— ACADEMICS —

Within the safe haven of an atmosphere clothed in unwavering acceptance by teachers and peers, students transform into lifelong scholars who possess the character and integrity essential for future success. Considering today’s competitive academic climate, Pacific Shores Day School believes it is critical to equip children for not only for Kindergarten but for an entire lifetime by building skills in every single facet of child and human development.

Our Curriculum

We proudly differentiate our student instruction according to each child's unique level and style of learning to ensure their success as well as regularly monitor their growth, making curricular changes as necessary. We utilize whole-group learning, small-group instruction, instruction indoors and in our outdoor classroom, and independent activity time each day to ensure our students are prepared to function in any setting come Kindergarten -- and beyond!

Literacy: Bringing Reading, Writing and Creativity to Life
through Play, the Arts and Child-Centered Activities

Pacific Shores Day School has been as a 'Starfall® school' since the curriculum's debut in 2009. Starfall® Kindergarten is research-based reading and language arts program which integrates literacy skills with social studies and science while meaningfully utilizing technology in the classroom. Benchmarks and topics of study exceed state standards for Kindergarten and promote a love of reading, writing and learning. We pride ourselves in providing each student with differentiated instruction as well as routinely assessing each child's reading level in order to best meet each student's ever-changing and personalized academic needs and goals.

Mathematics: Hands-on Instruction Gives Children the Tools for Content Mastery

Starfall® Kindergarten Mathematics allows students to further explore the universe of mathematical thinking, using numbers, shapes, and measurement tools while connecting mathematics to everyday scenarios and practical problem solving. Upon completing the programs, students will have learned concepts of time, money, patterning, ordinal numeracy, measurement, graphing, writing, addition, subtraction, fractions, geometry and more. Our mathematics curriculum teaches students to understand math in stages, beginning with concrete (using manipulatives such as counters, number disks, dice, and so on), then moving to pictorial (solving problems where pictures are involved), and finally, working in the abstract (where numbers represent symbolic values).

Science

Our science curriculum prepares children for understanding scientific principles. Students learn the basics of physical science, Earth science, life science, and scientific principles of investigation and experimentation.

Students are encouraged to develop their curiosity about the world around them and to make observations. As they are introduced to science, students develop organized and analytical thinking as well as problem-solving skills.

Creative Arts

The creative arts curriculum at PSDS engages children's minds, bodies, and senses. Through the arts, we invite students to listen, observe, discuss, move, solve problems, and imagine using multiple modes of thought and self-expression. Creative arts provide ways for young children to learn and use skills in other domains. We hold two annual performances at Harbor Day School each year: our sweet, family-oriented Christmas Program and our celebratory, year-end Graduation Show.

Social Studies

Through our social studies lessons, students learn about time and space as an introduction to the concepts of history and geography. They learn to distinguish past, present, and future time in their own lives and practice exploring various school locales.

Students also learn about national holidays and the stories of the people whose contributions we value enough to commemorate. Students also learn about courage, heroism, and justice by studying famous examples from U.S. history.

Fine & Gross Motor Skill Development

Children naturally love to move and play! Our motor skills curriculum seeks to develop children’s fine and large/gross motor skills and knowledge of health and safety through participation in thoughtfully planned physical activities. As students participate in these activities, they not only develop physical skills, but also grow in confidence and self-esteem to fulfill the demands placed on them later in life. With their teachers' patience, lots of practice, and consistent exposure, students grow skillful in controlling and coordinating actions such as cutting, threading, walking, bending, throwing and catching. Through the modeling and cheerful participation of their teachers, students become more competent in demonstrating gross motor skills and applying those skills in other situations or games - and our students love having their teachers play with them! The active involvement, loving encouragement, and pure enthusiasm of our teachers motivates children to reach their goals.