Calendar Time

• Builds practical math skills
• Time (day of the week, month, year)
• Place value (hundreds chart with units and bundles of tens/hundreds)
• Money Sense (counting coins and bills)

Reading and Language Arts

• Independent practice time for students; differentiated instruction time for teachers
• Read alouds by teachers
• Small group guided reading instruction
• Silent reading to self that builds reading fluency and stamina
• Word Work that builds spelling skills and vocabulary knowledge
• Work on Writing—regular practice in writing skills with a mix of teacher directed activities and student choice

Phonics

• Helps children decode and spell words.
• Supports reading fluency

Math

• Teaches skills useful in everyday life and teaches how to think like a mathematician
• Hands-on and pencil and paper activities build well-rounded math skills
• Supplementation for math fact fluency and confidence in computation
• Number and Numeration
• Operations and Computation
• Data and Chance
• Measurement and Reference Frames
• Geometry
• Patterns, Functions, and Algebra

Science and Social Studies

• Thematic and curriculum based social studies units
• Hands on science experiments
• Project based social studies activities 
• Integrated writing opportunities in both subject areas

Reading to Learn

Novels

• Basis for students’ building of understanding of concepts such as genre, plot, theme, etc.
• Literature/history connections bring the past to life

Writing

• Explicit instruction in a variety of writing genres students will use in day to day life
• Communication of ideas taught with an emphasis on organization, voice, and word choice
• Sentence fluency and conventions taught and expected

Math

• Teaches skills useful in everyday life and teaches how to think like a mathematician
• Hands-on and pencil and paper activities build well-rounded math skills
• Supplementation for math fact fluency and confidence in computation
• Number and Numeration
• Operations and Computation
• Data and Chance
• Measurement and Reference Frames
• Geometry
• Patterns, Functions, and Algebra

Science

Science specialist teaches science classes for third, fourth, and fifth grade

• Units cover branches of science—physical science, earth/space science, and life science
• Field trips provide opportunity to see learning applied outside of school
• Optional science fair participation coordinated by a volunteer parent committee

Technology

• Two computer labs available—a teaching lab which students attend regularly to receive direct instruction in computer skills and a Technology Learning Center which students use for applied use of technology under the direction of their classroom teachers
• Library equipped with Chromebooks allows students to apply technology in learning library skills and other research skills
• Classrooms equipped with large monitors for use by teachers in projecting technology resources to enhance student learning

Social Studies
 

• Philosophy and approach value citizenship and the character of good citizens
• History, civics, and citizenship taught
• Literature units help students understand the context of historical events

The goal in the Art curriculum is to create enthusiasm and appreciation for fine arts and for the student artists’ growth through a natural progression of experiences. The children learn to apply numerous methods (drawing, painting, sculpting, collage, printmaking) to create art. They are encouraged to evaluate their feelings and experiences resulting in continuous improvements in technique and further exploration of alternative methods.

Explore our library catalog here:

Our Physical Education program focuses on helping children prepare for a lifetime of physical activity and health. All Kindergarten through fifth grade students participate in PE twice a week for 30 minutes, engaging in a wide variety of exercise and sport. Lessons are structured to develop both individual and team building skills. The Sunset Mesa PE program also enjoys a long tradition of partnering with the community, participating in the American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge event in the fall, as well as the Albuquerque BioPark’s Run for the Zoo in the spring.

• Units cover branches of science—physical science, earth/space science, and life science
• Field trips provide opportunity to see learning applied outside of school
• Optional science fair participation coordinated by a volunteer parent committee

Living in the Southwest, we believe that learning Spanish is very important, and each student is exposed to Spanish beginning in first grade, when learning a second language is easier.

Computer technology is integrated throughout the Sunset Mesa elementary grade curriculum. The campus is networked with computers in each classroom and in student labs. Our main lab is utilized for instruction by a specialist in software literacy and keyboarding skills. The others are used by students as they utilize computer skills in their research and classroom projects. The Sunset Mesa faculty is trained in using technology to support content area curriculum appropriately.