Special Areas


Special Area Classes Offered at Old Kings Elementary School

Art
Marine Science
Media
Music
Physical Education


Art
The philosophy of the OKES Art Studio is that the student is the artist, and the art room is their studio. Over the course of the school year, students are invited to think about the question—what do artists do? 

With a variety of media centers, which are available at any time, students learn that artists can draw, paint, collage, sculpt, build, print, sew, weave, and much more. During demonstrations at the beginning of class, students learn various age-appropriate techniques for each media center, that build upon one another over their years at OKES.

During each class, students are expected to:
  • Come up with an idea for what they wish to create
  • Choose what media they will bring their idea to life with
  • Work through false starts and mistakes
  • Decide how long to work on an artwork
  • Determine when an artwork is finished
  • Share their finished and in progress work with their peers
Relevant artists, techniques, and suggestions are given to individual students as needed. Students also learn about the "Studio Habits of Mind" and how they can use them to become better artists.

Teacher
Ms. Carter
Marine Science
In Marine Science special area classes, students explore a wide variety of concepts through inquiry based learning. Examples of explorations include:
  • Research the variety and impact of marine science careers
  • Use the engineer design process with building a water vessel aligned to the topics of buoyancy, stability, and propulsion
  • Investigate sea organisms anatomy with multiple dissections
  • Explore the life cycles of fish by raising and releasing Trout and Striped Bass
  • Research and observe marine life adaptations by comparing bivalves to gastropods with a clam dissection
Teacher
Mr. Araujo
Media
Students utilize makerspaces and use makerspace tools to move from passive receivers of knowledge to real world makers. Students enjoy read-alouds and analyze how setting, events, conflict, and characterization contribute to the plot in a literary text.

With guidance and support from a teacher, students use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish a finished product relating to a work of literature. Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.

Teacher
Ms. Weeks
Music
Students gain an appreciation of music through the study of music theory, history, and the development of musical skills. 

Lower grades levels develop their skills using singing, rhythm sticks, scarves, and dance. Upper grade levels develop their skills using the piano keyboard, STOMP style percussion, guitars, barred instruments, as well as iPads.

Teacher
Dr. Harshbarger
Physical Education
Students will learn the basic skills needed to participate in all activities included in an outstanding Physical Education program.

Grades K–2 will focus on developing fundamental motor skills such as throwing, catching, kicking, running, jumping, and skipping. They will also learn about sportsmanship and emotional well-being.

Grades 3–6 will focus on physical fitness, as well as developing the knowledge and behaviors associated with a healthy, active lifestyle. Students will gain a variety of different sports skills, including teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play.

Teachers
Coach D'Ascheberg
Coach Landi
Coach Scott