Encore
What others consider 'extracurricular', we consider essential to becoming a well-educated and well-rounded human being.
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Encore-Special area classes during the school day
Art with Mrs. Gatto
Art awakens imagination and creative powers, bringing vitality and wholeness to learning. Promoting art in early elementary gives children joy, provides an alternative area for learning, growth and mastery, building multiple intelligences, and setting the state for later life satisfaction and connection. Art allows children to focus on hand-eye coordination, creativity, and self-expression while showing them that it is okay to take some risks. Students will study the elements of art as it relates to famous artists such as Van Gogh and understand how art is all around us. They can relate to modern artists such as Andy Warhol and create art that aids in expression and occupational development.
Music with Mrs. Lovewell
Music education is crucial for early childhood development as it nurtures cognitive, social, and emotional growth. At Horseshoe Trails, our music program offers a dynamic and engaging approach to music instruction that integrates rhythm, movement, and playful exploration. Children discover music through hands-on activities including singing, clapping, and playing simple instruments. Our engaging music curriculum fosters the development of essential skills such as creativity, coordination, and collaboration, all while enjoying a fun and interactive learning environment. This early exposure to music not only nurtures students' artistic abilities but also supports their overall cognitive and emotional development.
PE with Coach Carrick
Elementary PE at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School (HTES) is all about building a lifelong love of physical activity in every student. My teaching philosophy centers around creating a positive, inclusive, and energetic environment where all kids feel encouraged to try their best, have fun, and grow stronger—physically, emotionally, and socially.
Our PreK–2nd grade students focus on developing fundamental movement skills like running, jumping, skipping, balancing, and throwing through creative games and imaginative play. They’ll learn how to move safely, follow directions, and work together—all while having a blast!
As students move into 3rd–5th grade, they build on those foundations with more complex sports skills and team games such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, and capture the flag. We dive into strategy, teamwork, and sportsmanship while encouraging every child to push themselves and discover what they love about being active.
Whether we’re chasing a goal, dancing to the beat, or playing a high-energy game, my goal is to help every student find joy in movement and set them up for a lifetime of health and happiness.
STEM/ Robotics & Coding with Mrs. Hixon
The combinations of four key areas of learning- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math- our STEM program allows children to develop skills that encourage higher-level thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, creativity and collaboration. These hands-on learning opportunities teach students that by using the engineering design process, they can find a solution to any problem. Our preschool through third grade students will get to experience our STEM & Stories program where they will be read a story and then solve a problem based on their story, while our older students will be learning about hands-on experiments, technology, coding, robotics, and circuits.