Curriculum
Primary School Curriculum
A Thoughtful Approach to Learning
The primary curriculum is vibrant and exciting, with experiential learning interwoven with more traditional educational methodologies to create opportunities for students to appreciate and unlock their best selves.
In addition to the skills of reading, writing, and mathematics, students today need a strong grounding in essential abilities such as presentation, innovation, problem-solving, and collaboration. They also need a firm grounding in today’s tools, including technology and design.
Curriculum Standards
The Primary School curriculum at The Harbour School reflects our inclusive community and our setting in Hong Kong, and while doing so, it is also referenced to internationally recognised curriculum standards, including the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and Literacy, the Next Generation Science Standards, and the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies.
Curricular Emphasis on History/Social Studies and Science
Although we do not know what today’s students will need to know in 20 years, we do know that just memorizing facts is probably not their best way forward – computers can already be counted on to provide facts at our fingertips.
But they need to know how to interpret and contextualize those facts, and to do that they need to know their place in time and space. That’s History and Social Studies.
And they need to know how to ask a question, answer a question, and present their data. That’s Science.
In Lower and Upper Primary, students complete 3 units of History/Social Studies and 3 units of Science each year, earning a patch for each unit completed. Some of these patches are displayed below.
Literacy
Literacy learning in the Primary School at The Harbour School is multifaceted. Literacy learning supports and promotes purposeful and impactful communication, nurturing in students a growing awareness of their skills as articulate advocates, diligent debaters, and powerful poets. Along with these applied skills, there is also a focus on discrete competencies that require repetition and practice to develop proficiency.
THS utilizes the Common Core State Standards to provide the framework for our literacy program, adapted and implemented to fit with our unique vision, mission and educational philosophy. Literacy is taught in direct sessions and through broader units, often being intertwined with the focus of the current Science or Social Studies units. High quality, ongoing and interactive assessments are used to gain an understanding of children’s strengths and areas for development and as a basis for planning of future learning.
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Mathematics
The THS approach to Mathematics emphasizes problem-solving, critical thinking, and making connections across Mathematical strands, utilizing an inquiry-based approach with interactive lessons and visual learning strategies.
Envision Math, which provides the framework for the program, is a Common Core standards-aligned resource that focuses on developing deep conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts. At each grade level, the program also incorporates special projects and real-world Math connections to make learning even more engaging and applicable.
Maths is taught at a common time across the primary school to enable students to move across and between grades, accessing learning that is appropriate for their current mathematical aptitude. A child who is in 3rd Grade may be learning maths with 5th Graders while a 5th Grader may be learning with 8th Graders. Additionally, students who may need some additional support are able to access that through the guidance and expertise of learning specialists who work closely with each Primary School grade.
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