K-6 Elementary

QUICK LINKS FOR STUDENTS

• Accelerated Reading/ Accelerated Math

• Learning Odyssey

ABOUT OUR K-6 PROGRAMS

Transitional Kindergarten

The Transitional Kindergarten Program was created for students at Mueller Charter School to assist them in meeting the challenging academic standards of the state of California. Many students come to Mueller who have not had the benefit of pre-school. Others simply need more instructional time. Too often, these students are left behind.

This enrichment program affords our students an extra academic year so that by the time they start kindergarten they are ready to learn at grade level in literacy and math. Students who turn five between November 2nd and December 2nd, are currently eligible to register for our Transitional Kindergarten program.

Kindergarten

Students who turn five before December 2nd, are eligible to register for our Kindergarten program. The strongest students enter kindergarten knowing their numbers, letters and shapes.

Students who turn 5 between September and December 2 are encouraged to enroll in our Transitional Kindergarten: a two year program that insures all children have plenty of time to master grade level standards.

K-3 Literacy Academy

“Students who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave high school without a diploma than proficient readers.”

The LITERACY ACADEMY was created at Mueller Charter School for all students in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade. The goal is to assist them in meeting the challenging academic standards of the State of California– especially in Language Arts.

A key principle of this program is that no child will be promoted to 4th grade without first mastering the grade level standards in reading for 3rd Grade.

Grades 3 – 5

Some of our classrooms in grades 3 through 5 are MULTI-AGE, which is a little bit of a misnomer because all classrooms have children whose ages can span as many as four years. The key to multi-age is that children are strategically placed in a classroom according to their performance level and given the support and the time they need to master the standards.

4th Grade

In 4th grade our curriculum focus is writing. While this is a school-wide focus for Mueller, 4th graders take a writing assessment for the state of California in March. This assessment is a component of the California Standards Test and targets one of several writing genre: summary, response to literature, and narrative.

Of course writing is only one element of the curriculum. 4th graders also study math, science, social studies and Physical education.

5th Grade

In 5th grade, the focus is on science. Our 5th graders also complete a physical fitness test that measures sit-ups, push-ups, a mile run, sit and reach and bmi against a state average.

But that’s just the beginning! In 5th grade, students also address all the state standards for language arts, math and social studies.

One local school district provides a particularly good description of the 4th and 5th grade standards here.

6th Grade

In 6th Grade students begin the transition toward multiple teachers in their school day. Mrs. Cisneros teaches math and science while Mr. Michel teachers Language Arts and Social Studies. Likewise, Mr. Latoni teaches math and science while Mrs. Quackenbush teachers Language Arts and Social Studies. Everyone teaches PE.

One highlight of 6th grade, of course, is 6th Grade Camp at Camp Marston. Mueller has sent student to 6th grade camp for the past 20 years– even while many other schools have discontinued doing so for financial reasons. Outdoor Education offers provides an exciting way to conclude the elementary grades. It is great for teambuilding, nature studies, and preparation for MCLA!