Academics

Student hands on a tablet
Early Childhood Education

Our full day and half day programs are funded by the Denver Preschool Program. The Denver Preschool Program offers tuition assistance to all families in need. Our program is rated by Colorado Shines, (Colorado’s quality and rating and improvement system); which is used to assess, enhance and communicate quality in early care and education programs. Our program is a licensed program that is rated by the state every year for safety within our classroom, as well as making sure the teachers are up to date on state required documentation. Our full day program focuses on the whole child by supporting the development of oral language, social/emotional skills as well as their physical needs. Creative curriculum, a curriculum based on relia, is used in every classroom to make sure every child is receiving a quality education.

ECE Model 1 Classroom

Kaiser Model One classroom is taught by an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher and is designed to create an inclusive environment for our students with most significant needs. Within the classroom there is one teacher and two special education paraprofessionals. The classroom has two half day sessions each day of the week ( AM and PM). Within each session, the classroom has the capacity to have up to 6 children with IEP’s. The rest of the students in the classroom, 10 in total per session, are typically developing preschool peers. Students on IEP’s are served by the ECSE teacher and in-building therapist.

Kindergarten

Literacy focus: Our full day program focuses on phonological awareness, phonemic awareness and phonics to guide students to become fluent readers. We also dive deep into fiction and non-fiction texts by identifying, discussing and writing about key details found in books.

Math focus: Our major focus in math is for students to know number names, count to tell the number of objects and compare numbers. Students will understand addition as putting together and adding to and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from. We work with numbers 1-19 for students to have a foundation in place value.

Social Studies focus: In Social Studies, we will learn how to be good citizens, learn that people live in different places around the world, ask questions and discuss events from the past, and determine the difference between wants and needs. 

Science focus: In Science, we will learn about sunlight and weather, plants and animals, and force and motion through reading books, conducting observations and completing experiments.

First Grade

Literacy focus: First graders will learn to become life-long readers and writers by studying phonics patterns, reading and identifying different genres, retelling stories using key details, finding and using text evidence, asking and answering questions, and understanding new vocabulary.

Math focus: First Graders will learn how to count in different ways to 120, new strategies to add and subtract, how to tell time, names of new shapes, and about place value.

Social Studies focus: First Graders will learn how to be a helpful citizen, about many kinds of communities, about goods and services, and connections between the past-present-and future!

Science Focus:First graders get to discover new things about animals, outer space, our planet, light, and sound in Science.

Second Grade

Literacy focus: We will be able to decode words with accuracy and fluency, to support comprehension. We will practice short and long vowels, vowel teams, prefixes and suffixes, and more! Some major comprehension skills we’ll practice are asking and answering questions, retelling stories, finding the central message/main idea of a text, and comparing and contrasting texts.

Math focus: In math some big goals for us will be…extending understanding of place value, building, fluency with addition and subtraction, using standard units of measure, describing and analyzing shapes.

Social Studies focus: In Social Studies, we will learn about communities, their geography and how they change over time. We will also learn about how to be good citizens and how to make good choices with our resources.

Science focus: In science we will learn about plants and animals, properties of matter and our earth’s changing landforms.

Third Grade

Literacy focus: We will focus on strategies to support comprehension of grade-level texts. Students will research and write about various topics including how books and education are accessed around the world, a study of various cultures around the world, who is the wolf in fact and fiction, and an informational study of the water on earth.

Math focus: In Math, students will continue to build their knowledge on addition and subtraction of multi digit numbers, students should master their multiplication facts up to 10, understand fractions and build upon their knowledge of place value including decimals.

Social Studies focus: In Social Studies, students will participate in various learning opportunities and projects that help them understand more about communities, branches of government, regions of the United States, and economics. 

Science focus: In Science, students will engage in exciting hands-on Amplify units to learn more about balancing forces, inheritance and traits, environments and survival as well as weather and climate. 

Fourth Grade

Social Emotional Focus: In 4th grade, we will complete daily check-ins of emotions, actions, and dreams. Yoga and mindfulness will be used weekly to stretch our bodies and calm our minds. Through BrainWise, read alouds, and short videos, students will engage in discussions regarding topics of social justice and equity. 

Literacy Focus: In 4th grade, we hope to encourage a love of literacy using Expeditionary Learning! Students will explore, analyze, and write poetry, opinion, informational, and narrative texts. They will learn how to infer, write main ideas, and support their responses with evidence from their readings.

Math Focus: In 4th grade, we encourage students to think and talk like mathematicians by connecting math concepts with real world relevance in order to strengthen understanding of place value, numbers and operations, fractions, geometry and measurement.

Science Focus: In 4th grade, we act as scientists using a phenomena-based science curriculum that is designed to give students engaging, realistic experiences that mirror how scientists and engineers actually work. We study fossils, volcanoes, earthquakes, energy, electricity, and systems.

Social Studies Focus: In 4th grade, students will lead their learning through InquirEd! They will develop their own questions and then research them. Every unit ends with a community based project. Throughout the year, students will investigate Colorado’s state history and Colorado’s geography.

Fifth Grade

Literacy focus: 5th grade students follow the EL Education curriculum which challenges students to read grade level fiction and nonfiction texts and quote directly from the text to express their thoughts verbally and in writing. We focus on Stories of Human Rights, Athlete Leaders of Social Change, and Researching to Build Knowledge and Teach Others: Biodiversity in the Rainforest.

Math focus: 5th grade students follow the Bridges Math curriculum which encourages students to practice and master multiple strategies for various concepts, including: multiplication and division of whole numbers and fractions, operations with decimals, and understanding place value and geometry.

Science focus: Students in the 5th grade will engage in exciting hands-on Amplify units to learn more about Patterns of the Earth and Sky, Modeling Matter, The Earth’s Systems, and Ecosystem Restoration.

Multi-Intensive Autism (MIA)

Multi-Intensive Autism center-based classrooms are designed to meet the learning needs for students on the autism spectrum. Kaiser Elementary provides a vertical integration for our students in our MIA center-based programs due to our multiple MIA programs, starting at ECE to 5th grade. Our students are able to stay within one school building for lasting relationships with their peers. 

MIA-ECE (3 and 4 year olds)

MIA Primary (K-2nd)

Literacy Focus: Our instruction includes identifying letters of the alphabet, phonics, vocabulary, writing, and comprehension. Our curriculum includes Reading A-Z and Unique Learning Systems. We support students with picture representation for understanding and promote communication via low tech (picture exchange) or high tech (augmentative device) communication systems. Students work in various settings such as whole and small groups and 1:1 instruction.

Math Focus: Our instruction includes number sense to count objects and addition and subtraction, patterns and shapes. We support students with picture representation for understanding and promote communication via low tech (picture exchange) or high tech (augmentative device) communication systems. Students work in various settings such as whole and small groups and 1:1 instruction.

Science & Social Studies Focus: This work focuses on working as a whole group and using technology and hands on materials to engage in lessons. Students work in whole group instruction.

Life Skills: We build on our students’ life skills from making transitions in and out of the classroom, increasing time on task, participating in group work and how to be more independent by working on learned skills independently at their desk and how to be independent with hygiene skills (washing hands, using the restroom, putting coat and backpack in their locker, taking off and putting on coats etc). We use social stories to support understanding for students who need additional support.

MIA Intermediate (3rd-5th) 

Literacy Focus: Our class uses individualized instruction to meet our students’ learning needs in reading and writing. Each students’ literacy goal is based on the students’ grade level, current level, and learning goals. Our instruction includes all five areas of reading, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. We utilize multimodal learning to promote engagement within reading. Our classroom uses the Unique Learning Systems curriculum. Unique Learning Systems is a research based curriculum that is tied to general education standards but still designed to meet the developmental needs of all students.

Math Focus: Our class uses individualized instruction to meet our students’ learning needs in math. Each students’ math focus is based on the students’ grade level, current level, and learning goal. Our classroom utilizes hands-on learning, Unique Learning Systems curriculum. Unique Learning Systems is a research based curriculum that is tied to general education standards but still designed to meet the developmental needs of all students.

Science & Social Studies Focus: We include science and social studies into our curriculum daily creating thematic units. We love to incorporate hands-on activities to engage students in lessons. 

Life Skills: We build on our students’ life skills from fine motor skills like opening containers to tying their shoes. We work on basic hygiene skills, personal information, social skills, and general communication needs. These skills will help our students access their environment and become more independent. 

PE Focus

The focus of elementary physical education is for every student to develop a solid foundation built on knowledge and skills that prepares and inspires them to pursue and enjoy a healthy and physically active lifestyle.

Library/Technology Focus

The overall focus of the library is to foster the love of learning through a variety of reading interests and to promote using technology effectively and independently. Teachers and Library Tech will work collaboratively to provide a seamless program that promotes critical thinking skills.

Music Focus

At Kaiser Elementary, our music goal is to follow the district and state music standards for each grade level. We provide an opportunity for each student to create, explore and learn about music. Each year builds upon the previous year and students have the opportunity to explore both music and movement during music class.

ELA Focus

Our focus in English Language Acquisition class is to help students develop their academic language, as well as overall language skills in a way that aligns with what they’re doing in the classroom.

Mild Moderate Focus

The major focus for the Mild Moderate Special Education program is to provide Special education services for students who have an IEP and to assist students who may need additional interventions. The pull-out program focuses on strategies in reading, writing and math in order for students to be able to meet their academic goals. The mild-moderate program also supports students who require social-emotional interventions.