The goal of the Springhurst Community is that all students meet or exceed the expectations set forth in the New York State Next Generation Learning Standards. By the time students complete fifth grade at Springhurst, they will be prepared to enter Middle School as confident and successful learners based on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that we have intentionally and explicitly taught, assessed, and practiced. These include:
- Reading and writing at or above grade level across a wide variety of genres and topics inclduing social studies, civics, and science that allow student to increasingly build their knowledge;
- Having deep conceptual and broad-based understanding of mathematics and its application to everyday life;
- Being active learners who reflect on, evaluate, and monitor their own learning;
- Based on their increasing knowledge across a wide variety of topics, thinking critically through questioning, exploring, analyzing, problem-solving, and drawing conclusions;
- Respecting diverse perspectives by understanding different experiences, ideas, backgrounds, feelings, and points of view; and
- Being increasingly knowledgable about and proficient in life skills that include: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Springhurst School strives to be a standards-based school. Classroom instruction is organized around clear expectations and performance standards. Students know what is expected of them and samples of their quality work illustrating these expectations, along with appropriate standards and rubrics are displayed in classrooms and hallways. Expectations, materials, curriculum, assessment, and instruction are aligned, and feedback to students regarding their progress is ongoing and specific.
Students participate in both large and small groups, and work independently. Classrooms are equipped with a variety of reading materials and work centers are developed in each classroom to facilitate both independent and group learning tasks. Classrooms are safe and orderly with all students following procedures and routines developed to focus on learning and time-on --task.
School Within A School Model
At Springhurst we believe that all children, as well as adults, think, dream, learn, work, and interact in individual ways. We are devoted to giving each child the opportunity to develop his or her potential intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically in an environment that is both inviting and challenging to children of varied abilities, personalities, and learning interests. We are committed to giving each child the academic foundations to achieve academic excellence in the present, as well as in the future.
Springhurst is comprised of two "houses" which creates a school within a school model. One house consists of the Kindergarten, First, and Second grades (K-2) and the other house consists of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth grades (3-5).
The educational and developmental needs of our primary students (K-2) are addressed through a curriculum that meets the needs of 5-8 year olds. Students in grades K-2 experience a spiraling curriculum and continue to learn by being active participants, problem-solvers, and decision-makers. The skills, knowledge, and experience acquired during the primary grades serve as a foundation upon which students’ long term academic success is built. During these years children develop a sense of social and personal responsibility. They are helped to understand their many feelings and to express themselves effectively within the school community.
Third grade is a transition year. It builds on the foundations developed in the primary years, yet encourages more independence, self-reliance, and maturity. Children in this grade are taught in a self-contained classroom with the same teacher for all content area subjects. As children progress throughout their third year, the academic requirements become more challenging. The experience of this rigorous curriculum helps prepare students for the years ahead, which will require greater self-sufficiency and personal responsibility.
Fourth and fifth grade students are moving toward greater independence. With this in mind, their academic program reflects a growing sense of responsibility. This is achieved through partial departmentalization. Students remain with one teacher for the 90-minute English Language Arts (ELA) instruction. That same teacher also teaches math, social studies, and/or science. Students then "travel" to the classroom(s) of the other teacher(s) who will instruct them in the other core subject area(s). This allows teachers to specialize in social studies, science, and/or math and meet the increased requirements of the New York State Learning Standards. In order to continue the preservation of a nurturing environment, the ELA teacher is also a student’s morning and afternoon homeroom teacher. Partial departmentalization achieves the goal of meeting these students’ social and emotional needs as well as their academic ones. It recognizes that although they are maturing and more self-sufficient, students at this age still benefit from the opportunity to develop a familiarity and connection with an individual teacher.