Specials

Life Skills is a Developmental Guidance Program. Our school counselors meet with each classes once a week for thirty minutes. Topics in the curriculum include the following:

• Self-esteem
• Protective behaviors and personal safety (including A.L.I.C.E., safe touches, and support systems)
• Friendship skills
• Conflict resolution
• Character education
• Academic skills
• Career exploration 

If you have any questions about Life Skills classes, please contact Brandi Knott

Music is the universal language that we all can share.

We are fortunate to have a dedicated music classroom where students can express music through a variety of domains.

National Learning Standards include:
1.Singing 
2.Playing Instruments
3.Improvising
4.Composing
5.Reading and Notating
6.Listening
7.Evaluating
8.Relating Music to the other Arts

Understanding music in relation to history and culture
Learning concepts is important in music and at the same time we must make sure our students are connecting,  creating, responding and performing in our field of learning. Engaging our students to be lifetime learners and lovers of music is our number one goal. 

Kindergarten students learn several singing games to help nurture their singing through play. They are learning how to sing by listening and echoing voice timbres and using expressive qualities. Forte/ Piano are some examples of using their voice in an expressive way. The students are learning to read and write simple rhythms using quarter, eighth notes and rests. They can use rhythms to read and clap a song as they are learning the words. High and low sounds can be matched by following a simple line. Ask your kiddos to make a song by drawing a picture….using up and down line patterns.

1st grade students are building on these skills by reading notes on the staff. We introduce these notes by using the musical scale. Sol. La. Mi and Do are sung and read in many songs at this level. The students are beginning to sight sing these notes while learning a new song. By combining a variety of rhythms and melodic notes the students learn how songs are composed and put together. Finding patterns and singing help enhance your child’s literacy skills.
2nd grade students continue their note reading on the scale by adding the note Re to their repertoire. Do,Re,Mi,Sol,La is known as a Pentatonic scale and our kiddos are reading and notating these notes in a variety of songs. Notating songs is the beginning skills we learn to compose or create music.

3rd grade students learn the letter names of the notes on the treble clef so they can apply their note reading to the recorder. This instrument is introduced in this year so they can make choices in the years to come to join the band or string program. Students in third grade learn how to play, read, and compose songs using B-A-G. They are introduced to the notes D and E before the end of the year. Our goal is to help them become confident note readers by the time they leave Altmayer school. During this year the students continue to sing and play a variety of songs while they learn about all the instruments of the Orchestra. 

4th grade students will have the option to join the string program during their music class time. The students who join Orchestra will continue their note reading on the violin, viola, or cello. The students who decide not to take a string instrument will continue learning notes on their recorder. Music is offered two times a week so one lesson will be on the instruments and the other lesson will be in general music where we will continue to sing, and practice the various skills.  

Physical education helps children develop the physical competencies that lead to confidence and participation in physical activity for a lifetime.  Our goal is to help children find a variety of ways to enjoy being physically active so that they will be able to get all of the physical, emotional, intellectual and social benefits that come to someone who is physically active throughout his or her life.  We want all students to become lifelong movers and physically literate.

Elementary students have physical education three times a week for a 30-minute period. The program has been designed to focus on four areas that will contribute to one’s physical health and well being:

• Movement Concepts: The variety of ways we move (e.g. running, skipping, hopping) changes of directions, levels, speeds, pathways and different ways to balance.  The ways we use the space around us.
• Skill Themes: Basic motor skills such as throwing, kicking, striking, dribbling, rhythms, and gymnastics are taught.
• Lead Up Games: Games that introduce sport skills and strategies. Team building and sportsmanship are also incorporated throughout the year.
• Wellness Concepts: These concepts are taught throughout the year.They include fitness concepts of flexibility and strength, ways to improve cardiovascular endurance and recognition of a few large muscle groups.