Encore Classes

Encore classes in art, Bible, computer, library, music, physical education, science lab, and Spanish round out the rigorous core curriculum.

Art
Classroom curriculum starts with a foundation in art history, with opportunities for research and application.  Students are encouraged to use their creativity while creating projects using a variety of media.  All students from pre kindergarten through sixth grade, participate in the school art fair "An Evening with the Masters," which is held every other year.

Bible
SrK:  Students cover the Bible in one year with those stories of God’s Truth and faithfulness. There are opportunities to share in chapel and other programs that lead us to our Savior and His Grace.

Grades 1-6: At CMDS, we strategically study God’s Word by completing the Bible in a six-year period.  The student's understanding of the Bible is enriched by sharing plays in Chapel, leading Christmas programs, and by acting in the Easter Walk-Through presentations. The primary goal of our Bible program is to experience God’s love, as well as to learn from His Word.

Computer
Our program is all about integrating technology with classroom curriculum. We teach a multitude of skills using class projects which coincide with each grade level's curriculum. Our students learn the basics of internet research early, and build on those basics while working on age appropriate projects.

We place a lot of importance on proper keyboarding skills. Third and fourth graders are taught keyboarding as an additional component of their technology skills class.
In our state of the art computer lab, students create interesting projects using digital cameras, scanners, and a wide variety of software applications. They love to present their work on our website, where proud parents and grandparents can make comments on them, through the use of Voice Threads and Podcasts.

Whether students are using the iMacs in the computer lab, the iPod touches, iPads or taking a quiz with the e-clickers (student response system) in their classrooms, technology makes learning fun and engaging.

Library
Early Childhood: A child’s library education begins in our Early Childhood program. Reading aloud to children makes an impression on them for a lifetime as they mature in their listening, thinking, and reasoning skills. We read a wonderful array of children's literature, while encouraging a love of reading. At this level we learn the parts of a book, who writes and illustrates it, and how to take good care of our books. Come share a book with us in our preschool castle and see how we have fun reading with our youngest students!

Grade School: CMDS Grade School students are taught library skills, including the use of our online library catalog, as well as basic study and research skills.  They learn how to select books for pleasure reading, school assignments, and for exploring new interests and discovering new worlds.  Students listen to great children’s literature read aloud by the Librarian, practice reading for comprehension, and celebrate the joy of reading with fun and creative activities. Each grade school student is able to check out up to three books per week.

Music
The music program consists of exploring music through singing, playing instruments, dancing, clapping, and keeping the steady beat, based on the Orff-Schulwerk technique.

Early Childhood:  Students enjoy learning both Christian and secular music and using rhythm instruments during their weekly music class.  They also participate in two sharing programs each year.  

Grade School:  Students learn both Christian and secular music and are introduced to a variety of musical instruments and composers.  Fifth grade students learn to play the recorder, and fifth and sixth grade students are invited to participate in the school choir.  All students participate in a Christmas musical performance each year.

Physical Education
The physical education program at Christ Methodist Day School strives to help develop each student physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally through a variety of movement activities. We believe that a physical education program should provide a child with movement experiences that meet and build on their physical attributes. Good health, vitality and vigor are the basis for excellence in living.  Health issues are also an important part of our physical education curriculum at CMDS. The President’s Challenge Physical Fitness Program is implemented each year to assess the fitness level of each student.

Science Lab
Our goal is to spark an interest in science and to encourage the student's ability to solve problems.  In science lab, our budding scientists work in groups of three to four students using an investigative, hands-on approach to answer various questions. Simple microscopes are used in first grade. Compound microscopes are used in second through sixth grades. They investigate a range of specimens ranging from cheek cells to plankton.  First graders complete an intensive unit on oceans and experiment with density by determining how much salt to add to water to make matter float.  Second graders blow up a balloon without blowing and move a bottle top without using their hands.  Third graders vow to always wash their hands after growing bacteria in Petri dishes.  Dissection begins with owl pellets in fourth grade, worms in fifth grade, and frogs in sixth grade.  All students visit our Starlab planetarium four times a year, for an adventure into space.  What great ages to foster a love for science!

Spanish
CMDS Spanish is a FLEX program (Foreign language for exploration). Exciting things are happening in the learning process in “la clase de español”. Early childhood students are introduced to the Spanish language and culture through songs, colors, numbers, shapes, and other developmental skills.  Students in first through fourth grade build on prior knowledge to improve speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Fifth and sixth graders meet twice a week and are taught Spanish as an academic subject. Throughout the year, all students engage in projects or hands-on activities that allow them to explore the language and culture of Spanish speaking countries and their people.