

Responsive Classroom

Responsive Classroom is a research and evidence-based approach to education that fosters safe, challenging, and joyful classrooms in schools, kindergarten through eighth grade. Responsive Classroom practices help educators become more effective in three key domains each of which enable and enrich the others.

  • “Engaging Academics Teachers” creates learning tasks that are active interactive, appropriately challenging purposeful, and connected to students’ interests.

  • “Positive Community Teachers” nurtures a sense of belonging, significance, and emotional safety so that students feel comfortable taking risks and working with a variety of peers.

  • “Effective Management Teachers” creates a calm, orderly environment that promotes autonomy and allows students to focus on learning.

K-8 Responsive Classroom structures and practices employed in every classroom.  Morning Meeting is the cornerstone of Responsive Classrooms in K-5 classrooms. In our middle school grades, students participate in Advisory meetings each morning that allow for students to connect to the teacher, our school, and to each other.

First Person Language

MSC families, students and staff should strive to use person-first language when referring to members of our community who have special needs. How do you use person-first language? Simply say the person’s name or use a pronoun (“he” or “she”) rather than using the disability as an adjective to describe the person. For example, no one at MSC should ever refer to a child as a “wheelchair kid.” Instead, say, “Tom uses a wheelchair.” If you don’t know a particular student’s name, say, “He uses a wheelchair.” Why is person-first language important? It places the focus on the person rather than the need, reminding everyone that human beings are defined by who they are and not by their abilities or limitations.