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Responsible role model
Enthusiasm
Support
Preparedness
Effort
Challenge & communication
Trustworthiness & truthfulness
Education at Community Prep is a partnership between the school and the family. Together we help students work toward success in every aspect of life. While the school's curriculum focuses primarily on preparing students to meet the high demands of college-preparatory high schools, we also encourage social and emotional learning using the Responsive Classroom™ approach.
Parental interest, involvement, and support of students (as exemplified in the school's core values of RESPECT), are essential. The school's core values of RESPECT (Responsible Role Model, Enthusiasm, Support, Preparedness, Effort, Challenge and Communication, and Trustworthiness & Truthfulness) are outlined in the student-parent-teacher contracts. In these contracts, we promise to make the most of the Community Prep educational opportunity and to honor its core values.
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL)
At CP, social-emotional learning (SEL) was designed using an intersectional lens emphasizing social justice and empowerment. Students learn how to understand and respond to their emotions and navigate social situations unique to their lived experiences.
Teacher: Ms. Alexa
Resources: A Kids Co., Choose Love Movement, Learning for Justice
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Physical education is designed to have students focus on physical fitness, cooperative play, and, most importantly having fun with their peers. Students participate in monthly fitness challenges, regular calisthenics and core workouts, along with team building games to enhance friendships and have fun.
Teacher: Mr. Moyé
HEALTH
Health education is a class that focuses on teaching students about healthy nutrition, physical fitness, self-esteem, and building healthy relationships. The focus is to get students to see the importance of building an overall healthy lifestyle.
Teacher: Mr. Moyé
MUSIC/DANCE CLASS
In music/dance class, students participate actively as individuals and in groups to develop skills through singing, playing, reading, notating, composing, improvising, listening/describing, moving, space, time, dynamics, and choreography. Creating, practicing, and performing together in small groups during class showcases student creativity.
Teacher: Ms. Lee
TECHNOLOGY CLASS
In technology class, students think about relevant questions related to Digital Citizenship & Digital Wellness. They participate in a series of lessons, activities, and simulations where they can exercise their decision-making skills. They use 1:1 Chromebooks to work through technology skills development that includes typing (grades 4/5), computational thinking and programming, computing systems & networks, responsible computing, and society, as well as technology skills that are essential for the classroom.
Teacher: Ms. Lee
Resources: Typing.com, Tynker, Code.org
VISUAL ARTS CLASS
In visual art class, students explore and work individually and cooperatively through art processes and steps using a variety of art mediums (clay, paint, wire, oil pastel, etc.). Elements of Design: line, shape, form, color, value, space, and texture; and Principles of Design: balance, contrast, unity, movement, emphasis, pattern, rhythm, art history, classroom connections, and multiple sources of inspiration bring creative ideas to visual life!
Teacher: Ms. Lee
The school is divided into four learning families (4th-5th grade, 6th, 7th, and 8th). Each learning family has a faculty team responsible for teaching the four core disciplines: language arts, math, science, and social studies. Our students use Chromebooks, which are fully integrated into the curriculum, in their classrooms. In addition, all students have Spanish, health, creative arts, and physical education classes. The overarching goal of our creative arts program (music/dance, visual art) is to help students develop the ability to use skills, media, tools, and processes to express themselves in one or more of the creative arts.
At the outset of every marking period, students, parents, and teachers meet to set personal goals for the child. Students regularly review progress toward these goals. All members of the student-parent-teacher team must contribute toward achieving these goals, and the goals are assessed and modified at subsequent meetings.
The math curriculum at Community Prep is rigorous. Students apply the big ideas from each unit of study to solve challenging, real-world problems. Students take pre-algebra in grade seven and Algebra in grade eight.
Community Prep's language department recently adopted Empowering Writers. Writing across the content areas was identified as an area needing Professional Development. Thus, the teaching staff began updating grade-level curricula and standard instructional practices. After organizing the curriculum, teachers collaborated to build consensus and vertical alignment. Part of this alignment included the integration of the Empowering Writers Program. This evidence-based program focuses on teaching teachers strategies to improve students' writing skills and reading comprehension (Empowering Writers, 2021).
In August 2022, a representative from the program gave teaching staff an introductory lesson demonstrating ways to integrate the program across the curriculum. Teachers will continue working on this alignment throughout the year. The faculty is committed to working with the Empowering Writers Program and will participate in a full-day training focused on launching into literacy. In addition, the LA department is working on creating a school-wide writing rubric and the science department is actively exploring ways to enhance vertical alignment in their curriculum.
In the summer of 2022, CP staff was trained by the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP). Restorative practices prioritize developing community and conflict resolution through relationship building (IIRP, 2016). Teachers use both formal and informal restorative practices. Restorative practices can be proactive or reactive and include affective statements, affective questions, small conferences, circles, and formal conferences (IIRP, 2016). Faculty integrate these practices during the school day, especially during advisory, morning meetings, and social-emotional learning.
Community service has a special place in the School's curriculum. Many of the community service projects are conducted in the immediate neighborhood - some are local school-based projects while others reach into the surrounding community. Projects have included: collecting blankets for the homeless community; a canned food drive to support the Providence Animal Rescue League; a school store that raised money for the Tomorrow Fund and an organization protecting ocean life; and a dress-down day to support the people of Ukraine. The Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) planned and hosted a school dance with proceeds benefiting Youth Pride, an organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth in RI.
At Community Prep, there is far more to teaching than reading, writing, and arithmetic. Through inspired teaching, our dedicated faculty instills in students a quest for knowledge that lasts a lifetime.
GRADE 4/5
4/5 is a unique and fun class! While having a combination of fourth and fifth graders, we strive to learn and grow together. In class, we cover all core content:
Math: Students will participate in guided examples, partner work, and independent work while solving equations and word problems, and learning new strategies.
Language Arts: Students will be exposed to a number of short stories, articles, poems, and novels, as well as participating in narrative writing, responses to literature, poems, etc.
Science: Students will participate in experiments, group work, and class demonstrations. Topics that are covered are the ecosystem, water cycle, dinosaurs, moon/solar system, chemical reactions, and more!
Social Studies: Students will explore and examine the history and geography of Rhode Island and the United States, and stay up-to-date with current events.
Teacher: Ms. Rasombath
MIDDLE SCHOOL LANGUAGE ARTS
Grade 6: Students will learn the importance of writing to communicate their ideas and feelings effectively. We will analyze several novels and short stories to help grasp what common themes and conflicts connect us as humans.
Teacher: Ms. Rojek
Grades 7/8: Some of the big questions we explore in 7th & 8th grade language arts are:
The work we do includes independent reading, whole-class reading, writing (journaling, response to text, narrative, information, and argument), vocabulary (Wordly Wise program), differentiated skill practice (IXL), and classroom discussion and debate.
Some examples of whole-class reading selections:
Teacher: Ms. Bench
MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH
Grade 6: Guided notes are a major part of 6th-grade math class. Students learn to solve math problems with a guided example, then move to solve with a partner before solving independently. The IXL Diagnostic and its recommendations are used to fill in missing skills and challenge students who are ready to advance.
Teacher: Ms. Guyon
Grade 7: 7th-grade math is an accelerated course that covers Pre-Algebra. Students learn how to problem-solve using guided notes that include step-by-step examples and practice problems. Students engage in whole-class discussions where we are able to solve problems together and share different approaches. In class, we like to keep learning fun with projects and review games such as MathJenga and Grudgeball. Students use IXL to become more proficient in various skills.
Teacher: Ms. Ashan'ti
Grade 8: Algebra 1 is an accelerated course that prepares students to take Geometry in 9th grade. Students learn how to problem-solve using guided notes that include step-by-step examples and practice problems. Students engage in whole-class discussions where we are able to solve problems together and share different approaches. In class, we like to keep learning fun with projects and review games such as MathJenga and Grudgeball. Students use IXL to become more proficient in various skills.
Teacher: Ms. Ashan'ti
Geometry: Students keep a vocabulary/theorems notebook to help them work through daily problems. They also complete chapter investigation projects. A couple of projects have included creating tangram puzzles and tessellations.
Teacher: Mr. Corley
MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE
Grade 6: 6th-grade scientists learn by working through labs, completing doodle notes, and recording everything in their interactive notebooks. Topics include earth & space, force & motion, weather, and ecosystems. Some highlights of the year include Stem Challenges, Project Chick, March Mammal Madness, and Salmon in the Classroom.
Teacher: Mrs. Guyon
Grade 7: 7th graders learn about life science. Students learn through inquiry-based learning by participating in activities such as labs, station work, and escape rooms. Students learn about the characteristics of all organisms and how they are classified into groups. They learn about cell theory and about the structure & function of cells. Other topics include genetics, body systems, and interactions in an ecosystem. Highlights include the cell model project, participating in inquiry labs, using microscopes, and the Farm School experience.
Teacher: Mrs. Rivera
Grade 8: 8th graders use the CER (Claims Evidence & Reasoning) model to complete labs in the areas of physics, chemistry, and energy. Students use their science notebooks to record data, make observations, and build background knowledge. Highlights include creating a Rube Goldberg machine and participating in review escape room activities.
Teacher: Mrs. Rivera
MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES
Grade 6: Come away with us as we explore ancient civilizations. We will visit Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Greece, Rome, Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs. Students will learn the geography, economy, structures, cultures, and lasting impacts.
Teacher: Ms. Rojek
Grade 7/8 overview: Social Studies during and following the disruption of COVID approaches history thematically, attempting to link what students see in the world around them today to the world of the past. This means leaving the traditional timeline-based study of history in favor of “dropping in” when we need to, always through the lens of the present—perhaps an inevitability if we’re honest about history.
Teacher: Mr. Greene
Grade 7: 7th grade works at placing themselves in the world with a geography review that zooms out from their immediate location to take in their state, region, and nation. The history covered will be pre-colonial and Colonial US into the 19th century.
Grade 8: 8th grade builds on understanding what we’ve covered in 7th, with a reckoning of the US’s position in the world as a superpower. Small-group work in history focuses on American Conflicts (war and conflict), US History in Focus (regional history of the Caribbean, as an example, that looks at US actions in that region), and a family history project.
