LANGUAGES
Speaking and reading in Spanish gives boys the opportunity to expand their thinking and comprehension. First grade boys study Spanish six of the seven days in our rotating schedule. They build on basic vocabulary and concepts from kindergarten. They learn the alphabet, numbers, basic greetings, colors, shapes, family words, body parts, time, pronouns, weather, and animals. Boys become familiar with Spanish speaking countries and their influence in the United States. Reading and comprehending Spanish books, games, songs, and activities are important part of the curriculum.
MUSIC
First grade boys learn through play, experiencing musical concepts and gaining skills through their own active involvement. Listening acuity, expressive performance, and considerate participation are stressed in every lesson. Boys engage in creative holistic music making using the Orff-Schulwerk approach to music education. First graders learn tuneful singing within a close melodic range. They learn beat, rhythmic awareness, tempo, timbre, volume, and pitch. Creative movement becomes structured with games, folk dances, and singing.
ART
Art is a place where the boys discover that art is everywhere. We explore the theme-based curriculum and dive a little deeper into cultural art forms. Introductions to artists and traditional cultures play a key role in learning, but it is the student who makes that technique his own. In first grade, we explore the imagination and focus on color, storytelling, and critiquing their creations. We work in papier-mâché, collage, and clay, and learn about famous artists and art forms.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
We provide successful physical experiences for all boys through a curriculum designed to foster and develop the knowledge and values, physical skills, and practices necessary for personal physical fitness and lifetime wellness. Boys learn body control, with an emphasis on balance, coordination, and spatial judgments. Skill development includes motor, non-motor, and manipulative. Rhythms, games, tumbling, large apparatus stunts, and swimming are taught.