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The elementary program at Fulton Science Academy Private School is designed to help our students find their passions while becoming successful learners both in and outside of the classroom environment
The elementary program at Fulton Science Academy Private School is designed to help our students find their passions while becoming successful learners both in and outside of the classroom environment. As a school serving Advanced and Gifted students, our rigorous program is designed to meet students at their individual needs. Our teachers strive to provide students with the support and challenges they need to grow. At FSAPS, we place a strong emphasis on the whole child in order to provide our students with the necessary skills to be successful in a world beyond FSAPS.
Students in grades K – 3rd are placed in homeroom classes, giving them the opportunity to create classroom communities. Diversity and individuality is celebrated in these homeroom classes, and extends into the content area courses. Our 4th and 5th grade students follow a semi-departmentalized (4) and fully departmentalized (5) scheduleĀ as a transition and preparation year for middle school. These students have a designated homeroom teacher and core group, but they travel to individual subject-area teachers for each of their courses throughout the day. This structure allows these students to collaborate with all of their grade level peers while preparing for the schedule they will experience upon entering 6th grade.
The goal of our Reading/Language Arts curriculum is to deepen studentsā understanding and skills for reading and writing. Our elementary classrooms utilize a comprehensive literacy program that focuses on student achievement in diverse communities by ensuring all students master rigorous content, develop positive character, and produce high-quality work. By using a comprehensive, standards-based core literacy program, we engage students through compelling, real world content. Students demonstrate critical thinking, intellectual courage, and emotional resilience to develop the passion and capacity to contribute to a better world. Our structure is grounded in research-based practices that focus on developmentally appropriate skill development, teachers modeling explicit strategies, and students working in a variety of formats to practice independently, in partnerships, and in small groups. Our format involves five areas including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Grammar and word study are taught within the context of these reading and writing components.
Fulton Science Academy Private School utilizes a standardized, school-wide approach to writing. Our goal is to ensure we are producing successful readers and writers across all subject areas. This curriculum begins as early as Kindergarten and will continue throughout all grades.
Reading and Language Arts teachers are utilizing the Write Source curriculum, paired with Write Scoreassessment data to support Common Core writing standards. Through the use of these resources, students will learn to master the writing process, understand key writing forms, and be able to identify valuable traits of a successful writer. Emphasis will also be placed on grammar, usage, and mechanics.
Our long-term vision at FSA is one where, as our students evolve, each successive grade will deepen their knowledge, understanding, and practical usage of the writing process. Higher standards will be expected from students as they reach upper grades and their knowledge and understanding of the writing process expands. These same key writing concepts will be addressed in all school-wide subject areas, including math, science, art, music, connections classes, etc.
Elementary students will also be asked to write and apply their understanding of the writing process in subjects other than merely Language Arts. In doing so, children will have an opportunity to embrace the value of how writing applies to all of their subjects. Our goal is to establish high writing standards from an early age and provide a strong foundation for the children to build upon as they grow.
For science instruction, we utilize the Next Generation Science Standards along with the Delta FOSS (Full Option Science System) curriculum. This allows us to incorporate STEAM instruction into our daily lessons and activities for all elementary grades. We place a strong focus on hands-on and engaging learning in the science classroom in order to help our students become scientific thinkers and collaborators.
The NGSS Standards focus on the three dimensions of science learning: crosscutting concepts, science and engineering practices, and disciplinary core ideas. These dimensions are combined to form each standard and work with each other to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time. Our FOSScurriculum provides teachers and students with the materials, resources, and focus questions needed to make meaning and understanding of these scientific concepts. Our classroom experiences are designed to engage all students with meaningful active learning, integrate robust reading and literacy strategies to support Common Core ELA for all students, utilize technology, and provide students with active investigations that provide engagement with science concepts and engineering practices through a variety of exposures.
For math instruction, FSA utilizes The Common Core National Standards for Mathematics as well as a rigorous curriculum, Math In Focus, to meet students at their appropriate math levels. The Math In Focus curriculum is designed to ensure every child is able to master concepts and apply mathematics. Problem solving is at the heart of this American version of the Singapore Math approach, and requires students to gain an understanding of the math concepts and apply these concepts successfully.
This curriculum works to leverage global next practices and research to create a unique approach based on visual models, hands-on activities, and a consistent pedagogical approach for grades K-8, allowing us to best prepare our elementary students for the more challenging math courses they will take in their higher grades.
At FSAPS, we offer a unique course structure of both typical courses, as well as hybrid courses, in order to meet the needs of all our students. This allows students who have a strong grasp of mathematical foundations to accelerate through math instruction.
We utilize the Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies instruction with grades K-5. These standards provide units and frameworks that help connect themes and enduring understandings from one grade level to the next. These units and frameworks are designed to promote inquiry among students during the learning process. At FSAPS we utilize the Georgia Studies Weekly print and digital resources in order to provide Reading and Language Arts connections during Social Studies instruction. Our students are encouraged to become active participants through discussions, projects, and group collaboration during their social studies instruction. Our goal at FSAPS is to provide students with a greater understanding of their immediate and surrounding world, allowing them to become global thinkers and citizens.
Beginning in grades K, we implement the Caring School Community Curriculum daily with our elementary students. We have dedicated this IMPACT time to meet the social emotional learning needs of our diverse student population.
Using the Caring Schools Community Curriculum, IMPACT lessons consist of research-based lessons taught by classroom teachers during a dedicated time of the day. Each week has a different SEL focus. This curriculum is designed to teach students to develop skills needed to interact with others in a constructive way.
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