Elementary School Academics
SFASD believes that the primary, or elementary, years are extremely important for children as they set the foundation for a student’s academic future. Spring-Ford Area School District staff members work tirelessly to ensure that elementary students are well-prepared at the start of their educational career.
Learning in elementary school is an important experience, and children at this level should enjoy coming to school. Each SFASD school offers talented staff members, a friendly environment and a developmentally appropriate curriculum so that students can achieve their highest potential in a learning environment that is safe, nurturing and fun.
Each academic experience is enriched by extra-curricular activities, technology tools, assembly programs and student clubs. We invite new parents to learn more about their school by volunteering with their schools individual home and school association, parent-teacher association or parent-teacher organization.
Hybrid Learning at Royersford Elementary and Spring City Elementary
On June 18, 2012, the Spring-Ford Area School District Board of School Directors reviewed information regarding the implementation plan for the Spring City Elementary Hybrid Learning School. Once approved, Spring City Elementary Hybrid Learning School was one of the first elementary hybrid learning environments in the country, and the first of its kind in the eastern part of the country.
Over the past few years, Royersford Elementary School has been implementing hybrid learning, and in the 17-18 school year, they transitioned to a fully hybrid learning environment.
The vision of the hybrid learning in Spring-Ford is as follows:
- To explore an educational structure (specific to elementary level) that moves beyond the four walls of the current elementary classroom to that of a truly global 21st century learning environment
- To allow teachers and students to explore new methods of instructional pedagogy and learning while simultaneously building a foundation that leads directly to college and career readiness in the 21st century
- To provide high quality professional development for not only the staff, but for the students as well
- To incorporate ongoing assessments of progress to ensure that students are progressing at an appropriate level
- To reshape the way that we view pedagogy and education (as a whole) at the elementary level, for tomorrow and beyond
Key features of a Hybrid Learning Environment are as follows:
- Technology enables customized learning
- Assessments occur daily with regular reports. Data informs the instruction
- Students receive the same material different ways to accommodate distinct learning styles
- Teachers instruct in small groups
- Education occurs primarily at-school
- May be applied to entire schools or subsets (e.g. classes, grades, sections)
With the key benefits of a more personalized learning environment being:
- Increased student performance
- Better academic choices
- Self-paced learning
- 21st century skills development
- More learning engagement