Elementary School (K–5)

Our live classroom-based virtual elementary school program is the best of both worlds. A GCVS education combines real-time interaction with the flexibility you need and expect from an online education.

A Message from Our Director of Student Success

Dear GCVS Elementary Families,

We are so happy you are here at GCVS Elementary School, where we will get to know each other, learn, and grow together! I am incredibly honored to be the Elementary Director of Student Success and part of a dynamic, passionate team that prioritizes your student’s well-being and learning, offering a positive educational experience.

Our staff welcomes each student and provides opportunities to connect with others, so students know they are valued members of our GCVS community. Elementary staff use the Responsive Classroom philosophy during morning meetings to build classroom community. Additionally, we offer Second Steps curriculum to help foster an inclusive culture and to help build positive relationships.

We believe that each student is capable of learning. The GCVS elementary curriculum offers high-quality instruction and authentic learning opportunities in our live and small-group virtual classrooms. Our dedicated teachers are state-certified and use research-based best practices as well as data to guide instruction based on our students’ strengths and needs. Our curriculum is aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and Common Core Standards, which promote 21st-century educational skills.

Family engagement is a key factor in a student’s school attendance, engagement, motivation, and academic achievement. Therefore, we welcome all learning coaches and caregivers to work in partnership with us. Please join us at school-sponsored events such as learning coach meetings, open house, conferences, and meetups. With a strong home-school partnership, having open communication and celebrating each other’s strengths, we will become a stronger community where we can all succeed.

Respectfully,

Sue Powers

Sue Powers
Elementary Director of Student Success

More Productive & More Valuable

Students attend online classes five times a week. They are actively involved with online lessons, workbooks, videos, projects, and hands-on activities that they can do on their own schedule. State-certified teachers who are passionate about what they teach assess real-time progress and adjust lessons according to the strengths and needs of each student.

As a result, teachers, parents, and students work together to tailor the out-of-class time to each student, making it more productive and more valuable.

Art

Elementary school teachers integrate art into live classes as a way to boost students’ creativity and confidence. Art is a way for students to express themselves and learn about themselves, their classmates, and the world around them in a fun and hands-on way.

Language Arts, Science & Social Studies

Starting with language arts, online elementary students learn reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. In learning these skills, GCVS’s curriculum builds on students’ knowledge and vocabulary in literature, history, geography, and science. This integrated curriculum ensures seamless transitions and constant reinforcements of related skills and knowledge across subject areas.

Mathematics

Math in our online elementary school provides an in-depth focus that integrates classroom reasoning with the practice of skills, all with a goal of mastery. We follow Massachusetts state standards and use the EngageNY curriculum to engage and educate our students. Sometimes our online students learn traditionally. Other times, they may watch videos or play games. Through it all, our teachers help students connect to the content they are learning so they can put their skills to use in the real world.

Music

In the virtual music class, we explore and create music in many different ways. Students sing, dance, build instruments, and read and write music. Students also play games and learn about music history.

Physical Education & Health

GCVS’s elementary school students learn basic locomotor and non‐locomotor skills and concepts. Following national and state standards, we present spatial awareness and introduce students to fundamental physical changes resulting from physical activity. Students also learn to follow directions and interact positively with classmates, regardless of personal differences, in a physical setting.