MCS Elementary School emphasizes providing students with a firm foundation to support a lifetime of academic success. Fall 2024 marks our first operational year in Oceanside and we’ll offer Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten and 1st grade. Students experience both spiritual development and academic rigor.
The core academics for 1st grade students include Bible, English Language Arts, History, Math, and Science. Students are exposed to a broad range of diverse content enrichment areas including Physical Education, MakerSpace, Technology, Spanish, Music, and the Arts.
1st Grade Curriculum
Science
The Elementary Science Program supports science instruction for students in Kinder through Fifth Grade. The MCS science program includes all of the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI’s) of the Next Generation Science Standards and is taught from a biblical worldview. It is the goal at MCS to give students a rigorous and comprehensive science education while comparing and contrasting Christian and secular viewpoints. Providing students with opportunities for the three-dimensional learning outlined in the NGSS, students are guided in hands-on experiments and explorations. Students are led in inquiry-based phenomena-driven lessons using the Five-E Model of instruction.
Mathematics
Envision Math provides the foundation of mathematics instruction in grades K-8. Teachers utilize whole-group teaching, independent practice, and differentiated small group instruction to reach all students. The MCS instructional approach includes the development of a mathematical mindset. Students participate in visual learning, problem-based activities, and, real world application to deepen their understanding of math concepts and extended reasoning skills.
Educational Technology
Educational technology is just one of the many tools that will be used to continually develop MCS students into strong digital age learners and prepare them to be college and career ready.
Therefore, it is the goal of MCS to train students in the wise and appropriate use of digital devices and social media, ensure the privacy rights of all students, maintain academic integrity, and limit disruptions to the learning environment. Our technology integration will not supplant the teacher or the human interaction that is so essential for learning; it is intended for use as a tool to enhance learning for all children.
In Elementary classes (Transitional Kindergarten through third grade), each grade level has access to a class set of Apple iPads that are used to enhance the students’ learning experience. In our fourth through sixth grade classrooms students will utilize a 1:1 device (Apple iPad) which stays in their classroom to be used as an educational tool to enhance their learning experience.
Bible
Bible is integrated throughout each subject area to solidify our biblical worldview. Specific Bible instruction is also taught as a core subject in grades TK-8th grade. Deep Roots curriculum provides students with tools and training to build a foundation for their faith in grades Kindergarten through Fourth Grade. Students in Transitional Kindergarten are shepherded using age-appropriate Bible stories, songs, and activities. Fifth-grade students are given the opportunity to build their alignment with the Middle School program by participating in Bible instruction weekly. In addition, weekly chapels teach biblical truth, build character development, and provide opportunities for worship. Our teachers actively incorporate biblical instruction, prayer, and worship in their classrooms daily.
English Language Arts
MCS believes in a scientific, research-based approach to reading and writing through Small Group Instruction, Shared Reading, Read Alouds, Phonics, and Independent Reading and Writing. Our program utilizes a combined curriculum to provide direct instruction across all of the essential areas of reading and writing development. Across all grade levels, English Language Arts (ELA) is aligned to CCSS with a formal scope and sequence to ensure the learning progression of phonics, reading, and writing. In the lower elementary grade, readers are developed with a focus on phonemic awareness, phonics concepts, sight words, fluency, and comprehension within nonfiction and fiction texts. Younger students actively engage in learning through movement, music, partner work, small group differentiated instruction, and one-on-one conferences. The upper elementary readers analyze nonfiction and fiction texts using comprehension strategies such as inference, synthesizing, making connections, author’s purpose, compare and contrast, and author’s craft. Students participate in dynamic partner work, small group learning communities, book clubs, one-on-one conferences, and research projects. Developing Writers from TK-5th Grade allows students to learn within various topics of interest to craft a narrative, an opinion, or an expository piece that utilizes the writing process, small group instruction, collaborative writing opportunities, and editing sessions. Each unit concludes with an opportunity to showcase the writing generated by the student-authors.
Social Sciences
MCS Social Sciences is grounded in the California History-Social Science Framework. With a biblical worldview and research-based instructional practices, students are encouraged to view history not just as isolated past events but to understand its relevance as they connect the past to the present. To deepen content knowledge, primary sources and simulations facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and development of critical thinking skills.
