Moving into First Grade

First grade marks a major transition in the educational life of the child. While our school recognizes that the change from early childhood is a gradual one and many important features of kindergarten remain, the children must adapt to new rhythms, new habits and new expectations.

Formation of a healthy social group is as important an element of first grade work as is grappling with the mysteries of letters and numbers. In first grade, we devote much time to fostering an awareness and appreciation of others, listening to each other, finding appropriate ways to express emotions, being helpful and grateful, and showing compassion.

First grade is a magical year, a sunrise year filled with beauty and color, joyful work and play, inner and outer form, wonder and discovery. We are laying the foundation not only for our individual work habits but also our community life. “Good, better, best, never let it rest, ‘til our good gets better and our better gets best!”

At Camellia, the first grade student learns the alphabet through imaginative letter stories. The above photo is of a student's drawing of the letter "K" as a king.