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The Pennsylvania School is a global learning community for students in grades K-12

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    • Home
    • About 
      • About Us
      • Accreditation
      • Learning Experience
      • Partner with Penn
      • FAQs
    • Admissions 
      • Apply Now
      • Course Registration
    • Programs 
      • High School (9-12)
      • Dual Diploma
      • Middle School (6-8)
      • Elementary (K-5)
    • Current Students 
      • Student Handbook
      • Graduation & Transcripts
      • Learning Platform
    Student Log-In

    The Pennsylvania School is a global learning community for students in grades K-12

    • Home
    • About 
      • About Us
      • Accreditation
      • Learning Experience
      • Partner with Penn
      • FAQs
    • Admissions 
      • Apply Now
      • Course Registration
    • Programs 
      • High School (9-12)
      • Dual Diploma
      • Middle School (6-8)
      • Elementary (K-5)
    • Current Students 
      • Student Handbook
      • Graduation & Transcripts
      • Learning Platform
    • …  
      • Home
      • About 
        • About Us
        • Accreditation
        • Learning Experience
        • Partner with Penn
        • FAQs
      • Admissions 
        • Apply Now
        • Course Registration
      • Programs 
        • High School (9-12)
        • Dual Diploma
        • Middle School (6-8)
        • Elementary (K-5)
      • Current Students 
        • Student Handbook
        • Graduation & Transcripts
        • Learning Platform
      Student Log-In
      • Elementary at Penn

        Grades K to 5th

        The Elementary School Program at Penn School focuses on preparing students for the future. Our online classes prepare students for the increasingly digital world by teaching them important skills such as digital literacy and online communication packaged within our core curriculum.

      • Program Features

        Our core curriculum is a predetermined set of courses that we consider essential and foundational for the 21st Century elementary school student. These courses are required for all full-time students in the program and are designed to provide a broad base of knowledge and skills. Of course, students can also take single courses with us.

        The core curriculum consists of subjects of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The purpose of a core curriculum is to ensure that all students have a common educational foundation and are exposed to a wide range of subjects, regardless of their individual interests or career goals.

        Middle School Prep

        Our Elementary School Program helps prepare students for middle school by providing a foundation of basic skills and knowledge in subjects such as reading, writing, math, and science. Students also learn how to follow routines, take responsibility for their own learning, and work independently.

      • Learn More About Our Program

        Students grades 1st-5th are required to take 4 core courses in Math, English, Science, and Social Studies each year.
        Students have the option to add Art and/or Health to their course of study.

        Mathematics

        The mathematics curriculum for Grades K through 5th is focused on building a strong foundation in basic mathematical concepts and skills. The curriculum is designed to be interactive and engaging for students in these grades.

         

        • Kindergarten: Jump in and explore the world of numbers on a bug hunt, under the sea, and at the beach. Students will learn to count, compare numbers, identify shapes, add, subtract, and measure in this course. Along the way, they will have hands-on activities and friendly characters such as Niko, Riley, and Slater to practice their problem-solving skills.

         
        • 1st Grade: This Elementary math courses inspire students to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. The learners use math as a tool to make sense of and understand the world around them. The courses include media that uses sight and sound to engage students.

         

        • 2nd Grade: In Math Grade 2, students will use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one-and two-step word problems. The course provides the opportunity for students to continue building their understanding of place value using hundreds, tens, and ones. Students will use this knowledge, as well as strategies, to add and subtract within 1,000.

         
        • 3rd Grade: In this course, students will use math strategies to help at the Sports Factory using addition and subtraction, use multiplication to complete the Amazing Math Race, and use fractions to help at the Animal Rescue Center. By the end of this course, students will be comfortable working with fractions, representing data, and solving one-and two-step word problems.

         
        • 4th Grade: The course provides the opportunity for students to see the relationship between fractions and decimals and introduces addition and subtraction of each. Using a protractor to draw and measure angles is another focus of the course. Other engaging activities include learning about measurement and using median, mode, and range as ways to interpret data.

         

        • 5th Grade: In this course, students will use division skills to navigate their journey across the Arctic circle. Then, students will participate in an escape challenge at an art museum where they will add and subtract fractions to escape each exhibit. Students will also go inside a video game where they will build on their knowledge of finding the area or volume of a given shape.

         

        English

        The English curriculum for Grades K through 5th is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in language and literacy skills. The curriculum is interactive and engaging to help students in these grades to develop a deep understanding of language and to develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

         

        • Kindergarten: Learn to read with Penelope the Pirate! In this course, students will go on a reading adventure where they’ll learn new letters and sounds and how to put them together to make words. Students will go on an alphabet safari, play games, read along with interactive storybooks, and even record themselves sounding out words, as they discover a whole new world through reading.

         
        • 1st Grade: Calling all environmentalists! In this course, students will follow Ninovan, the Environmental Scientist, on a learning adventure. Students will explore writing, grammar, phonics, and more. They will practice sight words and reading fluency, learn reading comprehension skills with both literature and informational texts, and go through the writing process with expository, narrative, and opinion-based writing.

         
        • 2nd Grade: The Elementary English Language Arts courses provide students with a rigorous and comprehensive look at the ELA standards, focusing on reading foundational skills, reading comprehension strategies through informative and literary texts, writing, grammar, speaking and listening skills. Throughout the English Language Arts courses, students will explore a myriad of topics through integration across content areas.

         
        • 3rd Grade: In Language Arts Grade Three, students will engage in a variety of topics as they explore the world of reading and writing. Students will learn foundational skills, vocabulary, reading comprehension, grammar, and the writing process as they write narratives, informational, and opinion essays. In this course, students will participate in engaging lessons that include interactives, informational and literary texts, graphic organizers, videos, and various practice activities.

         
        • 4th Grade: This course defines what students should understand and be able to do by the end of 4th grade. The standards emphasize explicit, systematic phonics instruction as the foundation of literacy. Decoding and fluency are essential to creating proficient readers. Knowledge acquisition should be the primary purpose of any reading approach as a systematic building of a wide range of knowledge across domains is a prerequisite to higher literacy.

         
        • 5th Grade: This course defines what students should understand and be able to do by the end of 5th grade. The standards emphasize explicit, systematic phonics instruction as the foundation of literacy. Decoding and fluency are essential to creating proficient readers. Knowledge acquisition should be the primary purpose of any reading approach as the systematic building of a wide range of knowledge across domains is a prerequisite to higher literacy.

         

        Science

        The science curriculum for Grades K through 5th is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in the natural sciences. The engaging curriculum helps students in these grades develop a deep understanding of scientific concepts and their critical thinking, problem-solving, and scientific inquiry skills.

         

        • Kindergarten: The Elementary Science K course will spark curiosity in students and build a solid foundation in concepts across many types of sciences including Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. Students will engage in science and engineering practices by asking questions, defining problems, and developing and using models.

         
        • 1st Grade: A framework of active student learning supports and allows students to engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate throughout all courses. This dynamic format will help students build their understanding from experiences and new ideas to facilitate a better understanding of the world around them.

         

        • 2nd Grade: Our curriculum brings science alive by providing students with a combination of virtual lab investigations (with options for hands-on learning), interactive lessons, and an array of e-books that capture students’ attention and grow their interest in science. Students engage in science and engineering practices as they explore topics such as matter and its interactions, changes to the earth, and plants and animals.

         

        • 3rd Grade: The students learn about their senses and how their eyes, ears, nose, and taste buds work. Students will then learn about ecosystems; what they are, how they function, and how to protect them. Next, the students expand on previous knowledge gained about how the Earth’s surface changes and the significant parts of our solar system. They are introduced to new information about comets, asteroids, meteoroids, and the contributions of Galileo Galilei to astronomy.

         

        • 4th Grade: Our curriculum brings science alive by providing students with a combination of virtual lab investigations (with options for hands-on learning), interactive lessons, and an array of e-books that capture students' attention and grow their interest in science. Students engage in science and engineering practices as they explore topics such as energy, waves, information transfer, plant and animal structures, senses, and the earth's features and resources.

         

        • 5th Grade: Our curriculum brings science alive by providing students with a combination of virtual lab investigations (with options for hands-on learning), interactive lessons, and an array of e-books that capture students' attention and grow their interest in science. Students engage in science and engineering practices as they explore matter, organisms, ecosystems, the earth's systems, and the earth's place in the universe.

         

        Social Studies

        The Social Studies curriculum for Grades K through 5th is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of the world around them and how people and societies interact. The curriculum is interactive and engaging to help students in these grades develop a deep understanding of social studies concepts and develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

         

        • Kindergarten: This course introduces students to fundamental topics within the social studies discipline. These topics include family, home, community and culture, geography, chronology, early U.S. history, civics and the responsibilities of citizenship, and economics. Students begin by locating themselves and their families within a community and culture. They learn about basic physical geography and how to read maps and globes.
         
        • 1st Grade: This course covers several different areas of social studies, including physical and human geography; history and historical sources; U.S. symbols, songs, and celebrations; citizenship and civic responsibility; and economics. Students learn about the locations, characteristics, resources, and cultures of the earth, as well as those in their own communities. They explore concepts related to the study of history and the history of the United States.
         
        • 2nd Grade: Second graders experience a broad introduction to social studies and build a base for future learning. Students expand their map skills by using features of maps, including scale, direction, and location, reading maps, and drawing conclusions. They put their map skills to use exploring the physical and human features of their community, state, country, continent, and world.
         
        • 3rd Grade: Third graders explore the world around them through the lens of various social studies concepts and topics. Students apply their knowledge of basic map skills to identify the purpose of various maps and interpret how people adapt and change their environment to adjust to different climates and natural resources. Students then investigate the country's regions, studying their physical and human features, history, and culture.
         
        • 4th Grade: Fourth graders investigate the geography, history, economics, and civics of the United States. Students begin their study of geography by learning how to read and interpret different types of maps. They use maps to explore the five regions of the United States, as well as neighboring countries to the north and south. Students learn about the nation’s natural landmarks and land forms, weather and climate, plant life, and wildlife.
         
        • 5th Grade: Students in History of the United States ED explore United States history, geography, economics, and government. This is done by focusing on the influence of physical and cultural characteristics on national origins, growth, and development. Students study Indigenous cultures, European exploration, colonization, settlement, the American Revolution, the founding of the Republic, the early years of the United States, the Civil War, and the 20th Century in the United States.

         

        Art - Electives

        The Art curriculum for Kindergarten through 2nd Grade is designed to encourage students’ natural creativity, imagination, and self-expression while introducing foundational artistic concepts and techniques. Through hands-on projects, students explore color, shape, line, texture, symmetry, and form while working with a variety of materials, including crayons, pencils, pastels, watercolors, tempera paint, paper, and clay. The curriculum allows students to develop artistic skills, confidence, fine-motor coordination, and an appreciation for the creative process.

        Arts Kindergarten: This course introduces students to the basic elements of art through engaging and age-appropriate arts-and-crafts projects. Students learn to recognize and use lines, circles, and other shapes while exploring concepts such as symmetry and collage. They experiment with a variety of artistic media, including pastels, watercolors, crayons, tempera paint, pencils, and clay. Students apply these skills by drawing animals and barns with shapes, creating fingerprint flowers, working with their names to identify different types of lines, making puppets and paper flowers, constructing wind chimes and bird feeders, and completing seasonal and nature-inspired crafts.

        Art 1st : First graders continue to develop their artistic imagination and creativity while building a stronger understanding of color, shape, line, and symmetry. Students are introduced to primary colors, color mixing, and the color wheel while working with materials such as watercolors, pastels, crayons, tempera paint, pencils, printing blocks, and stencils. Projects include watercolor trees, weather paintings, block printing, calendars, detailed flower drawings, symmetrical designs, and color-mixing activities. Through these experiences, students explore different forms of art and develop their individual ideas, talents, and creative voices.

        Arts 2nd: Second graders expand their understanding of art as a form of personal expression, communication, and practical design. Students study primary, secondary, and complementary colors by creating a color wheel and use watercolors to explore value and variations in light and dark. They continue to investigate symmetry, form, and three-dimensional art through drawing, painting, clay projects, and nature-based crafts. Students also create a 12-month calendar, practice form drawing, develop a seasonal chart, and experiment with techniques involving wet crayons and wet paper. These projects encourage self-discipline, cooperation, imaginative thinking, self-awareness, and confidence in the creative process.

        Art Development Level 1 (Recommended Grade: 3)

        Art Development Level 1 introduces students to the foundations of visual expression through drawing, color, observation, and creative exploration. Students use familiar subjects such as family, home, nature, pets, and everyday objects as inspiration while learning to connect imagination with real-world observation. Through guided projects, students develop fine motor skills, visual awareness, self-expression, and confidence in their artistic choices. The course encourages creativity, patience, and personal reflection while helping students understand art as both a form of communication and a way to explore the world around them.

        Art Development Level 2 (Recommended Grade: 4)

        Art Development Level 2 builds on students’ growing artistic confidence by encouraging more careful observation, thoughtful use of color, and greater attention to detail. Students explore how art can communicate ideas, emotions, stories, and personal experiences while continuing to develop their skills with a variety of tools and materials. Projects invite students to look more closely at the people, places, objects, and cultures around them, helping them make connections between visual art, imagination, and everyday life. The course supports creativity, self-discipline, and independent thinking as students strengthen their ability to express themselves through art.

        Art Development Level 3 (Recommended Grade: 5)

        Art Development Level 3 helps students expand their artistic skills and creative independence through more developed projects in drawing, color, design, and visual communication. Students continue to explore art as a way to express emotions, ideas, imagination, and personal perspective while also learning to appreciate artistic contributions from different cultures and time periods. Emphasis is placed on observation, problem-solving, creativity, and thoughtful completion of work. By the end of the course, students are encouraged to see art not only as a classroom subject, but as a meaningful way to understand themselves, others, and the world around them.

        Health - Electives

        The Health curriculum for Kindergarten through 5th Grade is designed to help students develop the knowledge, habits, and decision-making skills needed to support their physical, emotional, and social well-being. Students learn how to make healthy choices, protect themselves and others, communicate effectively, prevent illness, build positive relationships, and understand the basic functions of the human body. The curriculum becomes more detailed as students progress through each grade level.

        Health Kindergarten: This course introduces students to basic health concepts and the importance of making safe and healthy choices. Students learn about personal safety, healthy behaviors, nutrition, communication, disease prevention, and basic anatomy and physiology. They also explore the importance of cooperation, teamwork, and treating others with care and respect.

        Health 1 : First graders continue to build an understanding of personal health and wellness. Students study safety, nutrition, healthy daily habits, communication, disease prevention, and the basic structure and functions of the human body. The course also emphasizes cooperation and teamwork as important parts of maintaining healthy relationships.

        Health 2: Second graders learn how personal choices can affect their health and the well-being of others. Topics include personal safety, healthy behaviors, nutrition, disease prevention, conflict resolution, and basic anatomy and physiology. Students also develop an understanding of respect, cooperation, and positive ways to respond to disagreements.

        3rd Grade: Third graders expand their knowledge of physical, social, and emotional health. Students examine personal safety, nutrition, disease prevention, healthy behaviors, conflict resolution, and the basic functions of the human body. They also practice using respect and cooperation to build healthy relationships and make responsible decisions.

        Health 4: Fourth graders develop a more detailed understanding of personal wellness and the human body. Students study safety, illness prevention, nutrition, bullying prevention, healthy friendships, and how to respond in emergency situations. A major focus of the course is the body’s systems and how those systems work together to support overall health.

        Health 5: Fifth graders continue to study personal safety, disease prevention, nutrition, bullying prevention, healthy friendships, emergency response, and the human body. The course also introduces age-appropriate instruction related to puberty, the reproductive system, and sexually transmitted diseases. Students learn about the physical and emotional changes associated with growing up and the importance of making informed and responsible health decisions.

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        Penn School Elementary

        An Innovative

        Education for Students

        Raised in a Digital Age

         
         

         

      • Benefits to Our Approach

        Technology Skills

        Online classes can expose elementary school students to technology and digital tools that they may not have access to in a traditional classroom setting.

         

         

         

        Increased Engagement

        Online classes can increase student engagement and motivation, as students have more control over their learning experience and can participate in interactive activities and discussions.

         

         

        Personalized Learning

        Online classes can offer a more personalized learning experience. Students can work at their own pace and have access to a wider range of resources and topics to enhance their learning experience.

        Flexibility

        Online classes allow for a more flexible schedule, which can be beneficial for elementary school students who may have other commitments such as extra-curricular activities or family responsibilities allow for a more flexible schedule.

      •  

         

         

        _

        Our teachers aim to create a

        positive learning environment for

        students to feel valued, challenged, &

        encouraged to reach their full potential.

         

         

      • Quick Facts

         

        Who can apply?

        • Penn School accepts any elementary-aged students eligible for kindergarten through 5th Grade.

         

        What support do students receive from their teachers?

        • ALL courses include full support from our Teachers and Counselors. All students will have a certified teacher assigned to them in every course. Teachers are available by phone, audio/video chat, instant message or email. Students also have an academic advisor we assign for any other questions, problems, or issues.

         

        When can students apply and/or enroll?

        • Rolling admission means students can enroll at any time!

         

        Is the coursework accredited?

        • Yes! For more information regarding accreditation and standards, please visit our accreditation page.

         

        Does the student need to be logged in at a particular time every day?

        • No! Students will be given 24/7 access to their virtual classroom. This offers parents and students the freedom to set their own schedules and learning pace.

         
      • Not Ready to Apply Yet?

        Reach out for more info about our Elementary School program.

        We look forward to helping!

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      Philadelphia, PA 19102

      P: (215) 764-3708

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