Early Childhood

Much of my childhood was spent outside. I grew up having easy access to nature right in my backyard — trails, creeks and animals of all sorts. My siblings and I spent countless hours every week engaged in unstructured outdoor play, exploring together, making up games, and riding bikes on the “roads” we created. I’m fairly certain my parents were unaware of the developmental benefits of sending us outside to play all weekend long, that’s just what parents did “back then,”...Read more

The quintessential early childhood educator Fred Rogers has left us quite a legacy of knowledge regarding how children learn. His Six Necessities of Learning are basic ideas — practical and simple. During these times when learning at school and learning at home are the new “norm,” it’s more important than ever that teachers and parents partner in assisting each child to reach his full potential. The Six Necessities of Learning apply to...Read more

Senior Kindergarten is an exciting year full of growth and development. The students enter the classroom on the first day of school excited for what is to come and all there is to accomplish. Steadily, programs and topics are introduced throughout the school year to help the students learn new strategies and master concepts. Two essential programs introduced during Senior Kindergarten are Guided Reading Groups and Writing Workshop.

In our daily Guided Reading Groups, students participate in small group activities that help them combine their previous knowledge with newly acquired...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

“Watch children play in natural environments and you’ll see spontaneous expressions of joy and excitement. Observe children running through a pile of leaves with total abandon, dancing and spinning when they feel the wind blowing through their hair and laughing out loud when they see a toad hopping from place to place. You’ll see unbounded exuberance...Read more

Junior Kindergarten naturally incorporates STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) throughout the school day. This solid foundation for a Rossman education is built through play and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities. As teachers, we provide the materials and initiate the activities, but it is important to know when to step back and allow a child’s natural curiosity, interest and problem solving skills to take over. Excitement for learning is evident as the...Read more

A common theme threading and unfolding across each aspect of social emotional and academic learning endeavors in the Senior Kindergarten classroom is the fact that every student is KNOWN, VALUED and LOVED.

KNOWN as a unique individual.
Each learner is given multiple opportunities to show who they are and how they learn best. Through careful assessments and detailed conversations and lessons, each learning activity provides an effort for the teachers and students to connect and build upon prior knowledge as each style of learner is given multiple opportunities...Read more

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” —Aristotle

What ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle believed in 350 B.C. is precisely what we aspire to impart every day at Rossman School — a balanced education of heart and mind. Academically, students discuss great literature and history, as well as participate in scientific investigation and collaborative group projects, all which offer rich opportunities to integrate lessons of a parallel priority: the development of strong character. As a complementary social component of character...Read more