School Narrative

The James J. Flynn School staff, parents and the community will nurture in each child the ability to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world. We will enhance a child’s natural curiosity and foster their love of learning with meaningful and multisensory experiences. Our integrated curriculum will promote academic success and encourage children to attain their highest potential. We expect each child to develop into a self-respecting, well-rounded, sensitive, and civic-minded individual.

Our curriculum and pacing guides are aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLA) and ensure that our students are exposed to the critical skills that they must develop at each grade level and throughout their K-12 educational experience. It is the expectation that our guides are used at the classroom level to address skills that are essential to ensure endurance, leverage, and readiness for the next level of learning among all students.

In Language Arts, our classrooms in grades Kindergarten through fourth grade use the resources of Benchmark Education, including a phonics program at the K-2 level to support the ELA New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS), district curriculum, and instructional framework. In fifth grade, students use the units of study for Reader’s Workshop. All grades from Kindergarten through fifth grade use the units of study by Lucy Calkins for writing. Each classroom has leveled libraries and resources in English and Spanish.

In mathematics, our classrooms in grades Kindergarten through fifth grade use the Eureka Math Squared resource to support the math NJSLS, district curriculum and instructional framework. Students are provided with opportunities to engage in higher-order thinking skills by applying learned skills to real world settings. Problem-based learning promotes students to work collaboratively while teachers foster a student-centered and student-driven learning environment.

In science, our classrooms in grades Kindergarten through fifth grade use the Amplify Science resource to support the science NJSLS and district curriculum. Students are provided with opportunities to engage in hands-on lessons that prompt inquiry.

Through collaboration with district curriculum directors and supervisors, we are proud to say that we have an extensive range of programs that meet the varying needs of our diverse student population. We offer self-contained special education classes, inclusion classes, and Transitional Bilingual Education classes in each of our grades. We also offer a Gifted and Talented program for students in grades 3, 4 and 5.

Updated technology has been infused into each classroom. Every classroom in grades 1-5 is equipped with Chromebook devices and all kindergarten classrooms are equipped with i-Pads. Interactive projection whiteboards and document cameras are utilized throughout all classrooms. We also a Computer Technology Lab that augments our School Media Center. 

We enjoy an effective partnership with our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and this partnership ensures that the PTO is available to sponsor various academic and social events throughout the school year.