Daystar Carden School

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School Day

Arrival and preparation for the day
     Greeting the teacher with a handshake.

The Daily Opening Exercise                                    

• A brief silence for contemplating personal gratitude
  

• The Carden School Prayer by Mae Carden
  

•  Excerpt from The Faith of A Child by Mae Carden
  

•  Pledge of Allegiance (in English and French)
  

•  The Patriotic Song of the Week
  

•  Recitations (on Fridays)
  

•  Dismissal to the first lessons of the day

Daystar has no church affiliation, neither does it offer any religious instruction.  Miss Carden’s counsel to parents that they individually guide their children’s spiritual education carries over into the classroom in her Carden School Prayer and her writings entitled, The Faith of a Child, which are included in the daily opening.  The patriotic songs and other classical works embrace non-denominational Christian teachings, including Christmas and Easter, which are openly presented in lessons and holiday celebrations.  Parents are encouraged to review the Parent-Student Handbook for details.

The Morning Lessons
Writing lessons, spelling, dictation (which includes reading exercises, sentence analysis, keyword and title), in which groups alternate between lessons at the grouping table and independent seatwork, including a comprehension techniques workbook or reading and spelling workbooks.  Sometimes art appreciation or music appreciation lessons are presented in the morning.  Kindergarten students have writing, drawing with cut and paste exercises, and reading lessons.  They are the first to be dismissed for recess and snack.

Swimming lessons are offered twice weekly in the mornings for children in all grades.

Snack and Recess
The children eat with their teachers to maintain standards of courtesy and ‘table manners.’  The gymnasium is available on a daily basis for rainy day play or by choice.

The Mid-morning Lessons
Mathematics is typically taught before the lunch hour.  Lessons vary in levels of presentation featuring number concepts and relationships in computation and in words, problem solving (with models to guide the thought process), mental arithmetic, and common applications (time, money, measurements, geometry, etc.).  Individual lessons at the grouping table alternate with application of the lessons in Carden workbooks and practice lesson papers.  Parents see these papers each week to keep apprised of the progress.

Lunch and noon recess

The Afternoon Lessons 
These lessons alternate among the days of the week and quarters in the school year:  French, music (theory and singing), art appreciation, art techniques, poetry, literature, geography, science, composition, and physical education.  Kindergarten children have stories included in their literature experience.  Some lessons in dictation or reading may occur in the afternoon when swimming lessons occur in the morning.

Dismissal
This is a formal event, again with a handshake and expressions of gratitude between teacher and student.  Students are escorted to their vehicles.  Parents are advised to note the strict enforcement of the enrolling parent(s) authorization of the person or persons who may take a child away from the school site or field trip site.  Written permission is required for any variation from the care directives provided in the original enrollment documents.

Students at all grade levels may be dismissed directly to the Boys and 
Girls Club After School Drop In Clubhouse with written authorization by the enrolling Daystar parent(s).  This arrangement is available for the nominal fee of $15.00 per academic year and students may remain at the facility until as late as 7:00 p.m.  The Daystar registration documents include information on the offerings of this facility.  While there are numerous advantages of this service, parents are advised to scrutinize the Clubhouse supervision practices.

Homework Policy
Typically homework is not regularly assigned to children before the third grade.  It is the philosophy of the School that the younger children benefit 
so much from the teaching on site that a time for relaxed play and family interaction is more beneficial than a continuation of the day’s lessons or exercises.  There should be time for the family dinner, reading aloud, and ample rest (about 10 hours of sleep each night) to provide readiness for the lessons of the following day.

The Friday Papers  
A sampling of the lessons is sent home on Fridays.  Parents may then discuss the weekly activities and evaluate the child’s progress along with the benefits of the Carden curriculum and lesson procedures. 

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