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The Londonderry School offers programs for children in preschool through 8th grade. The school promotes a family atmosphere and individually-paced learning through small class sizes of about 15 students, and age groupings within classrooms spanning several grade levels.
At Londonderry, students are encouraged to learn and grow in an atmosphere that supports who they are: CHILDREN. They are encouraged to explore, move about, discuss, and enjoy their learning experiences and each other.
Londonderry’s integrative and enriching school curriculum emphasizes development of the whole child – socially, emotionally, cognitively, creatively and physically – from the youngest preschooler, through the middle years. It seeks to empower children as designers and inventors, enabling them to learn about the world through their own explorations and experiments. It challenges them to work and learn from each other, risk and create new ideas and projects, and stretch their learning based on abilities and interests.
Some areas Londonderry students focus on include:
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At Londonderry School, a literature-based approach to learning to read and write is utilized in all classrooms. Children and teachers select literature to read and explore, and also use a published reading series to complement these choices. A wide variety of techniques is used to assist children as they learn to read, respecting the variety of learning styles in the classroom. Children write across the curriculum about their interests and class projects. Spelling words, writing, science, art, and math often relate to current topics. Children keep writing folders, diaries, and/or journals based on their interests and teacher ideas. Inventive spelling is encouraged. Students write for content primarily, with an emphasis on grammar and style emerging in elementary grades. Children select writings for further work, reworking their writing by editing and then publishing.
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Math and science activities are planned to give children hands-on experiences before moving to abstract concepts. Children move through the math curriculum at their own pace. Science activities culminate in an all-school science fair that emphasizes the science process and critical thinking. All classes at Londonderry learn about the natural world through various themes and topics studied. All elementary classrooms have computers in the classroom that are in constant use for problem-solving games, writing and programming. Students begin to learn about programming in kindergarten, working in small groups with our computer teacher using LOGO language. At the end of the school year, students display projects at the “Computer Expo.”
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All kindergarten and elementary students participate in art classes. Children explore media and materials, experiment with various subject matter, and learn about the history of art and recognized artists. Most grades enjoy annual field trips to art museums. The annual Spring Arts Festival is an all-school celebration of the artwork and creativity of Londonderry students. Londonderry students produce class plays throughout the year, including the all-school musical which takes place at the Whitaker Center. Children in kindergarten have music sessions once a week with a music teacher. Elementary students may choose special classes in music and chorus. During fifth through eighth grades students are given the opportunity to form rock and roll “bands” under the guidance of experienced musicians. After practicing weekly in the second semester, these bands perform for parents and students during the last week of school.
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Students at Londonderry from preschool through eighth grade are helped to learn about themselves, handling their emotions, and problem solving with peers through a developmentally sequenced curriculum utilizing the steps of conflict resolution, peer mediation and group topical discussion. Londonderry’s mixed age groupings and purposeful interactions among classes promote a family feeling at school. Older students in grades 1-8 are paired with preschool and kindergarten children as “Big and Little Friends.” These friends visit each other informally and enjoy special activities, as younger students get to know older students and older students learn about caring for a smaller friend.
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