A Day In The Life Of…

Our School

Our teachers and staff think joy is an important part of the learning environment and as such, try at every opportunity to share that joy with our students.  We have found staff videos one way to do just that!   Check out our full collection of videos here!

Kindergarten

Our kindergarten learners are having lots of fun preparing for first grade!  Music, theater, and art is integrated into each of our school days, as we:

  • Watch lady bugs develop throughout their life cycle
  • Observe our own seeds germinate
  • Learn about and the environment and weather including how to stay safe in severe weather
  • Learn about the United States
  • Explore ways community helpers support us
  • Take a field trip to a local fire station
  • Learn all about the sun!
  • Develop and maintain positive friendship

1st Grade

 

Our First Grade Mantra

In first grade, we work extremely hard to build an understanding and acceptance for others around us.  We give our learners the tools needed to develop independence which helps them thrive in any environment.  We strive for a classroom filled with creative ideas, fun projects, and real-life examples to drive home a love for life-long learning.

2nd Grade

As our 2nd graders prepare for 3rd grade:

  • We are learning about money, fractions, time, and geometry.
  • We are learning about Japan.
  • We are learning about Earth systems, Space, and weather.
  • We are learning how to write “How To’s”, persuasive writing components, Fairy Tales, and poetry.
  • We are learning about literal versus non literal language, similes, character motivation, prefixes, lines and stanzas, alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition, personification, problem/solution, shades of meaning, parts of speech, author’s purpose, and homophones.

3rd Grade

3rd grade is expanding their writing and math skills in preparation for 4h grade.

We read short stories, chapter books, informational texts share what we have read and learned with the class.  In general, we integrate the science of weather, animals, and plant life into our daily reading and arts integration. In math, we use lots of manipulatives, visuals, and social activities to work through third and fourth grade math standards, focusing on real-world problems, as a means of being college, career, and community ready.

We learn science, and social studies in a productive, hands-on environment, connecting what we’ve been learning in ELA and math. We are actively engaged in our learning and like to share our progress through projects, plays, and activities.

4th Grade

4th grade is working on a lot of exciting projects:

  • 4th & 5th grade classes will build a Gaga ball pit and garden beds for AAK learners to play in and grow. This culminating project integrates math, writing, economics, history and science.
  • In science, we have been learning about Earth’s place in the atmosphere and solar system. The next unit involves engineering practices and many STEM activities.
  • April is poetry month. We will write poetry for upcoming occasions with plans to incorporate the piano music we have been learning in music class as well!
  • Earth Day is April 22. We will create and display an art piece in our hallway that demonstrates the importance of recycling and upcycling.
  • May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We will read and learn about ways to better our own mental health!

5th Grade

During the final quarter at AAK, 5th graders will explore and discover many Earthly phenomenon.

From the stars of the night sky, all the way down to the pyramids of Egypt, we integrate technology to give our 5th graders a glimpse into the science and social science of the world in which they live. They will study the Earth and the different cycles and interactions between organic and non-organic materials to understand how life is supported.

We will also do a collaborative project with 4th grade to create a sustainable recreation game and garden site at AAK.

This will be an exciting and dynamic end to elementary school for our 5th graders!

Expressions

Movement is so much more at AAK! Every student participates in our Expressions class focusing on drama, dance, and physical well-being. This class integrates the lessons taught in class and brings them alive through movement, dance, and drama! Students focus on the fundamentals of movement and community building while being encouraged to be their authentic selves and take healthy risks.

Art

AAK Art class is designed for learners creativity and curiosity to flourish. Mrs. Art’s approach to unleashing visual art creativity is based on “The Seven Steps to Genius” by Michael J. Gelb in his book “How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci.”

  1. Curiosity
  2. Independent Thinking
  3. Refine Your Senses
  4. Embrace Uncertainty
  5. Art & Science, whole-brain thinking
  6. Mind-Body Care
  7. Interconnectedness.

The AAK art room functions as a working art studio; we can often be found engaging in three different projects at once. Learners experience different mediums throughout the year to discover a what works best for their chosen subject and goals.  Learners engage in 1 hours art classes twice a week offering time to explore processes and self expression.

AAK learners are currently preparing for our annual Art Gala!  Be sure to check out the amazing creations submitted by all of our learners at that event!

Music

All AAK learners work beyond the Colorado Music Standards.  Every day is a new adventure; that’s what Mrs. Floyd loves about teaching music at AAK!

Kindergarten: moves to music, learns instrument families by sight and sound, uses real music terminology.

First Grade: Masters beat competency, learns song form, explores unpitched percussion, and improvises with voices, sounds, and instruments.

Second Grade: Reads and writes basic rhythm notation and uses pitched percussion to accompany our voices.  We know all about tonality too!

Third Grade:  We learn to play the recorder!  We read basic music notation and write professional songs for a songbook that we produce ourselves.

Fourth Grade: Reads treble and bass clef because we play pianos!  We know all about articulation and piano notation.

Fifth Grade: We start Percussion Ensemble and become rhythm readers.  We learn about chord progressions on the guitar, and write our own songs using instruments of our choice to end the year.