Overview

Teachers: Mr. Callender and Ms. Palestino

In grades Kindergarten through fourth, the ballet program focuses on: basic ballet movements and terminology, athleticism and stretching, musicality, dance appreciation (watching dance performances and learning about different ballets and famous dancers), and creativity through movement. Students also learn how to work together and collaborate through dance. The curriculum is designed to be engaging and easily accessible to all learners, regardless of prior dance experience, so that students can learn about movement in a creative, safe, and fun learning environment. 

The Ballet Major at Arts and Sciences is an exciting and rewarding program for any student looking to study a classical art form that requires a mix of athleticism and artistry. Ballet is a performance based major, and students perform in school concerts throughout the academic year.

Students learn proper conditioning practices, ballet technique, and performance skills that develop a strong body and quick mind. These skills are essential to ballet, but also help students in any dance form or physical activity (sports, martial arts, etc.) that they may study in the future. This study of classical ballet at our school is based on the Cecchetti (Italian) method of technique.

In addition to working on this technique at the barre, centre, and across the floor, students are also exposed to other styles of dance to enrich their training. Students will view dance performances and documentaries, attend live dance performances in Philadelphia, and participate in classes with guest artists and experience new styles of dance. 

Meet the Arts Team Leads,  Mr. Thomas Kolakowski and  Ms. Erica McElveen!

Teacher: Mr. Kolakowski

Band is available to students beginning in the fifth grade. In the Band Major, students learn to be thoughtful and creative musicians through the medium of instrumental music. Band students learn the fundamentals of music theory, composition, history, and ensemble skills through performing in various large and small group settings throughout the school year. Through performing in the Band, students also learn essential 21st Century skills such as collaboration, grit, and creativity that prepare them for whatever they may choose to pursue in the future.

As a Band Major, students select an instrument that they are to develop and refine throughout their time in the Major. Students will have the opportunity to learn about and test the Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, or Trombone prior to making their instrumental selection. In Majors I, students will learn to care for their instrument, focus on developing an appropriate instrument embouchure, and develop characteristic sounds on the notes from the Concert B flat major scale. In Majors II, students will refine their tone quality and will focus on making expressive and artistic statements by themselves and as a member of the ensemble, on their chosen instrument. All Band Majors are lent their instrument from Arts and Sciences free of charge throughout their time in the Major. However, students are responsible for the proper care and maintenance of their instrument.

Each year, Band Majors participate in a Winter and Spring Concert. These concerts serve as a culmination of the student’s work throughout the fall and spring semesters. Participation in each concert is mandatory. Students also have opportunities to serve as musical ambassadors to the community by putting on various small group performances at community establishments such as parades, nursing homes, etc. 

Teachers: Ms. Collins and Ms. Jimenez

Creative Writing is a course designed to teach students the different ways writers can express themselves. Students are encouraged to use their imagination and think inventively to create stories, poems, and plays. With project based learning as the core of this course, students are also given the opportunity to explore ideas and topics that interest them. Our goal in Creative Writing is to improve the writing skills of our students while introducing them to new concepts and projects that will teach innovative and critical thinking.

Kindergarten through 1st grade students have a curriculum that is focused on the foundational skills in writing. 2nd-3rd grade students begin constructing multi sentence narratives and begin learning how to construct well written paragraphs. 4th grade is where students begin a deep study of story elements and Greek Mythology. They write their own Greek Myths and we work with a publishing company to create an anthology of all our student work.

Majors I focus on what it means to be a writer, and how to read like one. They spend ⅔ of the school year working on a long term project. This project is a narrative of their choice that follows each step of the writing process. These projects go through multiple rounds of revisions and edits utilizing different techniques and skills taught through mini lessons throughout the year. Majors II are more technology based. During these classes they build upon skills taught in Majors I and incorporate their new technology skills to produce their own scripts, podcasts, and movies. 

During the annual STEAM Night, Creative Writing Majors and K-4 students showcase their best writing in a gallery style display. Majors I showcase the final copy of their year-long project and Majors II create displays with links to their final podcasts or films. 

Teacher: Madame Edouard

The objective of the French course is to introduce students to the basics of the language and the cultures that speak the language. It assumes that the students have minimal or no prior knowledge of the language and culture. We address all four areas of language development: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Students focus on communicating about their immediate world and daily activities, read material on familiar topics, and write short compositions. Instruction is given primarily in the target language and in a variety of contexts to meet the needs of students.

Students in grades 1-4  learn basic French words and vocabulary. Students also  complete projects and hands-on activities as a culminating activity. They are introduced to French music, and they play French online games to reinforce past and new vocabulary.

Students in Majors I and Majors II learn to identify memorized or familiar words when they are supported by gestures or visuals in informational texts. They learn new vocabulary to build on the previous vocabulary learned. Students write sentences about themselves; they read short paragraphs, and  complete listening activities.

Majors Students complete a  project that is showcased at STEM Night. Last year, each French Majors created a poster with pictures and written information about themselves (in French, of course!) and gave a presentation.

Teachers: Ms. Palumbo and Ms. Taggart

Innovations in Science is a program in which students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a world of discovery. In this program, we cover many facets of the science world such as chemistry, biology, engineering, physics, environmental studies, astronomy and more.  Students will be able to use the scientific method to collect measurable, empirical evidence in an experiment  that is designed to support or contradict a scientific theory. We conduct labs and hands-on activities in order to teach concepts and engage students in interesting and exciting projects. 

 Students in grades Kindergarten through fourth explore a variety of science tops and learn how and why things work. They conduct hands-on activities, participate in labs and make discoveries in the process! Students learn about how science is important in their everyday lives and how it affects our world. They also learn about famous scientists and engineers and how they contribute to the way things function and operate in their environment.

As a Science Major, each student experiences in-depth exploration of phenomena that occur everyday. This project-based major makes learning science fun and allows each student to gain a better understanding of the field. Spending time in the science lab helps to prepare students for upcoming high school science classes.

Science Majors focus on what it means to be curious and intrigued by the things that surround us and happen around us. They spend some of the time learning through lecture and reading articles and texts, but the majority of the learning experience is through making their own discoveries and being critical thinkers and problem solvers.

Each year the majority of the third and fourth quarter focuses on the annual science fair and STEAM night. Both projects are lengthy and require researching, analyzing information, and making critical decisions to solve experimental problems or world problems. Science Majors must do oral presentations as groups and individually depending on the nature of the assignments.They utilize technology by using iPads to create slideshows, interactive drawings, powerpoint presentation, and videos. 

Teachers: Ms. Bodek (Instrumental Music and Orchestra Majors) and Ms. McElveen

In our K-4 Instrumental Music program, students learn the basics of music theory and beginner instrumental studies. Every student from kindergarten to fourth grade learns the violin. Each student is given the opportunity to learn and grow in a small ensemble learning the basic of music notation and strings technique. During the second grade students are introduced to the recorder as a way of introducing them to the world of wind instruments. 

Orchestra is the study of the string instruments and how they combine in a group to perform songs. In the Orchestra Major, a student learns how to read and understand music. This major incorporates all students’ talents and creates a team effort to display proficiency. Instruments that make up the orchestra are the following: Violin, Viola, Cello and Bass. This class plays music from contemporary to classical music. This Major is enriching to a musical student and allows them to shine through in a group effort!

Teacher: Ms. McElveen

Percussion is a major available to students beginning in the fifth grade. (Although the picture at the right shows that we sometimes invite younger students perform with the majors if they show an interest and passion for performance!) Percussion Majors engage in daily exercises to increase music reading ability, and develop technique through daily rudiments and rhythmic exercises. All students perform on bucket drums, and select students perform on drum sets, xylophones, marching percussion, and other drums. Students have ample opportunities to participate in the composition and arranging process for the Ensemble’s pieces. Percussion Majors collaborate in performance with other majors such as band, orchestra, vocal, and ballet. We perform music in varied styles and perform at a variety of venues, including sporting events and at the Kimmel Center. Participation in all concerts is required!

In majors class, percussion students are introduced to the world of percussive instruments. Both traditional ensemble technique as well as bucket drumming is taught to all the students. Keyboard is also taught to our percussionists. Traditional and match grip are techniques that our students learn during their time in percussion class. These students perform in all major school performances as well as our annual Mardi Gras Parade. 

Teachers: Ms. Kurczewski and Ms. Uniacke

Visual Art is one of the oldest forms of human communication and reflections of culture and self. In visual art, we strive to teach art-making skills and critical thinking while enriching our student's understanding of social studies, geography, and self-expression. 

Throughout our Kindergarten through fourth grade curriculum, students explore visual art’s elements and principles. These are the building blocks of visual art. These principals enrich students’ understanding of how artwork is made and sharpen students’ skills and comprehension. In addition to exploring these elements and principles, projects are taught using seasons, literature, geography, nature, famous artworks, and artists. This allows for cross-curricular learning while learning visual arts skills and vocabulary. 

As a Major, students have the opportunity to explore a variety of art-making methods and materials including drawing, painting, sculpting, printmaking, collage, and fiber arts. Students practice creating their own conceptual art as well as borrowing traditional techniques. In addition to art-making, students learn and then refine how they critique their own, peers, and the artwork of the masters. Typically, students will work on one project introduced by the teacher each week that involves multiple steps and techniques. We compile their artwork through the 4 years as a major so they have a solid and well-rounded portfolio if they choose an arts high school. Artwork is stored at school in personal portfolios to be used for displays around the school, various school events, and for the annual STEAM show.  

Our students display their work at the annual STEAM Night, art installations in the school building, and have it featured on programs and brochures for school events. 

Teachers: Ms. Hansen (Vocal Music and Vocal Majors) and Mr. Kolakowski

In K-4th grade Vocal Music, students learn to express themselves in a creative way through the first instrument; the voice! Students learn the fundamentals of music making through performing individually and as a class ensemble. Through music games, songs, and activities, students explore music in the world around them and discover how it relates to their daily lives. The repertoire studied in Vocal Music will progress through the grade levels as students become more confident and capable musicians.

Arts and Sciences Vocal Majors learn to use their vocal instrument to perform music from a variety of genres and traditions. In addition to learning proper vocal production and technique, students also learn and apply music theory, reading, sight-singing, and performance skills. Students are expected to sing both individually and as an ensemble, allowing opportunities to cultivate self-discipline, leadership, and team-building. This is a performance-based class. Participation in concerts and performances outside of regular class hours is required.

The Vocal Majors perform in multiple school performances, such as, The Winter Concert, The Black History Month Concert, and The Spring Concert. These performances are a great representation of all the rehearsal and work the students put in throughout the year. Students are given the chance to audition for solos and group solos for each concert. This helps the students with their overall confidence and leadership skills. K-4 students also have the opportunity to perform in The Spring Concert, while Kindergarten always performs a song for their graduation!