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Lower School Curriculum

2021–2022

The Harley Lower School experience begins with a Nursery program for 3- and 4-year-olds that includes full time and part-time options. The Primary program includes a combined full-day Kindergarten and Grade 1.

The Lower School curriculum teaches math, reading, writing, and science through thematic, integrated, and hands-on lessons. Socio-emotional development is an integral part of learning in the Lower School at all levels. Understanding how to be a responsible individual in a community underlies all of our curricular experiences. Lower School students learn what it means to be a civic person through active participation in classroom community meetings, service projects, and tending the organic micro-farm. Throughout the Lower School, specialists in art, music, literature, world languages, physical education, sustainability education, and technology work with students to enrich and extend the academic program. All members of the Lower School community, including many parents, gather to share songs, stories, and projects at a weekly Assembly, an experience that fosters community, encourages risk taking, and builds confidence.

Table of Contents

Nursery

Primaries

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Specials

Nursery (3- and 4-year olds)

Program Details

Our Nursery program encourages 3- and 4-year olds to develop a love for learning. With a play-based philosophy using play as a vehicle for cognitive, social/emotional, and physical development, children are involved in a variety of daily activities, providing a balance between individual and group experiences. These activities include group projects, dramatic play, art, music, P.E., and outdoor play. We are committed to using nature as an outdoor classroom as much as possible. Students also participate in school assemblies and field studies. We emphasize the importance of language arts and provide a strong foundation for future language development through group discussions and storytelling.

Our experienced Nursery teachers are committed to working with you and your child. Our program is a full day and includes a rest after lunch. Parents have a choice of a three-day or a five-day plan in the 3-year-old program. Our low student-faculty ratio allows teachers to give individual attention to each child in a small class setting. In addition to the regular class activities, a creative arts specialist incorporates dance, language arts, music, and creative dramatics into her daily sessions with the children. All Nursery students receive instruction in Spanish. Students also attend physical education classes that include swimming as part of the curriculum. Lunch is also served daily in the classroom. Our outdoor summer nursery program is an extension of the school year for students who attended three-year-old nursery during the traditional school year.

Primaries (Full Day Kindergarten and Grade 1)

Program Details

Our Primary program offers a unique approach to educating five- and six-year olds. A two-teacher team works together to provide individual, small group, and large group instruction to help meet each child’s needs. The stand-alone class is taught by one teacher and a teaching assistant. The teaching teams meet weekly to ensure continuity among the Primary and Kindergarten classrooms.

With an integrated approach that provides students with a context for learning, our curriculum focuses on the basic academic areas: reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. Beginning early in the year, Primary students are encouraged to think of themselves as authors. As phonic knowledge develops, they use invented spelling, along with drawing, to compose stories and record information independently. Children are able to select pieces of writing to be published as books for the classroom library. Through our literature-based program, we individualize reading materials and use methods best-suited to each child’s learning style. In our math program, children work in small groups. We use manipulative materials to help children see relationships and interconnections, and to enable them to deal flexibly with math ideas and concepts. These concepts are reinforced through games and everyday problem-solving situations. Science and social studies are taught in a unit approach where topics such as undersea life and apples are explored through inquiry. The approach to these topics incorporates the integration of all subject areas.

The Primary program provides experiences that foster independence and self-confidence. The day is structured to balance direct instruction with independent choice time with peers in various centers in the classroom. In addition to providing a strong academic foundation, we encourage children to have confidence in themselves as learners, to take risks and to learn from their mistakes, to respect others, and to show concern for their classmates and community.

Because we believe in educating the whole child, students attend special classes in art, technology, music, literature, physical education, and Spanish.

Sample Primary Schedule
  • Settling-in time, morning basket work
  • Morning meeting
  • Reading
  • Writer’s workshop
  • P.E., Technology, or Spanish
  • Art or Music
  • Choice Time
  • Lunch
  • Math or Literature
  • Unit Studies
  • Playground
  • Story

Grade 2

Program Details

Grade 2 is designed to meet the developmental needs of children at this age. Most instruction is individual or in small groups after a large group introduction and exploration. Classrooms are organized with activity centers which include art, computer, math, science, games, and blocks.

Using the process approach to writing, students work to refine their skills in Writer’s Workshop. They begin to revise and edit their rough drafts before their books are published. Students continue to use invented spelling, but a formal spelling program is added in Grade 2. We teach reading at different levels of challenge, depending on each child’s capabilities. Students are involved in a manipulative-based math program and learn to reason, solve problems, and compute in a meaningful environment. The theme approach to science, health, and social studies is continued at this level. Topics might include: birds, life cycles, stream life, other social cultures, and the post office. Field studies complement science and social studies units.

Students attend classes in art, music, technology, literature, physical education, and Spanish. They also participate in a sleepover at the school at the end of the year. This is one highlight of their Second Grade experience.

Grade 2 Sample Schedule
  • Morning meeting
  • Art or Music
  • Math
  • Reading
  • P.E.
  • Lunch
  • Science or Social Studies
  • Writer’s workshop
  • Spanish or Technology
  • Story or quiet reading
  • Playground

Grade 3

Program Details

In Grade 3, we help children develop responsible work habits, study skills, competence in academic areas, independence, a positive sense of self, and sensitivity to the needs and feelings of other people. Teachers continue to encourage students to think independently, as well as collaboratively in small groups, and help them express ideas in written form.

Grade 3 students learn to read for meaning, define details, discuss inferential questions, refine word-attack skills, and develop vocabulary. Students read literature to form a foundation for developing class discussion, literary appreciation skills, and integrating curriculum subject areas. Various topics are presented in which the children choose books to read independently; the teachers also read aloud to the children, and students complete a variety of activities and assignments related to the topic in their literary circles. The children are immersed in poetry, fiction and nonfiction, biographies, tall tales, science, and history books. Grade 3 students continue to develop the craft of writing during Writer’s Workshop. They learn about punctuation, grammar, and proofreading by using their own published stories which they share with family and friends. These audiences ensure that the children will value the importance of applying proper English usage to their own writing. The children are encouraged to use a variety of genre in their writing, especially those they have studied in their reading units. Grade 3 students also learn cursive writing.

Students develop critical and analytical skills while studying math, science, and social studies. Math includes basic problem solving and computation, as well as an introduction to geometry, fractions, and unit conversions. A project-based learning approach is taken with integrated science and social studies topics. The students determine the scope and direction of learning, driven by essential questions. Some past units have been Harlic Garlic, Community, Energy, and Diversity. Individual and group projects such as researching, writing reports, and learning to read and understand maps supplement classroom study.

As in other Lower School classes, third graders attend special classes in art, literature, technology, music, physical education, and French.

Grade 3 Sample Schedule
  • Morning meeting
  • French or Literature or Technology
  • Math
  • Reading/Writer’s Workshop
  • Recess
  • Lunch
  • P.E.
  • Unit Studies (Science/Social Studies/Project-Based Learning)
  • Art or Music

Grade 4

Program Details

Grade 4 continues to provide the nurturing and creative environment of the Lower School and, at the same time, solidifies those skills necessary for successful academic achievement. Students learn to establish priorities, manage study time, and organize their work, and they are challenged to achieve to their potential. They are also working toward becoming self-motivated, responsible, independent learners. Students learn the importance of building a productive community.

The curriculum includes reading, Writer’s Workshop, math, unit studies (science/social studies/project-based learning), spelling, and cursive handwriting. Teachers emphasize reading as a means of communication through the use of novels and other literary works. Students read books at their level centered around a broader theme, such as mystery, science fiction, and biography. Children write thoughtful responses about what they read in a journal and assume different roles for discussion in their literary circles. Vocabulary development, comprehension, study and research skills, and literary appreciation are all included in the fourth grade program. Students refine cursive writing skills and develop a legible, individual style. In Writer’s Workshop, students write daily and rehearse, draft, revise, conference, edit, and share their own writing. Mini-lessons are used to introduce the structure and grammar of our language; the student’s own writing provides the basis for practicing these skills.

In math, the basic number operations are reviewed and further refined. There is a heavier concentration on word problems, division, mental math, and related applications. In Grade 4, students gain a better understanding of the Scientific Method as they follow the process through the completion of individual and class investigations. A highlight of the program is working on their individual experiments to share with the Lower School students and community.

The project-based learning approach to unit studies continues in Grade 4. Students have explored and developed deep understandings about Native Americans, growth mindset, weather, and New York State. A respect for and celebration of diversity is fostered through all of these units.

Gathering data about each of these topics provides experience in research and working on long-term assignments. Similar to other Lower School grades, Grade 4 students attend special classes in literature, art, technology, music, physical education, and French.

Grade 4 Sample Schedule
  • Morning meeting
  • French or Literature or Technology
  • Math
  • Reading/Writer’s Workshop
  • Recess
  • Lunch
  • Unit Studies (Science/Social Studies/Project-Based Learning)
  • P.E.
  • Art or Music

Lower School Specials

Art

The art specialist helps children explore the intersection of mindfulness, art, and creativity. Art theory, observation, and practice mesh perfectly with mindfulness techniques as expression naturally manifests in more visible and concrete ways. Children engage with various media to explore their creative expression, learning basic tools and techniques as they move from exploration to increased refinement. Knowledge of process serves to facilitate the natural unfolding of creativity

Literature

The literature specialist works with children to develop their literary and thinking skills and their capacity to enjoy and learn from the world of books. In the context of the literature program, children learn about their literary heritage, the themes, patterns, and language of literature, and the connections among diverse literary selections. They engage in narrative analysis, readers theater, author studies, and connect through global read-alouds. The literature specialist also works with classroom teachers and other specialists to use literature across the curriculum.

Physical Education

The P.E. teachers help our students develop a healthy and energized approach to activity and athleticism. From developing basic coordination and skills to actual scrimmages in specific sports, the students are challenged to build overall fitness, effort, and sportsmanship. Three and four-year old students learn about coordinating movement as they practice running, walking, skipping, galloping, rolling, stretching, and curling. Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 students develop concepts of discovery and problem-solving. They learn to dodge, balance, turn, stop, and start. Grade 3 and Grade 4 students develop more advanced skills and learn rules and strategies for familiar sports. Classes meet once a cycle for 3-year olds, twice a cycle for 4-year olds, kindergartners, and first graders; three times a cycle for Grade 2; and four times a cycle for Grades 3 and 4, and include two units of instructional swimming.

Technology

Students learn to appropriately use technology as a tool for learning and communicating. In the Primaries, children learn about the computer, its parts, uses, and its care. They learn to share their reading, writing, math, and artistic skills through a variety of programs. Group and individual projects give them familiarity with many digital tools. Grade 2 students learn to keyboard and explore more complicated programs and procedures, while also learning about their digital footprint. By Grade 3, students are using technology to research, connect, and communicate their ideas with a broader audience, learning about media literacy throughout. Grade 4 students further develop their use of technology through coding, keyboarding, game design, and 3-D printing. Design thinking is fostered through collaborative projects that reinforce the broader curricular units of study, and explore non-digital forms of technology.

Creative Arts

Nursery students attend Creative Arts every day for 30 minutes. They sing, move, dance, improvise, and play instruments creatively. Students enjoy a variety of group activities designed to tap into their imaginations and give them different modes of expression.

Music

Students experience a wide variety of musical activities including singing, instrument play, body percussion, story telling, improvisation, creative movement, and traditional folk dance. Music class curriculum is mainly based on the Orff-Schulwerk and Kolday methodology. The music room is well supplied with a variety of age appropriate instruments. Instrumental activities and games range from Samba-style instrument play using conga drums and smaller percussion instruments to a full Orff ensemble using glockenspiels, xylophones, metalophones, and bass bars. Students can recognize simple rhythm and melodic patterns from very early on. Beginning in Grade 3, students read and compose using the treble clef, which is a natural progression of musical literacy as it flows from their rich early childhood musical experiences. Their ability to read at sight, improvise, compose, and creatively express themselves continues to develop through Lower School.

Student Support Program

Two Student Support Program learning specialists provide evaluation, consultation, and individual instruction for children who need additional help in reading, writing, math, or organization. The SSP teachers meet regularly with the classroom teachers to develop strategies for students who need focused support for remediation or extension. The SSP program in the Lower School also provides academic challenge to students beyond the differentiation that is already in the classroom. Individual support services are available
on a fee basis.

World Languages

It is important for our students to learn another language to better understand English and appreciate other cultures. Students study Spanish in 3-year old nursery through Grade 2 and French in Grades 3 and 4. The content of these sessions is designed to develop an appreciation for the culture and language through art, music, and games, as well as a growing facility with vocabulary and conversational exchanges in the target language.

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1981 Clover Street
Rochester, NY 14618
(585) 442-1770

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College Counseling

Harley’s Approach to College Counseling is highly individualized and student-centered. Students have direct access to college counselors throughout their Upper School experience, but really, each student is part of a team including faculty, administration, and staff. It’s our job to support each student and we want nothing more than to send students on to the next step of their journey at a right fit school for them. The student centered and driven process is wrapped in care, expertise, and professionalism.

We host college reps during times students are available (no need to miss a class) so they can make connections and learn more about potential schools. We also arrange campus visits for classes as field trips, host an alumni college day (where recent Upper School graduates return to share advice and answer questions), and help connect students with our international alumni network. In fact, representatives from schools all over the world actively seek opportunities to come to Harley and meet with our students!

Our college counselors are accredited and are part of national/global conversations on admission trends. They also attend and present at conferences across the country.

Beginning with our Grade 11 parent night, we offer informational sessions for parents, including one devoted just to financial aid. Our partnership with families is critical, as the college admissions world changes very quickly and having an expert to guide students and families through the process is essential.

View the downloadable College Counseling Guide

Clubs

“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.

A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).

Athletics

​Each and every year, students at The Harley School participate in HAC Athletics, and their success continues to be impressive, both as students and athletes. Our athletic program is an integral part of Harley, teaching student-athletes invaluable lessons about teamwork, time management, persistence, and competition.  Our program allows them to develop physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally as they represent their school on and off the field. They grow, mature, and work hard to be the best teammate they can, while creating lifelong memories with teammates who often remain friends for life. 

Helping our athletes to reach their potential are some of HAC’s best assets: our coaches. More often than not, they are drawn from the ranks of our faculty and  have a deep understanding of the personalities and abilities of the student-athletes on their teams.  

We strive to find the right balance of academics, exercise, and personal growth for everyone.  By offering a variety of sports at many different levels, all student-athletes find a sport they can be successful in. It is with great pride and pleasure that my team and I work to enrich the athletic lives of all our HAC student-athletes. Go Wolves! 

To learn more check out our athletics page.

Student Leadership

Our Upper School is filled with formal and informal opportunities for students to take on leadership roles. Whether following passions or learning new skills, student-driven opportunities take many shapes.

– Independent study: one trimester, full year, and multi-year projects have included automating our solar chimneys, coding handmade musical instruments, or developing a class on financial literacy for underserved high school students.

– Serving on student council

– STEM: Climate curriculum program, biomimicry program, NASA Hunch program

Clubs

“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.

A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).

Hospice

Unlike this class, death is not an elective. Although it is one of two universal human experiences, our culture often ignores, denies, or misconstrues the true nature of death and dying. What happens when we bear witness to this natural process in the cycle of life and develop our ability to be fully present with others when they need us more than ever? It has the potential to change us deeply and fundamentally while shining a brilliant light on the path of our own lives.

With the support of their classmates, teacher, and comfort care home communities, senior students are offered the chance to care for others who truly need their purposeful, non-judgmental attention. In the home-like setting of a comfort care home, opportunities for learning extend beyond a traditional classroom rubric and conventional methods of evaluation. In this course, students will certainly find tangible “learning outcomes” by studying the medical/physical processes associated with dying and the basic nursing assistant skills of comfort care. The ultimate goal, however, will always be rooted in true relationships and connection, which occurs only through empathy and compassion.

Learn more about the Hospice Program at Harley HERE.

Capstone/Independent Studies

This program utilizes environmentally-focused approaches to education and hands-on learning in order to foster the next generation of leaders through a lens of sustainability and problem-solving.

Food & Farm: These year-long and trimester-long classes are held outside as much as possible, allowing students to become leaders in our various growing spaces. They cover environmental justice issues as well as hands-on work such as planning and overseeing planting, harvesting, and preparation of the gardens.

Past year-long focus projects have included: Creating a native plant shade garden in the Wild Wood area, redesigning our hydroponic system, overhauling Harley’s high tunnel, and improving the irrigation system for the MicroFarm.

Culinary Arts: These classes have a two-fold purpose: to give students practical skills in cooking and the science behind different techniques in the kitchen, learning about food justice, food sourcing, labor topics, and sustainability.

Past topics have included: Examining a plant-based diet, looking at the carbon footprint of different meals and food preparation methods, proposing a low carbon footprint menu to the dining hall, links between food labeling and environmental issues of food production.

Beekeeping: This one trimester class provides hands-on training in beekeeping, how to be a beekeeper, and safety and other techniques for working with bees. Once trained students help with all aspects of Harley beekeeping such as hive inspections, honey collection and extraction, and teaching students in Lower School about our hives.

Students pick a research topic addressing honeybee health and the larger environmental picture.

Social Justice

At Harley, our students learn how to evaluate social systems in order to identify complex problems in society through a lens of social justice. They take a hands-on approach to working for a fair, equitable society by researching, exploring and evaluating different perspectives, and offering solutions—both theoretical and practical.

Our faculty integrate social justice into our broader curriculum to assist students in gaining a foundational knowledge about what makes a democracy function. By gaining skills in ideating supportive pathways they become more exposed and experienced to how communities can undergo healing and restorative actions.

 

Capstone/Independent Studies

Students may create independent studies with supervising teachers throughout their Upper School experience or, during Grade 12, they can design Capstone projects—intensive collaborations with Harley faculty and off-campus mentors—involving rigorous academic study and culminating in public presentations. They are empowered to create their own curriculum, set goals, and work on time management skills in order to accomplish their objectives.

Independent Studies run the gamut from The Psychology of Sports to Furniture Design to The Neuroimaging of Alzheimer’s Disease. Capstones, meanwhile, are as diverse as the students who pursue them: Fictional Rochester, Autobiographical Art, Biomimicry Education, Organic Fuel, and Rochester Refugees. 

Indicative of Upper School curiosity and creativity, pursuits such as these distinguish our graduates in college. Through deep dives of this sort, Harley students master more than speaking, writing, and computing: they learn to communicate, advocate, collaborate, organize, listen, and empathize. 

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