Academic Programming

Dr. Lewis S. Libby academic program is designed to provide a sound foundation in all disciplines and to prepare our students for further study.  Beginning in kindergarten and continuing through all grades, Dr. Lewis S. Libby School curriculum presents a consistent, structured, focused study of traditional core curriculum consisting of Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, History, Languages, Physical Education, Art, and Music.

In Middle School, students move to separate classes for instruction by subject specialists to pursue accelerated curricula in math, science (laboratory courses), and English. Both rigorous and supportive, the academic program stimulates and challenges students to develop their strengths and to cultivate and improve skills in a variety of disciplines.

Language Arts

Language Learning is a complex process which includes four inter-related areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.  In recent years it has become increasing clear that artificial separations of the language arts interfere with effective learning and full development of thinking and communication skills.  When students work actively with ideas, moving back and forth between reading, writing, listening, and speaking, the learning that results is much richer and deeper.

Students have opportunities to choose writing topics and genres.  They make choices about revisions and publication.  Similarly students have some choice in reading material and the manner in which they choose to share this information.  These options are key to a process which engenders student responsibility, accountability, and eventual empowerment.

Writing

Throughout our school we are adopting the 6 +1 TRAIT Writing model that focuses our writing and allows a seamless development of language skills from Kindergarten to the Eight Grade.  The 6 + 1 TRAIT model is more than an approach to teaching and assessing writing.  It is a vocabulary teachers use to describe their vision of what good writing looks like-any kind of writing.  Whether it is a story about a quirky music teacher, an essay on the effects of global warming, or a persuasive piece on why Harry Potter books should be in every school library, certain characteristics make the writing work:  ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation.  Using the language of traits in our assessment gives us a shared vocabulary for speaking about and working with texts that students create. 

Reading

The reading process begins with an assessment of the student’s background knowledge.  What does the student know about this particular subject, author, genre, etc.?  Can the student predict what will happen?  Previewing the material is helpful at this stage.  Being able to se textual relationships through semantic/word, syntax/context, and phonetic/sound cues leads to comprehension.  While reading a person is continually using all three cueing systems.  When the text does not make sense, the reader begins by using the cueing system that he/she most relies on for deriving meaning from a text.  If that does not help, the reader moves on to the next cueing system to help them make sense of the text.  Therefore we will help students become aware of all three cueing systems and help them use them to become the best readers possible.  Our classroom instruction seeks to guide our students so as their  comprehension progresses through literal, interpretive, and critical levels of reading ability they become empowered through independent reading.

Mathematics

It is the mission of the Dr. Lewis S. Libby School to actively engage our students in the learning of mathematical concepts, skills, and applications in order to improve thinking skills. Promote effective communication of mathematical ideas, and experience the interconnectedness of mathematics with all other areas of learning.  Adoption of mathematics standards is undertaken in the pursuit of excellence.  In doing so, our students will have mathematical experiences which are rewarding and enjoyable.

Students’ abilities to learn are governed by differences in maturity, capabilities, attitudes and learning styles.  We accept the responsibility of providing a mathematics curriculum which is standards-based, and also supported by basic skill attainment too.  Our further responsibility is to provide encouragement and support for all students in their efforts to take advantage of every available opportunity to investigate and discover mathematics in their everyday lives.

We, as educators, will provide students with many opportunities to explore, investigate, and manipulate materials at all levels.  The active involvement of students will la to a better understanding of the concepts, skills, and applications being taught, which, we hope, will lead to new topics of investigation.

Problem solving will be interwoven at all levels as we attempt to balance concepts, skills, and applications.

Social Studies

The social studies curriculum recognizes the dignity and worth of all cultures within the world community and strives to familiarize our young people with these other cultures.  Changes in our society and in the world increase the demands on our nation and its citizens.  It is imperative that young Americans begin to understand how events in the past shape our lives today and how the event of today will shape the future.

In keeping with this philosophy, we believe that embedded in our social studies curriculum should be a comprehensive survey of non-fiction reading materials and a focus on the strategies needed to read them.  The use of non-fiction trade books, newspapers, magazines, and other on-line sources will be used a great deal.  Teachers are encouraged to discuss the future impact of these events in their classes too.

We believe that we need to prepare our students for the complex and technical world of the 21st Century.  We recognize that knowledge of history, geology, geography, and other social sciences such as political science and anthropology are essential to prepare our students to be the leaders of the next generation.

“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” 

JohnF. Kennedy

Science

In a world filled with the products of scientific inquiry, scientific literacy has become a necessity for everyone. Everyone needs to use scientific information to make choices that arise every day. Everyone needs to be able to engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about important issues that involve science and technology. And everyone deserves to share in the excitement and personal fulfillment that can come from understanding and learning about the natural world.

Scientific literacy also is of increasing importance in the workplace. More and more jobs demand advanced skills, requiring that people be able to learn, reason, think creatively, make decisions, and solve problems. An understanding of science and the processes of science contributes in an essential way to these skills. Other countries are investing heavily to create scientifically and technically literate work forces. To keep pace in global markets, the United States needs to have an equally capable citizenry.

We are continually committed to science curriculum that is exploratory, standards-based, and helps students see how the mind of scientist stays open until something can be proven.  We have partnered with the national Science Foundation and the University of Maine, time and time again, to make the science experience of our students broad enough so they can experiences the various disciplines within the scientific field, while at the same time cultivate the necessary scientific habits of mind and skills necessary to be scientists in their own right.

Exploratory Curriculum

French

 

Students have the opportunity to build theirFrench language speaking, reading, and writing skills throughout their Grade 3 throughGrade 8 experiences. It is our goal that by the time they leave the Dr. Lewis S. Libby School that they will have the ability to be successful in a French I program at any of the area high schools.

 

 

 

 

 

Art

Art education provides the basis for positive personal growth and development.  The arts are and historically have been an essential part of our human existence, in all cultures. Our curriculum will allow students to experience a variety of processes, mediums, and ways to think and interpret art, so they cannot only have have hands-on experience with different types of art, but, more importantly, they will gain an appreciation for the complexity an skill that great art requires and what type of personal creation process it is.

 

 

Music

All students have the opportunity to participate in our general music program in all grades.  If students in the 4th  through  8th grades chose to, they may opt out of general music and participate in chorus and/or band.  In our general music program we help students to connect with and appreciate music in a person and fulfilling way.  Many of the songs you learned when you had music class are still standards today, yet there are more opportunities with the advancement of technology that will allow students to write and invent music on their own without having to read music. 

Students that chose to participate in Band and Chorus will get have the opportunity to become proficient at reading music and work with their peers in a team setting to perform some old standards and new and innovate pieces.  More importantly they will get to feel the satisfaction of having worked shoulder to shoulder with others, so they can feel the enjoyment their music brings to others.

Technology Education

Much has been written about how to use technology to increase student achievement. In most cases, the advice is limited to technology integration techniques -- methods of using technology in the classroom to support curriculum. Technology, however, has much more to offer our students and teachers than WebQuests, virtual field trips, and online lessons and games. Appropriate district-wide use of technology for planning, assessment, professional development, and communication can contribute immeasurably to teacher effectiveness and student academic success.

At the Dr. Lewis S. Libby School we remain continually committed to a standards-based technology education program from grade 3 through grade 8 where understand  and experience with computers and other electronic media devices will assist students in developing the skills they will need for a 21st Century world where technology is becoming more and more integrated into the regular systems of our daily living.

We balance innovation and curiosity with safety and security as we partner with parents, especially in the 7th and 8th grades to allow the experience of laptop education and the Maine Technology Initiative to expand the use  and exposure of technology for our students in a positive and secure manner.

Physical Education

The Physical and Wellness Education is essential in educating students about healthy lifestyle choices and developing a life-long habit of physical activity. In an age-appropriate, skills-building program, students are trained in physical fitness and conditioning, movement, manipulative skills, game skills, and the values of sportsmanship that contribute to a healthy social life.  Specific content for this curriculum focuses on the acquisition of skill themes and movement concepts.  It is based on the belief that children must first master fundamental skills before combining simple movement into patterns of complex skill movements used in games, dance, and other physical activities.  This development must stat in the elementary grades if the child is to develop an appreciation of what is possible in movement and to be able to recognize and apply these principles of movement in life situations.

The goals and objectives for thiscurriculumare child centered and are based upon the growth and developmental needs of the children at the Dr. Lewis S. Libby School.  Specific grade objectives for each skill theme were written so all children could experience a fair degree of success, and yet have enough scope and breadth to offer a challenge to the most talented athlete.  Besides sequential goals and objectives aligned with the Maine Learning Results (MLR’s), the curriculum includes individual benchmarks.  The individual benchmarks have been developed to better inform parents, teacher, and administrators on the performance of their student(s) in specific skill themes