Grades 1-2

First Grade Curriculum

First graders engage in activities that foster creativity and excitement for learning. They begin the process of becoming responsible students as they develop organization, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills within a nurturing environment. Key curricular areas such as reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and global studies are the focus of a developmentally challenging curriculum, which is complimented by interdisciplinary units taught by specialists in science, Spanish, music, art, P.E. and technology. The social emotional curriculum is an integral part of instruction. Some of the highlights in first grade include learning introductory coding skills, designing and building projects in the Makerspace, service learning, writing and publishing, and learning about biomes around the world.

First Grade Highlights

Social-emotional and character curriculum supports the development of each child
Engaging, interdisciplinary, project-based learning projects
Differentiated instruction
Concrete hands-on experiences form the foundation of abstract learning
Daily physical education lessons
Optional healthy lunch program
Field trips
Service learning projects
Outdoor educational investigations
The Kindergarten spring performance

List of 11 items.

Art

First graders explore shape, line, color, pattern, and texture through the study of artists’ masterpieces. Students hone skills in painting, stamping, paper weaving, sculpting, cutting, folding, tearing, and gluing using materials such as oil pastels, clay, glazes, watercolors, tempera paints, and recycled bottle caps.
Character Education

Character education is an integral part of each day. Emphasis is placed on creating a nurturing environment and the development of social-emotional learning skills through the daily practice of school routines and rituals; sharing, collaborating, and problem solving during classroom meetings and activities; and the development of manners, monthly virtues, and positive mindsets. Literature, songs, poems, buddy activities, service learning, character education assemblies, cooperative learning activities, and “teachable moments" enhance the curriculum.
Global Studies

Students continue to develop self-awareness though units on friendships, family, neighborhoods, city, and country. Basic geography skills are introduced as students explore continents and oceans with an emphasis on animals and habitats of biomes around the world. An introduction to maps, United States symbols, and various holidays around the world are also part of the curriculum.
Language Arts

First graders develop their reading and writing stamina through daily practice. During Reading Workshop, students build good reading habits and explore genres as they move from learning to read to reading to learn. During Writing Workshop, students learn how to develop writing pieces across a variety of genres, including narrative, nonfiction, review (opinion), and fiction. As they work through the writing process, students learn to revise and edit their work, including conferencing with peers to improve their writing pieces. Students apply grammar and writing conventions, focusing on capital letters and correct punctuation to convey meaning when reading and writing. Students participate in a multi-sensory spelling and phonemic awareness program. Students are taught to decode and encode when learning to read, look for tricky patterns in sight words, and practice dictation often to improve their application of phonics skills.
Library

Students in grades 1 - 3 have the unique opportunity to use the library and the literacy specialist as an authentic extension of their reading and writing work from the classroom. When our Sharks visit the library in small groups, they are coached into books at their “just right fit” reading level and guided in their reading decision-making. As writers, they apply new skills that they are learning from their classroom teachers. Children have these reading and writing conferences with the literacy specialist focusing on meeting them exactly where they are. This library programming creates yet another environment on campus where students have a strong connection with a loving adult.
Math

Through a hands-on approach, using manipulatives, students learn ways to make ten; numbers to 100; number bonds (part/part/whole); addition and subtraction; counting and comparing; number patterns; greater than/less than; place value; ordinal numbers through 10; estimating; naming position and direction; geometry (2D and 3D shapes); attributes; measurement (height, length, weight); skip counting; multiplication and division; fractions (halves and fourths); money; time (to the hour and half hour); word problems; and develop math fact fluency.
Music

First grade students expand upon the skills learned in Kindergarten as they practice singing and moving to a steady beat and the learn the difference between rhythm and beat. They are introduced to keyboards, borduns on Orff, folk dances, “sol-mi,” holiday songs and how to read simple notation. Students learn to sing in a round, a chorus, an orchestra, and a band and explore the four instrument families. First graders conclude the academic year analyzing music and moods, learning an Irish Jig, exploring viola/cello/bass, reading and writing quarter and eighth notes, and the “mi-sol-la” on a treble clef staff.
Physical Education

Students learn swimming and water safety. They engage in team building through team sports such as basketball, soccer, hockey, and golf. They participate in strategy games emphasizing group organization and communication while developing cardiovascular fitness. Flexibility is enhanced through dance, yoga, and stretching.
Science

The science units in 1st grade are aligned with their language arts, social studies, art, and library curricula and help students make connections across disciplines as they engage in scientific inquiry. Engineering skills are encouraged through makerspace activities. Units include scientific process and tools, space patterns, biomes, light and sound, and coding.
Spanish

First grade students use gestures, songs, rhymes, stories, games, skits, and interactive presentations, to develop Spanish vocabulary and refine their pronunciation and linguistic base for simple communication. Spanish terms for colors, numbers, feelings and calendar words are emphasized. The development of students’ awareness and appreciation of Spanish speaking cultures takes place through the use of books and stories.
Technology

Students learn robotics, coding, ozobot, and explore educational apps to reinforce and enhance concepts introduced in their classroom.

1st Graders Dive Deep!

Several times a year, the students participate in Deep Dive — a week-long, immersive experience in a particular topic.

In November, 2024, the first graders dove deep into Social Emotional Learning. Under the guidance of School Counselor Liz McNair, students learned how to access their superpowers of understanding their feelings, being a good friend, and how to cope when they feel out of control.

Second Grade Curriculum

Jacksonville Country Day School’s second grade students are supported in becoming responsible, independent learners as they master increasingly complex skills across the curriculum. The foundational skills explored are a springboard for creative problem solving in literacy, math, global studies, and science. Addressing the social and emotional needs of each child is an essential aspect of the day, which complements the strong academic program. Interdisciplinary units taught by specialists in science, Spanish, music, art, P.E. and technology bring the curriculum to life.

Second Grade Highlights

Designing and building projects in the Makerspace
Incubating chicken eggs
Raising butterflies from the chrysalis stage of development
Coding
Writing and publishing
Service learning
Exploring the lives of indigenous Americans

List of 11 items.

Art

Second grade students expand on artistic processes and vocabulary learned in first grade as they study symmetry, basic perspective, and drawing from observation. Students create works using mediums such as printing, collage, sculpture, weaving, water resist, tempera, and watercolor as they study new famous artists and their masterpieces. In ceramics, they learn to join clay pieces together and underglazing techniques.
Character Education

Character Education is an integral part of each day. Emphasis is placed on creating a nurturing environment and the development of social emotional learning skills through the daily practice of school routines and rituals; sharing, collaborating, and problem solving during classroom meetings and activities; and the development of manners, monthly virtues; and the 7 Mindsets. Literature, songs, poems, buddy activities, service learning, character education assemblies, cooperative learning activities, and “teachable moments" enhance the curriculum.
Language Arts

In 2nd grade, students continue building their reading stamina and skills through daily practice. During Reading Workshop, students grow as readers by tackling tricky words with strategies, becoming experts through nonfiction texts, participating in series book clubs, and increasing their range of genres when reading books of interest. In Writing Workshop, second graders work to improve their narrative writing, while also diving into writing about reading and science. Students are introduced to poetry and enjoy becoming poets themselves. The writing process is practiced in all units, focusing on adding detail, stretching out small moments, and include proper grammar and conventions. Their foundation of phonics and word relationships is further enhanced through a multi-sensory approach. Students learn more about spelling patterns, word meanings, and sight words through daily instruction.
Library

Students in grades 3 - 5 use the library and the literacy specialist in an academically rigorous way as an extension of their reading and writing classroom. When our oldest Sharks visit the library in small groups, they are coached through 1:1 reading and writing conferences. They are guided and supported through their projects, reading decision-making, writing pieces, research, and whatever literacy skills they are practicing! This creates yet another environment on campus where students have a strong connection with a trusted adult who has known them for years.
Math

In the 2nd grade math program, students continue to explore tangible materials and pictorial representations of a mathematical concept before moving onto more abstract symbols, numbers and notations. Students are encouraged to reflect upon the strategies they use to solve problems, and begin the year solidifying their understanding of place value within whole numbers to 1000. Other skills covered in 2nd grade include: addition and subtraction with renaming, initial work with multiplication and division concepts, fact fluency in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, mental calculation, fractions, money and time, measuring length (centimeters, meters, yards, feet, inches), weight (grams, kilograms, pounds, ounces), comparing capacity (liters, gallons, quarts, pints, cups), word problems, estimation, geometry, tables and graphs (picture, bar).
Music

Second grade music concentrates on taking vocal and rhythmic skills to a higher developmental level. Students explore clapping and speaking rhythms; recognizing “do” borduns on instruments; musical form; adding “la” and “do”; telling a story with music; choral vs. instrument sounds; strings, woodwinds, percussion and brass instruments; reading simple stick notation and a quarter, half, and sixteenth notes; exposure to musical terms (i.e., legato, staccato); and presenting a show relating to Character Education or music from around the world.
Physical Education

Students learn swimming and water safety. They engage in team building through team sports such as basketball, soccer, hockey, and golf. They participate in strategy games emphasizing group organization and communication while developing cardiovascular fitness. Flexibility is enhanced through dance, yoga, and stretching.
Science

Students participate in “hands-on” scientific inquiry. Investigations are interdisciplinary in nature, emphasizing science, technology, engineering and math and the Makerspace is utilized to encourage ideation, prototyping and engineering. Units of study include fitness and health, animal life cycles, weather and water, environmental engineering, Lego Robotics, balance, and motion.
Social/Global Studies

Students become geographers, anthropologists, economists, and historians as they explore continents and oceans, maps and globes, landforms, indigenous people, Colonial America, and significant historical moments and people in history.
Spanish

Second grade students are encouraged to interact with each other to develop Spanish verbal and auditory skills as they ask and answer questions and role play scenarios. Vocabulary is also developed through songs and games and students by reading simple mini-stories in Spanish. Emphasis is placed on the gender of nouns, classroom words, clothing, farm animals, food and family. Cultural holidays and traditions are taught in length during the school year.
Technology

Students are introduced to WeDo Lego Robotics building and programming on a computer, Little Bits circuits, TinkerCAD 3D printing, coding, green screen and video production, and educational learning apps on iPads.

Design Thinking in 2nd Grade

Ms. Cristina Knodel in the Tech Lab challenges her students to use their imaginations. Her students aren't just memorizing facts — they are creating their own realities using the design thinking process.

Recently, the 2nd-graders worked on an engineering design project, where they are tasked to create a new type of robot that helps a toddler.

Ms. Knodel and the students brainstormed a list of things they know about toddlers: they're messy, they can't swim well, they run away, they love toys, etc. In teams, students listed items that already exist that solve these problems and then had to come up with new innovative ideas.

Each student used rough materials to create a prototype of their idea, so they can explain it to their classmates. They learned how to share their ideas and provide constructive feedback.

"Learning to give and accept feedback is important for children because it teaches them to understand themselves and others better, develop empathy, and learn from mistakes and improve," said Ms. Knodel. "This skill also encourages a growth mindset, making children more resilient and willing to try again after challenges."

Ms. Knodel believes this exchange between peers is the type of communication and empathy that builds community and creates better ideas!

Jacksonville Country Day School

10063 Baymeadows Road
Jacksonville, FL 32256
P. 904-641-6644
F. 904-641-1494
office@jcds.com

Located in Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville Country Day School is a private school for Pre-K 3 through 5th grade. JCDS prepares students for a healthy and productive lifetime of intellectual exploration, character development, and social responsibility.