Serving the Whole Child Through Specials

What can turn a typical school day into something special? PE, Art, and Spanish! These are what we call our “Specials” at La Tierra Community School and they make our students jump for joy! We are educating the whole child through experiential learning, and our Specials exemplify that.

LTCS students painting bird houses outside in front of mural

Physical Education

Twice a week our students focus on the physical aspect of education with Physical Education (PE) class where we are teaching the importance of moving our bodies. PE Class improves overall fitness, helps students develop their gross and fine motor skills, builds their cognitive abilities, and increases our students’ self-confidence. But more importantly to the kids, PE class is a time for fun, adventure, and enjoying the outdoors! 

Running, jumping, skip-roping, hula-hooping, and completing obstacle courses challenges each individual student’s motor skills and determination. Playing sports like soccer, basketball and volleyball teaches teamwork, rules of the game, and offers leadership opportunities. And the wide variety of experiences in PE class helps our students find new ways to move their bodies and start life-long healthy practices.

Art

Art is also twice a week and allows our students to express their creativity while learning about the beauty of our world. Our students are exposed to different types of art and artists, and also have the pleasure of creating their own art. Art class is also an opportunity to express themselves in an entirely different way, to problem solve, and to refine their motor skills. During National Arts Month, LTCS constructs its own Art Gallery and conducts an art auction to celebrate the creations of our students.

Student artwork displayed

Spanish

Our Spanish special is happening four days a week – two days for language acquisition and two days for cultural understanding. Learning the Spanish language and culture is an expression of the way we value diversity at LTCS. According to our Spanish teacher, Ms. Perez Cochrane, “the lessons are an adventure in world travel as we learn about the many Spanish speaking countries across the globe.” The students will be studying language skill and development as well as conversational use, and cultural studies will touch on history, art, music, architecture, and traditional clothing and cuisine.

Our students are engaged in expanding their language skills, but also in learning about and appreciating different cultures. Learning about the food, song, and dance of one culture often leads to an examination of many cultures, and it’s our goal for students to be exposed to as much as possible culturally.

La Tierra students dance during Día de los Muertos

Whether we are outside doing field work or inside painting a self-portrait, we are learning through experience at La Tierra Community School. Our small, nurturing school community provides a wonderful base from which our students explore the world and develop a lifelong passion for learning.

About La Tierra Community School 

At La Tierra Community School, teachers, parents, staff, and students work together to create a school culture of collaboration, respect, and high expectations. Through our expeditionary learning-inspired approach, trust, respect, responsibility, and joy in learning permeate our community and our students know they can impact their world. Enrolling K-7 in Prescott, today!