Enrichments

Students begin their discovery of music in as Little Pioneers in the Children’s Center. They explore, perform and create music in various styles. Students learn the fundamentals in the early years, such as pitch, rhythm, tonality, and instrumentation. Using this foundational understanding and appreciation of music, students begin to create and perform original music in the upper years. Throughout the program, they discover music’s various uses and connections to the world around them. For example, students have the opportunity to participate in theatrical productions each year. The performing arts program at Kehoe-France includes technique, culture, history, performance, and theory. This well-rounded approach guides all students to find meaning and purpose in their pursuit of music.

At Kehoe-France, art is an exploratory master class in fine arts. Students at all grade levels will use a variety of art-making tools and techniques. After learning elements of art, they will be able to identify, interpret, and describe subject matter within works of art. Students will be exposed to classical through contemporary artists and explore the world using artmaking. They learn that art is a means of communication, a means of expression of both emotional and intellectual perspectives, and a vehicle for wondering and reflecting. Students will gain an awareness of the role of art throughout history, today, and across cultures. They will develop confidence and experience joy through creative expression. Beginning in fifth grade, students will record this process of learning by keeping a process journal.

Students begin to engage in Spanish in Pre-K3 twice each week with increasing frequency as they enter fifth grade. It is designed to take advantage of the natural language-learning ability of a young learner. An emphasis is placed on verbal skills in the early years through interactive games, storytelling, projects, and songs, specifically by responding to teacher commands in the target language. The language learning skills that students acquire during the elementary and middle years will help develop the skills that they will need to participate in simple conversations and respond appropriately to basic conversational prompts. The curriculum is aligned with national standards emphasizing the four skills: reading, speaking, writing, and listening.

Our STEM program educates students in science, technology, engineering, and math as an integrated class rather than as separate subjects. The learning is hands-on, inquiry-based, and focused on real-world problem-solving that helps develop critical thinking skills. Our hands-on approach engages students and allows them to work on communication and collaboration with their peers. It challenges students and pushes them to seek new information to solve a problem. The skills our students learn in the Kehoe-France STEM program help them succeed in their future high school coursework and beyond.

Beginning in first grade, students learn to utilize the library not only for learning library citizenship and to engage in group reading activities but also how to use resources to find information. Students use a variety of mediums to answer a question or solve a problem. They learn to form opinions on real-world issues based on inquiry-based research. Students share information in their own words to present information to others. They listen actively to others, contribute questions and ideas during group discussions, and recognize the importance of information in our democratic society.

Students learn developmentally appropriate skills in physical education. In preschool, students focus on developing balance, hand-eye coordination, teamwork and the importance of healthy foods and exercise. Beginning in first grade, students work on strengthening locomotor skills, fine and gross motor movements, teamwork, and healthy lifestyle choices. Students will also learn how to play different sports and the history behind them. The goal of these activities is to develop skills that can be applied in the outside world.