Students attend school between the hours of 7:30 am. and 2:20 pm. Each period is 45 minutes in length, with a total of 9 periods per day

Students are encouraged to attend school daily. In the event of an excused absence, students are expected to return to school with verifiable documentation. Excused absences provide students with an opportunity to make up missing assignments in a timely fashion.

INSTRUCTIONAL CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

In the elementary department, core subjects are taught by the home-based teacher following a thematic approach. Thematic Learning is a 21st Century instructional method of teaching which integrates a range of subjects together in order to link student learning across the subjects for a greater depth of understanding.

ELA COURSE OVERVIEW

The ELA curriculum at KAS is based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy build and reflect the skills and knowledge students will need to succeed whilst in elementary and prepare them for the middle school through:

The foundational standards are directed toward fostering students’ understanding and working knowledge of concepts of print, the alphabetic principle, and other basic conventions of the English writing system. These foundational skills are the fundamental components of an effective, comprehensive program designed to develop language proficiency.

The reading standards offer a focus for instruction and ensure that students gain adequate exposure to a wide range of grade appropriate texts and tasks. Students' reading levels are assessed throughout the year. The reading texts which are assigned to students will enable them to develop their skills, foster a love of reading, and prepare them for the next grade level. Grades 1-3 use an online leveled reading program Reading A-Z, referred to as RAZ. Grades 4 and 5 use a leveled language usage and reading program called Exact Path. Both of these online programs are intended to provide students further opportunity to enhance their reading skills whilst at home.

The standards for grades 1-5 offer a focus for instruction each year to ensure that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing, students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.

MATH COURSE OVERVIEW

The mathematics curriculum at Kuwait American School is based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The standards ensure that math skills and concepts are taught in depth and enable students to apply skills and concepts in everyday situations. Instructional time is focused on the four main areas of Mathematics with the level of difficulty increasing as students progress through the grades. These areas are:

• ● Numeracy
• ● Data and Probability
• ● Geometry and Measurement
• ● Algebra

Grades 1-5 use McGraw Hill Reveal Math program. This includes in-class workbooks as well as an online platform which provides further practice.

The Science curriculum at Kuwait American School is based on Next Generation Science Standards NGSS and is aligned with Common Core Standards. These thematic units are taught with direct interdisciplinary links to language arts, where informational text is used to supplement science classes. In addition the social studies themes are integrated where possible. The fusion of interdisciplinary concepts help students explore connections across the four domains of science, including Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering Design. This approach enables students to develop a coherent and scientifically-based view of the world around them.

The Social Studies curriculum is interwoven with the Language Arts and Science through a thematic approach. Students will be exposed to a wide range of history and geography topics as well as studying their own cultural heritage. The Social Studies curriculum aligns with the school mission and vision in promoting Global Citizenship and Internationalism as defined by the Oxfam Curriculum for Global Citizenship.

• These subjects are part of a sequence of courses following the Kuwait Ministry of Education curriculum for Arabic and Islamic. Arabic and Islamic as a Foreign Language (AFL and IFL) is offered for foreigners and / or students who speak Arabic as a second language. Grades 1-4 are taught Arabic 6 times a week. Grade 5 receive 5 lessons per week. Religion / Quran is scheduled 4 times a week for all grade levels.

• The Physical Education Curriculum is derived from the standards in SHAPE AMERICA. Physical education focuses primarily on the body and health of each student to develop their general well-being and fitness. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of sports activities and games to develop basic skills and enable them to successfully interact with their peers. Furthermore the curriculum will provide students with a fundamental understanding of how to live a healthy active life.

• The Music Curriculum is adapted from the New York State Standards for the Arts. It involves the elements of melody, harmony, rhythm and form and includes the experiences of singing, moving, listening, performing, composing/improvising and literacy of music. Students have the opportunity to listen and learn about music from different cultures, time periods, and styles as well as a focus on their own musical cultural background. Students are encouraged to participate in the school’s weekly assemblies and other musical performances.

The Arts Curriculum standards for KAS are derived from the New York State Visual Art Standards. It develops students' ability to make connections between their imagination, the world around them and their emotions. It enables them to express themselves in a unique and creative way within a safe learning environment. Furthermore, Art helps students to gain understanding of their own personal identity and creates cultural awareness and empathy through the study and application of art throughout their school years. Students will be exposed to the following Art Forms:

• ● Drawing/sketching
• ● Paint and Colour
• ● Construction materials such as paper, straws, wire, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks etc

• Elementary School ICT standards are adapted from the Long Beach Unified School District and the Fresno County Office of Education Recommended Digital Literacy and Technology Skills to Support the California Common Core State Standards. It is designed to introduce students to the 21st century ICT skills that they may use throughout elementary school in order to prepare them for middle school and ensure that they remain on the cutting edge of technological advances. Students practice being digital citizens and learn word processing skills as well as use up-to-date software and technologies. Software introduced in Elementary School for coding, programming and editing include: Makey Makey, NXT 2.0 Robot, Wedo Lego, Code.org, and Photoshop. A digital citizenship component from commonsense.org will be integrated into ICT units.

• Students learn self-awareness and management techniques as well as managing social relationships and interactions with others under the umbrella of the Living Values and Etiquette programs as well as through weekly assemblies. Kelso’s Choices is a supplementary program used for building conflict resolution skills.