Young minds require a solid foundation of knowledge to support future learning. Our Elementary School is designed to excite students, instilling a love of learning and priming them for success at an early age.
Elementary Section Academic Curriculum
English Language Arts (ELA):
Our Elementary English language arts program is grounded in the Common Core State Standards, an American-based set of standards that ensure students learn the literacy skills, concepts, and key understandings needed for success in university and their careers.
In the lower elementary school, students learn to read, write, speak, and actively listen by focusing on phonics, building vocabulary, word fluency, and spelling. As students get older, they engage with increasingly complex texts and academic vocabulary, learn to write, speak, and present by using evidence from text, and focus on building knowledge and appreciation for other cultures through reading.
The English language arts curriculum resource we use is Wonders. By exposing students to a variety of different genres, Wonders is designed to foster a love of reading in all children. Through exploration of texts and daily development of their skills as readers, writers, speakers, and active listeners, students experience the power of literacy. Our focus on teaching the whole child – and every child – prepares students to be lifelong learners and critical thinkers.
Math:
Our Elementary math program is also grounded in the Common Core State Standards, which ensures that students learn a comprehensive range of math skills and concepts, including:
- Developing Number Sense
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Measurement and Data
- Geometry
The math curriculum resource we us is Reveal. Reveal gives teachers and students the tools to balance inquiry-focused and teacher-guided instruction, with a focus on making sense of math and problem-solving.
Science: Fusion
Our Elementary science program is based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Our primary goals are to raise interest and develop a basic understanding of the key ideas in science that have broad importance within or across multiple science or engineering disciplines. These core ideas build on each other as students progress through grade levels and are grouped into the following four domains:
- Physical Science
- Life Science
- Earth and Space Science
- Engineering
Emphasis is placed on developing scientific skills and practices such as asking questions and defining problems, planning and carrying out investigations, supporting arguments with observation and evidence, and evaluating and communicating information.
The science curriculum resource we use is Inspire Science. Inspire Science sparks students’ curiosity through fascinating real-world phenomena. Students investigate, problem-solve, argue, and discuss scientific phenomena to make sense of the world from their perspective.
Arabic:
At Metropolitan we focus on setting a strong Arabic language foundation from an early age. Students are exposed to Arabic literature, poems and heritage.
Objectives of our Arabic curriculum:
1) Instilling a love of learning language, developing efficient presentational skills from an early age, and comprehending the intricacies of the Arabic language.
2) Students are able to read and write proficiently, and communicate with others using correct Arabic terms and expressions.
3) Developing the student’s handwriting and dictation skills.
4) Comprehending the complexity of Arabic grammar.
5) Developing students’ identity through Egyptian values.
These objectives are applied through:
1) Reading Arabic stories and the syllabus
2) Reading and interpreting Arabic sayings, adages, and proverbs
3) Rules of dictation
4) Composition and reading paragraphs
5) Planning for free reading
6) Activities and exams
7) Writer’s exhibitions performed by students.
8) Short performances.
9) Organizing trips for students to Egypt’s many cultural and historical attractions.
10) Helping students who need to develop reading and writing skills through additional support classes.
Physical Education:
Physical education significantly contributes to students’ well-being; therefore, it is an instructional priority for Metropolitan School. The Physical Education Model Content Standards, from which our program is based, affirm the standing of physical education as an integral part of our students’ educational experience. Our high-quality physical education instruction contributes to good health, develops fundamental gross and fine motor skills, improves students’ self-confidence, facilitates social integration, and provides opportunities for increasing levels of physical fitness that are associated with high academic achievement. Additionally, an emphasis on pre-sporting activities is promoted during our physical education classes.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT):
Technology is prevalent in virtually every aspect of our daily lives and has revolutionized today’s world – think automated machines, robot assistants, social media, online banking, online shopping, and more. Understanding how technology works and having top-level digital skills for communicating, collaborating, and producing with technology have become essential skills.
The Metropolitan School offers ICT lessons based on the ISTE digital skills and CSTA Computer Science frameworks curriculum, which covers important technology areas such as Digital Citizenship, Digital Skills, and Coding & Robotics.
Our Digital Citizenship lessons empower students to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in the modern digital world.
Our Digital skills lessons prepare our students to use technology for communicating, collaborating, and creating products.
Our Coding and robotics lessons empower our students to become makers of technology by tapping into their ability to bring their imagination to life.
French:
Grade 1 – 5
In Metropolitan we believe foreign language program should be available to all students. Foreign language acquisition provides the vision and skills necessary to be a global citizen and develops critical thinking skills. We offer the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, often referred to as CEFR or CEFRL.
Art 1-5
Art and design embodies some of the highest forms of human creativity. We aim to provide a high-quality art and design education that will engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As students progress, they will be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design.
Music 1-5
Metropolitan has a uniquely-crafted music curriculum that comprises multiple music education disciplines and integrates Western musical doctrine with local and global musical traditions. Met Music is geared towards inspiring students to explore music and use performing arts as a means of self-expression, culture, and entertainment.
MET Values 1st and 2nd
Our MET Values program provides our primary grade level students will curriculum based on developing the whole child and dovetails with our campus pillars and campus expectations.
MET Business 3rd, 4th, 5th
Our MetBiz program provides age-appropriate, project-based, curricula based on those developed by Junior Achievement (JA) that promote work readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship skills for all of our students. By teaching these skills, children will become 21st Century thinkers.