PSD and Social Curriculum in Action

Today, I am attaching a copy of the PSD and Social Curriculum description. I thought you might be curious to see these programs in action through the eyes of your child. In the attached pictures, you'll see activities that bring kids together in the spirit of fun and cooperation. Listening is an emphasized skill as the challenges become increasingly difficult. You'll see pictures of students on low rope challenges. Here, safety of the individual is paramount and hinges on the focused attention of spotters. You may see a picture of your child helping another student into a climbing harness or spotting as a classmate climbs a ladder to a high rope element. You may see your child traversing the catwalk. Know that these are challenges that are taken on by choice and that the successful completion is underscored by the attention and support of the entire class.

PHYSICAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT: Physical skills development in grade five is a program designed to give a child a chance to develop physically through play, games, skill tasks, core strength, and movement activities. Activities are planned to stress various underlying themes of the program: strength and endurance (muscular and cardiovascular), coordination, game skills, sportsmanship, and social interaction.

SOCIAL CURRICULUM: The social curriculum at TGS is designed to complement the academic curriculum and help maintain a healthy social and learning environment. Fifth graders are continually engaged in games and group and individual challenges that are designed to promote positive social dynamics. These activities complement and reinforce the classroom-based social curricular activities and goals. We define a healthy school community as a place where people have a sense of belonging, where adults and students extend and receive respect in their relationships with each other, and where people feel both a sense of support and personal challenge to help them learn and grow as human beings. Class activities help highlight and develop important community skills such as cooperation, team building, personal and social responsibility, listening, mindful speech, emotional literacy, respect for diversity, conflict resolution, stress reduction and relaxation, self-awareness, and problem solving.