Elementary School Home / Academics / Elementary School A Private School Where Every Grade Builds On the Last Elementary at Merryhill School is where a 1st grader’s question becomes a 5th grader’s research project. Reading, math, science, and social studies grow year over year, and so does our students’ confidence to try, to lead, and to speak up for what they believe. It’s a full academic day built on the Merryhill Method: strong academics powered by confidence, resilience, and independence. How We Teach: The Merryhill Method Built on the foundational pillars of confidence, resilience, and independence, the Merryhill Method develops capable, adaptable individuals through active participation in their own learning. In the elementary years, our students are expected to contribute, answer, question, and lead. Slide 1 Slide 2 Slide 3 Confidence Confidence builds over time, and enables children to raise a hand, try a new approach, or answer out loud even when they might be wrong. In elementary school, you’ll see confidence when a 1st grader takes on a leadership role and a 5th grader presents a research project to the entire class. Resilience Our students learn to stay with a hard task until it’s done, even when it might be challenging. For example, they practice resilience every time they push through a tricky math problem, defend an answer under questioning, or rebuild a tower that collapsed on the first try. Independence Independence is a child’s ability to make a real decision, carry it through, and own the outcome. Expanding on their experiences from kindergarten, our elementary students practice independence every time they choose a new topic to research, manage timelines, solve problems, and know when to ask for help. Ready to see the Merryhill Method at work in a real elementary classroom? Request Information Elementary Curriculum at a Glance 1st Grade English Language Arts: Master phonics and decoding; read grade-level text with growing fluency; retell stories with key details; write opinion, informative, and narrative pieces with proper structure Mathematics: Add and subtract within 10 and with strategies within 20; count to 120 and understand two-digit place value; identify and compose 2D and 3D shapes Science: Explore sound and light (vibration, pitch, shadows, reflection); study plant and animal structure and how they support survival; practice engineering design Social Studies: Explain community roles and responsibilities and how cooperation helps a group succeed; identify historical figures; explain national holidays and symbols; use maps to identify landforms Technology: Practice safe digital communication; use tools with guidance to create and graph data; build keyboarding, login, and file-saving skills 2nd Grade English Language Arts: Decode two-syllable words and irregular spellings; compare informational texts on the same topic; write opinion, informative, and narrative pieces with linking words and developed reasons Mathematics: Build multiplication foundations through arrays and equal groups; master 3-digit place value; add and subtract fluently within 1,000; tell time to 5 minutes; solve real money word problems Science: Study properties of matter and physical/chemical changes; explore ecosystems, plant needs, pollinators, and biodiversity; investigate how wind and water shape land through weathering and erosion Social Studies: Compare rural, suburban, and urban communities; explain how communities create rules and make decisions through leaders and voting; explore resources, trade, and everyday economic choices Technology: Extend digital citizenship with passwords, privacy, and safe search skills; use spreadsheet and graphic apps to organize data; write simple algorithms and sequences 3rd Grade English Language Arts: Decode multisyllabic words; analyze theme, character motivation, and point of view; write structured pieces and complete short research project Mathematics: Achieve multiplication and division fact fluency within 100; add and subtract fluently within 1,000; round numbers; understand fractions as real numbers on a number line Science: Study forces, motion, and simple machines; examine life cycles, metamorphosis, and inherited vs. learned traits; apply engineering design to test and optimize a solution with a fair test Social Studies: Study early world civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China); explain how geography shaped settlement, agriculture and trade; begin document-based research writing, citing real evidence Technology: Use spreadsheets, word processing and presentation tools for real projects; practice digital citizenship; write an introductory program using loops; build touch-typing proficiency 4th Grade English Language Arts: Decode complex multisyllabic words and read grades 4–5 complexity texts; analyze theme, point of view, and mythological allusions in literature; write well-organized pieces, drawing on multiple sources Mathematics: Multiply multi-digit numbers and divide using the standard algorithm; compare, add and subtract fractions; read decimals to hundredths; solve multi-step word problems using all four operations Science: Study energy forms, energy transfer, and simple circuits; explore structure and function in plants, animals, and the human body; investigate the rock cycle, plate tectonics, and Earth’s history through fossils Social Studies: Examine how geography, culture and migration shaped local, state and U.S. communities; study local, state and tribal government structures; explore resource-based regional economies and trade Technology: Use spreadsheet formulas and functions, and presentation software, for real research; conduct research using evaluated sources and proper citation; write programs using loops and event handlers 5th Grade English Language Arts: Read independently at the high end of grades 4–5 text complexity; synthesize information from multiple texts and analyzes differing points of view; lead collaborative discussions and delivers multimedia presentations Mathematics: Multiply multi-digit numbers fluently and divide with two-digit divisors; add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions; calculate volume; plot and interpret points on a coordinate plane Science: Study matter at the atomic and molecular level, and mixtures and solutions; explain energy flow through ecosystems (photosynthesis, food webs, decomposers); examine Earth’s interacting systems and human environmental impact Social Studies: Analyze founding ideals (Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights); study the three branches of government; trace reform movements, the Civil War, and Reconstruction Technology: Use advanced spreadsheet functions and multimedia presentation tools; conduct and synthesize multi-source research with citations; write programs using nested loops and event handlers Specialty Classes Slide 1 Slide 2 Slide 3 Slide 4 Visual Arts 1st & 2nd Grade: Experiment with materials and tools to build artistic ideas of their own, connecting what they make to their own lives and comparing artwork across cultures and time periods 3rd through 5th Grade: Set their own artistic goals; build a portfolio; prepare original work for exhibition (writing an artist’s statement); evaluate art using real critical criteria Music 1st Grade: Bells 2nd Grade: Recorder 3rd Grade: Glockenspiel 4th Grade: Ukulele 5th Grade: Strings elective — violin, viola, cello, guitar or piano PE & Wellness 1st & 2nd Grade: Demonstrate catching and throwing skills; practice jump rope; kick and dribble a ball; recognize that regular physical activity is good for their health; recognize food and hydration choices that provide energy for physical activity; describe why following rules are important for safety and fairness; demonstrate techniques to assist with managing emotions and behaviors in a physical activity 3rd through 5th Grade: Demonstrate kicking a ball using the instep; roll a ball in a non-dynamic environment; establish goals related to enhancing fitness development; identify the need for warm-up and cool-down; solve problems independently, with partners, and in small groups; identify physical activity opportunities outside of physical education class. Spanish Our students build toward five skills: Holding a conversation Understanding what’s read or heard Presenting ideas to an audience Comparing Spanish-speaking cultures to their own Using the language beyond the classroom How to Choose the Right Elementary School Choosing an elementary school is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make for your child. Here are five questions worth asking on any campus tour. Can I see examples of student work? A writing sample, a math notebook, and a finished research project will tell you more than a curriculum list ever will. Ask to see actual work from a specific grade level, alongside the standards it maps to, so you know exactly what a child is expected to know and do by the end of the year. Will teachers know my child by name? Many parents ask about class sizes and student-teacher ratio, but a number on paper matters less than what you’ll see in person. Watch how a teacher greets students during a tour, and listen for whether they can describe something specific about how a child in their class learns. What happens when my child needs more challenge, or more support? A strong elementary classroom has strategies to meet different learners where they are. That might look like one-to-one education during the school day, tutoring support after hours, or an enrichment path for a child who’s ready to move faster. Ask for a specific example of how that plays out day to day. Does the community feel like an extension of home? Notice whether students greet visitors, whether a Principal or Head of School knows students’ names, and how a teacher responds when a child needs extra help mid-lesson. Does the school offer extended hours? Take a look at your family’s current schedule and determine what before or after school care you’ll need. Ask whether extended learning and enrichment options run as part of the regular day, and how pickup and drop-off work around them. Slide 1 Slide 2 Slide 3 Tuition Tuition is an investment, in your child’s education and in our school community. Rates vary by program and schedule. We would love to meet with you to talk about your family’s needs and go over our enrollment options and fees, including financial aid and payment plan options when available. In general, tuition covers a full academic day across every core subject, with art, music, PE and wellness, and world language built into the weekly schedule. It also includes classroom technology, regular progress reports and parent-teacher conferences, family events and parenting workshops throughout the year, and so much more. Learn More About Tuition After School Enrichment The school day doesn’t have to be the end of the day. Merryhill’s Extended Day program gives working families flexibility to pick-up after the normal dismissal time. Students learn valuable life skills, from managing their own time to working through a project with new friends, alongside homework support, extracurricular activities, STEAM activities, and open play. Learn More About After School Enrichment Next Up: Middle School at Merryhill By fifth grade, your child has grown into a student who leads, tries, and owns their own work. Middle School is where that growth continues: more independence, more complex projects, and the same Merryhill Method behind every classroom, building the academic foundation they’ll need for a college-preparatory high school and, eventually, higher education. Learn About Merryhill Middle School FAQs Is elementary school at Merryhill focused on strong academics? Yes. Academic excellence is central to every day. What’s different is how it’s built: confidence, resilience, and independence make up the engine that powers reading, writing, and math skills. My child is transferring from another elementary school. Will they be behind or ahead? Every transfer is different, so our teachers start with a real conversation about where your child is right now. Students are quickly known by name and teachers build on what a child already knows. Contact our Admissions team to learn more. Does my child have the same specialty classes each year? The specialty subjects stay the same (art, music, PE and wellness, and world language), but what a child does in them changes every year. Music, for example, introduces a new instrument each grade, from bells in 1st grade to a strings elective by 5th. How will I know how my child is doing throughout the year? Regular progress reports, parent-teacher conferences, and emails from your child’s teacher keep you connected to what’s happening in the classroom all year long.
