At the primary and elementary level, our goal is to ensure students master foundational literacy skills in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, listening and language. This includes reading, writing and speaking which is grounded in evidence from both literary and informational text, regular exposure and practice with increasingly complex texts including a focus on academic vocabulary/language, and, offering a 50-50 balance between informational and literary texts which supports students in developing knowledge about the world. To meet these goals, we have aligned our English Language Arts curriculum K-12 to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. The New Jersey Student Learning Standards define what students should understand and be able to do at each grade level. The PARCC assessment will be administered in grades 3-5, which helps us measure student progress and achievement. The chart below indicates how each grade level is organized by theme:

 

Kindergarten	First Grade	Second Grade	Third Grade	Fourth Grade	Fifth Grade
Theme 1: Nursery Rhymes, Fairytales and Predictable Stories	Theme 1: Colors	Theme 1: Being Me	Theme 1: Something Special	Theme 1: You Can Do It	Theme 1: Passport to 5th Grade
Theme 2: Autumn and Autumnal Holidays	Theme 2: Fun Monsters	Theme 2: Helping Hands	Theme 2: What a Team!	Theme 2: Side by Side	Theme 2: Look Inside
Theme 3: All About Me and Winter	Themes 3 and 4: My, Myself, and I	Theme 3: Our World	Theme 3: Friends to Grow With	Themes 3 and 4: Pathways to Freedom	Theme 3: Literature Anthology
Theme 4: Dinosaurs and Winter (part 2)	Theme 5: Snow, What Fun!	Theme 4: Imagine That	Theme 4: Tell Me a Story	Themes 5 and 6: Community Ties and New Lands	Theme 4: A Novel Approach (Holes)
Theme 5: Spring, Space, and Summer	Theme 6: Caring and Sharing	Theme 5: Neighborhood News	Theme 5: Good Neighbors		Theme 5: Number the Stars
	Theme 7: the World of Magic	Theme 6: Travel Time	Theme 6: Celebrate the World		Theme 6: Greek Mythology
	Theme 8: To Grow or Not to Grow
	Theme 9: Wherefore Art Thou Animals?

 

 

It is the mission of the Spotswood Public Schools Performing Arts Department to:

• Create a performing arts community that is rich with cultural, social, and intellectual diversity.
• Foster self-discipline and focus in solving problems creatively.
• Empower students to make informed aesthetic choices.
• Provide all students with the opportunity to succeed as individuals and within a group setting.
• Provide a productive and safe space for students to express themselves.
• Develop social skills that enable each student to engage with his or her peers in a responsible and respectful manner.
• Prepare students for active participaion in creating the culture of the present and future.
• Provide students with meaningful experiences to publicly perform and raise esteem of the performing arts in the local community.

 

Primary and elementary students complete courses that establish a comprehensive foundation in the performing arts. The course sequence promotes self-reflection and social growth as students investigate elements of music, including theory, appreciation and performance. Additionally, students in fourth and fifth grade are given the opportunity to join band and/or chorus as an extracurricular activity (band lessons are provided in small groups on a rotating schedule during the school day). Fifth graders also have the opportunity to participate in Drama as an extracurricular activity. Students are introduced to the many aspects of theatre production as they work collaboratively to produce and perform a spring musical. Through these experiences, students learn that performance is a creative process requiring perseverance, reflection, and collaboration.

 

The following chart indicates the performing arts course options for students in each grade level:

 

Kindergarten	First Grade	Second Grade	Third Grade	Fourth Grade	Fifth Grade
Music	Music	Music	Music (Recorder)	Music	Music
				Band (Elective)	Band (Elective)
					Drama (Elective)

 

 

 

Primary and elementary students in Spotswood Public Schools complete courses designed to provide them with a foundation and appreciation for the visual arts. The courses are sequenced in a way that supports the development of students’ analytical and evaluative skills. Students are introduced to diverse visual art forms and challenged to compare and contrast the many ways in which art conveys messages and emotions. While building a comprehensive understanding of the visual arts elements, students are taught to apply knowledge and creativity to their own works of art. The students realize that the creation of art is a rewarding process which helps promote social and intellectual growth.

 

 

Kindergarten	First Grade	Second Grade	Third Grade	Fourth Grade	Fifth Grade
Art	Art	Art	Art	Art	Art