West Stafford School

153 West Stafford Road, Stafford Springs, CT 06076 | Phone (860) 684-3181 | Fax (860) 684-0328

Art

PreKindergarten and Kindergarten are given the opportunity to explore art in various ways and with a variety of materials. Per the National Art Standards, artists will Create, Present, Respond, and Connect while in the art room. Artists will learn about the Elements of Art; Shape, Line, Texture, Form, Space, Color, and Value and how to use them to create 2D and 3D art. The art curriculum is interdisciplinary and closely aligns with the math and literature curriculum of the classroom teachers to support differentiated learning to help artists make connections to the classroom learning. Art is mostly center based giving artists opportunities to take risks, make mistakes and explore at their own pace. Every artist will end the year with an online portfolio.

Pre-Kindergarten students have the opportunity to explore music through singing, dancing, playing instruments, nursery rhymes, and books. They learn about the different ways to use their voices, and when each is appropriate: singing, talking, whispering, and yelling. They also get to listen to music and imagine the story it might tell, and then use a variety of movements to tell that story! The curriculum is a blend of MusicPlay and Feierabend's First Steps in Music.

Kindergarten music is all about opposites: quiet and loud (dynamics), fast and slow (tempo), high and low (pitch), bumpy and smooth (articulation), and sound and silence. They learn that music oftentimes has a pattern, or form, and focus on an AB form. Our kindergarten musicians even begin learning how to read music notes - they are introduced to quarter notes (du) and eighth notes (du-day). Students have plenty of opportunities to work alone and with others to compose, read music, and share ideas. Like their friends in Pre-K, they do all this through a wide variety of songs, dances, instruments, and literature.

Want more music at home? Check out these links!

• MusicPlay Online
• Chrome Music Lab
• Wii Just Dance Dance-Along Videos

Physical
Education

The Pre-Kindergarten Physical Education curriculum consists of a basic introduction to all of the components of the Kindergarten curriculum, as well as gaining familiarity with the structure, rules, and routines of P.E., and school in general. A focus on monitoring and developing basic gross motor movements, as well as mobility, is a point of emphasis at the Pre-K level. Introducing and exposing the students to various types of physical activities, and related opportunities, is also an important portion of the Pre-K experience.

The Kindergarten Physical Education curriculum is aligned with the SHAPE America National Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes. Students will be introduced to and begin to develop body and spatial awareness, locomotor skills, non-locomotor skills, and manipulatives. Students will also begin to acquire knowledge of movement concepts, knowledge of physical activity and fitness, and learn to recognize the value of physical activity. Exhibiting responsible personal and social behavior in a physically active environment is also an important component of the curriculum.