The hallmark of The New Century School is teaching 21st-century skills. In our current world, knowing information is less useful than being able to use that information effectively. At TNCS, we guide our students to learn how to obtain information, make sense of it, and apply it in other contexts.
Through the use of inquiry, students receive a thorough grounding in STEM subjects (science, engineering, technology, and mathematics). Music and the visual arts are also part of the daily curriculum, promoting creativity and mindfulness. Multilingualism is another necessary skill in our global world, and our elementary students learn to speak, read, and write fluently in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese in addition to English.
Our progressive elementary program promotes critical independent thinking and makes learning exciting.
Elementary School Areas of Focus
TNCS’s robust elementary program encompasses all disciplines in a challenging, enriching whole.
Literature & Language Arts
- Appreciation of a variety of literary genres
- Strong writing skills, including creative writing
Science
- Hands-on experimentation
- Exploration of the natural sciences
- Understanding engineering concepts
World Languages & Cultures
- Building fluency in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish
- Teleconferencing to sister schools around the world
- Geographic knowledge and cultural understanding
Mathematics
- Real-world problem-solving
- Algebraic thinking
- Understanding measurement and data
Music
- Music history and music appreciation
- Reading music
- Playing a musical instrument
Physical Education
- Promoting fitness, body awareness, and coordination
- Movement and exercise incorporated throughout the day
- After-school athletics and team sports
Technology
- Keyboarding and word processing
- Using mobile devices and web-based tools
- Collaborating on digital projects
Art
- Art history and appreciation
- Utilizing a wide variety of media and techniques
- Community art projects
Meet with our Admissions Director
Interested in applying to TNCS’s Elementary program? Come and visit us.
Our differentiated approach recognizes the unique interests, abilities, and engagement of learners.
Elementary School Curriculum: Inquiry-Based Learning Tools
- Units of Study in Argument, Information, and Narrative Writing
- Junior Great Books
- Raz Kids
- Engineering is Elementary
- SuccessMaker
- Singapore Math
- The Daily 5
- IXL: Online Math and Language Arts Practice
- TNCS Winter Concert 2024 “Sleighs”!
- Teaching the Art of Possibility: Adriana Boucher Joins TNCS As K–8 Art Instructor!
- TNCS’S Annual Character Dress-Up Parade!
- Hispanic Heritage Night 2024: Around the Spanish-Speaking Globe!
- Martellies Warren Is Back in the Classroom at TNCS!
- TNCS Spring Festival 2024 Gets Wild!
- Spring Concert 2024: TNCS Gets Springy With It!
- This Holiday, Feast Your Eyes, TNCS Community!
- TNCS 2nd- and 3rd-Graders Go Places with Teacher Sarah Weiskopf!
- Meet the Teacher: Swati Mehta!
- Spring at TNCS: Renewal, Blossoming, and Song!
- TNCS’s Inaugural Spring Festival: By the TNCS Community, For the TNCS Community!
- TNCS March STEM Madness 2023: That’s Science!
- TNCS Celebrates Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival!
- New Year’s Resolutions at TNCS: Speak Up (in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese)!
- The New Century School at 13: A Retrospective in Immersed Posts
- Check In with Mr. B: How Is TNCS Science “Faring”?
- Meet the Teacher: Joan Cui Takes Over TNCS’s Chinese Immersion K/1st Classroom!
- Meet the Teacher: Charlotte Longchamps Joins TNCS as K/1st Teacher!
- Cooking Up Community: TNCS Celebrates the Land of Kush!
- TNCS Elementary and Middle School Students Hop to It in 2022!
- ‘Tis the Season for Cuddles & Crafts!
- TNCS Bids Fond Farewell to the Class of 2021!
- TNCS Elementary and Middle School Students Perform Standup Comedy for Theatre Class!
- Your Parent Guide to i-Ready, TNCS’s Math and Reading Platform!
- Meet the Teacher: Rob Brosius Joins TNCS Elementary/Middle School!
- A Spring Break Message to Thank You, TNCS!
- Virtual TNCS: A School and Its Student Body Continue to Thrive!
- TNCS Reading Buddies Program Expands to “Buddy School,” Wolfe St. Academy!
- Global Studies at TNCS Gets to the Heart of Ancient Civilizations!
- Service Learning Gets Souped Up at TNCS!
- TNCS Upper Elementary and Middle Schoolers Make Their Annual Pilgrimage to Echo Hill!
- TNCS 4th- through 8th-Graders Build Their Own Robots!
- Kids and Internet Safety: Start the Conversation!
- Cooperative Learning at TNCS: Reading Buddies, Budding Readers
- TNCS Elementary and Middle School Students Do Hands-On Field Research!
- TNCS Elementary and Middle School Students Spread Kindness from the Ground Up!
- TNCS Elementary and Middle School Students Get Moony!
- RecyQueen Returns to TNCS!
- TNCS Lower Elementary Students Make Sense of Mindfulness!
- TNCS Elementary and Middle School Students Visit AVAM!
- TNCS’s Annual Elementary & Middle School Information Nights: An Overview
- TNCS Continues Annual Service to the Community with Project Linus
- TNCS Students Get Technical!