Curriculum, Programs, and Services

The Art Room at Beach is a welcoming space for students to explore, create, reflect, and make connections between themselves and the larger world around them. Ms Harris is passionate about supporting and growing students’ innate curiosity and creativity.

Our Frameworks

The Studio Habits of Mind developed at Harvard's School of Education, provides a framework in the art studio that also support engagement and success in other areas of school, family, and community life. 

Students Develop Craft by learning and practicing new art mediums, including painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, sculpture and ceramics. Engage and Persist through problem solving, Envisioning their ideas, and considering next steps. Students Observe and Reflect their own and each other's artwork and make connections to the world around them and art history. Students Stretch and Explore, learning that mistakes are opportunities for growth and that curiosity is key to making art. Students gain visual literacy skills, learning to Express their ideas through their artwork. 

National Visual Arts Standards

The National Core Arts Standards for the Visual Arts lead us to the four artistic processes which guide our major themes throughout the year: Creating, Responding, Presenting and Connecting. 

California Arts Standards

In addition to national standards, California also has an educational framework which outlines the types of art skills we want to develop in our students and articulates those through every grade level from kindergarten through twelfth grade. We use the California Arts Standards to guide our lesson development for our K-­1, 2-­3, and 4­-5 grade level bands.

Examples of skills taught by grade level: 

K&1

2&3

4&5

Lyra Harris

lharris@piedmont.k12.ca.us

 

 

The counseling program at Beach is a general education service that is available to all students. Students participate in the program for basic skill building, such as improvement in communication, leadership, or self-regulation skills, as well as for help with recent life changes and transitions that are interfering in the student’s ability to access their school day. Both individual and group counseling are offered. The goal of the program is to help students enjoy a positive social-emotional experience at school.

One of our primary goals at Beach Elementary is to create a safe, inclusive, kind and respectful environment. Children at every grade level are given guidance on how to be a good friend, school citizen and student.

The McHugh Library at Beach Elementary School is a safe and welcoming space for all students to explore their understanding of the world and their understanding of self through stories, informational texts, and additional materials. 

 

Piedmont Unified School District’s TriSchool Elementary libraries 

• promote reading through storytelling, exposure to different genres, guest authors and illustrators, and individual reader advisory. 
• use technology to enhance learning and research. 
• support classroom curriculum with resources for students and teachers. 
• help students develop information literacy skills by teaching them how to find, analyze, and use information in meaningful ways. 

 

Each library site maintains a wide variety of print and media to meet the reading and information needs of students, teachers and families. Our collection, curated by the teacher librarian, comprises around 14,000 titles, including print and digital materials. You can access digital resources as well as each elementary school’s online library catalog through our TriSchool Library Website. 

 

SCHEDULE
Elementary libraries are staffed part time throughout the week. Kindergarten and first grade students have library lessons once a week. Second through fifth grade students have lessons every other week. A credentialed teacher librarian teaches the library curriculum designed to support students on their journey as voracious readers, inquisitive learners, critical thinkers, and responsible digital citizens.

 

The library is also open to students during morning and lunch recesses under the library assistant’s supervision. The library serves as a quieter and calmer alternative to outdoor recess where students come to read, craft, puzzle, play board games, or engage with building materials available through our mini makers-centers.

 

Library Hours for Family Check Out: Monday and Tuesday from 3:00-3:30. Adult family members are welcome to establish a library account in order to augment the books checked out by your student. This also allows access to our many electronic books, available on the library’s catalog.

 

STAFF

Tiffany Cothran, teacher librarian (Monday, Tuesday afternoon, and Friday)

Katherine Donnard, library assistant (Monday-Friday, part-time)

 

PARENT VOLUNTEERS

Parent volunteers are an important element of our school library program. They help to staff the library during library lessons, class research projects, and recesses. To learn more, contact the current parent library liaison on the BPO website.

 

Helping each child develop a love for reading and writing is one of the primary goals in Piedmont. Whether your child is already an avid reader or reluctant to pick up a book, we have wonderful resources to enhance their learning of literacy skills.

In grades K through 3, Reading into Phonics, published by Sadlier is our adopted foundational literacy curriculum which covers skills such as phonics, phonemic awareness, and spelling. In grades 4 and 5, our adopted curriculum for word work, spelling and other foundational skills is Spellography.

For Kindergarten through Grade 5, Fishtank ELA Curriculum is used to teach reading and writing in Piedmont.

The Fishtank ELA curriculum aims to develop students into critical readers, writers, and thinkers. We hope to widen their perspectives so that they can better understand themselves and the world around them.

The Guiding Principles of the curriculum are:

• Building knowledge to nurture critical thinking.
• Centering diverse, relevant, and rigorous texts.
• Prioritizing student voices and ideas to build agency.
• Learning to write, writing to learn.

 

Assessments

Three times a year, our K-5 students are assessed using DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) to track their progress in reading, as well as screen for reading disabilities. If a student needs more support to reach a benchmark in literacy skills, we have a robust Literacy Intervention program where interventionists work in small groups, or one-on-one, to reinforce the concepts being taught in the classrooms.

 

Learning practices that foster a growth mindset and curiosity are integral to the classroom mathematics community.  Students are encouraged to take risks, make mistakes, explore, communicate, problem solve, reason and justify their thinking so that they are able to make sense of mathematics at the deepest levels.  Through these experiences, students develop an appreciation for the beauty and creativity inherent in the field of mathematics.

All three elementary schools use Bridges in Mathematics, including Number Corner, as its core curriculum.  Bridges is a comprehensive K-5 curriculum that equips the teachers to fully implement the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in a manner that is rigorous, coherent, engaging, and accessible to all learners.Through the use of various strategies and the use of manipulatives, students are supported in developing problem-solving skills as well as their confidence in their math concepts!

Teachers also enrich their classroom math programs with problem-solving resources from the Silicon Valley Math Initiative and other highly-engaging curricula.  These programs, along with the Bridges curriculum provide many avenues for differentiation to meet student needs.

The Math Resource program provides supplemental support for students needing support, time, and attention, all in a small group or individualized setting. The math intervention teacher works collaboratively with classroom teachers to keep in step with the curriculum being taught at any point during the school year.

We are very fortunate to offer music instruction at all grade levels.

Vocal Music

A music specialist provides vocal music instruction once a week for students in grades kindergarten through third. Kodaly and Orff methods of music teaching are practiced in the classroom.  A holiday program in December and a spring concert provide a heartwarming experience where students perform seasonal works.

Instrumental Music

5th Graders will receive instruction from Shauna Revelli (orchestra) and Mary Rees (Symphonic Band) for 60 minutes a week, in groups of 12-18 students.

Orchestra: 5th grade string class will be a continuation of what they learned in 4th grade.  They will be able to choose between three string instruments - violin, viola, or cello. We will begin using the Suzuki Method to build a strong foundation, focusing on developing a beautiful tone and correct playing posture right from the start.

In this class, 5th grade students learn how to make a great sound, play together with their classmates, and learn to read music. Most importantly, we'll have a ton of fun along the way! Learning an instrument is a rewarding experience, and I am looking forward to making some amazing music with you.

For more information, please contact Ms. Revelli srevelli@piedmont.k12.ca.us

Symphonic Band: 5th-graders participate in either Band or Orchestra for one hour each week.

Band students can choose among four wind instruments — flute, clarinet, trumpet, and trombone. They will learn to make a good tone
on their instrument, play several familiar tunes and some new ones, read music notation, and
perform in two concerts. I look forward to making music with you! For more information, please contact Ms. Rees.

Ms. Rees, Band Teacher — mrees@piedmont.k12.ca.us

Theater Arts

4th Grade:

4th graders will have Theater Arts with Amy Moorhead for 60 minutes a week.

The tri-school physical education program is off to a dynamic start. We’ve kicked off the year with individual ball skills, cooperative and competitive team sports, muscle building fitness circuits and heart pumping Fun Runs. Students have been putting their best foot forward, whether it is a run, skip, hop or jump!

The Piedmont Elementary physical education curriculum is based on the California State Standards. Not only does this guide our teaching but it also directs the grading of students. Following is the grading supplement that explains what students learn at each grade level as well as the areas we evaluate for report cards. Please let us know if you have any questions about the grade reporting or your child’s physical education.

Ben Spencer (bspencer@piedmont.k12.ca.us)

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PHILOSOPHY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION

“The purpose of physical education is to teach the whole student, not just their body and movement. Physical education provides the opportunity to teach students about movement, strategies, teamwork, problem solving and health related fitness.”

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GOALS

“The goal of physical education is to develop physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity.”

To pursue a lifetime of healthful physical activity, a physically literate individual:

• Has learned the skills necessary to participate in a variety of physical activities.

• Knows the implications and the benefits of involvement in various types of physical activities.

• Participates regularly in physical activity.

• Is physically fit.

• Values physical activity and its contributions to a healthful lifestyle.

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STATE REQUIREMENTS

Students in grades one through six must be provided with PE instruction with an “emphasis upon the physical activities for the pupils that may be conducive to health and vigor of body and mind, for a total period of time of not less than 200 minutes each 10 schooldays, exclusive of recesses and the lunch period” (EC Section 51210[a][7]).

CDE Physical Education Fact Sheet      http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/pe/physeducfaqs.asp#top

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PHYSICAL FITNESS TESTING

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/

FitnessGram Performance Standards

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/documents/pft15hfzstd.pdf   

 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

California State Standards for Physical Education

http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/pestandards.pdf

Smithsonian Science for the Classroom is the only high-quality curriculum proven to raise standardized test scores in science, reading, and math. It is designed to engage students in phenomenon- and problem-driven learning that connects students firsthand to the world around them. It was developed in consultation with teachers and content experts and was field tested in a range of schools with diverse populations. It draws on the latest findings and best practices from education research and supports teachers with point-of-use support.

Each year, students have units in Earth and Space Science, Life Science, Engineering, and Physical Science. The curriculum provides many hands-on, engaging activities to develop students into scientists.

 

One of our primary goals at the elementary level is to create a safe, inclusive, kind, and respectful environment. Children at every grade level are given guidance on how to be a good friend, school citizen and student.

Inevitably problems will arise; this is part of growing up! When they do, teachers and staff are available to help students navigate through difficult situations. In addition, Beach is fortunate to have a school counselor, for those who need extra support and guidance.

Children at all grade levels learn age-appropriate examples of appropriate tools to help them understand how to be a good friend and classmate. We utilize Second Step curriculum and lessons from the Welcoming Schools curriculum at all grades to support this learning.

In TK and 1st grade we supplement our other SEL curriculum with Kimochi’s. The program was developed in conjunction with the University of California and helps our youngest students identify their own emotions, and the emotions of others.

For information please see the district's Special Education page.

Beach Elementary’s technology curriculum teaches students to use digital tools to access, manage, evaluate and synthesize information in order to solve problems individually and collaboratively. The technology curriculum is integrated with all curricular areas, and is used as an instructional tool in reading, writing, math and science instruction.

The school’s technology program also emphasizes digital literacy and citizenship, including units developed by commonsensemedia.org to address these topics in an age-appropriate way. Lessons focus on thinking critically, behaving safely and participating responsibly with digital media.

Technology is a critical component to student advancement because it supports inquiry, communication, and analysis. Our implementation of technology resources is grounded in research, tied to curriculum, and focused on positively impacting student learning. Informing our approach are best practices of 21st century skills, ISTE’s NETS skills, and critical thinking derived from work around Bloom’s Taxonomy to create engaged and literate learners. Educational Technology aims to improve student achievement through providing:

1- equitable access to technology, through adequate student/computer ratios, security, maintenance and reliability

2- opportunities for students and staff to acquire 21st Century skills

3- support to state curricular standards by enhancing instruction planning, delivery, practice, assessment, and communication

Computer lab periods are scheduled for all 1st – 5th grades. 3rd, 4th and 5th grades are also outfitted with chromebooks for each student in the classrooms. Library workstations are also available for student use.

 

OUR TECH PROGRAM