Primary

Lessons are enhanced with multi-media and Montessori materials, with relevant and interesting field trips and with a diversity of hands-on activities and dynamic extension activities.

Language

The Language Arts curriculum includes a strong focus on reading, writing and oral language. Students are challenged to work at their maximum potential, to work beyond grade level expectations and to take pride in quality workmanship.

Building oral language skills begins with “sharing” during Kindergarten circle time. Students are encouraged to speak with confidence, and to be attentive listeners.  

Learning to read is based on the phonetic approach. Instead of learning the “names” of each letter of the alphabet, students are taught “the sound” that each letter makes. Once children learn the individual sounds, they quickly begin putting together three letter phonetic words, then four letter phonetic words, and after learning some of the most commonly used sight words, they are ready to begin reading our first set of beginner readers!

Cornerstone School is very proud of the reading app that we had designed by a computer scientist, which is used by all of our students when they first learn to read. It closely follows the Montessori steps in “learning to read”, and is brilliantly designed in a systematic approach from very simple, to basic reading.  

As the children advance into the higher grades in primary, there is a strong focus on daily reading and writing. Every child takes part in our home reading program, which is part of each child’s daily homework.

Mathematics

The Montessori Math program offers a very strong foundation to a student’s success with Math in later years. The hands on materials provide students with the opportunity to gain an understanding of advanced Math concepts at an early age.

Children in their Kindergarten years learn about the decimal system, and work with large numbers, putting together the concrete number (eg. 2,475) with the written number. They are also introduced to the four operations using the golden bead materials.  Working with the variety of Math materials is like putting together a puzzle. Math is fun!

Cultural Studies

The Cultural Studies area of the classroom encompasses a variety of subjects that are supplementary to the Montessori method. Cultural subjects include: Geography, Science, Botany, Zoology, and Art & Music. Exploring these subjects provide children an opportunity to explore their curiosity of different worldly ideas.

Students at the primary school spend most of the curriculum time each afternoon working on Cultural Studies.  Following are few of the favorite cultural subjects studied over the past few years:

• Watching the ducklings hatch in the incubator set up in one of the classrooms, and sharing the classroom with the young ducklings until they moved out to a local farm.

• Each child creating their own land and water form to replicate all the formations studied in class, i.e. island, lake, bay, isthmus, straight.

• An in depth study on space, learning about how every planet is unique and different. Each child created their own space diorama, which they proudly took home at the end of the unit.

Art and Drama are integrated into the curriculum, and are often paired together with the topic being study. Music is a weekly highlight with a trained Music Teacher. Students love to sing, and enjoy learning some basic music theory.  

Physical Education

Maintaining a life-long healthy lifestyle includes exercise and a nutritious and balanced diet. Students learn the basics of many different sports, giving them the opportunity to discover their personal talents.

Physical Education classes are held in a spacious and well-equipped gymnasium, which is located at our Cornerstone’s Intermediate School, seven blocks from the primary school. Each class and their teachers are transported to the gym with a professional bus and driver. Students attend gym classes twice a week.  

Physical Education includes a variety of field trips throughout the school year, i.e. ice skating, bowling, or some sessions of gymnastics at a gymnastic facility.  

Homework

All students in the Primary Program complete homework.

Grade 1 and 2 students complete approximately 10 to 20 minutes of homework daily. Their evening work usually consists of reading, spelling or learning math facts.

Beginning in Grade 2, every student has a student planner in which they record the assigned homework and any reminders that they need for the following day.

Communication

Every child is greeted daily with a friendly welcome. Parents and teachers enjoy open communication. Teachers and staff will always make time to discuss issues that are of concern to parents and/or students. Parents attend the following meetings/conferences throughout the school year:

• September Parent Meeting

• First Term Parent/Teacher Conference

• Second Term Student-led Conference

All primary students receive formal report cards throughout their school year, as follows:

• Kindergarten: January and June

• Primary: December, March and June

Report cards are detailed and informative, reflecting each student’s progress. 

Field Trips

Field trips are an integral part of learning at Cornerstone. Teachers try to incorporate dynamic field trips into their Cultural Studies on a regular basis. In addition, students enjoy recreational field trips such as ice skating or swimming at various times of the year. Parents are always invited to join their children on field trips. Transportation for field trips is arranged with a professional bus company.