The Primary is for children in grades 3 -5.
Donna Griffin has taught in the Primary for twelve years and has been on our Advisory Board for twenty-five years. In short, she is a motivator and an encourager. She expects much of her students in a creative, positive atmosphere. Her classroom is like a beehive of activity filled with projects and experiments, but her magnus opus is her love for books and her ability to impart that same passion to her students. If it is true that reading is the foundation of education, Donna has been a cornerstone in the lives of many children. The following was written by Donna:
Children are natural learners and are born to explore, wonder, and create. The Primary School at Cedar Hall tries to encourage those God given gifts in a Christian environment. A love for reading is one of the most important goals in the Primary. Each month the children do individual reading that culminates with a project. Oral reading is a daily part of the classroom.The students are involved with their own learning and have independent work time daily in which to concentrate on basic skills, work at centers, or work on projects of their own choosing. We write several days each week and learn grammar and usage skills through our stories. Learning wouldn't be complete without character development. Each year the Primary has a new "theme". Bible lessons and scripture memorization are incorporated into each year's theme as we work, play, and live together. Each child is treated with dignity and honor and is encouraged to reciprocate that love to his peers.
"There is a brilliant child locked inside every student." Marva Collins