Greenfield’s lower school has a strong core program for its Kindergarten through 4th Grade students. Our teachers strive to create an environment in which our students feel supported and challenged. Each lower school grade also has an enrichment program incorporated into their daily schedule to enhance their academic experience.The literacy curriculum is based on the Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI) and the school adopted the School district of Philadelphia math framework.
Lower School Curriculum (K-4)
Literacy
Science & Social Studies
Math & STEM
Art & Music
In the Greenfield art room, your son or daughter is learning to think like an artist. Ms. Mowery, Greenfield’s K-8 art teacher, is passionate about teaching students what a wonderful addition the arts can be to their lives. It is important to her that each students leaves her classroom thinking of themselves as creative problem solvers.
Our art curriculum is designed to give students of various learning styles and abilities a chance to build the following skills:
OBSERVING: Art is everywhere! We will learn how to observe our surroundings, looking closely for details. Students will compare and contrast famous works of art and attempt to incorporate aspects of their own life into art room projects.
PRACTICING: Students will have an opportunity to use a variety of materials in art class. We will use formal art elements and principles to guide our practice.
PROBLEM SOLVING: We will work in groups and as individuals to problem solve. Self-sufficiency and independent thinking is encouraged in each project.
MAKING CONNECTIONS: We will be creating art to connect with other cultures, art history, and ourselves.
REFLECTING: Self-reflection is something that artists of all ages use to streamline and improve their art. Students will be encouraged to share their reactions to many classic and modern works of art. Art class will become and environment where students feel comfortable offering and receiving constructive criticism.
HOW TO JOIN THE BAND PROGRAM!
When school begins in September, Mr. Aaron Stewart will begin accepting parental letters giving approval for your child to ” tryout” an instrument. The letter should include the students name, room number and the instrument that they would like to try. You can put the letter in my box in the office. The student should have some idea of what instrument sparks their interest. With their new classroom teacher’s approval as well, students will begin the process. Remember good grades, attendance and behavior must be in place to add this extended curriculum to your child’s life.
October is ” TRY OUT ” time and, in the order that the letters are received, students will be invited to come down and try it out.
The Albert Greenfield School Band Program
Greenfield has a thriving Instrumental Music program, with many students participating in the Band program from grades 4-8. Students are offered an instrument ( woodwind, brass or percussion) and will take a “once a week, 45 minute group lesson” as a beginner, primarily in 4th & 5th grade. They continue with more advanced studies in 6th-8th grade, with some exceptions. The program operates every Thursday during school hours (9:00am – 3:00 pm).
The band performs a Winter and Spring Concert utilizing the full band, drum line and/or a small chamber group. Many students progress in their studies and have been recipients of the Temple University Community Music Scholarship, receiving private lessons, ensembles and music theory classes. This commitment extends their performance opportunities immensely. Our advanced instrumentalist have also gained membership into the prestigious “All Philadelphia Middle School Concert Band”, an ensemble of over 130 students comprised of the best middle school musicians throughout the entire Philadelphia area, another extended performance opportunity. Many of our students go on to some of the most notable high schools in the area, with a strong foundation to build upon as they strive to achieve their goals and dreams.
As a instrumental music educator, my goal is for the students involved in the band program to develop a strong sense of hard work, dedication, confidence, commitment, ownership, musical skills and knowledge while building a community of friendship, trust and fun.
Greenfield has a thriving Instrumental Music program, with many students participating in the Band program from grades 4-8. Students are offered an instrument ( woodwind, brass or percussion) and will take a “once a week, 45 minute group lesson” as a beginner, primarily in 4th & 5th grade. They continue with more advanced studies in 6th-8th grade, with some exceptions. The program operates every Thursday during school hours (9:00am – 3:00 pm).
The band performs a Winter and Spring Concert utilizing the full band, drum line and/or a small chamber group. Many students progress in their studies and have been recipients of the Temple University Community Music Scholarship, receiving private lessons, ensembles and music theory classes. This commitment extends their performance opportunities immensely. Our advanced instrumentalist have also gained membership into the prestigious “All Philadelphia Middle School Concert Band”, an ensemble of over 130 students comprised of the best middle school musicians throughout the entire Philadelphia area, another extended performance opportunity. Many of our students go on to some of the most notable high schools in the area, with a strong foundation to build upon as they strive to achieve their goals and dreams.
As a instrumental music educator, my goal is for the students involved in the band program to develop a strong sense of hard work, dedication, confidence, commitment, ownership, musical skills and knowledge while building a community of friendship, trust and fun.
Greenfield offers general music classes for all students grades K-8. Our teacher, Mr. Stambaugh, teaches Music Learning Theory (MLT) – a philosophy of music pedagogy that emphasizes development of “audition,” or an internal ear. Lower School musicians (K-4) actively listen, sing, move, and play in each and every music class to acculturate them to a wide and diverse variety of music. Upper School musicians (5-8) continue to build these skills while applying them in a project-based curriculum centered on performance, improvisation, and composition. Greenfield musicians have access to classroom sets of ukuleles, Orff instruments, guitars, and recorders as well as a panoply of auxiliary percussion instruments and a school subscription to SoundTrap. However, the most important instruments in music class are the ones each Greenfield student takes with them everywhere they go – their voices.
Enrichment Programs
Through Greenfield’s Home & School Association’s fundraising efforts, Greenfield is able to offer each grade a special enrichment program to enhance our students’ academic and cultural experience.
Butterflies
Each kindergarten class receives a kit designed specifically for teachers and classrooms. It enables each student to raise his or her own Painted Lady Butterfly and witness the wonder of the butterfly life cycle, providing educators with many opportunities to teach science, math, reading, environmental studies and environmental awareness.
Yoga
At the beginning of the year, our Kindergarten students will work with Miss Kathy and start slowly with kid-friendly yoga poses. The poses we practice contain names relatable to children; animals, shapes, & things found in nature. With each class we will build upon these poses as we learn more about our bodies & breath. In addition to yoga poses, Mindfulness will be introduced through fun games, activities, & props related to both yoga & mindfulness throughout the year. At the end of each yoga class, children will have a chance to rest and relax for a few minutes, receiving all the benefits of their practice as they reflect quietly, both with and without guidance from myself.
Chicks from Quiver Farms
Each 1st grade classroom receives 12 incubated eggs, an incubator and a brooder box from Quiver Farm. Children are amazed to watch the chicks hatch!
Koresh School of Dance
Each 1st grade classroom also experiences a 4-week program at Koresh School of Dance where they walk to the studio and learn hip-hop.
MacGuffin
All three Second Grade classes will work with the MacGuffin Theatre company to produce a short musical comedy over a 12-week session from February to April. Drama teachers will come into the classroom for one 45-minute session a week and teach confidence, public speaking, memorization, empathy, character building and creativity.
Dance Xchange
Based on the award-winning methodology of the National Dance Institute, Dance eXchange takes Ballet X teaching artists and live musicians into the classroom, where they use dance to build students’ self-confidence and set goals for personal standards of excellence.
History Hunters
The History Hunters Youth Reporter Program is an exciting, literacy-based educational program that takes students to five exceptional historic houses during the school year. Students in the program will become investigative reporters, writing about their experiences with the history, buildings and artifacts of their community.
Lower School Faculty
Greenfield’s lower school teachers create a warm environment where the groundwork is established for K-4th graders to thrive. Teachers motivate and inspire our students to support each other and to develop a lifelong love of learning.
