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Conventional
As the word is self explanatory one need not venture into an explanation.
The SSC syllabus is followed in it’s unmitigated reality. We conform to the requirements of the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Language Arts is taught through reading, writing, listening and speaking. In the lower levels, teachers implement a balanced approach to teaching reading that incorporates language experience, phonics and multi-sensory approaches to language. These increase student involvement and motivate further exploration and growth.
In upper levels, children are exposed to a literature-based reading program that includes a variety of nonfiction and reference materials as well as works of fiction. Skills, strategies, and literary techniques are taught within the context of the reading program across all grade levels.
Writing occurs daily in the classrooms in various forms, such as labeling, dictation, journal writing, and learning logs, as well as more formal creative, expository, and report assignments. A writing workshop approach is used at all grade levels. Students work through all the phases of writing, from brainstorming to producing a final draft.
Inventive spelling is encouraged for beginning writers. Grades 1 through 6 use the How To Spell Series as well as other materials to build children’s spelling success. The spelling program is based on phonemic awareness. Students learn and practice rules for spelling the sounds that make up the English language.
Rather than memorizing lists of words in isolation, students practice spelling words that follow the rule they are studying, through dictated sentences that also include sight words and review words.
Math
The Curriculum Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics, developed by the Andhra Pradesh State Educational board (SSC), have been adopted as the guiding principles of our math program. The math programs used at Kotwal's School correlate with the SSC Standards.
The Mathematics "Our Way program" is used in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. The focus of Math "Our Way" is on pre-number concepts and skills, number operations, place value, and critical thinking. Students begin work with concrete manipulatives and then move into connecting and symbolic levels.
( The "Our Way Program" and "Our Everyday Mathematics program" had been designed by Late Mrs.A.M.Kotwal )
Kotwal's School uses the "Our Everyday Mathematics" program for the first through Forth grades. "Our Everyday Mathematics" recognizes and builds on children's capabilities by expanding the range of their mathematical experiences and ideas. Children learn mathematics by doing mathematics. Broad topic categories for grade levels include: numeration; operations and relations; data collection and analysis; geometry; measures and reference frames; money; and patterns, rules and functions. The program has built-in extensions and flexibility that allow it to be tailored to the needs of students of every ability.
Science
Teachers introduce science through exploration of the natural and physical world. Older and younger students are encouraged to solve problems using process skills including observation, classification, record keeping, making hypotheses, experimentation, consideration of variables and drawing conclusions. The program is a hands-on, investigative approach correlated to the developmental needs of students.
Our science lab enables our students to have more hands-on, interactive science experiences. It provides a stimulating environment to enhance the science program.
Social Studies
The overall goals in the social studies program are to equip students with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values for responsible and effective participation in all aspects of a global society; to improve students’ abilities to make intelligent and socially responsible decisions, and to assist in developing informed attitudes towards controversial issues.
Six themes are stressed: cultural studies; history; civics; geography; economics; and science, technology and society. In each of these areas, there is an expanding progression of topics moving from self, family and home to world issues and cultures. The instructional program provides for children’s active involvement in their learning process. It is interactive with other areas of the curriculum and encourages taking learning beyond the classroom, including community service projects.
Character Education
The character education curriculum is called “Building Character and Community”. We believe that as a school and a community, we are responsible for the social, emotional, intellectual and academic growth of each child. We care not only about the children’s growth while they attend our school, but also as they move beyond our school, and ultimately into their adult lives. We work in partnership as an interrelated community of faculty, administration, students and parents to provide our children with the strong character traits they will need to be successful, responsible, and compassionate citizens in a complex world.
Kotwal’s School makes an intentional effort to teach values to our children that will help them to be caring and productive citizens. It is important that these values be reinforced at home. This year we are emphasizing the following values: respect, peacemaking/conflict negotiation, gratitude and compassion, cooperation, positive attitude, friendship, patience and commitment, courage and integrity.
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