Going to Class

At Hunter McGuire School, your child will be inspired to reach his or her greatest potential through exploration and discovery. Within the framework of a challenging, structured curriculum, our students learn how to think critically, learn independently, and solve problems creatively.

Our 9:1 student/teacher ratio allows our certified, experienced teachers and assistants to work with students in small groups and one on one. Each student receives the individual attention he or she needs to be successful.

The classroom environment at Hunter McGuire provides the ideal setting for learning to take place. Our dynamic, interactive, and carefully planned approach to instruction helps each student to discover a passion for learning. As one student put it: “At Hunter McGuire, we do a whole lot more learning with a lot less work and a lot more fun.”

Goals and accountability
The goal of our academic program is to inspire a love of learning and to equip your child with the lifelong skills for acquiring knowledge. The parent/teacher partnership is of utmost importance in this equation, and daily and weekly communication between home and school is routine. Four times a year, each child’s progress is detailed in a narrative three-page, comprehensive report, and classroom teachers confer with parents twice a year to discuss each child individually.

While we are not eligible to administer Standards of Learning tests, we are committed to measuring the effectiveness of our curriculum. Beginning in third grade, our students take the Stanford Achievement Test, which offers valuable information on their achievement as compared to national norms and develops the test taking skills they will need for the future. Hunter McGuire students consistently score in the top 12 percent in reading, math, and language, verifying the effectiveness of our program and reinforcing our commitment to our high standards.

Reading
The Hunter McGuire reading program is designed to develop independent, fluent readers. The program includes methodology that combines phonetic understanding, language applications, and the study of numerous literary genres. Strategies encourage reading at home through the use of reading logs, research, and participation in the Virginia Young Readers’ Program. As skills are acquired, students move from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” This process happens naturally as they develop the understanding that reading is the key to everything. Effective readers become exceptional learners. Our goal is to develop students with a lifelong love for reading and learning.

Language Arts
Through our interdisciplinary language arts program, your child will learn the importance of writing in all areas of the curriculum. We teach students the writing process—to brainstorm, research, organize, write, edit, and re-write to create an effective composition. Beginning in kindergarten, your child will explore narrative, persuasive, expository, creative, and poetic expression and composition. A carefully sequenced grammar program teaches the mechanics of effective writing. In addition, students develop listening and speaking skills through circle times, book talks, and bi-weekly assemblies.

Math
At Hunter McGuire, mathematical thinking will become a part of your child’s daily life. Our math curriculum—based on the Everyday Mathematics program—reinforces mathematical understanding through real life applications. We emphasize the development of mathematical concepts at every grade level, from celebrating 100 school days in kindergarten to pre-algebra in fifth grade. Students also build mental math, estimation, computation, and problem solving skills, equipping them to advance quickly through the mathematics program at any middle school.

Social Studies
Our social studies curriculum emphasizes the importance of historical thinking and critical analysis as students study history, economics, civics, and geography. Time travel will come alive as your child explores how past societies influence the present and future. In addition to historical perspective, students gain awareness of their responsibilities as citizens, knowledge of how groups of people work together to develop rules and expectations, and an understanding of the importance of each member’s role in the community—much like the values we emphasize in our school community everyday. Annual field trips to history-rich locations such as Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Philadelphia expand and enrich our students’ learning experience beyond the history books.

Science
Your child’s inner scientist will emerge in our interactive, hands-on approach to science. The scientific method—based on experimentation—is used to explore a variety of topics, including life and physical sciences, health, earth, and space. In-depth examination of subjects allows personal discovery and first-hand investigation. Field trips to local farms, the Harrisonburg Children’s Museum, Shenandoah Caverns, the National Zoo, or the Baltimore Aquarium take students out of the classroom and into the field for first-hand scientific learning. Individual and group projects, demonstrations, guest speakers, and an annual science fair will guide your child in becoming a logical and analytical observer of the world around us.