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Specials

Specials Teachers

Kari Carlson

Kari Carlson

Elementary Teacher
Melanie Chadwick

Melanie Chadwick

Elementary Teacher
Lisa Roenfeldt

Lisa Roenfeldt

Elementary Teacher
Michelle Welch

Michelle Welch

Elementary Teacher
Joshua Winans

Joshua Winans

Elementary Teacher

Specials Overview

Special area subjects, called "specials," are electives taken in primary school. Specials are taught by specific, specialized teachers to give children a more rounded education. They're an addition to regular classroom studies, including physical education, arts and technology.

Fine Arts Department Overview

The fine arts are art forms that create works that are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, photography, video, filmmaking and architecture. These definitions should not be taken too strictly as many artistic disciplines (performing arts, conceptual art, textile arts) involve aspects of the visual arts as well as arts of other types. Also included within the visual arts are the applied arts such as industrial design, graphic design, fashion design, interior design and decorative art. The current usage of the term "visual arts" includes fine art as well as the applied, decorative arts and crafts.

Teaching the arts disciplines is essential to developing creativity, synergistic thinking, empathy, expression and the ability to view the world through multiple perspectives. Whether students are learning individual skills or are applying skills to enhance a collaborative ensemble, the arts demand perseverance, diligence, flexible thinking and innovation. The 21st century, conceptual age requires people who are dynamic, multi-disciplined, global thinkers which are the fundamental benefits of a comprehensive arts education.
 
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. The word derives from Greek μουσική (mousike; "art of the Muses"). The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of music vary according to culture and social context. Music ranges from strictly organized compositions (and their recreation in performance), through improvisational music to aleatoric forms. Music can be divided into genres and subgenres, although the dividing lines and relationships between music genres are often subtle, sometimes open to personal interpretation, and occasionally controversial. Within the arts, music may be classified as a performing art, a fine art, and auditory art. It may also be divided among art music and folk music. There is also a strong connection between music and mathematics. Music may be played and heard live, may be part of a dramatic work or film, or may be recorded.

Health & Physical Education Department Overview

Physical education, PE or physical training, is an educational course related to the physique of the human body, taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting to promote health.

Physical education trends have developed recently to incorporate a greater variety of activities besides typical sports. Introducing students to activities like bowling, walking, hiking or frisbee at an early age can help students develop good activity habits that will carry over into adulthood. Some teachers have even begun to incorporate stress-reduction techniques such as yoga, deep-breathing and tai chi.

Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living organism. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind and body, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain. The World Health Organization defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Other definitions have been proposed, among which a recent definition that correlates health and personal satisfaction.

Comprehensive health and physical education standards incorporate a wealth of 21st century skills that are critical to making healthy choices for the lifelong success of every student. Teaching comprehensive health and physical education in every Colorado school means that students will have more opportunities to master key life skills that employers are increasingly demanding, such as teamwork, goal setting, appreciating people’s differences, managing stress, and resolving conflicts.

Educational Content Areas

The power of Colorado’s education improvement efforts lies in having a comprehensive system consisting of relevant and rigorous standards, aligned and meaningful assessments, excellent teachers and school leaders, and high-performing schools and districts. All aspects of the system are continuously improving to advance student learning and prepare students to succeed in an increasingly competitive workforce The Colorado Academic Standards are the expectations of what students need to know and be able to do at the end of each grade. They also stand as the values and content organizers of what Colorado sees as the future skills and essential knowledge for our next generation to be more successful. State standards are the basis of the annual state assessment.

Colorado has 10 content areas:
  • Colorado Arts
    • Music
    • Visual Arts
    • Theatre
    • Dance
  • Comprehensive Health and Physical Education
  • Mathematics
  • Reading, Writing, and Communicating
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • World Languages