Click here to access the Kindergarten Curriculum Guide

 

Click here to access the First Grade Curriculum Guide

 

Click here to access the Second Grade Curriculum Guide

 

Click here to access the Third Grade Curriculum Guide

 

Click here to access the Fourth Grade Curriculum Guide

 

Click here to access the Fifth Grade Curriculum Guide

 

Click here to access the Sixth Grade Curriculum Guide

 At Arborbrook we consider Music an integral part of a child’s education on many levels.  Music connects us to beauty, creativity, history, poetry, cultures, each other, our deepest selves, and God.  

Curricular Focus:

Kindergarten and 1st Grade:  

The main skill focuses are on activities that help children learn how to keep a beat and sing in tune.  Folk Dances (Phyllis Weikart Curriculum) are used to help develop a strong sense of beat and body coordination. Tonal and Rhythm patterns are introduced through Music Learning Theory (Edwin Gordon based Curriculum) activities.  Simple Rhythm instruments and Boomwhacker tonal tubes are incorporated into our study of music and how it works.

2nd and 3rd Grade:  

With the foundation of the skills from prior grades present, the 2nd and 3rd grade students learn more complex tonal and rhythm activities and pattern development.  Simple harmonies are being sung and multiple rhythm parts are being played at the same time.  At this age, tonal and rhythm solfège are a major focus to assist in the reading of simple notation patterns.  Boomwhackers are used in more complex pieces and the students begin to understand how melodies and chords work together.  This is an essential foundation for the introduction of chordal instruments in the next grades.

4th, 5th, 6th Grade:  

With the foundation of the skills from prior grades present, the 4th-6th grade students continue to learn more complex tonal and rhythm activities and pattern development.  More complex harmonies are being sung and multiple tonal and rhythm parts are being played at the same time.  At this age, more complex tonal and rhythm reading is happening as well as a focus on improvisation.  The Class Band Project (Original curriculum) is a framework by which students begin to understand the basic roles that are functioning within all music groups.  This framework is especially useful in understanding  how worship bands function.  Additionally, playing the Ukulele becomes a major area of focus.  The Ukulele curriculum introduces the students to many of the basic ukulele chords and strum patterns and dozens of songs from diverse musical genres.

Jr. High School Choir:  

The main skill focuses are developing a healthy, resonant, and expressive singing technique and learning how to harmonize well within a musical group.  The students will sing songs that require 2, 3, and 4 part harmony.

High School Worship Team:  

There are two simultaneous curricular tracks in this course:  the music track, and the music technology track.  Students in the music track will be part of a worship team that will lead worship at HS Assemblies and other music events.  Students in the music technology track will learn the essential roles that running sound and overhead lyrics provide in a worship service.  The culminating activity is students writing and performing an original worship song.

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Through music education, students learn to sharpen their minds with cognitive carry-over skills that support all their other academic subjects with skills such as:

• Linear problem solving
• Pattern recognition
• Applied creativity
• Listening
• Left/right brain integration
• ...And many other brain benefits.  

In fact, neuroscientists say that according to research, active music making is the equivalent to a cross-fit workout for the brain. 

The emotional benefits of music also cannot be overstated as active music-making reduces stress, releases dopamine, and knits individuals together socially as they blend their sounds to create beautiful music.
 
The Spiritual benefits of music are a major area of focus as well.  We sing praise and worship songs together every week at Assembly as we connect with God and each other.  Our Junior High School Choir worships monthly with the High School Worship team at the Upper School assembly. 
 
Through Charlotte Mason’s recommended Composer Studies we analyze music compositions and recordings so we can understand how Music works and to learn how to create beautiful music ourselves.  We also study how throughout church history and world history music has played a significant role in shaping world events.  Additionally, music content often connects to curricular units and themes from their grade level.

We have several performances throughout the year that showcase what our music students have learned and provide large events for the Arborbrook community to come together and celebrate our students, the Arts at Arborbrook, and God.  We have a 4th-8th Grade Fall Musical in November, and a 9th-12th Grade Spring Musical in April.  In December we have a K-12 Christmas Concert.  We finish the year out with our Grandparent’s Day Concert and Spring Concerts.

At Arborbrook, with Music as a K-12 program, we have a unique and wonderful opportunity to structure an integrated program where music learning intentionally builds as the students go through the program.  It is also the vision of Arborbrook to expand music program offerings as we grow.  My sincere hope is that the music program at Arborbrook will inspire our students, the community, and become a beautiful example for other schools.

For His Glory,

Paul Buksbazen
 

Throughout the course of a child’s time at Arborbrook they are given a wealth of exposure to art in the classroom by their teachers.  Each grade follows a timeline of artists that allows the student to be inspired by a different artist for each grade from kindergarten to 8th grade.

Art class is an individual weekly class that teaches the discipline of art using the elements and principles of art to build solid art skills and techniques.  Art instruction begins in kindergarten and continues through high school.  As students build artistic skills they progress to more challenging projects and art media throughout their education.  Students are exposed to teacher-led projects as well as independent creative work.   Art instruction helps each student with visual-spatial perception, personal expression, fine motor skills, innovation, problem-solving and critical thinking.  Art education teaches skills that will cross over into other subjects as well as lifelong learning.

Click here to learn more about the Visual Arts Program at Arborbrook.

At Arborbrook, Physical Education is about more than movement; it is a way to glorify God through healthy habits and joyful activity.

Rooted in Charlotte Mason’s philosophy, our PE program promotes physical well-being, teamwork, and the development of fundamental motor skills. Students are exposed to various sports in which they are encouraged to attempt, practice, and enjoy! Our PE program encourages students to grow in discipline, good sportsmanship, and gratitude as they steward their bodies, practice perseverance, and enjoy the gift of play together. 

From daily activities to our much-anticipated Field Day, PE at Arborbrook aims to nurture both body and character for God’s glory.

Click here to visit our Gardens & Nature Studies homepage.