PS-5TH GRADE
Our Specialists
In addition to a robust academic program, The Island School offers a rich specialist program for the elementary students. Grades Kindergarten through fifth receive specialist instruction in Art, Library, Music, Physical Education, and Spanish.
Frequency: One class/week
Art
Art is integral to every child’s growth, fostering creative thinking, communication, and self-expression. Our curriculum introduces students to various mediums and techniques, including ceramics, drawing, printmaking, painting and more. Students develop visual literacy by exploring traditional elements of art, such as line, shape, form, color, value, texture, and space.
Library
Our library program is designed to nurture curiosity and discovery, celebrating language and communication through stories, poetry, and nonfiction. We emphasize information literacy, fostering lateral and critical thinking skills that empower students to approach challenges with creativity and insight. Additionally, we teach essential research skills, guiding students in defining and refining research questions to become adept and thoughtful researchers.
Frequency: One class/week
Frequency: One class/week
Plus Monday Morning Sing
Music
Music at The Island School is joyful, participatory, and designed to nurture each student’s creativity and musicality. Through a variety of engaging activities, students explore core elements of music—beat, rhythm, pitch, tempo, and melody—by singing, playing rhythm instruments, and experimenting with pitched instruments. The program intentionally integrates musical styles and traditions from around the world, helping students discover connections between cultures and communities through music. As students mature, they build skills in musical notation, composition, and improvisation, while learning to be thoughtful performers and respectful audience members
Physical Education
The goal of The Island School Physical Education program is to develop physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. Developmentally appropriate activities are taught to foster growth in a variety of motor skill and health-related fitness to enhance the physical, mental and social/emotional development of every child. Lessons promote sportsmanship, teamwork, cooperation, winning and losing gracefully, and the grit to persevere and try something new.
Frequency: 2 times/week
Frequency: 3 times/week
Spanish
At The Island School, we believe early exposure to a world language fosters cognitive growth, academic achievement, and cultural appreciation. Our Spanish program, introduced in 2010, provides all K-5 students with 90 minutes of weekly instruction focused on meaningful communication rather than grammar. Through songs, games, storytelling, and engaging activities, students build vocabulary, develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, and gain cultural awareness of Latinx communities. The curriculum emphasizes global understanding while strengthening native language comprehension, with each year building on the last to expand proficiency in Spanish.