Art, Music, Technology and Physical Education

Art

Saint Charles offers a comprehensive art program taught by a certified art teacher. The specially designed art room is conducive to creativity. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade receive art instruction one time each week. Grades six through eight receive instruction during eight-week block schedules, meeting four days a week.

Art instruction is interdisciplinary, reinforcing concepts in academic subjects. A sequential approach is used, with each grade building on the previous year's curriculum. Instruction covers art awareness; elements and principles of art; art history; terminology; multicultural effects of art; and critical thinking concepts. Hands-on creating allows young artists to experience painting, sculpting, drawing and textiles at age-appropriate levels. Various technology is also used to enhance the program.

Participation in various art shows and contests is a part of the program with Saint Charles students often earning awards. Each spring we showcase our students work at our annual art show. Parents may purchase a piece of their child's art, professionally framed, with proceeds benefitting the art department. After-school art enrichment classes are offered for all grades to further their experimention with multiple art techniques & medias. 

Music

Saint Charles recognizes that music is critical in the development of well-rounded students. Music is taught by a certified music teacher in a dedicated music room. Song, movement and instruments complement musical instruction. Concepts in rhythm, melody, harmony, form and tone color are taught along with historical periods of music, styles, and composers at age-appropriate levels.

Technology

Saint Charles strives to keep pace with continuously changing technology and realizes the importance for students to have a competitive edge in the technology area as part of their educational experience.

The school boasts a cutting-edge technology lab featuring award-winning interactive SMART Board technology. The lab is equipped with 40 networked computers that are connected to a fiber internet server. It also has Smart Response systems, digital scanners, cameras, video recorders and hand-held Garmin devices. The T.V. studio (WSCS), located in the back of the lab, is used to broadcast the morning announcements. The school maintains 60 iPads, on two carts, that are mobile for individual classrooms use. The teachers integrate these iPads into their lessons for the students to use.

In addition, each eighth grade student is loaned their own chromebook for the year to use daily. Teachers are able to use Google classroom to post assignments and activites for students. There are 55 additional chromebooks that each grade may use as well. 

Smart slates and Smart document cameras are used throughout the building. Smart Boards are mounted in each classroom to enhance interactive learning. Students have their own user names, passwords and work folders that can be accessed from any of the school's networked computers. Fast fiber internet is used in each of the rooms.

Students receive computer instruction weekly in grades kindergarten through six. Along with learning computer skills, the lessons are integrated with the classroom curriculum.

Grades six through eight also benefit from an integrated curriculum in which students are team-taught classroom lessons by both the classroom and technology teachers. While technology is advancing at a tremendous rate, St. Charles School continues to move forward in the world of technology to provide our students with a wonderful education. 

The Principal communicates the weekly school news through “One Call Now”, an automated telephone messaging system. A weekly newsletter is sent home every Wednesday and additional upload attachments are available on Option C.

Teachers use Option C to post grades, progress reports, take attendance, etc. to effectively communicate with the parents through a password based internet program. Teachers have a non-interactive blog to communicate with parents regarding assignments, tests and classroom activities.

Physical Education       

It's not your "parents' gym class anymore"..."It's a whole new ball game." Puns intended! In fact, gym is no longer a class at all. It's now defined as the place where students take Physical Education.

Physical Education at Saint Charles is an exciting, innovative program that has emerged to replace the gym class of the past.

Its curriculum centers around body and spatial awareness, cooperation, skill building, incremental levels of age-appropriate competition and sportsmanship. The goal is to promote life-long physical fitness by utilizing traditional activities and introducing new ones, including orienteering, pickle ball, cup stacking, roller-skating, juggling, and fencing, to name a few.

The program emphasizes that Physical Education is not necessarily about being an athlete; it's learning how your body works with your mind and helps you to live a healthy life.