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General
Abiqua’s curriculum is designed to be both engaging and
challenging. It ensures competence in the basic skills of
reasoning, reading, writing and mathematics. Children also learn
study habits, lifelong decision-making and problem-solving
skills. In designing and revising the curriculum, the School
maintains the goals of academic excellence, creativity,
continuity and balance among all curriculum areas. Our
curriculum is aligned with the Oregon State Benchmarks, so
students are able to make a smooth transition to other schools.
When appropriate, academic disciplines are taught in an
interdisciplinary, thematic format to promote higher-order
thinking and to reveal the connectedness of our lessons to the
world beyond the classroom. The merging of concepts from two or
more disciplines creates a powerful and lasting learning
experience.
Social Studies
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Our Social Studies curriculum uses children’s natural sense of
time and place to help them gain a better understanding of
themselves, as well as a view of the world around them. In
Kindergarten, children explore the nature of life within their
own family, the school community and the larger community around
them. They also begin to develop skills that allow them to be
positive members of their community.
Our Primary students broaden their understanding of family and
community as they compare their families with those of other
cultures. Primary children learn to see their school as a
community and are guided to making decisions as individuals and
as members of a group. During the two years in Primary, they
learn about different occupations that contribute to our
society, how people live together and how actions of individuals
are important to the shaping of our rules. Through reading,
field trips to local businesses, guest speakers and community
service projects, they begin to understand the function of a
community.
Science
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Our Science curriculum engages children in the wonders of the
world. We encourage students to question, to observe, to make
predictions and to draw conclusions. Hands-on cooperative
science activities are integrated with the Social Studies
thematic content. For example, Kindergartners see, smell, touch
and explore an apple while learning about the food their family
eats. Our Primary students conduct weather experiments and plant
experiments in our school’s greenhouse. Intermediates study the
ecology of Oregon, examining biomes and ecosystems, seasons and
microclimates, geology and fossil records. Seniors study
astronomy through life in ancient Greece, or learn about the
human body through mummies in Egypt. Using both
teacher-introduced units and “teachable moments,” the emphasis
is on questions, experimentation, testing and research skills.
Language Arts
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In our Language Arts curriculum, we integrate content
instruction and the practice of reading, writing, listening and
speaking. Reading is a developmental process, and we allow
students to progress at their own pace. Students read from a
wide variety of written forms, such as books, charts, notes,
instructions and newspapers. Teachers read daily from
award-winning authors. Students read books of their own
choosing, books the teacher assigns and books written by
classmates.
At Abiqua, writing is taught as a process that includes learning
to plan, draft, revise and edit. We begin in the Kindergarten
program with students discovering the power of written
communication and the connections between oral language and the
written word. In the Primary classroom, students create their
own books. We believe that students need consistent experience
with the writing process if they are to develop writing
strategies, learn to consider alternative writing techniques and
mature as authors.
Primary and Intermediate students are taught grammar and
spelling in the context of writing and through frequent
mini-lessons as they create books, prepare reports and write for
a variety of purposes. We use the following language arts
programs: Rebecca Sitton Spelling, Wright Group Whole Language,
McCracken Phonics and Four Blocks.
Mathematics
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In our mathematics program, students are encouraged to explore,
discuss, and apply ideas as they gain problem-solving skills.
Our goal is for students to see the relationship between
mathematical concepts and real-world applications.
In addition to number concepts and basic computation, we also
include measurement, estimation, mental math, geometry,
statistics and probability. When presenting a match concept, we
integrate it into other areas of study, such as graphing the
number of pumpkins collected at the pumpkin patch or building a
house using geometric shapes. Students learn specific strategies
such as guess and check, make a drawing, or look for a pattern
as they solve the problems of the day. Our classrooms have a
wide variety of hands-on physical manipulatives, including
attribute and pattern blocks, counters, geoboards, graphing
grids and balances. We believe that using manipulatives provides
children with the strong conceptual basis to create skills in a
way that makes sense to them.
Our students learn procedures, numeration, computation,
patterns, functions and measurements, with relationships and
geometry covered at the appropriate developmental level. Seniors
review mathematical operations involving whole numbers,
fractions, decimals, ratio/proportions and conversations to
metric, perimeter and re, and statistics/probability.
Technology
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At Abiqua, we don’t just learn to use technology; we use
technology to learn. Although we recognize that technology has
the power to transform teaching and learning, it is not an end
in itself. It is there to serve the needs of students and
teachers, and support the learning process. At Abiqua,
technology is presented in a manner that fosters learning and
encourages students and faculty to stretch their intellectual
limits. We take time to find software and websites that are
relevant and meaningful for our children. Abiqua supports
ethical use of computers and safe and responsible online
behavior.
Each of our classrooms is equipped with an interactive
whiteboard along with an interactive response system. These
SMARTBOARDS™ provide a world of information at the touch of a
finger, whether on the Internet or through other media. The
interactive response system ensures that each student is
participating and actively engaged. It also enables a teacher to
gain immediate feedback regarding student learning each and
every day, rather than waiting for periodic test results. If
students are not grasping a concept, then the teacher can
address the topic again from a different perspective.
The Elementary School’s Computer Lab is equipped with desktop
PC’s. All Middle School students are provided with laptops.
Enrichment Studies
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In addition to traditional academic subjects, Abiqua provides
professional instruction in Art, Music, Spanish and Physical
Education. Students are exposed to art, rhythm and songs, the
culture and language of Spanish-speaking countries, physical
conditioning and skills. These enrichment courses increase our
students’ awareness of the diversity and alternatives that exist
in our world.
Service Learning
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Service Learning is a key element in the education of students
at Abiqua. Service Learning integrates academic knowledge with
service projects, which enable children to realize the
connection between what they learn and the real world. It is our
belief that service to others broadens children’s perspectives
of Salem and its people, which helps them become compassionate
citizens of their community and the world.
Travel and Field Trips
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Experiential projects reinforce what is taught in the classroom,
provide an opportunity for students to use conceptual
information, and help bridge the gap between the classroom and
the community. Abiqua has designed its curriculum to include
treks off campus for all classes and to encourage learning
through direct encounter. There is at least one overnight trip
for Intermediate students. For Seniors, a week-long educational
trip is scheduled each spring. Prior to each overnight trip, the
goals, itinerary and transportation details will be shared with
parents.
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