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Two high school art students draw forms using 3D models
Primary students paint on white paper
Five students jump for joy in the playground
Primary (K-5) » Primary (Grades K-5)

Primary (Grades K-5)

Meridian is proud to be an authorized school for the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme (PYP). Our school was authorized to offer the PYP in 2012 and went through an evaluation process in 2016 to continue our IB journey. The Primary Years Programme provides the framework for all that we do in Kinder through 5th grade at Meridian. Our students explore rich units of inquiry focusing on content that is significant, relevant, engaging, and challenging. We incorporate state mandated content into these units to explore that information in a deep, conceptual way. We push students to find connections in what they are learning, both between the content in the disciplines as well as to the world at large. To that end, students explore local and global challenges and opportunities to appreciate their lives and the lives of others around the world. 
 
While we believe conceptual learning is what will carry students as life-long learners, we also recognize the value and importance of building foundational skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. Our teachers use a balanced literacy approach to reading and writing, bringing in mentor texts and modeling strategies for these important skills. Student assessments throughout the year allow us to determine a student’s reading level and to work with them to grow in their instructional level. 
 
We have recently adopted Math in Focus as our mathematics curriculum. This curriculum, which is based on the methodology of Singapore Math, was chosen for its focus on mathematical problem solving as well as the approach to learning that says students learn best by moving from Concrete to Pictorial to Abstract. See an overview of the Math in Focus program.
 
Throughout all aspects of our day at Meridian, we are working to help students grow in their demonstration of the IB learner profile traits. We believe students who are knowledgeable inquirers, open-minded thinkers, reflective communicators, balanced risk-takers, as well as principled and caring will grow into adults to have a positive impact on their family, communities, and our world.