Curriculum

Many of our faculty have administered the ERB quite a few times over their years at Rossman. They have gotten to know the detailed set of directions read before each testing section quite well. These typically conclude by saying that we cannot answer questions about the test during testing and encourage students to ask any questions before starting. This year, one student quietly raised a hand and asked his teacher, “I do have a question. Why do we take this test?” Thankfully, our Rossman faculty understand the importance of answering that question. Ever wondered this yourself? Below I...Read more

Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge. We are inspired by project based learning and excited to incorporate it into our everyday learning. Recently, entire schools are taking this approach to teaching. With so many resources at our fingertips, it’s easy to try these new teaching and learning methods with our students. With our 1:2 ratio of iPads in the classroom, technology is often a major factor in...Read more

It is that time again for the preparation of the annual Geography Bee at Rossman School. Every year, the fourth through sixth graders brave the unknown and take a risk with the GeoBee, and every year I am asked “why do we do this?” This year, instead of saying “because it’s tradition” I decided to talk with the students and together figure out, why do we have the GeoBee? 

While yes, tradition is one reason, we also talked about how our world is ever changing and that can feel overwhelming to us. Students feel these same challenges in social studies and when they witness what is...Read more

This fall I’ve been working my way through Jo Boaler’s book, Mathematical Mindsets (2015). Boaler has authored fourteen books, numerous research articles and is currently a Mathematics Education Professor at Stanford University. Her resources and philosophies about education have been very inspiring to me; they are changing the way I think about math, talk about math, and teach math. In the opening chapters of Mathematical Mindsets, Boaler outlines and dispels common myths that most of us have believed about math. She argues that these myths inhibit learning. I think many...Read more

First-grade teachers are in our third year of Lucy Calkins Writer’s Workshop implementation. The curriculum is research-based and used in classrooms across the globe. Our units of study focus on narrative, opinion, and informational writing. This program helps to develop a life-long love of writing and equips each author with the tools and independence needed to create books of all varieties.

During a unit, students are guided through the...Read more

If you have joined your child for lunch in the dining room lately, you’ve probably noticed the addition of several bins and posters along the side wall. As we’ve settled into our routine here at the beginning of the year, students and staff are redoubling their efforts to make Rossman a more sustainable school. One of the main areas of focus has been decreasing the waste created in our dining room and correctly managing the waste we do create.

When students are finished with their lunches, they carry their trays to the waste station on the side of the dining room. It is here that...Read more

Our students, families, faculty and staff love being part of the intimate and tight-knit Rossman community. Part of being a small school means that we are structured with one class per grade level. We believe this comes with many advantages for our children and families. Here are a few that we believe make a big impact in the educational experience of Rossman students:

Close relationships

Over their eight years at Rossman from their first days in JK through sixth grade graduation, students and parents alike form a tight bond amongst each other.  These close...Read more

I believe differentiated instruction to be a very important and effective tool for all teachers to use in their classrooms. There are two very good reasons to use differentiated instruction.

1. Every student has the ability to learn, but there are many ways in which they learn best.
2. The effectiveness of simply putting students together by ability has been questioned, and this practice can place negative views on student backgrounds.

A classroom that uses differentiated instruction recognizes the various student learning abilities and the many different...Read more