Elementary

By the end of grade one, students will understand and use the concept of ones and tens in the place value number system. Students will be able to add and subtract small numbers with ease. They will be able to take simple measurements and describe relative locations of objects in space. They will describe data and analyze and solve simple problems. They will also learn to use tools and descriptive media, such as manipulatives or sketches, to model problems found in the textbook as well as real-life situations.

Students will learn the scientific process by carefully conducting investigations. They will record observations and data with simple sketches, drawings, physical models, and written statements. They will recognize and understand the similarities and differences of plants and animals, and how their external characteristics enable them to survive specific environments. They will also plan and conduct investigations on the fundamentals of light and sound, and how it works. Additionally, students will look for predictable patterns in nature by observing the sun, moon, stars, and sky. Students will learn how these patterns can be used to predict the future.

Grade one students start out the year by learning about their responsibilities as a student and explore ways to get along in school. They learn the elements of good citizenship such as fair play, good sportsmanship, respect for others and the meaning of the “Golden Rule.” Students will compare and contrast schools and communities of today and the past, to gain perspectives over recent transitions that took place in our society. They will also read and construct simple maps utilizing cardinal directions and map symbols. Toward the end of the year, students will learn how all families are special, how they care for each other, and the ways families change over time.

Advanced japanese

 

Beginners japanese

 

Students learn about Japan and Japanese culture through many activities such as making origami and crafts based on particular cultural events. Although speaking is more focused than writing, they learn writing Hiragana. They also learn about my family, months of the year, days of the week, time and Japanese money. They will be able to speak simple Japanese and ask basic questions in Japanese.

First-grade students continue to improve their locomotor and non-locomotor skills by practicing skills using a variety of movement qualities. The first-grade emphasis is on the qualities of movement, especially the effort aspects of space and time. They continue to practice throwing, catching, kicking, and dribbling by using a variety of objects and practice striking by using various implements. They are learning to share, cooperate, and work in groups without interfering with others. They also learn that to prevent injury, proper body position must be used when they are exercising and that water, oxygen, and food act as fuel for the body. Students will also engage in lessons about grade level health and safety.

Students explore the 3 content areas of health: Development and Growth, Injury Prevention and Safety, Personal and Community Health. Teachers explain, demonstrate and encourage students to recognize and practice healthy behaviors. Students will learn to identify a variety of behaviors that promote healthy growth and development, analyze steps to take in emergency or potentially dangerous situations and discuss the importance of preventing the transmission of germs.

The Lower School Visual Art program engages students in making art, viewing and discussing art, learning about contexts in which art has been created, and pondering fundamental questions about art. Emphasis is placed on familiarizing students with a wide variety of studio materials, processes and a high level of fine motor dexterity. Through a variety of art activities students learn the fundamentals elements and principles of design such as line, texture, color, value, and balance. Students explore the art of many cultures and artistic styles throughout history.

First grade students continue on with the basic elements of music with more concentration on reading simple rhythms and rhythmic patterns (ta, titi, rest). Hand symbols for musical notes (mi-so-la) are also introduced. Folk melodies from various countries and cultures are employed along with various musical games.

This class occurs once per cycle and is taught by the Head of Lower Elementary.  The program implemented is Character First, which is used for Grades 1 and 2. The Program aims to support moral development through stories, activities and discussion around concepts such as Honesty, Respect, Kindness and more.

In grade two, students will comprehend the concepts of place value and number relationships in addition and subtraction as well as simple concepts of multiplication. They will also measure quantities of various substances and objects with appropriate units. Grade two students will classify shapes and see relationships among them, by paying attention to their geometric attributes. Students will also collect and analyze data and verify the answers using graphs and simple problem solving strategies.

In grade two students are introduced to the diversity and interdependence of living things in ecosystems. They dive deep into different habitats through research projects. Students compare the properties and functions of different kinds of matter through scientific experiments. Students will analyze the processes that shape Earth over long and short periods of time. Students will understand that the earth is made of materials that have distinct properties and provide resources for human activities. Additionally, students study the basics of Earth’s formation, climate and natural disasters. Students will understand that the scientific process is made by asking meaningful questions and by conducting careful investigations.

Students in grade two explore the basics of geography, economics, and citizenship in the context of learning about their local community. They will differentiate between things that happened long ago and things that happened yesterday. They will learn the stories of extraordinary people from history whose achievements have touched them, directly and indirectly. Additionally, students will demonstrate map skills by describing the absolute and relative locations of people, places, and environments such as governmental institutions and practices in the United States and other countries.

Advanced japanese

Students will read many short stories and pages from Japan’s public school textbooks of Grade 2 with themes of Science and Technology, Social studies, and literature studies. Students will study scientific research by observing the growth of plants. They will also read a poem, as well as study the author’s biography and historical background of which the poem had been written to deepen their analysis on classic texts. They build up their reading comprehension and vocabulary, as well as practice newly introduced kanji in the Grade 1 or 2 year level. They enjoy writing haiku, letters and stories.

 

Beginners japanese

Students learn about Japan and Japanese culture through many activities such as making origami and crafts based on particular cultural events. Although speaking is more focused than writing, they learn to write Katakana. They also learn about food and drinks, how to say give me ~, animals, vocabulary necessary for shopping, telling the time and numbers from 1-100.  They will be able to speak simple Japanese and ask basic questions in Japanese.

 

Second-graders also continue to practice manipulative skills by throwing, catching, kicking, and dribbling (foot and hand) for control using a variety of objects and practice striking by using a variety of implements. The students participate in a variety of group settings with an emphasis on encouraging others, demonstrating cooperation, and avoiding interference with others. Students move from the sense of self in isolation and begin to embrace the concept of partners working together to solve movement problems. They also learn the names of the muscles they are strengthening and stretching, as well as the benefits derived from good health-related fitness.
Students continue to explore the 3 content areas of health: Nutrition and Physical Activity, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health. Students examine their environment and make informed decisions about their health habits. Students will learn to identify resources for reliable information about healthy foods, distinguish between helpful and harmful substances (including alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs) and describe a variety of emotions.

The Lower School Visual Art program engages students in making art, viewing and discussing art, learning about contexts in which art has been created, and pondering fundamental questions about art. Emphasis is placed on familiarizing students with a wide variety of studio materials, processes and a high level of fine motor dexterity. Through a variety of art activities students learn the fundamentals elements and principles of design such as line, texture, color, value, and balance. Students explore the art of many cultures and artistic styles throughout history.

Second grade students continue all previously introduced activities including basic rhythmic elements, games, folk songs, music hand symbols, and simple musical forms.  New concepts will include rhythmic elements (tika tika, half note, ties, whole note), music hand symbols (do,re), and simple musical forms (2 and 4 meter, 1st & 2nd Ending Repeats).

Second-grade students read increasingly complex material and a wide representation of grade-level-appropriate text. Second-grade students become familiar with types of everyday print and non-print materials. Students can identify parts of a book. Second-grade students recognize the need for information. In second grade, students perform simple keyword searches using a search engine or database. Second-grade students are familiar with the procedures for borrowing materials from the school library and caring for library resources. Students locate fiction and nonfiction materials in the library. In second grade, students draw meaning from illustrations, photographs, diagrams, charts, graphs, maps, and captions. Students begin to recognize how media affects the telling of a story and transmission of information.

This class occurs once per cycle and is taught by the Head of Lower Elementary.  The program implemented is Character First, which is used for Grades 1 and 2. The Program aims to support moral development through stories, activities and discussion around concepts such as Honesty, Respect, Kindness and more.

By the end of grade three, students deepen their understanding of place value and skills with addition and subtraction. Students should be able to memorize with automaticity the multiplication table for numbers between 1 and 10, as well as use the inverse operations of multiplication and division to solve problems. Students will also use mathematical reasoning with word problems, determining when and how to break a problem into simpler parts and which operation to select.  Measurement in both the standard and metric system will be utilized.  Basic geometry will be introduced and students will be able to identify and name types of polygons and angles. 

Third grade students will observe, predict and investigate the three forms of matter; solid, liquid and gas, and learn that all matter is made of small particles called atoms, too small to see with the naked eye. Students learn that energy and matter have multiple forms and can be changed from one form to another. Through TCI Science Bring Science Alive! Exploring Science Practices students explore the variations in traits of different organisms and the factors in changing environments that affect survival today and in the past. Students quantify and predict weather conditions in different areas and at different times, and investigate the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on motion.

Students will be able to identify geographical features, using maps, tables, graphs and photographs to organize information. Throughout the year students will explore the idea of continuity and change in their own community.  Also, the role of the global and local economy in their daily lives will be explored. They will determine the reasons for rules and laws and the roles of citizens within their communities. Using TCI Social Studies Alive! Our Community and Beyond a students’ awareness will broaden about the local and global communities in which they live. Students will learn the fundamentals of geography and discover different cultures and public service roles.

Advanced/Intermediate japanese

Students will learn about My town, Kobe in the 1st quarter about its history, agriculture, geography and industry and will be able to present what they have found about the city. In the second quarter, students will research environmental issues at school and their everyday life situation and write a report on how to save the earth from their point of view. In the third quarter, students will read a story of Koala’s March where they build up their reading comprehension and writing skills. In the fourth quarter, students will do the jumping rope project where they analyze each movement and will be able to do procedure writings.  Students will also work extensively in improving their Kanji ability, learning about 100-150 more Kanji during the year, depending on their current level.

 

Beginners japanese

Students learn about Japan and Japanese cultures through a variety of activities. They will learn reading and writing Hiragana, position words, basic particles and simple sentence structures. They will be able to read, write and speak simple Japanese and ask basic questions in Japanese. They will be able to learn basic vocabularies needed for the N5 Japanese Language Proficiency Test.

Third-graders can describe the correct technique for manipulative skills in greater detail building on knowledge gained in kindergarten through second grade. In addition, they can describe technique differences when applying manipulative skills in different situations. In preparation for game play in later grades, students learn about altering speed and direction to avoid an opponent. They learn the purpose of safety procedures and rules along with the consequences of not following those procedures and rules. They also learn about the relationship between the heart, lungs, blood, and oxygen during physical activity.

Students continue to explore the 3 content areas of health: Development and Growth, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health. Students are asked to take responsibility for learning about and making healthy choices in their everyday life. They also practice refusal and decision making skills that will lead to a more productive and healthier life. Students will learn to identify major internal and external body parts and their functions, evaluate effective strategies to cope with fear, stress, anger, loss, and grief in oneself and others and recognize individuals who can assist with health-related issues and potentially life-threatening health conditions (e.g., asthma episodes or seizures).

 

The Lower School Visual Art program engages students in making art, viewing and discussing art, learning about contexts in which art has been created, and pondering fundamental questions about art. Emphasis is placed on familiarizing students with a wide variety of studio materials, processes and a high level of fine motor dexterity. Through a variety of art activities students learn the fundamentals elements and principles of design such as line, texture, color, value, and balance. Students explore the art of many cultures and artistic styles throughout history.

In addition to all the activities previously mentioned, third graders are also introduced to the recorder. Recorders help students learn breath support, control, and reading notes and rhythms. Ensemble play-ing experience is also provided through recorder performance.  New concepts will include rhythmic elements (syn-co-pa, ti-tika, tika-ti, dotted half note), music hand symbols (high do,low la, low so), and simple musical forms.

Students are encouraged to promote tolerance and respect, which involves an understanding that people have different views about things. They should understand that there isn't always just one 'right' answer. Students will develop curiosity towards religions, understand that they (religions) are alive and that they help explain what human beings are like and what they can become. Students will be provided opportunities to express awe and wonder and develop reverence and gratitude for the gift of life and free will. Furthermore, students will develop an awareness of our needs and the needs of others and how we may respond to those needs.

Third-grade students read a wide representation of grade-level-appropriate text and apply comprehension strategies. They are able to recognize the need for information and ask detailed questions to focus their searches. Key words are identified and used to perform searches in the automated library catalog, search engines and databases. Students identify currency of information with publication and copyright dates. Third-grade students understand the purpose of the library catalog, information on spine labels, and how resources in the library are organized. Students use reference resources in both print and digital formats and learn the skills necessary to access the information in these materials. Third-grade students develop a basic understanding of intellectual property rights. As students continue to use online resources, they learn how to stay safe online.

Students in Grade 4 will understand large numbers and addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers. They will be able to describe and compare simple fractions and decimals. They will understand the properties of, and the relationships between, plane geometric figures. They will actively collect, represent, and analyze data to answer questions.

In Grade 4, students study the geography and people of the United States. In this unit, students will first understand the definition of social studies and the different roles of social scientists (economics, geography, political science and history). They will then study location and maps, including their different purposes. Finally, students will explore an overview of the United States regions and begin to understand how each region is unique and different.

Advanced/ Intermediate japanese

Students will learn about Japan as a part of the world in the first quarter.  They will be able to locate where Japan is using technical terms necessary for the maps. In the second quarter, students will learn about the human body.  They will be able to understand the parts of the body both in Japanese and English and explain the functions of each body part. In the third quarter, they will read folktales around the world.  They can read with understanding, and will be able to summarize and write their thoughts. In the fourth quarter, students will do the “SOY” Project, where they learn how the shapes change at each stage.  They will be able to write cooking recipes of their own. Students will also work extensively in improving their Kanji ability, learning about 100-150 more Kanji during the year, depending on their current level.

 

Beginners japanese

Students learn about Japan and Japanese cultures through a variety of activities. They will learn reading and writing Hiragana, position words, basic particles and simple sentence structures. They will be able to read, write and speak simple Japanese and ask basic questions in Japanese. They will be able to learn basic vocabularies needed for the N5 Japanese Language Proficiency Test.

 

Fourth-graders continue to learn more about the correct technique for manipulative skills. They can describe the similarities and differences between similar skills as well as the correct technique for the use of skills in different situations. Fourth-graders continue to include others in physical activities and respect individual differences in skill levels and motivation. They also continue their nutrition education by learning the role that food and water play in helping to improve physical performance. Students will also engage in lessons about grade level health and safety.

Students continue to explore the 3 content areas of health: Nutrition and Physical Activity, Injury Prevention and Safety, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs. Students are asked to take responsibility for learning about and making healthy choices in their everyday life. They identify personal long-term goals and formulate steps to reach them. Students will learn how to identify resources for valid information about safe and healthy foods, identify ways to reduce risk of injuries from fires, around water, while riding a motor vehicle, as a pedestrian, on the playground, and from falls and identify sources of valid information regarding alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

 

The Lower School Visual Art program engages students in making art, viewing and discussing art, learning about contexts in which art has been created, and pondering fundamental questions about art. Emphasis is placed on familiarizing students with a wide variety of studio materials, processes and a high level of fine motor dexterity. Through a variety of art activities students learn the fundamentals elements and principles of design such as line, texture, color, value, and balance. Students explore the art of many cultures and artistic styles throughout history.

All areas are continued (basic elements and recorders). In addition the fourth graders are introduced to the ukulele. The concept of vocal harmony is taught (two or more notes being sung at the same time). This is done by using Simple rounds or by using scale patterns starting at different times. New concepts will include rhythmic elements (tam-ti, ti-tam), music hand symbols (fa, low ti), and meters (anacrusis, 3 meter), and chords (I, IV, V).

Students will develop a set of core values they can build on and call on throughout their life to guide their behavior and attitudes. The “Building Blocks” of character, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness and care; and the “Building Blocks” of Moral awareness, gratitude, love, compassion, cooperation and generosity/charity are some topics covered in grade 4.  Throughout the year students will have an introduction to different religions. Religious backgrounds and appreciation of world religions will be fully included in this course. This course introduces Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Judaism over the school year.

Fourth-grade students learn more sophisticated search techniques. They use standard reference tools in print and online. They understand and can explain the organization of nonfiction books in the school library. Students become more knowledgeable about online searching. Students are aware that not everyone on the Internet is truthful or reliable. In fourth grade, students extract information from resources. They identify the factors that make a source comprehensive, current, credible, accurate, and authoritative. Students also communicate with others outside the school environment through the use of technology to share information. Fourth-grade students read increasingly complex works. They know the purpose of age-appropriate book awards such as the Caldecott, Newbery, and Sakura awards.

In grade five, students will increase their facility with the four basic arithmetic operations applied to fractions and decimals. They will learn how to write and evaluate number sentences using variables. Students will know and use common measuring units to determine length and area and they will know and use formulas to determine the volume of simple geometric figures. Students will know the concept of angle measurement and will use a protractor and compass to solve problems. They will use grids, tables, graphs, and charts to record and analyze data.

Grade 5 students will explore Living Things and Ecosystems. Students will learn about an ecosystem, the roles within an ecosystem (decomposers, consumers, producers), how matter and energy moves within an ecosystem, how ecosystems change, and what’s healthy or unhealthy within an ecosystem. They will move on to, investigate, Earth Systems. Students will explore the four primary systems of Earth, how the Earth produces weather and climate, how various industries affect the Earth, how we as humans directly affect the Earth, and what we can do to protect the systems of the Earth. Next,  grade 5 will investigate, Changes in Matter. Students will be guided through understanding matter, what it’s made of, how substances can be identified, the causes of change, how weight can be affected by changes, what people can do about natural hazards, and how engineers can improve materials. They will finish by learning about the earth, the moon, and the stars. Students will explore what gravity is, why the sun is brighter than other stars, how there is night and day, why stars seem to move in the night sky over time, why the moon appears to change shape and move around, and how scientists observe space.

The grade five social studies curriculum ‘America’s Past’ covers American history from the first migrations into the Americas through the 20th century. Intense interaction with the personalities, places, and events that structured the nation leads students to be both keen observers of and informed participants in U.S. history.

Advanced/Intermediate japanese

Advanced Japanese focuses on learning the Japanese language within the context of the content areas of science, Japanese social studies, and Japanese literature. During the first semester of the Grade 5 course, students will have a brief introduction to ancient ways of living in Japan, beginning the goal of students understanding how life styles change through time and comparing lifestyles of the past with those present in modern Japan. Students will also gain general knowledge and understanding of astronomy. During the second semester, the focus will change to creating three paragraph essays using appropriate vocabulary, form, and style. Students will read a biography of a Japanese astronaut and other non-fictional stories while sharing their opinions during class discussions. By the end of the course, students will have developed greater ability organizing and expressing their thoughts, in writing and verbally, using the appropriate Japanese, in the content areas mentioned. Students will also work extensively in improving their Kanji ability, learning about 100-150 more Kanji during the year, depending on their current level.

 

Beginners japanese

Students will learn about Japan and Japanese culture through a variety of activities. Besides the basic Japanese, they learn the present tense, past tense and the future tense. The goal is to be able to understand simple spoken Japanese, be able to express simple ideas, ask simple questions, and be able to communicate with others in Japanese. Students will learn reading, writing Hiragana, Katakana and 80 basic kanji depending on each student's level during the course.

The practice of manipulative skills continues to play a much greater role in fifth grade physical education. The emphasis for fifth grade is improving distance and accuracy. Students focus on both when practicing throwing, fielding, punting, striking, serving, dribbling, passing, and volleying as well as refining their performances of trapping and catching. In preparation for game play in sixth grade, students learn about the importance of open space from a strategic perspective. They also continue their nutrition education by learning meal planning, the effects of dehydration and the benefits of maintaining a healthy body composition. Students will also engage in lessons about grade level health and safety.

Students continue to explore the 3 content areas of health: Nutrition and Physical Activity, Growth, Development, and Sexual Health, Personal and Community Health. In grade 5 students are asked to look deeper into the risk factors that compromise our health. They are also asked to practice consumer advocacy and acknowledge the role of community in promoting health and safety. Students will learn how to describe the food groups, including recommended portions to eat from each food groups, to recognize that there are individual differences in growth and development, physical appearance, and gender roles and to practice effective communication skills to seek help for health-related problems or emergencies.

 

The Lower School Visual Art program engages students in making art, viewing and discussing art, learning about contexts in which art has been created, and pondering fundamental questions about art. Emphasis is placed on familiarizing students with a wide variety of studio materials, processes and a high level of fine motor dexterity. Through a variety of art activities students learn the fundamentals elements and principles of design such as line, texture, color, value, and balance. Students explore the art of many cultures and artistic styles throughout history.

Fifth graders are challenged with singing (melodies and simple harmonies), recorders, rhythm and note reading, listening, small and large ensemble playing using recorders, ukuleles, xylophones, or other instruments. Time will be spent in selecting a musical instrument for the following year (6th grade). Students will get a chance to see and hear the instruments of the band (woodwinds, brass, and percussion) to help make their selection. New concepts will include rhythmic elements (triplets), music hand symbols (ti), major and minor scales, key signatures, and more in depth covering of keyboard instruments.

Students will have the opportunity to look unto their relationship with others and with the world. This course aims to develop the students’ sense of connection to others. Topics such as respect for life, rules of living, service and prayer will be included. Throughout the course, pupils will be brought to understanding that people are endowed with gifts but such gifts must be used for the good of others by serving the less fortunate and taking care of the environment.

Fifth-grade students continue to read a wide variety of grade-level-appropriate text, both in print and online. In fifth grade, students understand how features of both print and digital text make information accessible. They use appropriate reference materials to obtain needed information. Students are able to define the topic of a research investigation and use keyword searches to locate information online. Fifth-grade students are comfortable locating materials in the library. Students evaluate the source and the information for accuracy, credibility and relevance. When necessary, students use more than one resource to verify and determine accuracy. They also record bibliographic information in an acceptable format. Fifth-grade students use basic safety procedures when online. They demonstrate legal and ethical behavior in information use.

This class occurs once per cycle and is taught by the Head of Lower Elementary. The program implemented, BOOST: Emotional Intelligence in Students, is used for Grades 5 and 6. The Program aims to increase self and other awareness, understanding, and establish relational skills for life through stories, activities and discussion.

The science curriculum in grade six emphasizes the study of earth sciences. Students at this age are increasing their awareness of the environment and are ready to learn more. The standards in grade six present many of the foundations of geology and geophysics, including plate tectonics and earth structure, topography, and energy. The material is linked to resource management and ecology, building on what students have learned in previous grades. Unless students take a high school earth science class, what they learn in grade six will be their foundation for earth science literacy.

Students in grade six expand their understanding of history by studying the people and events that ushered in the dawn of the major Western and non-Western ancient civilizations. Geography is of special significance in the development of the human story. Continued emphasis is placed on the everyday lives, problems, and accomplishments of people, their role in developing social, economic, and political structures, as well as in establishing and spreading ideas that helped transform the world forever. Students develop higher levels of critical thinking by considering why civilizations developed where and when they did, why they became dominant, and why they declined. Students analyze the interactions among the various cultures, emphasizing their enduring contributions and the link, despite time, between the contemporary and ancient worlds.

Japanese advanced/intermediate

Advanced Japanese focuses on learning the Japanese language within the context of the content areas of science, Japanese social studies, and Japanese literature. During the first semester of the Grade 6 course, students will learn the ancient ways of living in Japan from BC (Jomon period) to 2AC (Yayoi period), beginning the goal of students understanding how life styles change through time and comparing lifestyles of the past with those present in modern Japan. Students will also gain general knowledge and understanding of scientific experiments in Japanese. During the second semester, the focus will change to creating five paragraph essays using appropriate vocabulary, form, and style. Students will read non-fictional stories about The Great Hanshin Earthquake while sharing their opinions during class discussions. They also work on typing their essay using computers and learn how to proof-read and revise their drafts. By the end of the course, students will have developed greater ability organizing and expressing their thoughts, in writing and verbally, using the appropriate Japanese, in the content areas mentioned. Students will also work extensively in improving their Kanji ability, learning about 100-150 more Kanji during the year, depending on their current level.

 

Japanese beginners

Students learn about Japan and Japanese cultures through a variety of activities. They will learn reading and writing Hiragana, Katakana and basic 80 kanji depending on each student’s level. The goal is to be able to understand simple spoken Japanese, follow the instructions, be able to express simple ideas, ask questions, and be able to communicate with others in Japanese.

The physical education program in grade six provides the opportunity to expand a student’s performance and understanding of fundamental movement and motor skills to more specialized movement and motor skills used in a variety of content areas. In sixth grade, students are involved in cooperative games that use rules, skills, and offensive strategies. The skills students learn in grade 6 will be able to be transferred to competitive game situations. Students will also engage in lessons about grade level health and safety.

Students continue to explore the 3 content areas of health: Injury Prevention and Safety, Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs, Mental Emotional and Social Health. Students focus on what they can do to promote good health and their personal well-being. They will learn to make informed decisions, modify behaviors and change social conditions in ways that are health enhancing and increase health literacy. Students will learn to explain methods to reduce conflict, harassment, and violence, explain short- and long-term effects of alcohol, tobacco, inhalant, and other drug use, including social, legal, and economic and describe the importance of setting personal boundaries for privacy, safety, and expressions of emotions and opinions.

 

The 6th graders music class consists of beginning band. The basic elements are still a main focus including note and rhythm reading, simple musical forms, musical term definition, proper instrument maintenance, and breath control and support.  Students select an instrument based on their class at the end of Grade 5 or the beginning of Grade 6.  The classes are split into Woodwind (flute or clarinet) or Brass (trumpet or trombone) based on what students select. Instruments are expanded to include saxophone, percussion, or other brass instruments throughout the course of the year based upon the discretion of the teacher.  There are instruments available through the school, but students are encouraged to purchase an instrument if possible.  Rental agreements and fees apply to students who do not purchase their own instrument.

Students will have the opportunity to think about choices in their personal deeds and daily life, as well as the standards and values of society that influence their choices. This course will help guide students to think critically and to evaluate their acceptance in building a good character. Topics such as Love, Care, Truthfulness and Charity/Compassion are the emphasis throughout the course. All of the topics will be discussed in relation to God, others and the environment. In this course the students also study people who have made great contributions to society, such as - Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Dalai Lama and Mother Theresa.

This class occurs once per cycle and is taught by the Head of Lower Elementary. The program implemented, BOOST: Emotional Intelligence in Students, is used for Grades 5 and 6. The Program aims to increase self and other awareness, understanding, and establish relational skills for life through stories, activities and discussion.