These are the major educational programs funded by the Kenwood Education Foundation for which there is not sufficient funding available through public means. Depending on the availability of other funding sources, contributions from KEF to any given program may fluctuate from year to year.
The Art Program at Kenwood Elementary School consists of teaching the basic fundamentals in the visual arts. This includes art appreciation, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, digital photography and some crafts. All instruction in the Fine Arts is age appropriate for Kindergarten through Sixth Grade students and includes some teaching of art in the Kenwood School Preschool as well. Students are expected to participate in each art class. Their behavior in the classroom, following directions and level of participation, are key factors in determining how well each student performs in the Art Program. The Art Specialist collaborates with the Teachers to enrich the core curriculum by providing integrated art lessons whenever possible. The Art Specialist is always available to parents/guardians for resources, information and feedback concerning their children’s interest, talents and abilities in the visual arts.
Kenwood School District operates its own Preschool and After-School Programs. The goal of the Preschool Program is to provide a nurturing, developmentally appropriate setting that prepares children for the transition to Kindergarten. Kenwood School District offers classes for three-year-olds and four-year-olds with half and full day options. The After-School Program, Cougar Club, provides a safe, comfortable environment for children from Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. Supervised activities and projects, homework time, snacks, and outside play times are incorporated into the daily schedule. Cougar Club is open until 6:00 pm Monday through Friday when school is in session.
Classroom Instructional Assistants provide a very valuable service in all eight classrooms during the peak instructional blocks of Math and Reading (full time in Kindergarten). Working under the direction of the Classroom Teacher, Assistants work with small groups of students or individual students as needed. They also provide some clerical service (corrections, recording of grades, bulletin board), allowing the Teachers to focus on instructional design and delivery.
The goal of the Library Program is to provide Kindergarten through Sixth Grade students with library instruction on a weekly basis. The Librarian coordinates activities with each Teacher to meet the respective academic needs of all grade levels. Children are encouraged to read outside of their regular classroom assignments. Kenwood School’s newly remodeled library is proud to have approximately 8,000 books. Each class at Kenwood School visits the library once a week for forty-five minutes. During this weekly visit, the Librarian reads books that coincide with what the class is studying, and students learn to use the library for research and report writing. The Librarian reviews the book catalogue and updates the inventory by purchasing books on a regular basis to keep the library current. Top student readers are also asked to help choose books that will be widely read by children at Kenwood School. The library is well supplied with printed reference materials for information gathering and report writing. The library also has three new computers for locating books and/or using the Internet for research projects. The library is a dynamic place and changes constantly as new materials are added throughout the year offering students new literary adventures.
The Music Program strives to provide the highest quality classroom music instruction to all grade levels. The Music Specialist works directly with Teachers to coordinate music instruction with grade level curriculum and individual classroom units of study. Each class has one weekly music session. The curriculum includes singing, creative movement, percussive and rhythmic instruments, recorder in Grade Three, multi-cultural music, music history and basics of music theory appropriate for grade level. A December holiday program highlights the year with all students participating. Grades Three through Six have special community service outreach “singing” opportunities. In addition to weekly classroom instruction, the Music Specialist focuses on developing the school’s Band and Chorus Programs. The Primo Choir is open to First, Second, and Third Grades and provides extra singing experiences. Band is open to Fourth through Sixth Grades and provides many opportunities for performance. All Teachers may schedule additional music instruction time as needed in conjunction with specific classroom performances or units of study.
The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) consists of parents whose children attend the Kenwood Preschool or Cougar Club Program. The PAC meets monthly with the Superintendent and Preschool Site Supervisor to determine goals for both childcare programs. Funds are utilized to provide parent education and program enrichment.
Coordinated through the Kenwood School Association (KSA), visiting performers are engaged to entertain while educating students of all grade levels. Five to seven artists are selected each year by KSA with approval of the Superintendent/Principal. Past Performing Arts Assemblies have included story tellers, musicians, interactive science and math demonstrations, puppetry, endangered species, and cultural exhibits.
The Physical Education Program encourages and promotes a healthy lifestyle for all students in Preschool through Sixth Grade. Students are instructed in a variety of developmentally appropriate games, skills, and physical challenges that help to develop the fine motor and gross motor skills as well as emphasize teamwork and cooperation. Students in Kindergarten through Third Grade receive a minimum of physical education instruction two days per week for 30-minute periods, while students in Fourth through Sixth Grades receive instruction a minimum of two days per week for 45-minute periods. Preschoolers receive physical education instruction for a 20-30 minute period every other week, or at the discretion of the Preschool staff. The Physical Education Specialist also organizes, coordinates, and supervises noontime games, activities (e.g. soccer, capture the flag, jump rope challenges, mileage “running club,” etc.) that allow opportunities for students of different grade levels to interact in a structured and safe environment.
The Principal’s Fund is used to provide for the esprit de coeur for the morale of the entire staff; e.g. coffee and lunches for school and district meetings.
Mini-Grants are requests by a Teacher or the Principal that do not exceed $1,000. Mini-Grants must be within the guidelines of the Foundation and should lead to school-wide or partial school-wide implementation. Past Mini-Grants include digital cameras for the Art Program, a digital projector for the Computer Lab, cooking utensils for Special Resources, materials for the Garden Club, etc.