Category: LEARNING

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EY and ES

Units of Study

To see an overview of the units of study please click the button associated with the content area or grade level. If you would like more detailed information about a specific unit, please contact your student’s teacher directly.

EY K4
EY K5
EY 1
ES 2
ES 3
ES 4
ES 5
PE Special

MS and HS

To see an overview of the units of study please click the button associated with the content area or grade level. If you would like more detailed information about a specific unit, please contact your student’s teacher directly.

6-8

MS Math
MS Español
MS English
MS Science
MS Social Studies
MS Sociales
MS Technology
MS Art
MS Music
MS PE

9-12

HS Math
HS Español
HS English
HS Science
HS Social Studies
HS Sociales
HS Technology
HS Art
HS Music
HS PE

*Subject to change: These documents are updated each trimester and are subject to changes based on responsiveness to student needs and possible changes in the schedule.

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Early Years

Early Years comprises K4, K5 and 1st grade, the early years of school life at The Columbus School. These years are characterized by exploring in community and building social skills through play and routines while developing foundational skills in English and Spanish.  In K4 most of the day takes place in Spanish with one hour of English per day, while in K5 and 1st most of the day is developed in English with one hour of Spanish per day. Children work on motor, language, math, and socio-emotional skills in addition to social science and natural science concepts through a variety of methodologies. Within an Early Years child’s day, there are times to sing, play, listen, work in centers or stations, talk, think, read, write, debate, move, build, solve problems, make class meetings, and develop projects. To guide our curriculum we use the Bridges math program and the Balanced Literacy / Reading and Writing Workshop approach in language. Our entire curriculum and our assessments are based on standards that are consistently aligned between one grade level and another.

EY Assessment Practices
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Learning at TCS

Columbus School students participate in a variety of student-centered, meaningful learning experiences in a multicultural environment that prepares them to succeed in the pathway of their choice. Our curricular program strives to create critically conscious citizens, and empowered agents of positive change. Our curriculum promotes high performance learning that is applicable in the real world, seeks to connect people and ideas, create pathways and opportunities, and inspire a sense of engagement and purpose.

Some components of our curricular program are:

  • Renowned Curricular Programs to support a multilingual learning experience to develop fundamental academic skills and promote critical thinking and problem solving:
    -A balanced literacy approach drawing from Word Study,
    Letras    , Readers and Writers Workshop and biliteracy units to support multilingual learning (K-8), Lexia Core5 (K-5) and Lexia PowerUp (MS)
    -Bridges and Number Corner from Math Learning Center(K-5)
    –MidSchool Math (6-8)
    –Open Sci Ed (6-8)
    –Advanced Placement courses (10-12)
    -A variety of career-track courses in grades 11-12 such as Financial Math, Hands-on Engineering, advanced Arts, Journalism and Creative Media (levels II and III) and Anatomy and Physiology.
    -Innovation for Social Change (grade 12)

 

 

  • Highly qualified teaching staff who:
    -Engage in continuous job-embedded professional learning
    -Are supported by Instructional Coaches and Learning Center support staff
    -Can engage in a virtual Master’s degree or courses from SUNY Buffalo

 

  • Learning Infrastructure that promotes collaboration and creativity:
    -Well-equipped classrooms with a variety of learning tools available to students and teachers
    -Fab Lab and Maker Space
    -Greenhouse
    -9 science labs
    -Elementary and Secondary Libraries
    -Outdoor learning spaces
    -3 Gymnasiums
    -Theatre
    -Art Gallery
    -A variety of flexible seating and learner-centered classroom arrangements.
    -Primary and secondary libraries.

 

  • Character Education, Values, and Social Emotional Learning approaches
    -Classroom without Walls trips for various grade levels 6-12
    -Integration activities (“Convivencia”) including camping trips, service and educational trips around Colombia, and local community-building activities with grade level groups
    -Character Counts (K-12)
    -Second Step Curriculum (K-5)
    -Advisory (6-8)
    -VIDA–Parent led lessons around social and emotional learning (K-5)
    -Relationship and community building strategies embedded into all curricular areas and supported through professional development (K-12)

 

  • Co-curriculars that support real world challenges and create an impact:
    -Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM)
    -Model United Nations (MUN)
    -Global Issues Network (GIN) and Sustainability Team
    -Student Curriculum Council
    -Student Council
    -Girl Up
    -Our Minds Matter
    -National Honor Society
    -TCS Gay-Straight Alliance
    -Robotics
    -Inventopolis

 

  • Competitive sports activities to develop athleticism and teamwork offered through the polideportivo and extracurricular programs:
    -Basketball
    -Volleyball
    -Soccer
    -Cheerleading
    -Yoga
    -Gymnastics
    -Skating
    -Track
    -Dance
    -Taekwondo
    -Mountain biking
    -Baseball

 

  • Universal values and support for social and emotional learning
    -Character stories
    -Second step curriculum
    -Secondary school counseling
    -VIDA-Parent-led lesson on social and emotional learning
TCS Language vision
Schoolwide Assessment Policy
Principles for Positive Learning Communities
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High School

Our high school curriculum is based on internationally benchmarked standards and brought to life by teacher instructional practices. Departments have innovated many courses in recent years in order to bring the best pedagogy to the students in preparation for the future, and to innovate based on the needs of our ever-changing world. In grades 9 and 10 students fulfill many of the core areas with some elective choices, and in grades 11 and 12 students have more specialized courses to apply their skills in a context closer to their interest and future career interests. For example, a student pursuing an engineering career may take advanced Calculus, Physics, and Hands on Engineering courses, while a student pursuing a medical career may take Advanced Chemistry and Anatomy and Physiology. Every student’s schedule has an X block for support within every 5 day rotation and College Counseling also becomes an important part of the curriculum during the high school years to set students up to excel in the pathway of their choice.

Each year the curriculum is reviewed in order to ensure a coherent and meaningful scope of skills, concepts, and knowledge that are systematically taught and evaluated. The curricular maps are developed by the teachers of each department identifying themes and the units plans are continuously refined using a “backward” planning model.

HS Program of Studies
Secondary assessment practices
TCS Secondary Assessment
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Middle School

Our middle school curriculum contains programs and curriculum that help students form a solid base of knowledge and skills to move into high school, while honoring them through voice, choice, and social learning activities appropriate for their age group. Students work through the core areas focusing on problem solving. Students in middle school are part of a House system and also participate in a weekly Advisory period with adult mentors. Every students´schedules has an X block for support within every 5 day rotation. 

Each year the curriculum is reviewed in order to ensure a coherent and meaningful scope of skills, concepts, and knowledge that are systematically taught and evaluated. The curricular maps are developed by the teachers of each department identifying themes and the units plans are continuously refined using a “backward” planning model.

MS Program of studies
Secondary assessment practices
TCS Secondary Assessment
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Elementary School

2nd through 5th grade students continue to explore and build skills and develop with peers through units and programs based on the Common Core Curriculum for languages and mathematics, Next Generation Science Standards for science, and ISTE for technology integration. They receive Social Studies and Spanish classes in Spanish 5 times a week. Additionally, all elementary school students have weekly classes in Music, Art, Religion, Ethics and Values ​​and Physical Education with specialist teachers.  Teachers work in homeroom teams to develop horizontally-aligned unit sequences and assessments. The curriculum is under continual review to make sure it promotes safe, supportive, and engaging learning for all students.

Elementary Assessment Practices