Info / Profile / Curriculum

Wedgwood School first opened in September 1970. At that time, students from seventh and eighth grades attended alongside the first, second, and third graders from the Wedgwood section of the township. Fourth through sixth graders attended the original Grenloch School.

Mr. Joseph Indriso was the first principal of Wedgwood School. He had a small office in the Wedgwood building, but his main office was at Grenloch. Wedgwood’s Kindergarten students attended classes in the local churches with Mr. Harold Talley as their principal.

In 1971, Wedgwood became a Middle School with Mr. Indriso as the first principal. In 1972 the Middle School students moved to their new building (currently the 9-10 wing of the High School) and Mr. Talley became the new principal of the Wedgwood K-6 building.

Today Wedgwood School serves students in grades one through five.

In March of 1996, Wedgwood School opened its new addition, adding to the school's capacity and the variety of programs offered. The new section included eight full size classrooms, ten small group instruction rooms, a state-of-the-art networked computer room, art room, music room and gym. Two special rooms in our school are the Harold Talley Library, named after the first Wedgwood principal, and the Carl Pra, Jr. Computer Lab, named after a much loved former sixth grade teacher.

Wedgwood School has over 550 students who work with a staff of dedicated professionals to learn and develop into caring, productive, responsible citizens.

Wedgwood Elementary School is an exciting place in which to learn and grow! We are committed to providing our students with an exceptional learning environment and we are dedicated to helping all students to reach their individual potential in nurturing, supportive classrooms.

School Profile

The enrollment at Wedgwood School is approximately 520 students with class sizes ranging from 18 to 24 students.

We currently have 5 classes of first, third, fourth and fifth graders; 4 classes of second graders; one self-contained Special Needs classroom; and 1 class of Transitional First graders.

We have a teaching staff of 55, a Principal, a Supervisor of Elementary Education, and a support staff of 30 who assist with our school programs on a part-time and full-time basis.

Curriculum

Our curriculum is thorough and standards-based. Courses and lessons are based on careful research. We focus on building our students' knowledge starting with basic facts and progressing through higher-order thinking skills and the development of problem solving strategies.

Our Language Arts Literacy program includes a Balanced Literacy approach. Through Reader's Workshop, teachers gather information about their students and plan instruction which blends outstanding literature with an emphasis on skills, strategies, phonics and comprehension. The reading program also utilizes the Harcourt School Publishers, "Trophies" curriculum for grades K-5 as part of our four-block literacy model. Guided, Modeled, Shared and Interactive Reading are utilized in grades 1-2. Modeled, Shared, and Interactive Reading along with Literature Circles are incorporated in grades 3-5. Through Writer's Workshop, teachers gather information about students and plan mini-lessons that teach specific components of writing and grammar. Students participate in Guided, Modeled, Shared, Interactive and Independent Writing activities.

Our spelling curriculum, "Word Study" takes the place of a traditional program. It focuses on learning words that follow patterns and includes high-frequency and commonly misspelled words. Students use strategies to decode and spell words with more than one syllable and they then apply those strategies to their reading and writing. Our first graders are using a program called "Wilson Fundations." "Wilson Fundations" is a preventative phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics, and spelling program for the general education classroom.

"Everyday Mathematics" is taught in all of our classrooms. This research-based program has been proven to build students' mathematical knowledge using real-life problems and situations. Our teachers and administrators continue to attend math in-service workshops to learn more about the program and to practice teaching lessons. Ongoing in-service activities throughout the year will provide opportunities for teachers to share their experiences and continue to develop skills, techniques, and strategies as they implement this exceptional program. Families will be invited to learn more about "Everyday Mathematics" in order to play an active role in their children's math education.

Technology activities have been expanded for all students. Networked computers are available in each classroom and in our computer lab. Our building computer teacher has increased the utilization of technology within the elementary curriculum by providing training for staff members and enhanced learning opportunities for all classes.

Our students begin World Languages in third and fourth grade with an introduction to Spanish. In fifth grade they start to explore French and German using the latest teaching methods including story telling, songs, and games. The students find language learning fun and exciting and each class feels pride and a sense of accomplishment as they develop these new special skills so important in our world today.

Extra-curricular activities include intramurals, chorus, band, string orchestra, handbell choir, drama and safety patrol.

The S.T.A.R.T. program (Students in Training to Act Responsibly in Township) is taught by police officers of the Washington Township Police Department. S.T.A.R.T. is in its second year of existence for grades one through five. This standards-based program is an integral part of the elementary health and drug/alcohol abuse curriculum. It also teaches students about cyber bullying and internet safety.