Imagine a school where students love to be, where they look forward to class and are eager for challenges. Imagine a classroom where children care about and respect one another, where courtesy and compassion are the norm. You have found Seneca Academy’s elementary school program! Walk into our classrooms and you will see students actively engaged in meaningful learning activities, collaborating with their peers, and asking relevant questions in order to solve real-life problems. Seneca Academy students love coming to school because they are participants in the learning process, their thoughts and ideas are encouraged and validated, and they can interact with peers and adults in a safe, positive, productive environment.
International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program
Seneca Academy has been authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization as a World School offering the Primary Years Program (IB PYP). Through the IB PYP, we help students develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world. Since 1998 our elementary program has provided an academically challenging, developmentally appropriate program for young students. In addition to authorization by the International Baccalaureate, Seneca Academy is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education and accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools (AIMS).
Elementary Curriculum
The elementary curriculum at Seneca Academy is designed to teach students to think deeply, communicate effectively, and interact positively. To achieve these goals, we use an inquiry-based approach that engages students in every subject. Through inquiry, Seneca Academy students develop more than just foundational knowledge in reading, writing, math, science, social studies, Spanish, art, physical education, and music. They also develop skills and abilities that allow them to solve problems, think critically, make connections, plan, and organize their time and materials.
We believe that the goal of education is to enable students to apply what they have learned to real-life situations. Students in the elementary program at Seneca Academy demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways. They may give a speech, make a drawing, take a written test, participate in questioning and conversation, write a report, or create a model to provide evidence of their understanding. Our assessment strategies emphasize higher-level thinking skills that encourage students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the information and concepts that they learn. Furthermore, community service, as well as other opportunities for students to act in ways that demonstrate their knowledge while supporting others, are encouraged and integrated into the curriculum at all grade levels.
Positive Social-Emotional Environment
In addition to a challenging academic program, Seneca Academy incorporates the Responsive Classroom curriculum, emphasizing cooperation, respect, and responsibility. We teach, model, and practice how to solve problems and interact positively.
Extracurricular Activities
Seneca Academy offers many extracurricular activities to round out our students’ education. Our clubs change seasonally in order to expand the variety of experiences we offer. Throughout the year students may participate in activities such as band, studio art, chorus, sculpting, drama, soccer, landscape & nature, filmmaking, yoga, cooking, and others.
Beyond Seneca Academy
When students leave Seneca Academy they are well-prepared to excel in other private, public, or parochial school programs, both academically and socially. As they enter middle school, they have grown in their understanding and demonstration of the attributes of the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile: principled, open-minded, caring, knowledgeable, balanced, reflective, inquirers, thinkers, communicators, and risk-takers. Recent private schools accepting Seneca Academy students include: The Avalon School, The Barnesville School, Bullis School, Connelly School of the Holy Child, Friends Meeting School, Holton Arms, Mary of Nazareth, Norwood School, Sandy Spring Friends School, and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.
