The Episcopal Day School strives to provide each child with a superior academic education.  We believe this is best achieved when children have the opportunity to acquire a solid foundation in the core academic subjects of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies with enrichment courses in Music, Spanish, and Computer.  We provide challenging learning experiences to help our students transfer and apply the knowledge and skills they acquire to new problems and situations they encounter.  Our students are encouraged to compete in a number of academic competitions such as spelling bee and science fair.  Winners of our campus competitions advance to the Brownsville Association of Non-Public School Administrators (BANSA) competitions and in Science they advance to the state science fair sponsored by the Southwest Association of Episcopal Schools.  Students are also encouraged to submit their artwork and literary creations to The Brownsville Herald, and our students’ entries are frequently published.  Our fourth graders compete in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas essay contest, and our fifth graders compete in the Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest.  Each year, EDS students are among the winners of the Brownsville chapters’ contests, and a number of our students have advanced to the state level of competition.

Prekindergarten

English Language Arts: 
The literacy experiences provided during the prekindergarten years form the basis for learning to read. Children develop the understanding of the everyday functions of print and gain the motivation to learn to read and appreciate different forms of literacy by being read to and interacting with stories and print.  As they watch adults engage in reading and writing activities, they want to be able to read and write as well.  When children interact with language in nonfiction and fiction books, poems, songs, and nursery rhymes, their ability to respond to and play with the sounds in language increases. This awareness of the sounds in language, or phonological awareness, is one of the key predictors of later reading success.  Children develop this awareness that words are made up of sounds which can be put together and taken apart. 

As children watch adults write for many purposes, they develop the understanding that print conveys meaning.  Initially, children engage in drawing as a way to communicate. This is the earliest stage of writing.  Young children sketch lines and scribble “notes” in an attempt to imitate adults’ writing behaviors and begin to make connections between print and spoken words. With this understanding of the function and meaning of print comes the motivation to use writing to communicate.

Mathematics:
Prekindergarten children’s mathematical understandings are built on informal knowledge about quantity that they develop even before formal instruction. Young children know immediately if someone gets more cookies than they do. They like telling their age by holding up the corresponding number of fingers to tell an adult how old they are. Children typically use quantity during play to keep track of points.  Effective teachers tap into this early interest in communicating math‐related ideas to foster greater mathematical competencies in the preschool environment.  Skillful teachers plan rich environments and offer sequenced opportunities for preschool children to explore math concepts. Effective support of early mathematical competencies requires creative use of instructional tools, play, drawing, and computer technology.

Science:
Prekindergarten children learn to explore properties of materials, positions, and motion of objects through investigations which allow them to notice the attributes of each of these. These explorations continue as children use attributes to classify and sort objects, make observations and predictions, problem‐solve, compare, and question.  Children learn about sources of energy by investigating and discussing light, heat, electricity, and magnetism.  EDS Prekindergarten students are scheduled to explore our Nature Trail each six weeks to foster a love of nature.

Social Studies:
Prekindergarten children are aware of time and begin to organize their lives around it. Three- and four-year-old children learn to depend on events and routines that occur in a regular and predictable order. They begin to understand past events and how these events relate to present and future activities, demonstrating evidence of their growing understanding of time, change, and continuity.  In prekindergarten, children learn about their community. They explore the roles and relationships of consumers and producers, and become aware that people produce services as well as goods. Children learn that their community benefits from many different people working in many different ways.  Prekindergarten children begin to think about geography using location and direction. Children use direction to locate their relative position in space and to locate their home and school in their community.  Children begin to understand important customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity.

Kindergarten

English Language Arts:
In Kindergarten, students engage in many activities that help them develop their oral language skills and help them begin to read and write. Kindergarten students take part in language activities that extend their vocabulary and conceptual knowledge. Students learn to follow directions and develop the language of schooling.  Students express themselves in complete thoughts. Students discuss the meanings of words from familiar and conceptually challenging selections that are read aloud. In Kindergarten, students listen to a wide variety of children's literature, including selections from classic and contemporary works. Students also listen to nonfiction and informational material. Students learn to listen attentively and ask and respond to questions and retell stories. Students know simple story structure and distinguish fiction from nonfiction. Kindergarten students identify the letters of the alphabet. Students learn that individual letters are different from printed words, that words have spaces between them, and that print is read from left-to-right and from top-to-bottom. Through meaningful and organized activities, Kindergarten students learn that spoken language is composed of sequences of sounds. Students learn to segment and identify the sounds in spoken words. Students begin to associate spoken sounds with the letter or letters that represent them, and begin to use this knowledge to read words and simple stories. In Kindergarten, students write the letters of the alphabet, their names, and other words. Initially, students dictate messages and stories for others to write. Students begin to use their knowledge of sounds and letters to write by themselves.

Mathematics:
The primary focal points at Kindergarten are developing whole-number concepts and using patterns and sorting to explore number, data, and shape.  Students use numbers in ordering, labeling, and expressing quantities and relationships to solve problems and translate informal language into mathematical language and symbols. Students use objects to create and identify patterns and use those patterns to express relationships, make predictions, and solve problems as they build an understanding of number, operation, shape, and space.
Science:
In Kindergarten, science introduces the use of simple classroom and field investigations to help students develop the skills of asking questions, gathering information, communicating findings, and making informed decisions. Using their own senses and common tools such as a hand lens, students make observations and collect information.  EDS kindergarten students participate in Nature Trail activities and exploration every six weeks.

Social Studies:
In Kindergarten, the focus is on the self, home, family, and classroom. The study of our state and national heritage begins with an examination of the celebration of patriotic holidays and the contributions of historical people. The concept of chronology is introduced. Students discuss geographic concepts of location and physical and human characteristics of places. Students are introduced to the basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter and to ways that people meet these needs. Students learn the purpose of rules and the role of authority figures in the home and school. Students learn customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity. Students compare family customs and traditions and describe examples of technology in the home and school. Students acquire information from a variety of oral and visual sources.

English Language Arts: 

In Grade 1, students continue to develop their oral language and communication skills and move to becoming independent readers and writers. First grade students listen attentively and connect their experiences and ideas with information and ideas presented in print. Students listen and respond to a wide variety of children's literature, including selections from classic and contemporary works. The stories and informational books students hear introduce them to new vocabulary. Students recognize the distinguishing features of stories, poems, and informational texts. First grade students continue to develop their concepts of how print connects with spoken language. Students understand that spoken language is composed of sequences of sounds and that those sounds are represented by letters. Students can name the letters and know the order of the alphabet and associate sounds with the letter or letters that represent them. Students learn most of the common letter-sound correspondences and use this knowledge to help them decode written words. First grade students regularly read (both orally and silently) in texts of appropriate difficulty with fluency and understanding. Students demonstrate their comprehension by asking and answering questions, retelling stories, predicting outcomes, and making and explaining inferences. First grade students become adept writers. Students know the difference between words, sentences, and paragraphs. First grade students can organize their thoughts and ideas into complete stories or reports. Students use subjects and verbs and are able to write complete sentences using basic capitalization and punctuation. First grade students become more proficient spellers as they learn to spell a number of high-frequency words and words with regularly spelled patterns. The students' messages move from left-to-right and from top-to-bottom and are written with increasing control of penmanship.

In Grade 2, students read and write independently. Students have many opportunities to use spoken language. Second grade students understand that there are different purposes for speaking and listening. Students know how to attract and hold the attention of their classmates when they make announcements or share a story. Second grade students recognize a large number of words automatically and use a variety of word identification strategies to figure out words they do not immediately recognize. Students read regularly for understanding and fluency in a variety of genres, including selections from classic and contemporary works. Students read texts from which they acquire new information. Students summarize what they read and represent ideas gained from reading with story maps, charts, and drawings. Students use references, including dictionaries and glossaries, to build word meanings and confirm pronunciation. Second grade students revise and edit their own writing to make ideas more clear and precise. Students use appropriate capitalization and punctuation. Students use singular and plural nouns and adjust verbs for agreement. In Grade 2, students' penmanship is characterized by letters that are properly formed, words that are properly spaced, and overall compositions that are legible. Students begin to take simple notes and compile notes into outlines.

Mathematics:
Throughout mathematics in Kindergarten-Grade 2, students build a foundation of basic understandings in number, operation, and quantitative reasoning; patterns, relationships, and algebraic thinking; geometry and spatial reasoning; measurement; and probability and statistics. Students use numbers in ordering, labeling, and expressing quantities and relationships to solve problems and translate informal language into mathematical language and symbols. Students use objects to create and identify patterns and use those patterns to express relationships, make predictions, and solve problems as they build an understanding of number, operation, shape, and space. Students progress from informal to formal language to describe two- and three-dimensional geometric figures and likenesses in the physical world. Students begin to develop measurement concepts as they identify and compare attributes of objects and situations. Students collect, organize, and display data and use information from graphs to answer questions, make summary statements, and make informal predictions based on their experiences.
Throughout mathematics in Kindergarten-Grade 2, students develop numerical fluency with conceptual understanding and computational accuracy. Students in Kindergarten-Grade 2 use basic number sense to compose and decompose numbers in order to solve problems requiring precision, estimation, and reasonableness. By the end of Grade 2, students know basic addition and subtraction facts and are using them to work flexibly, efficiently, and accurately with numbers during addition and subtraction computation.

Science:
In first grade, the study of science includes simple classroom and field investigations to help students develop the skills of asking questions, gathering information, making measurements using non-standard units, with tools such as a thermometer to extend their senses, constructing explanations, and drawing conclusions. In Grade 2, the study of science includes planning and conducting simple classroom and field investigations to help students develop the skills of making measurements using standard and non-standard units, using common tools such as rulers and clocks to collect information, classifying and sequencing objects and events, and identifying patterns.
As students learn science skills, they identify components of the natural world including rocks, soil, and natural resources. Students observe that heat from the Sun or friction, is an example of something that causes change. In addition, students identify basic needs of living things, explore ways that living things depend on each other, and separate living organisms and nonliving things into groups. Students identify parts that can be put together with other parts to do new things.
Science is a way of learning about the natural world. Students should know how science has built a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models, and also should know that science may not answer all questions.
A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact. Students should understand a whole in terms of its components and how these components relate to each other and to the whole. All systems have basic properties that can be described in terms of space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems and can be observed and measured as patterns. These patterns help to predict what will happen next and can change over time.
Investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations, and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more closely reflect the natural world.  EDS first and second grade students participate in Nature Trail activities and exploration every six weeks. 

Social Studies:
In Grade 1, students learn about their relationship to the classroom, school, and community. The concepts of time and chronology are developed by distinguishing among past, present, and future events. Students identify anthems and mottoes of the United States and Texas. Students make simple maps to identify the location of places in the classroom, school, and community. The concepts of goods and services and the value of work are introduced. Students identify historic figures and ordinary people who exhibit good citizenship. Students describe the importance of family customs and traditions and identify how technology has changed family life. Students sequence and categorize information.  In Grade 2, students focus on a study of their local community by examining the impact of significant individuals and events on the history of the community as well as on the state and nation. Students begin to develop the concepts of time and chronology by measuring calendar time by days, weeks, months, and years. The relationship between the physical environment and human activities is introduced as are the concepts of consumers and producers. Students identify functions of government as well as services provided by the local government. Students continue to acquire knowledge of important customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles. Students identify the significance of works of art in the local community and explain how technological innovations have changed transportation and communication. Students communicate what they have learned in written, oral, and visual forms.
A variety of rich material such as biographies; folktales, myths, and legends; and poetry, songs, and artworks is used in teaching Social Studies. Selections may include a children's biography of Abraham Lincoln. Motivating resources are also available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.
Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade level or course, enables students to understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation.

English Language Arts: In third grade students read and write more independently than in previous grades.  They read grade-level material fluently and with comprehension, and use root words, prefixes, suffixes, and derivational endings to recognize words.  As students advance through the elementary grades, they read with a growing interest in a wide variety of topics and expand their vocabulary systematically across the curriculum.  Students begin to distinguish fact from opinion and they are able to connect, compare and contrast ideas.   In class discussions, they support their ideas and inferences by citing passages from the text being discussed.  Students read from a variety of genres, including realistic and imaginative fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from classic and contemporary works.  Beginning in third grade, students write with more complex capitalization and punctuation, and write longer and more elaborate sentences and organize their writing into larger units of text.  Students write several drafts and revise their writing to improve coherence, progression and logic and edit their final drafts to reflect standard grammar and usage.  In fourth grade, students are able to select and use different forms of writing for specific purposes such as to inform, persuade, or entertain. Students become increasingly proficient in writing with style and voice and are able to understand and use visual media.  In fifth and sixth grades, students learn to recognize literary devices such as flashback, foreshadowing, and symbolism.  They learn to identify figurative language, sequencing, rhetoric, and develop their ability to draw inferences.  In the upper elementary grades, students are taught to search out multiple texts to complete research reports and projects. 

Mathematics; The primary focal points for third grade are multiplying and dividing whole numbers, connecting fraction symbols to fractional quantities, and standardizing language and procedures in geometry and measurement.  In fourth grade, the primary focal points are comparing and ordering fractions and decimals, applying multiplication and division, and developing ideas related to congruence and symmetry.  The primary focal points at Grade 5 are comparing and contrasting lengths, areas, and volumes of two- or three-dimensional geometric figures; representing and interpreting data in graphs, charts, and tables; and applying whole number operations in a variety of contexts.  The primary focal points at Grade 5 are comparing and contrasting lengths, areas, and volumes of two- or three-dimensional geometric figures; representing and interpreting data in graphs, charts, and tables; and applying whole number operations in a variety of contexts.  The primary focal points at Grade 6 are using ratios to describe direct proportional relationships involving number, geometry, measurement, probability, and adding and subtracting decimals and fractions.
Throughout mathematics in Grades 3-6, students build a foundation of basic understandings in number, operation, and quantitative reasoning; patterns, relationships, and algebraic thinking; geometry and spatial reasoning; measurement; and probability and statistics. Students use algorithms for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division as generalizations connected to concrete experiences. They concretely develop basic concepts of fractions and decimals. Students use appropriate language and organizational structures such as tables and charts to represent and communicate relationships, make predictions, and solve problems. Students select and use formal language to describe their reasoning as they identify, compare, and classify two- or three-dimensional geometric figures; and they use numbers, standard units, and measurement tools to describe and compare objects, make estimates, and solve application problems. Students organize data, choose an appropriate method to display the data, and interpret the data to make decisions and predictions and solve problems.
Throughout mathematics in Grades 3-5, students develop numerical fluency with conceptual understanding and computational accuracy. Students in Grades 3-5 use knowledge of the base-ten place value system to compose and decompose numbers in order to solve problems requiring precision, estimation, and reasonableness. By the end of Grade 5, students know basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts and are using them to work flexibly, efficiently, and accurately with numbers during addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division computation.  In Grade 6, students use algebraic thinking to describe how a change in only quantity in a relationship results in a change in the other, and they connect verbal, numeric, graphic, and symbolic representations of relationships.
Problem solving, language and communication, connections within and outside mathematics, and formal and informal reasoning underlie all content areas in mathematics. Throughout mathematics in Grades 3-6, students use these processes together with technology and other mathematical tools such as manipulative materials to develop conceptual understanding and solve meaningful problems as they do mathematics.

Science:  In Grade 3, the study of science includes planning and implementing simple classroom and field investigations to develop the skills of collecting information using tools such as balances and thermometers, making inferences, communicating conclusions, and making informed decisions. Students also use computers and information technology tools to support scientific investigations.  In Grade 4, the study of science includes planning and implementing field and laboratory investigations using scientific methods, analyzing information, making informed decisions, and using measurement tools to collect information.  In Grade 5, the study of science includes planning and implementing field and laboratory investigations using scientific methods, analyzing information, making informed decisions, and using tools such as microscopes, graduated cylinders and pipettes to collect and record information. Students also use computers and information technology tools to support scientific investigations.  In Grade 6, the study of science includes conducting field and laboratory investigations using scientific methods, analyzing data, making informed decisions, and using tools such as dippers, test tubes, and titrators to collect, analyze, and record information. Students also use computers and information technology tools to support scientific investigations.
Beginning in fourth grade, students will attend class in the EDS science lab and they will have Mrs. Morfitt as their science teacher.  Third through sixth graders have specific times scheduled on Fridays throughout the school year on the EDS Nature Trail with Mrs. Morfitt.  Fifth and sixth graders must complete a Science Fair project to fulfill the requirements of the course.  All fifth and sixth graders will compete in our EDS Science Fair, and winners will advance to the BANSA Science Fair.  Each year, Mrs. Morfitt takes twelve fifth and twelve sixth graders to the Southwest Association of Episcopal Schools State Science Fair.

Social Studies:   In Grade 3, students learn how individuals have changed their communities and world. Students study the effects inspiring heroes have had on communities, past and present. Students learn about the lives of heroic men and women who made important choices, overcame obstacles, sacrificed for the betterment of others, and embarked on journeys that resulted in new ideas, new inventions, and new communities.  In Grade 4, students examine the history of Texas from the early beginnings to the present within the context of influences of the Western Hemisphere. Historical content focuses on Texas history including the Texas revolution, establishment of the Republic of Texas, and subsequent annexation to the United States. Students discuss important issues, events, and individuals of the 19th and 20th centuries.  In Grade 5, students learn about the history of the United States from its early beginnings to the present with a focus on colonial times through the 20th century. Historical content includes the colonial and revolutionary periods, the establishment of the United States, and issues that led to the Civil War. An overview of major events and significant individuals of the late-19th century and the 20th century is provided.  In Grade 6, students study people and places of the contemporary world. Societies selected for study are chosen from the following regions of the world: Europe, Russia and the Eurasian republics, North America, Middle America, South America, Southwest Asia-North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Realm. Students expand their knowledge through the identification and study of people who made a difference, influenced public policy and decision making, and participated in resolving issues that are important to all people. Through Social Studies across the grade levels, students develop an understanding of the economic, cultural, and scientific contributions made by individuals.  

 To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich material such as biographies; folktales, myths, and legends; and poetry, songs, and artworks is encouraged. Motivating resources are also available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.
The eight strands of the essential knowledge and skills for social studies are intended to be integrated for instructional purposes. Skills listed in the geography and social studies skills strands should be incorporated into the teaching of all essential knowledge and skills for social studies. A greater depth of understanding of complex content material can be attained when integrated social studies content from the various disciplines and critical-thinking skills are taught together.
Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade level or course, enables students to understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation.