Specials: Art, Music and Science

This year, Paddington added Art, Music and Science specials to our curriculum. Each classroom has specials twice per week and the teachers are in the classroom for a three week rotation. Having a three week rotation allows for a deep dive into each area of exploration. Here's a little more on our first semester of specials.

ART // Miss Amy
My biggest priority is and will continue to be encouraging a love of imagining, exploring, and creating with children at Paddington. Making art should be freeing, expressive, and most importantly, fun! Focusing on the process rather than the product fosters children’s confidence to try first and see what happens. We’ve experimented with a variety of mediums and have learned about different elements of art along the way: line, shape, color, form, and texture. I believe that everyone is an artist if they want to be, regardless of age, knowledge, or ability. We will continue to create masterpieces, let our imaginations run wild, and play as we express ourselves together. Stay tuned for what we create next!

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SCIENCE // Miss Chelsey
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Learning about our natural world is instinctive for our young learners! Using a variety of tools, we are exploring the world around us by discovering the physical characteristics of objects, practicing the scientific method by asking questions and recording our data through pictures and words. We started out the year looking around our environments learning about our senses. There have been experiments including making butter using heavy cream and looking at how bubble machines work. Looking forward we will explore weather, machines and continue our discoveries of the natural world.

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MUSIC // Miss Linda
Let’s make some noise! Exploring rhythm and volume using a variety of instruments, we are now confidently playing some improvised tunes for each other. We’ve explored the xylophone, metallophone, maracas, drums, and rhythm sticks so far… It’s been energizing to play along to Queen’s “We will rock you”, Harry Bellafonte’s “Jump in the Line”, and Michael Viner’s “Bongolia”. As we delve deeper into our musical journey, we will add comparative and opposite language (piano vs forte, andante vs allegro).

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If you are interested in learning more about Paddington you can find more on our curriculum here. Virtual tours are happening now for the 2022-23 school year. The application deadline is February 25. You can learn more about the admission process here or schedule a virtual tour.