Visual Arts
All Birches students develop artwork using a variety of mediums in many disciplines, including drawing, painting, sculpture, graphic design, printmaking, ceramics and more. Lessons are planned to nurture experimentation with processes and materials and tie into core classroom topics. The elements of art: line, shape, form, value, space, color, and texture are introduced in the lower grade bands. Later on, the principles of design are added: balance, contrast, movement, proportions, rhythm, unity, and perspective. By Middle School, the concepts of meaning, messaging, and context are explored. As the student artists are producing art in different media they are also exposed to a variety of contemporary and historical artists from diverse world cultures. Student artists present their artwork and participate in class critiques where they demonstrate their understanding and use of art terms.
It is often said that ‘there are no mistakes in art.” However, the unique challenges and excitement of art making is instead, what to do with mistakes as they inevitably arise. Discovery, problem-solving, refining, and iteration are essential to the creative process. At Birches, we believe that the art classroom is a safe place for students to take risks, explore ideas, and develop unique voices in a supportive environment.
Music
K - 3rd Grade
The central goal for music class is the encouragement of singing, moving, and participating in shared musical activities. K-3 music is experiential. Students sing, move, dance, and play instruments together, building a rich shared repertoire from which musical understanding grows. 2-3 music builds on the experiential foundation of K-1. Students continue to sing, dance, and play together, and their shared repertoire becomes the doorway to music literacy. Second graders learn to read and write rhythmic notation. Third graders add melodic notation to familiar rhythms and test their knowledge by decoding written melodies on the recorder. 2-3 students compose and improvise their own music, sing rounds and canons in two parts, and play barred and unpitched percussion instruments in ensembles. They use their thematic studies as a springboard to create and perform a musical.
4/5
4-5 music centers on the ukulele. Students learn healthy playing technique, tune and care for their instruments, and grow into musicians who can strum chords, pick melodies, and accompany their own singing. 4-5 students expand their music literacy skills with increasingly complex rhythms, more melodic choices, and beginning harmony. Students also compose original tunes, sing a varied repertoire in unison and two parts, and practice the ensemble skills of listening, blending, and keeping their own part.
6/7/8
Middle school musicians sing and play together every week, and the ensemble itself is the laboratory for everything they learn. They bring their own musical ideas to life through music with harmonic drive and a multi-part texture. Each class begins with singing and rhythmic exercises that keep foundational skills sharp and growing. Students take on focused projects as a large ensemble as well as in trios and quartets. They write original songs, taking an idea from the first spark through lyrics, melody, and arrangement. They explore the blues and jazz, learning beginning standards from a rich musical heritage.
Wellness
Our Kindergarten through 8th graders participate in weekly Wellness class that includes yoga & mindfulness. Throughout the arc of children’s developmental stages, we cultivate mindfulness by practicing paying attention to what is happening now, with kindness and curiosity. As students grow, we practice using awareness of breath as a tool to connect mind and body.
Yoga for our younger students includes movement games, an introduction to basic yoga poses, and exposure to the names of different emotions and how they might be associated with various physical sensations. Songs, books, and stories are used to further expose students to the concept of using poses as a tool for self-management. In 2nd-5th grade, students dive deeper into observing the physical and mental effects of various yoga poses. Students begin linking poses together to make sequences, and then designing their own yoga sequences. We explore guided relaxation. Our middle school (6th-8th grade) students focus on applying the use of these tools to their own self-management, such as creating a home yoga or meditation practice.
Spanish
At Birches, students begin Spanish classes in second grade, allowing them to gradually acquire the fundamental skills: writing, reading, grammar, and speaking. Our students learn by playing, singing, acting, and making mistakes. In addition, early exposure to a second language can help foster curiosity and open childrens’ minds to other languages and different cultures.
The 2-3 curriculum focuses on high-frequency vocabulary and student-centered language while incorporating music, movement, games, and cultural activities about the Spanish-speaking world. Emphasis is placed on listening and reading in Spanish. The goal is for students to acquire language that is meaningful to them in a supportive environment. The 4-5 class units are proficiency-oriented and focus on high-frequency vocabulary and student-centered language while incorporating music, games, and cultural activities about the Spanish-speaking world. Emphasis is placed on listening and reading in Spanish, and students engage in scaffolded writing activities. Middle school Spanish curriculum is proficiency-oriented language instruction that teaches language and culture simultaneously. Learn more about Spanish instruction and skills in each gradeband.
Growth Education
Social Emotional development is an integral aspect of education at Birches. In our Growth Ed program, students explore such essential topics of human development as self esteem, interpersonal skills, sexuality, personal safety, and appreciation and understanding of differences.
These topics are addressed in age appropriate ways throughout our classrooms, with formal Growth Ed classes for our 4th-8th Graders.
The purpose of the program is both to equip students with the skills they need in order to make decisions that support their long term health and happiness, as well as to know where to go to find trusted, healthy sources of information about puberty, gender, sexuality and reproduction. Our approach is LGBTQ+ inclusive. All gender and sexual identities are validated.
Accurate, age appropriate information is given. Equal importance is placed on creating a safe, supportive classroom climate, where students feel comfortable to bring their questions.
