Wyckoff Public Schools
Mission…
The mission of the Wyckoff Public Schools, a district committed to excellence, is to provide educational experiences for students grades K-8 that will help develop their potential intellectually, socially, and emotionally in a supportive environment that strengthens self-esteem and motivates students to be lifelong learners, enabling them to be successful in an increasingly complex world.
State Core Curriculum Standards State Curriculum Frameworks
Wyckoff District Instructional, Educational, and Process Goals
Five Year Curriculum Planning and Evaluation Schedule Curricular Programs
World Languages Language Arts includes basic skills, creative opportunities, discovery through literature and many possibilities for intellectual, social and economic growth. Our constant aim is to present the study of our language, through various genre of literature, poetry, biographies, and public speaking, in an exciting and challenging manner for both student and teacher.
The implementation of a comprehensive writing guide develops a process for students and teachers whose ultimate goal is to produce the best and most competent writing possible. Writing samples include narration, exposition, inductive, and deductive papers.
The process includes pre-writing activities, writing a first draft, revision and rewriting, proofreading and final copy, and sharing the composed writing with an audience including peer critiquing. The skills of proper usage and mechanics are tight through the guidelines and objectives of the language arts curriculum and are integrated in the writing process.
Each student has a writing portfolio which contains written materials composed by the students. This provides the student, teacher, and parent a basis for determining the progress a student makes in writing over the course of the school year.
A district generated holistic writing activity for grades 3-8 has helped Wyckoff develop an effective writing program for our students. This activity consists of preselected topics responded to in a set time. The papers are scored by the classroom teacher and by members of our Curriculum Council. The results are returned to teachers and students as indicators of writing growth and competency.
It is out commitment as educators to foster a "Nation of Readers." To educate our students to be literate in the twenty-first century demands the best of listening, talking, writing, and thinking. This integration of all the language processes by which children learn and acquire language is the basic philosophy of our reading program.
Literature has proven to be an excellent vehicle for developing, enhancing, and enriching lifelong active literacy. By hearing and using real and rich language in meaningful text, students become actively engaged and motivated in activities such as response journals, daily writing, publishing books, and literature extended projects. Trade books, which can be thematically organized to incorporate a unit of study, anthologies, poetry, and literature-based basals are some of the materials used to develop reading skills, including word attack skills and reading strategies.
One of the benefits of a reading program which is literature-based is flexibility in grouping students. Students may be grouped for small group guided instruction and peer-groups for shared reading experiences, specific interest groups, or whole-class instruction.
Students participating in the learning process through experimentation with talking, listening, writing and reading will contribute to a literate society.
Students, across the grades, are involved in constructing their conceptions of mathematics. That is, they "do mathematics" with manipulatives, discuss their results of their investigations, and write the results of their experiences. They invent methods for solving problems. These are discussed and refined, as needed, to develop the more conventional methods.
The emerging mathematics curriculum is much stronger in conceptual knowledge while still stressing the importance of basic facts and operations. In our classrooms, teacher and student interaction encourages exploration and application of mathematical ideas so that all students have an opportunity to develop mathematics literacy and become adept at problem solving, as well as computing. Use the following links to learn more about 'What Our Children Are Learning' and 'How Will Math Look in Your Child's Classroom.'
Major strands in the K-8 mathematics curriculum include number theory; measurement; probability; geometry; problem solving; and computation. Calculators and computers are an integral part of the curriculum.
Link to Mathematics Curriculum Guide
Social Studies will focus on the attitudes, knowledge, and skills students need to make informed and reasoned choices for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse democratic society in an interdependent world. Finding and fulfilling one's role as a citizen encompasses much more than merely registering to vote. It means the ability-and desire-to participate fully in society, in the life of one's community, to appreciate music, art, and literature, and to share all of this with friends. Students begin their practice of these skills, applying knowledge, and developing attitudes in the elementary grades.
The five goals of Social Studies are to help students develop a deep, rich network of understanding related to a limited number of essential topics. The five essential learnings around which Social Studies instruction instruction centers, include: Commonality and Diversity; Conflict and Cooperation; Continuity and Change; Individualism and Interdependence; and, Interaction Within Different Environments. In the early grades, children acquire social and cultural understanding from personal experiences and by learning about the experiences of others. As children study present-day and historical topics (often prompted by the calendar, K-1), they gain understanding of relationships between people and their environment. To assist with the learning and understanding of these concepts, K-1, three interdisciplinary units have been identified:
- Me, My Family, My Community
- Civic Competence
- Multiculturalism
The special emphases of Social Studies, grades 2-8 follow:
- People in Groups, grade 2
- Community, grade 3
- Regions of the United States, grade 4
- American History, grades 5 and 8
- World History, grade 6
- World Geography, grade 7
Students in grades Kindergarten through eight participate in an experience-based, activity-centered science program. Our curriculum takes science out of the textbook and places it into the hands of naturally curious, active youngsters. Children explore and discover basic and sophisticated scientific principles through actual experiments. Within the framework of the life and physical science, science development is carefully structured from concrete concepts in the first grade to more abstract principles in grade six.
Students in grades seven and eight continue to develop concepts and skills through the lab-centered approach to various science topics. At all levels, students, individually and in groups, explore beyond the basic curriculum. With guidance from their teachers and library media specialists, they learn how to research information. In this manner they also gain a store of specific knowledge, a complement to their acquired skills and concepts.
The Physical Education curriculum provides a developmental, practical, and educationally sound program for students in grades Kindergarten through eight. The program is designed with the needs of the youngsters as well as the facilities of the schools in mind. The areas of instruction include:
- Formal Activities
- Presidential Physical Fitness Program
- Individual group and team games
- seasonal sports
- Rhythmical activities
- Individual physical fitness testing
- Apparatus skills
- Coeducational activities
- Developmental Physical Education
- Movement education
- Recreational activities
An extracurricular program provides students with an opportunity to participate in intramurals activities or various team sports representing Wyckoff. Programs that are typical favorites, such as basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, and scooter hockey, are conducted on a regular basis. However, programs are often initiated as a result of a special interest shared by a number of youngsters. Fifth grade students may participate in fall, winter and spring intramurals programs. Extracurricular activities for grades six, seven, and eight are also conducted during all the seasons of the school year.
Every day of our lives we make decisions relating to health. According to scientists, many serious illnesses are related to our lifestyle, and basic scientific information is essential to a lifetime of healthful living. Without a proper attitude toward one's responsibility for individual community health, the most recent and comprehensive facts are useless.
A sequential Health Education program is taught in grades Kindergarten through eight to develop appropriate health knowledge, attitudes, practices, and skills in the areas of physical, mental, emotional and social health.
The Art curriculum is designed to provide a logical progression of concepts, skills, and projects to facilitate spatial learning. The program forms the foundation for advanced study of art in high school and college and the enjoyment of art in leisure time activities. The course of study includes all the basic areas in fine arts:
- design
- drawing
- color
- paintings
- graphics
- sculpture
- commercial art
- art history.
The curriculum satisfies the following major goals:
- To develop each child's learning abilities by providing a well-rounded curriculum encompassing studio art, art history, and appreciation and evaluation techniques
- To develop eye-hand coordination and the ability to manipulate simple and complex tools
- To develop the unique creative contribution of each child by increasing self-confidence, minimizing competition, and encouraging a lifelong interest in the visual arts
- To develop an understanding of the interaction of the visual arts with the performing arts as well as the other academic subject areas.
The musical experience, if it is to be meaningful for youngsters, must involve the mind as well as feelings. The Music Education program provides children with aesthetic, inspirational, and intellectual experiences. As skills are acquired, the children become increasingly sensitive to the power of music as an art.
The development of musical skills, which begins in Kindergarten and continues through all grade levels, is accomplished in a variety of interesting ways. Creative movement, dance, listening, and singing activities are employed.
Opportunities are given to acquaint the children with the great masters of music art through listening to recordings, professional musicians playing at assemblies, and attendance at youth concerts whenever possible.
Concert programs are performed throughout the year, usually in the early winter and the spring. For participants, the programs provide experience in ensemble performance. As young audiences, they develop good listening habits.
Instrumental music instruction is available to all students from fourth to eighth grade as part of the regular curriculum. All elementary instrumental students receive a group lesson once a week during the regular school day. At Eisenhower, all students are involved in choral and instrumental programs on sixth, seventh, and eighth grade levels. Students at Eisenhower School receive group lessons every other day. Full ensemble rehearsals are held on a weekly basis.
As the focal point of each school, the instructional Media Center establishes a favorable learning experience for the entire building. The centers, which are staffed by qualified specialists and personnel, are academic beehives in which a myriad of activities occur simultaneously. Individuals and small groups come to the media center where they work on research projects and participate in a wide variety of activities in curriculum areas including reading, mathematics, social studies, and science. All youngsters receive library instruction. Effective library learning occurs individually and in small groups with the teacher through the media service.
To encourage reading and promote literature, special activities are conducted on a regular basis. Literature Bowls and badge programs motivate youngsters to read a considerable number of excellent books.
The media specialists work with administrators, faculty, students, and the community. They strive to keep the program flexible and adapt it to meet the ever-changing demands of the five schools. Technological innovations continue to facilitate the organization of the media center materials and positively impact the instructional program.
The Wyckoff Technology Program is dedicated to enhancing the learning process (how children learn), what children learn (curriculum), and how teachers teach. The program's aim is to prepare students and staff to deal with technology's present and future implications. This framework places formal emphasis on technological literacy, keyboarding, word processing, database management, and spreadsheet usage, as well as the two fastest growing information mediums: multimedia and the Internet.
Classroom teachers, computer instructors, media specialists and administrators work cooperatively to integrate computer activities within Wyckoff's curriculum. Successful technology integration consists of activities that fit into already existing curriculum topics, use technology in a meaningful way, and include specific instructions on how to use the technology. Additional activities, such as parent-and community-based workshops in technology, are designed to be part of the program.
The Talented Art Program provides students, who are selected on the basis of their advanced performance in art, as extension of the classroom program. Students in the Talented Art Program meet with their art teachers at a time set by the individual schools either before or after the regular school hours.
Students are given more opportunity to advance their skills in art through many interesting and varied experiences. The class is set up to introduce new concepts, processes, and techniques of an advanced level, utilizing freedom of choice when desirable.
Students selected for the program generally demonstrate high interest and enthusiasm plus a high degree of individual creativity and originality.
Wyckoff Extended Learning (WEL) Program:
WEL, Wyckoff Extended Learning, is a program for students with outstanding general intellectual ability in grades four through seven. Students are selected by specific criteria and through a process involving their teachers and the individual school building team. All third grade students receive eight hours training in creativity and logical thinking. This aids teachers in recommending students for inclusion in the program.
The WEL program focuses on the development of skills in critical thinking, creative problem solving, and independent study. Communication, decision making, leadership, and cooperative skills are also stressed.
In grades four and five students meet for two and one-half hours once each week. Classes meet at Lincoln School and Coolidge School for part of the year. During the independent study phase of the program, groups meet at each elementary school where students are guided in research skills by the WEL teachers. Products which require analytic, evaluative, and creative through are the outcome of the studies and they are diverse. Some reflect commitment to a cause. Others utilize special talents, whether in music, art, or language. The latter may take the form of creative prose or poetry, magazines, or newspapers. Projects range from thoughtfully designed learning centers to videos and multi-media presentations.
At the middle school level, students are offered the WEL program in grade six and seven. A level I Foreign Language and Algebra I are offered to eighth grade students.