Enrichment

I give them real world-type problems, and they try to figure out ways to fix the problems or improve on things that have already been created. We use everyday items around the house along with school items for projects such as:

• a working magnetic crane
• cotton ball launchers
• paper airplane designs that we launch with rubber bands
• using a cup and balloon to harness air power that can knock over stacks of cups
• catapults that really work using a few simple items
• experiments with different ways to successfully grow huge crystals
• using electrical circuits to design things such as lighthouses that light up and motors that run things

I also help them understand and solidify things they have learned in science, math, and art by doing demonstrations of labs they would not be able to do because of their age or lack of a true science lab with enough of the necessary equipment or supplies.  Everything we do or I demonstrate is safe for the students and myself at all times.  We also have a school science fair. We have attended the district STEAM fair and the district science fair in which we had the most entries and won 1st place at both in different categories.

Here at Disney Elementary, the selected third, fourth grade and fifth grade students are heavily engaged in preparing for the Any Given Child Project. They will perform at the PAC in May. The younger classes are learning songs and movements for the spring program which will be held at night in March for the parents and community to attend. The students are learning to play recorder music and will sing jazz selections. 

Ms. Willis teaches the children to play several percussion instruments, the xylophone, metallophone, tambourines, cymbals and drums. Ms. Willis teaches an introduction to concepts such as beat, rhythm and pitch, Students are taught scales, notation, the art of singing, and interpretative dance.  The music class is given an opportunity to showcase their new skills by performing in the monthly Citizen of the Month assemblies and our holiday programs. 

Our gifted and talented program, SPARK, is available for students in pre-K through 6th grade. We provide appropriate educational opportunities for students who give evidence of high-performance capability in areas such as intellectual ability, creative, artistic or leadership or in specific academic areas that are not ordinarily provided by the school curricula.  We focus on 21 Century Learning Skills: Collaboration, Communication, Creative and Critical thinking.