Curriculum

Standards & Benchmarks

Our school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Pre-K-12th) and the Department of Education of Puerto Rico (K-12th). The Caribbean School has a license to operate from Pre-Kindergarten to Twelfth grade.

It holds membership in: Puerto Rico Private Education Association, International School Association, National Association of Independent Schools, Caribbean Association of Independent Schools, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Honor Society, Catholic Athletic League, National Association of Math Teachers, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Science Teachers Association, Art Museum of Ponce, TESOL, American Library Association, National Council for Social Studies and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Class Sizes
Caribbean School has small classes that do not exceed 25 students. The school provides an assistant teacher in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten to allow for individual attention and developmentally appropriate learning experiences at this age.

Elementary School Curriculum and Methods: Our curriculum offers a challenging academic environment. The educational program aims to help students engage in active learning with an emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving skills, allowing students to participate in a diverse variety of instructional methods. We are committed to a curriculum which includes specific activities for developing the cognitive, emotional, physical and academic growth of our students.

The Lower School is made up of Pre-K through grade six.  The courses of study are English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Spanish, Art, Music, Physical Education, Library, and Computer.  The children have one teacher for the majority of the day.  There are special teachers for the last five subject areas above including a special teacher for computer (PK-6).

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten: The early childhood program at Caribbean School provides an atmosphere of love and discipline where the child establishes an understanding of individual worth and respect for others. All activities for the intellectual, emotional, physical development and socialization stress the importance of developing the mind and the body. Letter and number recognition, the use of manipulatives, songs, art and colors is stressed. Through games, songs and simple class instructions, the students are exposed and motivated to learn English. Materials and equipment are carefully selected to meet the needs for physical, emotional and intellectual growth. The program strives to provide a safe learning environment.

Primary (Grades 1st, 2nd and 3rd): In the primary grades vocabulary development continues to be stressed and reading and languages are approached together. Spelling, phonics and reading comprehension are also integrated. Critical thinking is required to apply stories to real life. In math, emphasis is given to develop the basic understanding of the mathematical principles by which the universe functions. Manipulatives, drills, practice, questions and answers, worksheets and daily works are used to teach these principles. Science, Social Studies and Spanish are also taught on a daily basis. At this level students take Physical Education twice in the six-day cycle and Art, Computer, Music and Library once a week.

Intermediate (Grades 4th, 5th and 6th): At this level greater emphasis is placed upon critical and creative reading and thinking skills using interesting multi-cultural stories, writing journals and various reading strategies. This is done both in English and Spanish and it includes grammar, composition and mechanics. In Math the sources of higher thinking skills are word problems, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, geometry, measurements and exponents. Class discussions, laboratories, simulations, and group-hands on activities are all used to provide higher level thinking. The Social Studies program fosters understanding of culture,the culture and language of Puerto Rico and the world. It recognizes cultural diversity. Geography, maps, diagrams, data and chart interpretation, problem solving techniques and decision making skills are incorporated in both the Science and Social Studies programs. At this level students take Physical Education twice in the sixth-day cycle and Art, Computer, Music and Library once a week. Departmentalization is begun in grades 5th and 6th.

Secondary School Curriculum and Methods

Middle School
Students at this level have a seven period day of 50 minutes of instruction for each subject area. Our general program includes English (2 hours), Spanish or Spanish as a Second Language, Math (Pre-Algebra or Algebra I), Science (General Science and Physical Science), Social Studies ( Geography and Civics), and a series of electives: Art, Computer, Physical Education, Music or French.

High School Academic Program: Because the Caribbean School is a college preparatory high school, the curriculum offers courses in the Humanities and Sciences which serve to acquaint the student with the major considerations of each of these areas. Most of the students carry college preparatory academic subjects under our Academic Program.

High School Graduation requirements: 27 credits including PE English..........4 credits Spanish..........4 credits or one credit per each year of enrollment

Mathematics...... 3 credits
including Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra II.
Social Studies..... 4 credits
including World History, Modern European History, American History, and PR History
Science..... 3 credits
including Biology, Chemistry and Physics
Health..... ½ credit
Computer Science.... 1 credit
Physical Education.... 3credits
Public Speaking..... ½ credit
Electives...... 4 credits

We encourage our students to select their elective courses in accordance with post high school plans, particularly for engineering and scientific programs. Elective courses such as Forensic Chemistry, Psychology, Art, and French are offered to the students from 10th grade up. Also, students may take courses for credit at local universities if their schedule allows it. Honors courses are offered in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and History.

Advanced Placement courses such as:

• English
• Spanish
• Calculus
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• History

is offered to students with approval of the Department Head.