We love teaching kindergarten to all of our new Briarcrest Bulldogs!  There are many goals we work toward achieving in kindergarten. Among the most important of those goals is for each of our students to become an independent thinker and to develop a lifelong love of school. 

In kindergarten we follow the Common Core State Standards, however we have specifically targeted some skills that are more critical for math success for this year and the years beyond. Please help us support your child by ensuring that they are experts in the standards below:

1. I can write numbers 0-20 and match objects to those numbers. 
2. I can compare groups of objects and use words like “greater than,” “fewer than,” and “equal to.” 
3. I can  make and take apart teen numbers (like grouping 13 into one group of ten and 3 more ones). 
4. I can  show and explain addition and subtraction equations with tools, numbers, and symbols. 
5. When I am given one number between 1 and 10, I can find the other number to make 10.
6. I can count to 100.

Kindergarten uses the Superkids curriculum to teach reading. Students learn their letters and sounds.  They begin to blend and hear sounds as they learn to read and write. Superkids is a fun, phonics-based program that students enjoy.

Kindergarteners have English Language Arts expectations that are essential to the foundation of their learning. For instance, students will recognize and name all upper and lower case letters of the alphabet, as well as know their sounds. Students will also demonstrate the ability to make rhymes and identify all of the sounds in words. 

Kindergarten Essential Standards in Writing

1. I can take apart and put together word parts by their sounds.
2. I know that words are separated by spaces in print.
3. I can use pictures and words to tell about the events in a story.
4. I can write sentences - I know how to use a capital letter and ending punctuation.
5. I can use pictures and words to tell what I think about a topic. 

In kindergarten, we have three hands-on science kits.  Our kits are:

• Patterns
• Discovering Animals
• Push, Pull, Go

We also teach science content during literacy time, using nonfiction texts to learn more about various science topics.

For kindergarten students, social studies is focused on learning about themselves, their families, and their communities. 

We use mentor texts to introduce these topics. Some of these texts include “Strictly No Elephants,” “Chocolate Me!” and “The Great Big Book of Families.”

Second Step teaches kindergarteners how to be successful learners; how to understand and recognize their feelings, and how to make friends.  Students also learn positive and effective ways to solve problems.

Our students learn to reach out and ask for help, as well as gain a host of strategies in resolving conflict, thus empowering them to solve their own problems. 

We are excited for the many great learning experiences we have in 1st grade! An important characteristic of 1st grade is the integration of skills and knowledge across different subjects; this enhances student learning and helps children see the connection between various subjects. Our goal is to foster a love of learning in all our first grade students.

In first grade we follow the Common Core State Standards, however we have specifically targeted some skills that are more critical for math success for this year and the years beyond. Please help us help your student by ensuring that they are experts in the standards below.

1st Grade Math Essential Standards

1. I can use strategies to solve addition and subtraction word problems.  For example, use cubes or draw a picture to solve a word Problem.
2. I can add and subtract within 20.  For example, 6+8=____ or 14-6=____.
3. I know what an equal sign means.  I can tell if addition and subtraction equations are true or false. For example, 9=5+4 is a true equation, but 4+5=10 is false.
4. I can count to 120.  I can read and write numbers to 120. 
5. I can tell how many tens and how many ones are in a number. For example, the number 43 has 4 tens and 3 ones.
6. I can use tools and pictures to help me solve problems within 100. 
7. I can use math strategies to help me solve problems within 100.  For example, Ahmed had 24 Legos. Then he got 10 more.  How many Legos does Ahmed have?
8. I can divide shapes into parts.  For example, a pizza can be divided into fourths by creating four equal pieces.

Bridges in Mathematics is our math curriculum. It is aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

Our math curriculum includes geometry and graphing, a focus on patterns, as well as connections to real life math experiences. We emphasize problem-solving strategies, which prepare students to solve higher level thinking problems. Students will also be introduced to the Launch, Explore, Share approach to mathematical communication.

Reading/Writing:

Part of our English Language Arts mission in first grade is to support students in becoming independent readers who apply decoding strategies to sound-out unknown words. We also teach students to apply comprehension strategies to understand and enjoy what they read! We work together in class to give students the tools they need to become better readers. For reading comprehension, we do extensive work with the concept of story retell. This includes understanding the parts of a story, such as character, setting, problem, and solution. Other strategies we focus on are building background knowledge, making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring (a tricky one!), determining important information, and synthesizing (putting it all together!). 

Wonders is the main reading resource we use to support this work. It is aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts.

Writing

There are multiple writing Common Core State Standards for first grade.  While all of them are important, the standards below are absolutely critical to a first grader’s writing success this year and beyond.  Please help us support your child by ensuring they are experts in the standards below.

1st Grade Writing Essential Standards

1. I can write opinion text using my opinion, reasons, and closure.
2. I can write informative text with a topic, facts, and closure.
3. I can write narrative text with sequenced events, details, transition words, and closure.
4. I can gather and remember information to help me write.
5. I can use correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling that make sense when I write.

Additional foci in writing are:

• writing conventions (capital letters, punctuation)
• different forms of writing (report, narrative, recount...)
• varied purpose (to describe, imagine, learn...)
• varied audience (for self, teacher, friend, parent...)

First graders will explore scientific concepts with a variety of hands-on activities and experiments. In these activities, we lead students to grasp new knowledge and come to conclusions through the use of the scientific method. The main resource we use to support our science curriculum in first grade is called Carolina Science. 

Our three units of study are 

• Organisms
• Weather
• Solids & Liquids

Our Social Studies curriculum is called TCI Social Studies Alive:  My School and Family. Our focus in first grade is on family structures, needs and wants, and goods and services.  This curriculum combines strong content and interactive classroom experiences. 

SEL at Briarcrest

At the start of the 2021-2022 school year, Briarcrest launched a new school-wide Social Emotional Learning (SEL) plan. Each month, our school community focuses on a specific SEL theme, such as self-awareness, empathy, relationship skills, growth mindset and coping strategies for managing stress, taught through an equity lens. Integrated throughout these themes are the Washington state social-emotional standards (that can also be found woven through the Great Body Shop curriculum).  

Briarcrest is committed to developing all aspects of the whole child, laying the groundwork for both the academic and social-emotional skills they will need to be successful adults. Research clearly tells us that teaching SEL in schools has a positive impact on a wide range of outcomes for students, including academic performance, healthy relationships, mental wellness, and more. 

At Briarcrest, our SEL themes are taught in every classroom through the structure of classroom community circles.  Regular community-building circles help students feel connected to their classroom communities, find their individual voice and create a climate of empathy and trust. As a result, students are able to more deeply access and benefit from both academic and social-emotional learning. 

We love teaching our Briarcrest Bulldogs in the period of learning, growth, and change that is 2nd grade! During the year, students will be challenged to take the foundational skills they learned previously and use these skills independently. We encourage a growth-mindset by embracing the struggles and striving towards life-long improvement. 

In second grade we follow the Common Core State Standards, however we have specifically targeted some skills that are more critical for math success for this year and the years beyond. Please help us help your student by ensuring that they are experts in the standards below:

2nd Grade Math Standards

• Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction
• Add and subtract within 20
• Work with equal groups of objects to gain foundations for multiplication
• Understand place value
• Use place value 
• Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract
• Measure and estimate lengths in standard units
• Relate addition and subtraction to length
• Work with time and moneyRepresent and interpret data
• Reason with shapes and their attributes

Bridges in Mathematics is our math curriculum. It is aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

Our math curriculum includes geometry, a focus on patterns, as well as connections to real life math experiences. We emphasize problem-solving strategies, which prepare students to solve higher level thinking problems. Communicating mathematical thinking is also a point of emphasis in our instruction.

Reading 

Our main objectives for our students in reading are to become independent and fluent readers. Our students learn to apply a variety of decoding and comprehension skills, as well as an increased vocabulary, to understand and enjoy what we read!  We will work in class and during Reading Block to practice these skills while reading a variety of text types (fiction, non-fiction, poetry). 

Here is our sequence of comprehension strategies we will cover this year:

• September/October: Monitor Comprehension/ Activate prior knowledge and Connect to text
• November: Ask Questions
• December/January: Infer Meaning
• February/March: Determine Importance
• April: Summarize and Synthesize
• May/June: Review

Writing

There are multiple writing Common Core State Standards for second grade. While all of them are important, the standards below are absolutely critical to a second grader’s writing success this year and beyond. Please help us support your child by ensuring they are experts in the standards below.

2nd Grade Writing Essential Standards

• Writing conventions (capital letters, punctuation)
• Writing forms (fiction, nonfiction, letters, personal narratives, expository, poetry)
• Varied audience (for self, teacher, friend, parent...)
• Research projects, recalls and/or gathers information

One of the resources we use is called “Being a Writer”. It focuses on building a community of writers where students share their ideas. “Being a Writer” uses children’s books to highlight key aspects of writing and is designed to get students talking about their writing!  

Writing will also be integrated throughout the day in all areas of the curriculum, especially in science, social studies, and health.

Understands the big ideas and concepts of physical, earth, space, and/or life science.

During the school year students will learn a variety of science concepts aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. (NGSS) 

The science units we explore in 2nd grade are: 

• Butterflies
• Soils
• Balancing and weighing

Our goal is for students is to independently grasp key vocabulary and skills related to each of the following concepts: citizenship, problem solving, empathy, types of communities, and maps. 

SEL at Briarcrest

At the start of the 2021-2022 school year, Briarcrest launched a new school-wide Social Emotional Learning (SEL) plan. Each month, our school community focuses on a specific SEL theme, such as self-awareness, empathy, relationship skills, growth mindset and coping strategies for managing stress, taught through an equity lens. Integrated throughout these themes are the Washington state social-emotional standards (that can also be found woven through the Great Body Shop curriculum).  

We love teaching our 3rd grade Briarcrest Bulldogs! It’s a year of academic learning, growth in social skills & relationships, and becoming the true leaders of our primary children. Students will be enthusiastically engaged while developing deeper and more complex skills in language arts, math, science, and social studies. We will make connections across these various subjects in our curriculum, build on skills learned previously, and apply our learning in real-world situations! 

In third grade we follow the Common Core State Standards, however we have specifically targeted some skills that are more critical for math success for this year and the years beyond. Please help us help your student by ensuring that they are experts in the standards below:

3rd Grade Math Essential Standards

1. Add and subtract within 1,000, using strategies based on place value.
2. Solve Multiplication and Division problems within 100.
3. Show that a fraction is an equal part of a whole.
4. Show that some fractions are the same size as others even if they have different names and they will be able to compare and order fractions.
5. State the properties of 4-sided shapes and figure out their perimeter and area.
6. Tell time to the minute and solve problems about elapsed time.
7. Measure using rulers using the American Standard System and the   Metric System.

Bridges in Mathematics is our math curriculum. It is aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

Our math curriculum includes geometry, a focus on patterns, as well as connections to real life math experiences. We emphasize problem-solving strategies, which prepare students to solve higher level thinking problems. Communicating mathematical thinking is also a point of emphasis in our instruction.  In third grade, students will learn to tackle mathematical problems and persevere in solving them.
   

Our main objectives for our students in reading are to become independent and fluent readers. Our students learn to apply a variety of decoding and comprehension skills, as well as an increased vocabulary, to understand and enjoy what we read! 

 We will work in class to practice these skills (phonics, vocabulary, and spelling) while reading a variety of texts (fiction, nonfiction, poetry). The main resource we use to support our  curriculum is called Wonders. Students read a variety of stories and texts to practice comprehension skills, strategies and fluency throughout the year. 

Writing

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

Our main objectives for our students in science is to become investigators and experimenters.  We want them to engage in real-world phenomena and develop explanations for why these occur through model-building and gathering data.  

  -    Rocks and Minerals (Earth Science)

  -    Sound (Physical Science)

Social studies helps our students develop into responsible citizens and appreciate a wide variety of cultures.

Social Studies in 3rd grade includes:

• Geography and mapping skills
• Historical events and timelines
• Native Americans & their environments
  
  

SEL at Briarcrest

At the start of the 2021-2022 school year, Briarcrest launched a new school-wide Social Emotional Learning (SEL) plan. Each month, our school community focuses on a specific SEL theme, such as self-awareness, empathy, relationship skills, growth mindset and coping strategies for managing stress, taught through an equity lens. Integrated throughout these themes are the Washington state social-emotional standards (that can also be found woven through the Great Body Shop curriculum).  

Briarcrest is committed to developing all aspects of the whole child, laying the groundwork for both the academic and social-emotional skills they will need to be successful adults. Research clearly tells us that teaching SEL in schools has a positive impact on a wide range of outcomes for students, including academic performance, healthy relationships, mental wellness, and more. 

At Briarcrest, our SEL themes are taught in every classroom through the structure of classroom community circles.  Regular community-building circles help students feel connected to their classroom communities, find their individual voice and create a climate of empathy and trust. As a result, students are able to more deeply access and benefit from both academic and social-emotional learning. 

We love supporting our 4th grade Briarcrest Bulldogs during this exciting year full of change and growth. As the students enter the intermediate elementary grades, they will  learn the necessary skills to increase their independence and really take ownership of their learning! In addition to the various disciplines we explore (math, science, literacy, social studies, etc.), we focus on social and emotional learning, embracing struggles, and having a growth mindset as being keys to success.  

In fourth grade we follow the Common Core State Standards, however we have specifically targeted some skills that are more critical for math success for this year and the years beyond. Please help us help your student by ensuring that they are experts in the standards below:

4th Grade Math Essential Standards

1. I can multiply a whole number up to four digits by a one-digit number and I can multiply two two-digit numbers. 
2. I can find whole­ number quotients and remainders with up to four­ digit dividends and one­-digit divisors.  For example, 4,000 / 4 = 1,000.
3. I can find all factor pairs for a number from 1 to 100.  
I can determine whether a given whole number up to 100 is a prime or composite number.
4. I can create a number or shape pattern that follows a given rule.
  I can notice different features of a pattern once it is created by a rule.  For example, 5, 10, 15, 20, __, __, __.  Here is another example: If I’m given the rule “Add 3” and the starting number 1, I can  generate terms in the resulting sequence and observe that the terms appear to alternate between odd and even numbers. I can explain informally why the numbers will continue to alternate in this way.
5. I can compare two fractions with different numerators and different denominators by creating common denominators or numerators or by comparing them to a benchmark fraction like one ­half.  I can compare fractions using symbols and justify the comparison by using models.
6. I can compare two decimals to hundredths by reasoning about their size.  For example, I know that .15 < .33

Bridges in Mathematics is our math curriculum. It is aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

Our math curriculum includes geometry, a focus on patterns, as well as connections to real life math experiences. We emphasize problem-solving strategies, which prepare students to solve higher level thinking problems. Communicating mathematical thinking is also a point of emphasis in our instruction.  In third grade, students will learn to tackle mathematical problems and persevere in solving them.

Our main objectives for our students are to learn to apply comprehension strategies to make sense of different texts with an increased focus on informational texts. Our students learn to apply a variety of comprehension skills, as well as an increased vocabulary, to understand and enjoy what we read! 

The main resource we use to support our  curriculum is called Wonders. Students read a variety of stories and texts to practice comprehension skills, strategies and fluency throughout the year. 

Writing

There are multiple writing Common Core State Standards for fourth grade. While all of them are important, the standards below are absolutely critical to a fourth grader’s writing success this year and beyond. Please help us support your child by ensuring they are experts in the standards below.

4th Grade Writing Essential Standards

1. I can write an opinion paper that gives my point of view and reasons for my thinking.
2. I can write a paper to explain and inform my readers about a topic.
3. I can write stories that develop real or made-up experiences using descriptive details and a sequence of events that makes sense.
4. I can write clear and focused papers where the development and organization are appropriate for my purpose and audience.
5. With help from others, I can develop a piece of writing by creating a graphic organizer to plan and organize a first draft.
6. With help from others, I can revise and edit my writing to produce a final draft.
7. I can use evidence from grade level fiction and nonfiction reading to support my ideas

By the end of their fourth grade year, your student should be much more than an observer of science–he/she should be an active participant. The science curriculum builds on the knowledge your student has gained in the previous school years to focus on deeper understanding of scientific concepts and is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Some of the specific goals to reach for in fourth grade science include:

• Representing data in tables and graphical displays.
• Participate in scientific activities and learning practices, using scientific language and tools.
• Exploring the components of various systems and explaining the relationships between them.
• Comparing and contrasting attributes of things with a focus on communicating the similarities and differences.
• Formulate predictions in the realm of science based on observed cause and effect relationships.

In Social Studies students will gain understanding and applicable knowledge of Civics, Economics, Geography, History and Social Studies Skills. Explore the Pacific Northwest prior to statehood, Washington’s geography, resources, and economy, and being a citizen of Washington. Students will engage in communicating his/her experiences through the processes of reading, writing, drawing and/or the construction of projects/replicas. 

SEL at Briarcrest

At the start of the 2021-2022 school year, Briarcrest launched a new school-wide Social Emotional Learning (SEL) plan. Each month, our school community focuses on a specific SEL theme, such as self-awareness, empathy, relationship skills, growth mindset and coping strategies for managing stress, taught through an equity lens. Integrated throughout these themes are the Washington state social-emotional standards (that can also be found woven through the Great Body Shop curriculum).  

Briarcrest is committed to developing all aspects of the whole child, laying the groundwork for both the academic and social-emotional skills they will need to be successful adults. Research clearly tells us that teaching SEL in schools has a positive impact on a wide range of outcomes for students, including academic performance, healthy relationships, mental wellness, and more. 

At Briarcrest, our SEL themes are taught in every classroom through the structure of classroom community circles.  Regular community-building circles help students feel connected to their classroom communities, find their individual voice and create a climate of empathy and trust. As a result, students are able to more deeply access and benefit from both academic and social-emotional learning. 

We love supporting our Briarcrest Bulldogs with the growth, increased independence, and greater responsibility that comes with being a 5th grader! We help students see their role in learning as a collaborative process through listening and being open to others’ perspectives in group work. Fifth grade is also a time for students to learn how some important responsibility habits like meeting deadlines, organizing materials, and advocating for themselves as learners can actually increase the depth and overall enjoyment of the learning process.

In fifth grade we follow the Common Core State Standards, however we have specifically targeted some skills that are more critical for math success for this year and the years beyond. Please help us help your student by ensuring that they are experts in the standards below:

5th Grade Math Essential Standards

1. I can add and subtract decimals to hundredths.  For example, 20.81 + 467.3 = and 100.3 – 24.55.
2. I can find quotients with up to four-digit dividends and two-digit divisors, and illustrate and explain the answer.  For example, I can compute that 9,984 divided by 64 = 156.
3. I can use parentheses, brackets or braces to express, understand, and evaluate order of operations. For example, in (26+ 18) - 4  = 11 or 3 X 125 -- 25 +7 = 22, I know which computation to perform first, which one to do next, etc.
4. I can add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers with unlike denominators using equivalent fractions.  For example, 2/5 + 7/8 = 16/40 + 35/40 = 51/40 = 1 11/40.
5. I can recognize that a solid figure with n unit cubes has a volume of n cubic units.  For example, I can apply the following formula to find the volume of an object: V= l × w×h. 

Bridges in Mathematics is our math curriculum. It is aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

Through teamwork & discussion, students will build a strong foundation in mathematics.  This applies to new learning or building upon concepts previously taught.  Our aim is for students to not only to know how to solve a problem but understand the “why”. 

KEY IDEA/DETAILS:

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

CRAFT & STRUCTURE:

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.

INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS:

Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS:

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Writing

There are multiple writing Common Core State Standards for fifth grade. While all of them are important, the standards below are absolutely critical to your fifth grader’s writing success this year and beyond. Please help us support your child by ensuring they are experts in the standards below.

5th Grade Writing Essential Standards

1. I can write opinion papers that give my point of view and reasons for my thinking.
2. I can write papers to explain and inform my readers about a topic.
3. I can write stories that develop real or made-up experiences using descriptive details and a sequence of events that makes sense.
4. I can write clear and focused papers where the development and organization are appropriate for my purpose and audience.
5. I can use a graphic organizer to create a topic sentence and organize my ideas and evidence for a paragraph.
6. I can use evidence from grade level fiction or nonfiction reading to support my ideas.
   

Students will expand their learning and use the scientific process to design and carry out scientific experiments. 

Our units include:

1. Ecosystems/Environments 
2. Astronomy
3. Models and Designs
4. Stem Activities

In social studies, the main emphasis of study is the beginning of European exploration in North America up to the American Revolutionary War. 

1. European Explorers
2. Colonial Times
3. Up to the Revolutionary War

SEL at Briarcrest

At the start of the 2021-2022 school year, Briarcrest launched a new school-wide Social Emotional Learning (SEL) plan. Each month, our school community focuses on a specific SEL theme, such as self-awareness, empathy, relationship skills, growth mindset and coping strategies for managing stress, taught through an equity lens. Integrated throughout these themes are the Washington state social-emotional standards (that can also be found woven through the Great Body Shop curriculum).  

Briarcrest is committed to developing all aspects of the whole child, laying the groundwork for both the academic and social-emotional skills they will need to be successful adults. Research clearly tells us that teaching SEL in schools has a positive impact on a wide range of outcomes for students, including academic performance, healthy relationships, mental wellness, and more. 

At Briarcrest, our SEL themes are taught in every classroom through the structure of classroom community circles.  Regular community-building circles help students feel connected to their classroom communities, find their individual voice and create a climate of empathy and trust. As a result, students are able to more deeply access and benefit from both academic and social-emotional learning.