At CIS, Elementary school includes Kindergarten to Grade 5. The goal of the CIS elementary program is to provide students with a sound foundation for future learning in middle school and beyond. In Lower Primary School (K-2), our program emphasizes the development of strong foundational English and Math literacy skills as well as fine and gross motor skills, among other more specific objectives described in our curriculum which is based on the American Common Core Standards.
Overall, the elementary program focuses on inspiring a joy of learning by empowering the child as an active learner and critical thinker. Our teachers seek to accomplish this through ongoing implementation of our Learning Principles. To achieve these goals we have developed strong grade level teaching teams and a schedule that encourages collaboration with common planning and instructional time.
Additionally, teachers work collaboratively across the whole school to provide a smooth transition process from the Early Childhood Program to Kindergarten, from one elementary grade level to the next, and from Grade 5 to Middle School. The homeroom teacher is the key contact for parents and provides the primary means of communication between the home and the school.
The ultimate goal of the program is to prepare students to be responsible, productive citizens in a rapidly changing world. We do this by working to intentionally embed CIS’ Community Principles of Kindness, Partnership, Good Intent and Sustainability into our lesson and school-wide approaches to social-emotional learning.
Dr. Martin Thomas
Elementary School Principal