Grammar School

Grammar School

Grammar School at Westminster Academy includes all grades from Junior Kindergarten through 6th Grade. During these formative years of your students’ lives, our teachers work hard to provide the foundations of learning so they’ll be successful in Upper School.

Listen to a message from our Head of Grammar School Emily Newman at the 2023 Parent Open House.  
 

JK & Kindergarten 

At Westminster, the Kindergarten program runs for half days from 8am - 12 pm with an option for the Westminster Extended Enrichment Program (WEE), which lasts through the end of the school day at 3 p.m. 

For the 2024-25 academic year, we are introducing a third section to our JK program. This new section will offer a 3 full-day JK option, with classes scheduled from 8 am to 3 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. We will continue to provide two JK sections of 5 half-days with the current extended day options. Our Westminster Extended Enrichment (WEE) program runs from 12 pm to 3 pm and can be added either 2, 3, or 5 days a week if your child is enrolled in the 5 half-day program.

It's important to note that both the JK 3 full-day and JK 5 half-day classes will follow the same curriculum and come at the same tuition price. All field trips and special events will be scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday mornings, to accommodate all three sections.
Each section will have a maximum capacity of 11 students. The 3 full-day section will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

In both JK and K, your little ones will be taught reading readiness skills and many will move right into reading. They will refine their fine motor skills as they practice coloring, drawing, cutting, and writing. Gross motor skills will develop through guided and free play, PE, and classroom activities. They will have opportunities throughout the week to engage in art, music, science, and sensory exploration. Each day includes lots of reading aloud,  including older students visiting to read aloud with their Grammar School buddies. 

Learn more about WEE

1st-6th Grade

Throughout 1st-6th grade, the emphasis is placed on our students’ language development. In the Grammar Stage, children are busy discovering the world around them through language – naming things (vocabulary) and building categories. This is the basis for thinking, connecting, and verbalizing what they learn. They love to memorize, imitate, and repeat what they hear. We create these learning opportunities through classic literature, Bible, history, music, science, and art. By approaching history chronologically and using it as a framework, we are able to integrate Scripture and Biblical history along with fine arts into every subject. While this is a great model for teaching a Biblical worldview, it also enhances a love of learning in our students as they get a sense of God as creator and author of history. PE and recess provide healthy movement for their bodies and important breaks for their minds. 

Learn about PSALM