Hawthorne Elementary

Curriculum Overview

Learning Philosophy

At Hawthorne Elementary, curriculum is a roadmap that lets every child put down deep roots and branch out toward new discoveries. All core and encore subjects are built on the Missouri Learning Standards, the statewide expectations that describe what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Teachers backwards-design units from those standards, then layer in research-based instructional frameworks, hands-on investigations, and purposeful technology so learning feels both rigorous and relevant.

Core Instructional Program

Content Area	What Students Experience	How We Measure Success
English-Language Arts	• Structured Literacy in K-2 builds rock-solid phonics and phonemic awareness.• Reading & Writing Workshop in 3-5 grows voice, stamina, and deep comprehension.• Daily small-group “Bulldog Book Clubs” target each reader’s next step.	Hawthorne earned all available ELA growth points on the 2024 MSIP6 report, and quarterly running-records show 90%+ of students meeting or exceeding reading benchmarks.

Mathematics	• Concept-first math block combines enVision 2020 with hands-on Zearn practice.• Number Talks and daily fact-fluency sprints sharpen mental math.• Real-world problem sets connect math to STEM projects.	A perfect 100% of MSIP6 math-achievement points in 2024; unit common assessments track every learner’s progress week-by-week.

Science	• FOSS & Mystery Science kits turn classrooms into labs.• Outdoor-learning stations and weather-instrument builds foster inquiry.• Grade-level capstone projects culminate in the spring STEM Expo.	Science mastery rose 15 percentage-points over two years; Expo rubrics and MAP results confirm growing inquiry skills.

Social Studies	• Missouri Learning Standards delivered through Studies Weekly and project-based units.• Wax-museum biographies and service-learning days connect past to present.• Primary-source analysis starts in grade 3.	DBQ writing samples show steady gains; MAP item analyses guide reteaching after each benchmark window.

STEAM & Specials	• Weekly STEAM Lab: coding Bee-Bots, 3-D printing, and Makey-Makey circuits.• Art, music, and PE enrich creativity and well-being.• Panther News Network broadcasts student-produced video announcements.	Encore teachers use skills checklists every nine weeks; student tech-portfolio uploads document mastery.

Social-Emotional Learning	• Daily Morning Meeting and Second Step lessons build empathy and self-management.• Counselors run friendship and regulation groups.• Monthly “Bulldog Character” assemblies celebrate growth.	Behavior screener data show a 25 percent drop in major referrals; attendance sits above 95%—students feel safe, seen, and ready to learn.

Standards-Referenced Grading & Feedback

Kearney School District uses standards-referenced report cards in K-5. Rather than averaging points, students receive proficiency marks tied to specific learning targets so families know exactly where their child is excelling and where support is needed. Progress reports go home each quarter and PowerSchool gives families real-time access.

Continuous Improvement Culture

Teachers at Hawthorne meet in grade-level PLCs every Wednesday to unwrap standards, calibrate rubrics, and plan next moves. Teams analyze formative data within 24 hours, regroup students for intervention or enrichment, and set micro-goals they revisit the very next week.

Instructional coaches facilitate learning walks focused on one high-impact practice—say, academic discourse—collecting non-evaluative evidence that staff review together. This quick feedback loop keeps professional learning embedded in daily work instead of parked on in-service days.

Leaders bolster the cycle with:

Real-time dashboards that pull STAR, unit tests, and attendance into one view.
Student-led data chats—even second-graders graph growth and set personal targets.
Quarterly Bulldog Showcases where teams share what worked (and what flopped) across classrooms.

The result is a culture where experimentation is safe, victories are shared, and improvement never pauses. Year over year, that mindset shows up in the numbers—higher mastery, stronger growth, and a community that truly believes, achieves, and succeeds.

Bottom line: Hawthorne Elementary’s curriculum balances the what (state standards) with the how (engaging, evidence-based teaching), producing steady gains and joyful learning environments where Bulldogs thrive.