At Chaparral all students receive technological training a minimum of one time per week. It is a privilege for our students to be able to attend the Computer Lab classes. Our lab is fully stocked with iMac computers and each child is assigned to his/her own computer which they will use for the entire year. Listed below are some of the computer skills that our students will be exposed to:

Keyboarding:

• Proper placement of hands
• Proper typing skills
• Proper care of equipment
• Proper use of programs and applications

Academic Reinforcement:

• Mathematics
• Reading
• Writing
• Editing Work
• Graphic Organizing
• Art

Cognitive Skills:

• Following directions
• Quick thinking
• Tracking
• Hand / eye coordination (fine motor skills)
• Spatial awareness
• Creativity building

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     Our children will have the opportunity to work with a qualified artist from the Art Masters Program. They will receive six lessons during the course of the school year. The lessons will involve learning about various artists and the different techniques used by each one of these artists. Each lesson begins with a history lesson about the artist and will culminate into an art activity that allows each child to create their own masterpiece using different mediums and utilizing the various styles and techniques of the artist they are learning about. In addition, our Multicultural Art Palette Program and teacher developed materials will further incorporate art across the curriculum as both a teaching and learning tool. Parents are also encouraged to participate in our Picture Person Program. This program allows parent volunteers to take an active role and present art lessons to the class via coordination with the classroom teacher. To learn more about this program please contact our Picture Person Coordinator.

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     At Chaparral, art and music education are seen as an integral part of the general education of a child and not as a supplement to it. Therefore, all students will have the opportunity to participate in a weekly vocal music program taught by our music teacher. Many of the music selections will have a curriculum focus and will integrate kinesthetic movement to the music as part of the learning process and reinforcement of skills. Our music program is rich in vocabulary and it also provides students with the opportunity to perform before a live audience and teachs them about stage presence.

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     All students will be assigned to a weekly visit to our library. Students are encouraged to check out library books for pleasure reading as well as for research. They may keep their book for one week and then it must be either returned or renewed on the following week. Please make sure your child returns their book each week. We like to keep overdue books at a minimum so that all children have the opportunity to check out the books. Students will not be able to check out new books until their old books have been returned. Please note that any books that are lost or damaged will incur a fine or will have to be replaced.

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     At Chaparral we believe that social awareness through building one's character is vital to the success of each student's schooling experience.  Therefore, we have incorporated monthly pillars for building character.  The pillars are: Patriotism, Responsibility, Appreciation, Consideration, Tolerance, Honesty, Respect for Self and Others, Perseverance, Excellence, and Reflection.  Under the pillar umbrella we will also have words of the week that reflect character building for each pillar.  Please join us in building social awareness by talking to your child about these pillars of character.

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     One of our goals is to promote a lifelong habit of recreational reading for our students. We believe that one of the best ways to do this is to work together as a team with you, the parent. R. I. S. E. Reading is intended to be done at home and can be considered as part of your child's daily homework assignment. The emphasis will be on the amount of time spent spent in leisure reading rather than the number of books read. Reading to your child or having your child read to you can count as time spent in leisure reading. To keep track of the amount of time spent reading, your child will bring home a "Home Record Sheet". All you have to do is initial each 15 minute block of time your child spends in reading and sign the form after all blocks of time have been completed. Each form equal 5 hours of pleasure reading. After completing the form your child will need to return it to me and I will keep track of their total hours for the school year. This will be done on an incentive chart so that your child can also keep track of their own hours at any given time.

     At the end of the school year we will have an assembly to honor the children with the most hours of pleasure reading. Students will also be given incentitives during the school year for every 5 hours of reading that they complete. Please note that the Home Record Sheets need to be turned in to me on a consistent basis (only one at a time) during the course of the school year. In fairness to students who have turned in their sheets on a consistent basis I will not accept a hand full of sheets turned in at the end of the school year.

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