Starkville Academy Prekindergarten Program

 

Starkville Academy offers a full day prekindergarten program for children who have turned four years of age by September 1 of the current school year.  The curriculum is developmentally appropriate for four-year-olds, with thematic units and learning centers.  Emphasis is placed on pre-reading and other skills necessary to begin kindergarten the following year.  The curriculum also includes instruction in basic Christian principles with daily devotionals and prayer time.  The classroom environment is carefully planned to promote cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual growth.

 

Starkville Academy Elementary Curriculum

 

English � Students in kindergarten � 1^st grade learn basic grammar instruction through their reading programs.  Grades 2-6 use the Houghton Mifflin English series.  It is a sequential program encompassing traditional grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, composition skills, and quality literature.  It provides a framework in which to teach critical thinking, listening and speaking, reading, writing, and vocabulary.  Alternative strategies for each unit provide whole-class or small-group modeling for every step in the writing process.

 

Mathematics � Students in kindergarten � 6^th grades use the Sadlier-Oxford Progress in Mathmatics series.  It promotes the development of computational and problem-solving skills, incorporating practice problems and a comprehensive system of review and testing.  Elementary arithmetic begins with the most concrete mathematical processes, emphasizes arithmetic facts and skills, and includes concepts such as fractions, decimals, percents, basic geometry, ratio, and proportion.  The mathematics curriculum is aligned to the standards set forth by the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics.  

 

Reading � Kindergarten students learn basic phonics using the Harcourt Trophies series.  By the end of kindergarten, the students are able to blend letter sounds into words and sentences.  Grades 1-6 also use Harcourt Trophies, a comprehensive reading series that focuses on literacy skills, phonics, vocabulary, reading comprehension and writing.   Teachers in grades 2-6 also incorporate the Accelerated Reader program to improve student reading comprehension.

 

Science �Students receive instruction in science through hands-on activities. Activities to increase comprehension of basic science concepts are included.   Grades 1 -6  use the Harcourt Science series that includes content application to the state of Mississippi.  Demonstrations, activities, and review are featured throughout the texts.  The curriculum implements the National Science Education Standards.

 

 

Social Studies � Kindergarten students learn basic social studies concepts through their weekly units.  Students in grades 1-3 use the A Beka social studies series, which offers a Christian approach to United States history, government, and patriotism.  Students in grades 4-6 use the Harcourt Horizons series.  Fourth graders learn about states and regions of the world and have a semester unit on Mississippi.  Fifth graders learn US history with emphasis placed on the Civil War and the fifty states and capitals.  Sixth graders study world history with emphasis on ancient countries and map skills.  The social studies curriculum is aligned to meet the standards developed by the National Council for the Social Studies.

 

Spelling � First grade students use their own appropriate spelling program.  Students in grades 2-6 use the spelling program incorporated in the reading curriculum.  They learn correct spelling of words; context clues; homonyms, synonyms, and antonyms; compound words; contractions; prefixes, suffixes, and root words; plurals; and syllabication.  

 

Writing � Grades K-3 receive formal instruction in penmanship.  Manuscript printing is taught in kindergarten and 1^st grade.  Students in grades 2-3 learn traditional cursive writing.  

 

Enrichment Classes � Each class has 35 minutes of instruction weekly:

Art -- Grades PreK-6

Band -- Grades 5-6 (optional)

Computer -- Grades K-6

Library -- Grades PreK-6

Music -- Grades PreK-6

Physical Education -- Grades PreK-6

 

After School Program � Children in PreK � 8^th grade (or non-driving)  are eligible for after school childcare until 5:30 PM each school day for a nominal fee.  Additional information on this service is available in the elementary office.

 

Discovery Program � Discovery is a program for intellectually gifted students at SA.  Students in grades 3-6 who qualify may participate in this weekly program.  Units have been developed to extensively study topics of interest to the students, such as rain forests, mythology, car crash physics, the Middle Ages, etc. 

 

Resource Program � SA provides a resource program to help meet special needs of children who require a different approach to learning.  Children are taught on grade level in small groups or individually.  Emphasis is placed on utilizing strategies leading to independent learning.

 

Spiritual Emphasis � Starkville Academy strives to instill in each student an appreciation for Christian culture and heritage. Each school day begins with a devotional and prayer.  Monthly "spiritual emphasis" programs are led by area ministers and youth leaders within each classroom.