We believe that the integration of arts and physical education into the school day increases student’s success academically. We also just think that these experiences are important for students—art and music are wonderful ways for students to express themselves and explore the world. Sports and physical education teach students perseverance, responsibility, and teamwork.
Our art classes give students the opportunity to explore different mediums and appreciate their creativity and curiosity. In music, students learn music history and theory, reading music and recognizing sounds, and creating and performing rhythms. Physical education at Harriet Tubman focuses on teaching students the importance of physical fitness, healthy competition, and showing unity to achieve a goal.
At the Montessori campus, every day starts with an hour of play. We believe students should have regular and sustained contact with the natural world and unstructured time to play. Students can choose between a wide variety of activities on the play yard every morning, including art, animal care, music, biking, gagaball, climbing, “cooking” in the mud kitchen, tumbling, football, tetherball, and climbing trees.
On the Blue Campus for grades 3-8, art, music, and physical education teachers provide enrichment classes each day. They learn how to express themselves in color and forms, how to read and perform music, and the importance of physical fitness and teamwork. In the middle school, students sign up for choice based clubs for 90 minutes a week. Clubs have included: jewelry making, ultimate frisbee, origami club, French, choir, mask making, movie making, guitar, poetry, newspaper, and animal care. In addition, middle school scholars can sign up for after school activities: competitive sports, ballroom dance, and drumline.