Classroom Learning

Kindergarten is all about nurturing a child’s natural curiosity—five and six year-olds love to learn about the larger world and share their discoveries. Meridian’s program balances social and emotional learning with a challenging and developmentally appropriate curriculum. Students explore self, family, community, and Global Studies using meaningful essential questions. Creating a vibrant, safe, and emotionally secure classroom encourages students to share their feelings and solve problems together.  Read more...

First grade students develop the social and communication skills needed to successfully work together, resolve conflicts, and become good citizens. Building trust, empathy, and tolerance creates a safe learning environment. Engaging, multidisciplinary activities integrate a variety of teaching strategies.  They also strengthen important academic skills while allowing for a wide range of student responses and creative choices. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves and support each other as learners, each with unique gifts and talents.  Read more...

Second grade is a time of increasing independence, growth, and accountability. Students are acquiring new skills as well as solidifying and becoming fluent and confident in the application of exisiting skills. Thematic units including studies of insects, nutrition, space, and Global Studies, drive cooperative learning and critical thinking. Cross-disciplinary explorations encourage students to integrate their reading, writing, mathematical, and social skills to deepen and share their understanding.  Read more...

Third grade students search for explanations of how things work and why things happen as they begin to see the bigger world, including issues of justice and fairness. The social-emotional curriculum is developed as carefully as the academic program. Reading and writing are a daily part of third grade life, through literature circles, research reports, and writing creative stories. Students become increasingly adept at applying math to real-life situations.   Read more...

Fourth grade responds to students’ increasing sense of intellectual curiosity and budding social independence. Fourth graders have made the critical transition from learning to read to reading to learn, so assigned texts weave together social studies, science, and math. Learning experiences require students to practice personal integrity, classroom responsibility, and community participation.  Read more...

Fifth grade emphasizes both group and individual responsibility, in preparation for the transition from Meridian to middle school. Students strive to communicate effectively and responsibly with others as they work alone and cooperatively. By setting goals, evaluating progress, and managing their time, fifth graders develop the study skills needed for secondary education. Thematic studies wrap specific subject areas into big-picture learning.  Read more...