Queen Anne Elementary was designed around our Five Pillars with a digital learning emphasis. As a Creative Approach School (CAS), we joined Project Based Learning (PBL) and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) with our Five Pillars. These three components are the foundation of our curriculum and guide our staff and students’ pursuit to develop a community of 21st Century learners.
PROJECT BASED LEARNING (PBL) In Project Based Learning, students go through an extended process of inquiry in response to a complex question, problem, or challenge. While allowing for some degree of student "voice and choice," rigorous projects are carefully planned, managed, and assessed to help students learn key academic content, practice 21st Century Skills collaboration, communication, critical thinking & creativity), and create high-quality, authentic products & presentations. For more information organizations like the Buck Institute for Education and Edutopia provide valuable resources, information and inspiration.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING Social Emotional Learning is a process of developing social and emotional skills, for academic success as well as life success. Examples of social and emotional skills are being able to recognize, understand, and express one’s own emotions; controlling impulses; and establishing and maintaining positive relationships. SEL may also refer to a school curriculum that develops social and emotional skills.
DIGITAL LEARNING Digital tools are integrated into the classroom, across curriculum, to deepen and enhance learning through our One to World device program. One to World empowers students to research, create, connect, and collaborate. Students actively engage and work together to capture their creativity and learning through technology tools such as cameras, video, audio, and multi-media productions. Students connect and learn with classrooms around the world through programs like Mystery Skype. Technology also changes the ways teachers teach--One to World offers effective ways for teachers to reach different types of learners to help make learning more meaningful and fun.
ADVANCED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES (ALO) Our school environment encourages the positive social and emotional development of all students. Several differentiation strategies are used that include acceleration within the regular classroom, cluster grouping, flexible groupings for instruction, and technology integration to support project based learning.
Language & Literacy
CENTER FOR THE COLLABORATIVE CLASSROOM Collaborative Literacy is a rigorous, yearlong curriculum for students in grades K-6 that addresses the core reading, writing, speaking and listening skills that students need while fostering their growth as caring, collaborative and principled people.
With Collaborative Literacy, students aren't just learning to read and write; they are learning to be readers and writers who think critically and learn from and care for one another. They develop a genuine interest in and love of reading and they are motivated to write purposefully with a real audience in mind. They are part of a classroom community where students feel empowered, are supported in taking risks and are responsible to themselves and the group. Learn more on the Center for the Collaborative Classroom.
READING AND WRITING WORKSHOP Our Reading and Writing Workshop curriculum is guided by the Teachers College Reading & Writing Project (Columbia University).
THE LOGIC OF ENGLISH The Logic of English is a systematic, multi-sensory approach to learning how to read, spell and write. The method is based upon 74 basic phonograms and 30 spelling rules that together explain 98% of English words.
Queen Anne Elementary strives to provide a challenging and inspiring mathematics education for all students. By offering rich mathematical opportunities, which encourage insight and exploration, we seek to increase student self-confidence and help students use numbers to make sense of the world around them. Our staff honors individual and unique learning styles, utilizing research-based methods, as they instruct students to build a relationship with math.
We believe success in mathematics is a result of a connection between critical thinking, effective communication and the application of prior knowledge. It is our goal that all students feel successful in math and can transfer their acquired knowledge to a variety of contexts in future endeavors.
READY MATH Ready Mathematics helps teachers create a rich classroom environment in which students at all levels become active, real-world problem solvers. Through teacher-led instruction, students develop mathematical reasoning, engage in discourse and build strong mathematical habits. The program's instructional framework supports educators as they strengthen their teaching practices and facilitates meaningful discourse that encourages all learners.
Encourage students to develop a deeper understanding of mathematics concepts through the embedded Standards for Mathematical Practices.
Builds on students' prior knowledge with lessons that make connections within and across grade levels and directly address the major focus of the grade.
Incorporates a classroom mathematics routine that promotes conversations and increases accessibility of the mathematics for all students.
Prepares students for the challenges of the state assessment with tasks and activities that have balance of conceptual understanding, procedural skills, fluency and application.
MATH IN FOCUS Seattle Public Schools recently adopted Math in Focus (Singapore Math) as the math curriculum for students in grades K-5.Math in Focus adapts instruction to the needs of individual learners through scaffolding, the systematic sequencing of prompted content and support to optimize learning. The ultimate goal of scaffolding is to gradually remove the supports as the learner masters the task.
Spatial-Temporal (ST) Math® is game-based instructional software for students in grades K-12 and is designed to boost math comprehension and proficiency through visual learning.
Our district adopted a curriculum designed by the National Science Resources Center, Smithsonian more commonly known as the Inquiry-Based Science Program. Modules at each grade level provide "hands-on" labs for the teaching and practice of scientific concepts beginning in kindergarten.
A typical science lesson involves four components through which students access and practice scientific study: 1) engage and encounter known and unknown science concepts; 2) explore and investigate life science, physical science and earth science; 3) reflect and explain their thinking and reasoning; and 4) apply and extend new learning.