Our elementary program focuses on hands-on activities that can range from simple crafts to building structures with various materials. Children are challenged to build, make, tape, cut and play as they create and they design their own awesome creations. Throughout the year we will complete Mini Maker Units, where we focus on one area of making for multiple sessions. Our Mini Maker Units include paper, cardboard, textiles, wood, coding and electronics. We end with one or two larger projects that require the students to use all of the making skills they've learned to solve an Adventure Challenge. In between Mini Maker Units, we'll have fun creating seasonal and holiday themed crafts.
Students also bring their own independent work to complete during our last 15 minutes of each day. It can be a book to read, math page to complete, or handwriting, whatever they can complete independently. At times we do forgo this work time to allow for extra project time or to play games together inside or outside, so it should be flexible work that it is OK if not completed.
Our typical daily schedule for our 2-day Tuesday & Thursday program is below. The 1-day Wednesday program follows the same format but allows for a longer project time:
9:30 - 9:40: arrive, free play and chat
9:40 - 9:50: clean up, K-8 announcements & sharing good things
9:50 - 10:50: read aloud and project time
10:50 - 11:10: bathroom and snack break
11:10 - 11:25: independent work time; pack up
11:30: Pick up
