Music

Have you ever felt chills down your spine while listening to music? Well many studies have proven music to be therapeutic and have reported that musical experience strengthens many of the same aspects of brain function that are impaired in individuals with language and learning difficulties. Music is universal, and we intend on utilizing it to bring children together. Learning how to sing, play various instruments, as well as reading/writing music will:

• Promote Wellness
• Manage Stress
• Alleviate Pain
• Express Feelings
• Enhance Memory
• Improve Communication
• Promote Physical Rehabilitation

Dance/Step

Aside from dance/step being extremely enjoyable, learning choreographed dance and step routines will:

• improved condition of your heart and lungs
• increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness
• increased aerobic fitness
• improved muscle tone and strength
• weight management
• stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis
• better coordination, agility and flexibility
• Become More Flexible
• Improves Strength
• Increases Endurance
• Improves Sense of Well-Being
• Makes You Smarter
• Keeps you Nimble
• Reduces Stress
• Helps with Weight Loss

Art

This activity involves daily and long-term projects related to various themes chosen by the students. Some projects are based on books that they have read, and are completed individually as well as in group activities. Art projects consist of painting, drawing, paper maché, clay, and collages.This activity provides a space for self-expression, creativity, develops self-confidence and encourages children to interact with their peers.

Literacy

In addition to reading and writing, this program includes the study of basic literary components. Students will engage in literacy Games, such as spelling bees, charades, hangman and more. The study of literary components involves selecting and writing synonyms, alliteration, rhyme, etc. Children will gain confidence in their own writing ability, display improvements in their vocabulary, and develop an overall excitement in reading and writing.

Book Club:
This is a group activity in which each student reads aloud one fragment of the book, while each member of the group follows with his or her own copy. The reading is followed by an open discussion or a related game such as acting and role playing.

Students will be able to derive ideas from the text and express a connection developed
between the ideas in the text and other ideas in their own personal experience(s).

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Brain Games:
These games offer the students a challenge in various subject areas (history, science, English). Some examples of the types of games played are Jeopardy, Trivia challenges, etc. These games are played on an individual as well as on a team basis, and they involve hands on activities with the aim of learn through play.

The students will associate different ways of thinking “outside the box” and will look to their team mates for help. This will encourage social interaction.

Chess Club:
In this activity, the students will learn the basic moves and openings of the game. They will play recreational games as well as organized tournament. The students will fill out their own chess worksheets to practice knowing pieces and strategies. The students are encouraged to learn notation in order to follow games described in books as well as to record their own games.

This activity helps teach problem solving and, through notation, it helps with such learning process as literacy by having the students associate a letter with a given row on the chess board.

STEM Lab:
This activity varies each week and consists primarily of hands-on experiments. Students will have the opportunity to make slime, erupting volcanos with baking soda, make tornados, build structures or mazes with wooden blocks, etc.

This activity exposes the students to basic principles of science, and the hands on experiments help them learn how to develop and test hypotheses, observe evidence, and derive logical conclusions.