Pleasant View School Curriculum – Pleasant View School

Pleasant View School dedicates itself to providing its students with a quality academic education in an Islamic environment. We understand and take very seriously our role in shaping our students’ identity, expanding their knowledge base, and providing them with the skills, motivation and interest needed for lifelong learning. We also recognize the important role schools can play in developing leadership skills in young students and have made imparting these skills to our students a fundamental part of our mission.

Pleasant View School provides its students with a challenging and meaningful academic program that incorporates independent and critical thinking, problem solving and higher order thinking skills with a strong foundation in fundamental concepts in a manner that empowers them with the tools and skills needed to become successful. We also integrate moral and ethical Qur’anic principles into all of our academic programs to provide our students with a firm grounding and strong belief in Islam. We believe strongly in the process of engaging students with the goal of making the learning process relevant and meaningful to their lives. Our academic program is student-centered and it looks at the whole child and directs his/her intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical development.

Common Core Standards

Our school curriculum uses the Common Core Standards as a base upon which we build a more rigorous and academically challenging program. Our curriculum provides learners with a solid educational foundation in the language arts (reading, spelling, writing, and English grammar), mathematics, science, social studies, Arabic language, Islamic studies, Qur’an, computer/technology and physical education.

Departments

Mathematics

The math curriculum emphasizes a strong grounding in fundamental... Learn More

Science

In science, Pleasant View School’s goal is to foster an understanding... Learn More

Social Studies

Pleasant View School’s social studies program is based on an approach... Learn More

English

A fundamental goal of Pleasant View School’s Language Arts program.... Learn More

Arabic Language

Arabic is stressed as a core subject of study from the earliest grades... Learn More

Islamic Studies

A strong foundation in Islamic Studies is at the heart of Pleasant View School’s.... Learn More

Qur’anic Studies

Qur’anic studies are an important element of the PVS curriculum from the earliest... Learn More

Additional Activities and Subject Areas

Pleasant View School offers a variety of enrichment activities to supplement the main core of our academic program including :

We place special emphasis on technology and physical education and consider them a fundamental part of our regular program.

Technology

To ensure our students acquire a strong foundation in computer and technology skills, Pleasant View School incorporates technology into all aspects of our academic program. Students are made to feel comfortable using computers from a young age and technology instruction is integrated into all content areas. In addition to the integrated use of computers for other academic areas, specific computer lab time is used to teach students important computer skills including word processing, spreadsheet development, database design, graphic/website design, coding and programming.

Physical Education

Physical education classes are used to increase the physical competence, health-related fitness and self-esteem of our students. Through such classes, students are provided with the opportunity to gain leadership and team building skills and gain a lifelong appreciation for the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Students are given the tools and motivation to remain physically active both inside and outside of school. In addition to the regular physical education classes, extracurricular activities are provided in tennis, basketball, soccer, volleyball and karate. In addition to the obvious health benefits, research has shown that physically active lifestyles improve the academic achievements of students and our physical education classes are thus given importance in the overall school curriculum.

The Daily Schedule

The daily schedules will differ based on grade level and teacher. Parents can obtain a class schedule from the teacher during the Meet and Greet sessions or from the office. In addition to the academic courses, all children will have daily outdoor time (as the weather permits) for recess and physical education. All Pre-K students will also have daily nap or rest time.

Student Performance and Evaluation

The elementary and middle school levels follow a quarterly system in which the academic year is divided into four reporting periods of approximately nine weeks each. The High School follows a semester system in which the grades of the two quarters within each semester are given equal weight and a semester final is worth 15% of the semester grade.

Homework Policy

Homework is an integral part of the learning process. It should be expected that students will have some homework at all grade levels and parental support is needed to provide the proper environment for the successful completion of the homework. It is essential that parents be involved in their child’s learning and give priority to their children’s homework assignments. Homework may involve such things as test preparation; practice exercises to reinforce skills learned in class, previewing assignments for subsequent lessons to ensure that class time is used productively and efficiently, extension assignments that require critical thought in applying learned skills or concepts to new situations or extensive research that is needed for the completion of projects.

The time required to complete assignments will vary with each student’s study habits, academic skills, and course load. If your child is spending an inordinate amount of time doing homework, you should contact your child’s teachers. A guideline for what is a normal amount of time that should be spent on homework is:

Kind. – 2nd Grade

30 – 60 minutes nightly

3rd – 5th Grade

one to two hours nightly

Middle/High School

two to four hours nightly

Parents are encouraged to help their students complete their homework by :

Setting a regular, uninterrupted study time each day.
Establishing a quiet, well-lit study area for each child.
Monitoring the assignments and helping students with their organizational skills to ensure that all assignments are completed.
Helping students understand the importance of working hard and encouraging the learning process.
Being supportive when students get frustrated with difficult assignments.
Maintaining strong communication with teachers to remain well-informed about the child’s learning process.

The High School Curriculum

Pleasant View School has adopted a rigorous College-Preparatory curriculum for all of its High School students. Students have the option of choosing between two graduation programs: Advanced and Distinguished.

Advanced High School Graduation Program

Exceeds the basic graduation requirements of Tennessee public schools.

Pleasant View School Advanced High School Graduation Requirements

Subject Area	Required Number of Credits
ENGLISH	4 Credits
MATH	4 Credits
SCIENCE	4 Credits
SOCIAL STUDIES	4 Credits
FINE ARTS	1 Credit
FOREIGN LANGUAGE	3 Credits
CULTURAL HUMANITIES – ISLAMIC STUDIES	3 Credits
PHYSICAL EDUCATION	1 Credit
TOTAL	24 Credits

Distinguished Achievement High School Graduation Program

This is the highest graduation program at Pleasant View School.

PVS Distinguished Achievement High School Graduation Requirements

Subject Area	Required Number of Credits
ENGLISH	4 Credits
MATH	4 Credits
SCIENCE	4 Credits
SOCIAL STUDIES	4 Credits
FINE ARTS	1 Credit
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS	1 Credit
FOREIGN LANGUAGE	4 Credits
CULTURAL HUMANITIES – ISLAMIC STUDIES	4 Credits
PHYSICAL EDUCATION	1 Credit
ELECTIVES	1 Credit
TOTAL	28 Credits

Students in PVS’s High School Program may have to acquire some of their graduation credits after 10th Grade from colleges outside of PVS. To graduate from PVS, High School students must also perform 50 hours of documented community service by February of their graduating year.

Passing Grade

Students require a 65 or better to get a passing grade in each of their classes. Middle School students who do not obtain a 65 on any class may be asked to attend summer school. At the conclusion of the summer, students may be promoted to the next grade if they get a passing grade on a Pleasant View School administered test. High School students who obtain less than 65% in any class will not obtain credit for that class and must make arrangements to make up their missing credit.