School Program (Kindergarten - 8th Grade)

Curriculum

Core Academics

                                                

Merritt Academy's challenging curriculum includes the following

core subjects: reading, language arts, math, science and social studies. Although in Kindergarten and 1st Grade our teachers work with the A Beka curriculum for some subject areas, by the 2nd Grade our own curriculum is used, which is based upon a variety of materials. The middle school program is designed to build upon itself through the three years of 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade. The following is a glimpse of our core curriculum.

Language arts:

• The Kindergarten and 1st Grade use the A Beka curriculum to develop phonics, vocabulary, spelling, penmanship, reading, and writing skills.
• In 2nd and 3rd Grade additional materials are used for reading comprehension.
• Poetry is introduced in the 4th Grade and writing, research skills, grammar and sentence structure is taught throughout the 4th and 5th Grade.
• Writing is emphasized in the middle school as students learn to put together a research paper. Poetry, short stories, and drama is used to teach reading comprehension and important literary concepts.

Math:

• Between Kindergarten and 4th Grade basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are mastered.
• In 5th Grade students are learning basic pre-Algebra skills and a more in-depth study of fractions and equations.
• 6th Grade students continue studying pre-Algebra.
• Pre-Algebra is learned in 7th and Algebra 1 in 8th Grade.

 

Social Studies:

• In Kindergarten through 2nd Grade we focus on American History, with an introduction to world culture.
• Students in 3rd and 4th Grade study United States History, while students in 5th Grade begin learning about the Revolutionary War and how events in Europe shaped the development of the United States.
• Middle school students learn about the Civil War, world civilizations and governments, and the US involvement in world events. In 8th Grade, students focus on Civics education.

Science:

Each year specific areas of life science, physical science, earth science, and the human body are studied, including:

• Animals and plants, living vs. non-living things
• Matter, sound and light, movement
• Earth, sky, weather, ecology
• Senses, growing and changing, being healthy
• Middle school students also take part in the science fair which takes place every winter.

Field Trips:

Field trips and special events are used each year to further enhance students’ understanding of key concepts.

Specialty Classes

Specialty classes are held throughout the week to broaden our students’ foundation. Merritt offers a variety of specialty classes:

• Computer instruction is integrated with the classroom curriculum to provide students with the technology skills necessary to support continuous learning and to prepare them to meet the demands of a technology rich society.
• Music students learn the rudiments of singing and playing a musical instrument, music notation and rhythm.  Performances are given throughout the year.
• The art program is designed to encourage and guide students in finding new ways and materials to express themselves through art.
• The physical education program uses physical fitness and healthy competition to teach students values such as teamwork, sportsmanship, honesty, caring and perseverance.
• French or Spanish classes are offered to all students.  In addition, we offer after-school clubs including French, Spanish, and Italian.
• The library program opens students to the world of books by encouraging students to read and comprehend a variety of literary genres and non-fiction books.

Middle School Electives

Middle school students (6th-8th) at Merritt choose to participate in two electives every semester. These are classes with special focuses. The electives offered in the 2007-2008 school year are listed below. Click here for a more detailed summary.

• Art
• Yearbook - only offered to 7th and 8th Graders
• Movers & Shakers -dance
• Study Skills – a required class for all 6th Graders
• Handbells
• Study Hall – required for all new 7th and 8th Graders
• Senior Service/School Service – part of our Intergenerational Program
• Tiger Times (School newsletter)
• 3-D Studio - 3-D puzzles and models
• Just BASIC - programming
• Ancient Civilizations
• Mathletes - preparation for local math competitions
• Teen Living - babysitting, cooking, first aid, and health skills
• X-treme Math - exploring mathematical concepts