Lower School

In 2019, WCS adopted Bridges math curriculum.  Bridges is a comprehensive math curriculum aligned to the common core that promotes problem solving skills and a love of math!  Our students love the math games they play and the daily number corner calendar activities and our teachers love the deep critical thinking skills Bridges helps students develop.

Middle School

In 2018, WCS chose Open Up as its math curriculum.  Open Up is a rigorous, engaging math curriculum that is aligned with the common core.  Unlike most middle school math curriculums, Open Up helps students create their knowledge of key concepts rather than a teacher simply telling students about a concept.  This is achieved by rich mathematical tasks, lots of discussion between students, and teacher guidance.

WCS strives to create proficient lifelong readers and writers and follows the science of reading in pursuit of this goal. This research makes clear that proficient reading for all students requires explicit, systematic phonics and phonemic awareness instruction, along with robust language comprehension and knowledge-based reading instruction. Wissahickon implements Reading Horizons Discovery, a phonemic awareness and phonics program, in Kindergarten through third grades; and the EL Education Language Arts Modules in Kindergarten through eighth grades as our core literacy curriculum. 

Lower School

In the summer of 2015, WCS gathered together a task force of teachers and administrators to write a new Science curriculum that would address both the New Generation Science Standards and the PA Standards, focus on student investigation and Science writing, and that would expose students to all of the disciplinary core ideas in a systematic fashion.  We also saw the need to start each year with a focus on Science practices so that students were explicitly taught scientific strategies without being introduced to new concepts.  Additionally, we wanted to ensure that students were learning increasingly complex strategies as they grew older.  We used the work of Betsy Rupp Fulwiler in the books, Writing in Science and Writing in Science in Action to inform our methods of Science instruction.  The task force created a structure for each science unit and wrote 2 model units.  From there, the WCS teachers wrote units that addressed the required concepts and standards, using the new unit structure.  The units are stored, shared, and updated as needed. Each 3-5th grade has 3 units of science hitting the three major units of science: physical, biological/ environmental and Earth/Space Science.

Middle School

In 2023, WCS adopted OpenSciEd as the science curriculum for its middle grades. OpenSciEd uses a storyline approach– a logical sequence of lessons that are motivated by students’ questions that arise from students’ interactions with phenomena. It amplifies our commitment to providing a science experience that is rigorous, engaging and aligned with educational standards. OpenSciEd fosters critical thinking and problem solving skills that help prepare students for real world science.

In 6th grade, students travel back in time and space to ancient worlds. They begin by asking, “What is history?” and “Why and how do we study it?” These questions inform the units for the rest of the year. Students visit pre-historical times and early civilizations around the world, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Greece and Rome. Curricular links occur between social science and language arts, especially in the form of workshop mini-lessons in non-fiction reading, and information and argument writing.

The 7th and 8th grades social science curriculum is organized in a two-year cycle, and its content is closely connected with science. Year one focuses on the central question, “How are cities designed?” Students travel around the world in contemporary times, analyzing human, cultural and environmental issues affecting cities, especially in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Year two focuses on the concepts of work, school and play, tracing them chronologically, mostly in the United States, from the mid-1700’s to the present. The Industrial Revolution, Progressive Era, WWI, Harlem Renaissance, WWII and Civil Rights are highlighted. Both years offer opportunities for students to research topics of interest and to connect learning to current events.

Lower School Social Science is largely integrated into the Sustainable Environmental Curriculum.

Discovery is a class unique to WCS and one of the cornerstones of our Sustainable Environmental Curriculum (SEC). Discovery invites students to explore the natural world and their interconnection with it, and it supplements science classes in some grades. Curiosity, fun and hands-on experiences are norms. Classes take place outside and/or in contact with natural materials as much as possible. Discovery also serves as a space for students to work on action projects related to “taking care of the earth that takes care of us”.

Our art program offers students the chance to learn foundational skills in drawing, painting, clay and other media; appreciate how different cultures are reflected through art; and apply core elements of art to their projects. Students develop artistic mindsets and questions, express their personal voices, and build habits of caring for the studio space. Art projects are aligned to national art standards; throughout a school year, they may be organized by geography (traveling around the world), history (traveling through time), connection to WCS’s mission, and/or student interest.

In addition to visiting the library to check out books, students have the benefit of attending a library class. This class has three priorities across all grades, K-8: 1) fostering a love of reading, 2) enabling students to use the library independently and to its fullest, and 3) honing students’ research skills. To do these things, the library staff may perform exciting read-alouds of new books, set students off on a treasure hunt to find certain items and/or practice on-line search techniques. At times, library classes might also support a unit of study in a core academic class.

Walking into one of our gyms, you might see physical education classes that are different from the ones you remember. There are a few times during the year when students play team sports, such as badminton, soccer and volleyball. Most of the time, however, they’re learning health, movement and teamwork skills through games such as “Castle Ball” and creative adventures such as traveling through an obstacle course that simulates reproduction! Students also learn about their own personal fitness levels, set goals and work towards them.

As students get older, they have more and more decisions to make. Guidance classes are among the initiatives we take to support students as they progress through middle school. Topics discussed include bullying, healthy eating, healthy relationships, puberty and sexuality. Students are not told what to do or think, but how; in each of these areas, they are presented with information and approaches to thinking through it. In 7th and 8th grades, guidance classes also spend a lot of  time working on high school applications and exploring career options, so students and families can make decisions that fit their hopes for high school and beyond.

Typing & Technology (3-5) or Information Management (6-8)

We live in a world with rapidly changing technology. Because of this, we have a responsibility to educate youth as both consumers and producers of information. Beginning in third grade, students learn to type and type to learn, so that their speed and accuracy allows them to use computers efficiently. As they get older, students refine their skills in using computer and Internet-based applications; and they discuss important issues in technology use, such as cyber-safety, plagiarism, sexting and more. As in guidance classes, students are not told what to do or think, but how. They’re also encouraged to debate what is/isn’t appropriate, and ultimately, to make decisions in line with theirs and their families’ values.