World Cultures, Art, Music, and Wellness

World Cultures with Eugene Wheeler

During World Cultures class, students will learn about the cultures of six continents (sorry, Antarctica!) and will use Duolingo and Rosetta Stone to encounter the six most common languages offered in Wake County High Schools — french, german, japanese, latin, mandarin and spanish.

Sixth and seventh grades are survey courses during which students will study a different continent and different language each trimester. Projects are group projects, and the language portion is individual.

In eighth grade, students will pick their preferred language from the six available and will study it for the entire year in preparation for high school. Students will still be using Duolingo and Rosetta Stone for their language experience. Eighth grade cultural studies are more focused on specific issues affecting residents of the world.

Middle School Art with Jamie Butler

Students enter art at Exploris with diverse abilities, experiences and exposure. At this level, the emphasis becomes more introspective as students move to develop their own level of competence and personal style. The art curriculum emphasizes that there are multiple artistic solutions and interpretations and the focus is on assisting the student in developing through creative experiences and fostering an appreciation of the arts.

They learn how to apply the elements of art and the principles of design through projects that relate to classroom expeditions, current events and personal experiences. Identifying the history, purpose and functions of visual art in various cultures is also important to the curriculum at Exploris.

Collaboration, craftsmanship and connection to nature are important values emphasized in art.

Middle School Health and Well-being with Oliver Smith

The Wellness curriculum is informed by the Exploris mission to provide a rigorous, relevant and relationship based education for our students. It is a holistic approach taking into account heart, mind and body.

Life is movement, movement integral to life; walking (urban hiking☺), running, biking, creative play, swimming (Pullen Aquatic Center) and as well as team sports.
Fitness practices include circuit training,creative exercise routines, running, jumping rope, building aerobic capacity, body strength, balance, agility and coordination.
Students will keep record of their work and celebrate their progress throughout the year. Competition is largely with oneself, setting and pursuing personal goals.
Foundational athletic skills and strategies are taught and games are played with an emphasis on self discovery, collaboration, kindness and giving your best effort.
Experience in and connecting with the natural world, whether in our day to day life, a wellness class or on one of our grade level extended adventures, is a key priority.

Wellness provides a program of study that helps students to develop the understanding, attitudes and habits that promote a lifetime of health and good decision making.

Building Awareness – of one’s self, others, our community and the natural world is at the heart of all we do. Solitude, reflection, review and journaling are some of our tools.
Healthy living skills related to nutrition, hydration, personal safety, knowledge of body systems and sexual development and puberty are key curriculum components.
Communication, finding your own voice, being assertive, and learning how to maintain healthy honest relationships with peers. This involves kindness and vulnerability, being ready and willing resolve conflict.

Wellness is designed with grade appropriate content and meets the North Carolina Educational Standards.

Art at Exploris Elementary with Marie Arondeau

Collaboration, craftsmanship and connection to nature are important values emphasized in art.

Movement at Exploris Elementary with Lisa Ferrando

The movement program at Exploris Elementary seeks to inspire all students to respect themselves and their bodies through cooperative play, developmentally appropriate movement activities and health education. To address issues such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Type II Diabetes, movement classes will seek to engage all learners and promote a love for physical activity and healthy living. Units for the movement class includes all aspects of physical education including: creative movement and choreography, fitness, experience and practice playing various sports, folk dance, circus skills, Jump Rope For Heart, yoga, and cooperative games. Movement classes will include the use of technology to enhance learning; creative problem solving and cooperative learning strategies to create a sense of belonging and “crewmanship”; and the integration of core subject matter and higher-order thinking skills for deeper understanding.

Music at Exploris Elementary with Karen Mollins

I believe music is a birthright, and all children are musical. I am passionate about facilitating music in my community and am thrilled to extend that to the students at Exploris. My goal is for all students to become and remain music-lovers all for their whole lives. We will be learning music from different cultures, but will also use our musical activities to support the crews’ expeditions. Exploris students have already proven that a dedicated Music Room is not necessary to make music. All students have music once a week for 50 minutes either in their crew room or in our large multi-purpose room. The emphasis is on students experiencing music themselves through singing, listening and learning by ear, moving and guided discovery. As our program gets more established we will add playing instruments to our weekly lessons.