Health, Physical Education, and Safety

The Physical Education courses impart knowledge, offer group experiences, teach the joy of effort and achievement, and build lasting recreational interests. The Physical Education program seeks to develop an appreciation for sports from the standpoint of a spectator, a reader of sports, as well as a participant. The health and safety competencies will focus on educating students to develop habits of health that contribute to the continued good functioning of the body.

The P.E. program will consist of a standards based, balanced, sequential and progressive program involving moderate to vigorous physical activity twice per week. This course also focuses on Health.  Students will be taught not to take their health for granted, but rather to develop habits of health that contribute to the continued good functioning of the body.  The School will be designated a “Drug Free School Zone” and a smoke-free worksite.  The health competencies will focus on educating students to develop habits of health that contribute to the continued good functioning of the body. The School will have a strong “Say No to Drugs” campaign and prevention curriculum.

Music

The music curriculum includes both vocal and instrumental music. Following the Common Core Standards, specialists will introduce students to both skills and knowledge of various literature. Skills and techniques will be developed throughout all grade levels and will focus on music instruction in skills and techniques involved in singing and playing instruments, practice in musical interpretation, and training in creative expression.

Computer Literacy and Technology

Students will learn how to use the various software programs available for word processing and multimedia presentations. The primary grades will begin with basic keyboarding skills, and the intermediate grades will focus on more advanced computer skills. Teachers will incorporate into the thematic units various forms of technology. Additionally, teachers will instruct students on safe, ethical, and appropriate use of technology, which comply with legal and professional standards.

Other various integrated learning systems and professional development related to such systems, plus other hardware and peripherals to increase staff, teacher, parent and student access to a range of advanced equipment that facilitates operations, improves instruction, and encourages the use of 21st Century technology, will be utilized. A school-wide local area network will be installed and each classroom will be equipped with a minimum of one computer and high speed Internet access.

Spanish

The School recognizes that there is a growing international interdependence among nations which demands that the United States develop citizens with a sound understanding of international and cross-cultural issues and the ability to communicate in more than one language. Therefore, Somerset Academy at Las Vegas intends to develop students’ understanding of international and cross-cultural issues as well as their ability to communicate in more than one language. The school will implement Spanish as a foreign language program for both non-speaking and Spanish-speaking students.