Take a minute and help a teacher - quick question

[TikiGoddess07]

Hi everyone!

I am a music teacher in CT. There are rumors that our 'specials' times (art, music, PE, technology, and library) are going to be reduced next year.

I need numbers to defend my program. How much time do your local elementary schools devote to specials?

Thanks for any information!
Kathy

 

[Prose]

DD's elementary school has a period for "specials" every day -- her schedule right now is Monday Art, Tuesday Music, Wednesday PE, Thursday Chinese, and Friday is a "rotating" special....they do a session of each special changing every few weeks, plus one session is Media/Technology.

Visits to the library are separate from specials, and take place once a week.

If they tried to cut specials from our schools, I would pitch a royal fit. I work in the arts, and know of studies that prove that children who take art or music do better in several academic areas. Google 'benefits of art education' to find more info......good luck!!!!

 

[EnchantedPrincess]

My dd is in 1st grade, and they have a rotating schedule. Day 1 - Art Day 2 Music Day 3 Drame/PE, Day 4 PE, Day 5 - PE, and Day 6 - PE.

 

[minnie4me]

DS is in first grade and he has a 5 day rotating schedule: 2 days of gym, 2 days of music one day of art and one library day per rotation. I too would be extremely disappointed and frustrated if any of the programs were cut. A well rounded student needs more than math and English !! Our PTO provides cultural assemblies to broaden the kids scope of learning. They had several good music ones last year. Our school district does not have other languages offered until middle school (I hope), they just sent a survey about interest in an after school program. Trying to get an idea of interest, times, days , languages. I jumped on it. I would like DS to learn Mandarin or Spanish while he is still young.
Did the rumor elaborate on why the possible cut? Does your school PTO/PTA help with supply costs ? Campbells labels and Box Tops for education can be beneficial for that. I guess if you teach in the higher grades that might not be an option.
I'd fight !!

 

[stsomewhere]

My kids go to a charter school they get 60 minutes each for 6 specias a week.
They get Spanish, drama, gym. art, music, technology.
They also get an elective of 30 minutes each day. My son is in 6th grade takes orchestra and DD in 3rd takes tap dancing.

 

[h518may]

My DS gets 2 hours of music, art, or dance a day, plus time in the library each day. But his school shouldn't really count, because he is in a performing arts magnet program. They don't get PE because dance counts toward physical activity. We love the idea of our son learning about the performing arts in school. And this way we are assured that he will not loss the amount of physical activity he gets a day.

 

[LMC]

about 30 min's of PE everyday. i would say all these others are 30 min one day per week: music, art, library, computer room

 

[stacy6552]

Music gets (2) 30 minute classes, here in elementary school. They get (2-3) 30 minute classes of PE, depending on age. They get 50 minutes of Art, once a week. They got to the library once a week for 30 minutes. Computer Lab varies as to the need of the teachers and size of student body.

 

[burgundybooks]

I work as an aide in and Elementary school. Our specials are in 50 minute blocks each day. The children have PE twice a week, Music once a week, and Art once a week (the exception is that Kinder and 1st grade have Computer specials instead of Art). The fifth day of the week is called "Rhythms" day, and is on Wednesdays. All grade levels have Rhythms on Wed and it is taught by the art, music, and PE teachers collaboratively. It contains elements of movement and music, and ocassionally art

 

[kldmom2000]

We don't get nearly enough PE ( All the focus here in MA is on the MCAS standardized testing. The elementary schools in our city have a 6-day rotation. For instance, my 4th grader's schedule is this:

Day 1-Library
Day 2-Art
Day 3-Computers
Day 4-Music
Day 5-nothing
Day 6-PE

So, some weeks they don't have one or more of the above programs at all since it's a 6 day rotation.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

We live in eastern PA. My son's school has a seven day cycle with music, art, library, health, and guidance each for one day and gym for two days. The period runs 45 minutes.

My son also meets with the elementary band teacher every day for 15 - 20 minutes before school starts for group lessons, and has a full band class for about an hour once a week.

Good luck!

 

[v.t.]

Our elementary students get 1:05 for rotation. Half of the time is PE (everyday) and the other half rotates between music, computers, and library. Right now our budget does not allow for art.... but we are working on that.

 

[DisMomme]

I work in an Elementary School in Maine. Our school is PreK - 3rd.

1st - 3rd have 50 minute blocks each day for Art, Music, PE and Library. One Trimester a year we also have Guidance.

PreK and K are 1/2 days so they have 20 minute specials each day.

Our next school is 4th & 5th only. In addition to the above 'Specials" they also offer band and chorus as an elective extra.

 

[Rylee]

Central New York, near Syracuse.

Grades K - 6.

Specials are 38 minutes.

Rotating a 4 day schedule, 5 days a week.
(Example - Third grade son's schedule -)
A Day - PE
B Day - Art
C Day - PE
D Day - Music
Repeat

Weekly, fixed schedule - (also 38 minutes.)
Wednesday - Computer
Thursday - Library

4Th, 5Th, & 6TH - Band and Choir -
Scheduled during recess -
Choir - 2x weekly
Band - 2 group lessons weekly, plus 1 band rehearsal (entire band) weekly.
(Because these extras are scheduled during recess, my 6TH grade son, quit choir this year, (did stay with the sax, though.) As talented as he is, and is involved in plays, etc., he is an 11 year old boy, and hated missing recess all the time.)

 

[nowellsl]

I work in an elementary school. Our kids get 35-45 minutes once per week in art, music and PE with a specialist teacher. 30 minutes per day in PE with their regular ed teacher. They go to media about once every other week on a rotating schedule. Last year they cut our specialist time in half and students had art one semester and music one semester. Luckily that only lasted one year and were able restore them to full year courses this year.

 

[aladams2]

We're also on a six day rotation
Days 1,3,5 PE and Music for 1/2 hour each
Days 2,5,6 They rotate between Art, Library, and Peaceful Playground It varies by 1/2 hour and an hour for art and library. Peaceful Playground is where they learn to respect each other and learn the rules at recess. They also learn to play new games for recess.

 

[mbarone54]

My daughter's (Kindergarten) schedule rotates on a 4 day cycle. I believe the classes are 30 - 40 minutes long.
Day 1 - PE
Day 2 - Art
Day 3 - PE
Day 4 - Music
Library and Computers are scheduled on specific days - she has Computers on Monday and Library on Friday.

I used to be the librarian in a fairly large K-4 school (almost 900 kids). Specials - Art, Music and PE - were 40 minutes and were scheduled on specific days. Each class rec'd 2 PE times each week. Band and chorus were at the end of the day (recess). Band lessons were given throughout the day, students were expected to make up the work missed in the classroom.

Library was on a Flexible Schedule - classes had an assigned 10 minute book exchange each week - but the rest of my schedule was open for scheduling as necessary. I would work with the teachers to help them plan lessons based on their current classroom curriculum that included library/research components. Classes could come in for 30 minutes - an hour - multiple times in one week to accomplish projects...if necessary.

Good luck!

 

[mousebymarriage]

My kids school is a public school pre-k through 8th grade. The specials are 50 minutes each. My DS8 is in 3rd grade and his specials schedule is:

Monday- Computers
Tuesday- Phys. Ed
Tuesday- Art
Wednesday- Music
Thursday- Phys. Ed
Friday- World Language (Spanish & Italian)
Friday- Library

 

[daisyduck123]

Hi! 1st grade public school teacher chiming in here

All students in grades K-5 in the 77 elementary schools in my county receive:

Per week:
Music - 60 minutes
PE - 60 minutes
Art - 60 minutes
Media - 45 minutes

 

[woodkins]

Long Island NY Public School:
Music 50mins 1x per week
Phys Ed 50 mins 2x per week
Art 50 mins 1x per week
Libary 50 mins 1x per week
Computer 50 mins 1x per week
Health 50 mins 1x per week