Take a minute and help a teacher - quick question

[MickQuinn]

The pre-k - grade 5 that my ds attends has a different 50-minute special each day of the week: library, computer, music, art and phys ed. Foreign language classes are taught by visiting teachers from an exchange program.


I teach in a gr 6-8 middle school. My students have phys ed for (2) 1 hour sessions per week. Their other "special" changes each quarter and include art, music, french or spanish. They have the special (4) 1 hour class periods per week.

 

[hcoker1]

As a music teacher (and vice president of the Ontario Music Educators' Association) I wouldn't call Music and the Arts a "special", we are a valuable and equal part of the curriculum for all students. In Ontario most students receive music every other day for 30 to 40 minutes. They have library once a week, dance and drama once or twice a week and phys ed three times a week (along with 15 minutes of Quality Daily Physical Activity every day). Music, Dance and Drama, and Visual Arts must be reported on every term (3 times a year). Feel free to check out our website for more info: www. omea.on.ca.

Good luck, you are fighting a worthy fight!!

 

[tzolkin]

My two DDs go to a public elem school in rural central New York.

My oldest is in 6th grade and has a rotating 4 day schedule of PE, Art, PE, and Music. The specials periods are 40 mins.
DD also attends chorus two days a week during recess time. Recess is 20 mins. They also have a study hall period that can be used for other activities.

My other DD is in K and has a different special each day: music, art, library, computers, and enrichment (science experiments mostly). K has PE every day. The specials periods are 30 mins.

 

[karliebug]

First grade teacher here. I am in NE PA. Our school is K-4. Our first through fourth graders get a 35 minute special every day. They get music twice in a six day schedule, gym, library/technology,health and art. Our Kinders only get music and library, but they are only here half-day. Our 5th and 6th graders get gym twice in a six day cycle, all the others once but their periods are 42 minutes.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

We're here in Maryland, and our elementary kids get 240 minutes per week. This isn't including library. Each class gets a 40 minute "special" each day (PE, art, music), and one day they have "double specials".

Karen

 

[bushdianee]

Our district allots time by grade level. I teach 1st grade and my schedule is as follows. We are on a 10 day cycle
Days 1&6 no specials
Days 2&7 Music and PE 30 min. each
Day 3 Computer Lab 30min.
Days 4&9 Music 30 min. & library 60 minutes
Days 5&10 PE 30 min
Day 8 Art 60 min

Intermediate grades get 60 min. Art each week but only 30 min. PE and Music per week

 

[J'aime Paris]

My DD school is K-5.
Each week they have:

PE 30 min. 3 times/week
Art 45 min. 1 time/week
Music 30 min. 2 times/week
Comp. Lab 30 min. 1 time/week
Library 30 min. 1 time every other week plus check-out time
Guidance 30 min. 1 time every other week
Sadly, no foreign language offered yet

 

[mychicks]

Younger dds have a 7 day rotating schedule and have gym, art, music, 2 different computer classes (one is math based specifically) and library. Library is supposed to be every other week, but I'm not sure if it really is since this rotating schedule is a nightmare for the library scheduling.
Middle school has gym, art, music, health, computers. They are on a 4 day schedule. Spanish has been cut for grades 5 and 6 and tech ed has been cut this year also.

I believe our exploratories are 45 minutes and they have one or two per day.

Math and ELA are the focus here.

 

[clairemolly]

My daughter is in 1st grade. She rotates music, art and gym every 3 days. Some weeks she has art and music twice...some weeks it is music and gym, etc. She has media center once per week. I believe her sessions are 30 minutes long.

 

[hedgehog2owl]

my dd goes to a catholic school, but I think her schedule is similar to the local public school

Mon-PE and Music
Tues-Art (and optional extra PE class, but you have to pay extra for it)
Wed- Computer (optional extra art class for a fee)
Thurs-PE
Fri- Library and Spanish
They do not, however get to play outside everyday.

 

[okeydokey]

We have one period a day. It used to be 2 PE, 1 art, 1 music, 1 media (library). The last two years our full time music and art teachers have been shared with another school, so the kids only get art or music for one half the year. They fill in an extra PE for that time now. Last year they lost their art teacher for the half year, this year they lose their music teacher for half the year.

 

[PollyannaMom]

DS is in 3rd grade, and his specials are 45 minutes. This year, his school shares it's art and music teachers with another school in the district, so they have those every other week. They have gym twice a week, library once, and computers once. (Last year, library and computer were alternate weeks, and music and art were every week.)

 

[ClassicPooh2]

Good Luck! I hope you can present a good case to your administrators and board.

Our North Dakota Public School: 8:40 a.m. - 3:20 p.m.
Grades 1-3 per week:
*Phy. Ed - 90 min (3/30min)
*Music- 90 min (3/30min)
*Library- 30 min
*Guidance- 30 min
*Computer- 60 min

Recess before school for 10 min
Recess each morning for 15 min unless Phy. Ed. is in the morning
Recess at noon break for 10-15 min.
Recess in the afternoon for 15 min unless Phy. Ed. in the afternoon

Grades 4-6 have PE and Music in 2/45 min slots and no afternoon recess.

 

[Lovin' Disney]

Specials are so important! Some kids just aren't into academics and find relief and solstice in art, music, PE, etc.

Here at our public school in Michigan, our K-6 school classes have:

35 minutes of PE each day
35 minutes of Music each day
Library once a week
No art class or computer class
Grades 1 & 2 have Spanish class once a week

 

[clori]

my kids are in a public magnet school

I believe all specials are 50 minutes 5 day rotation but library may always be Mondays

dd K - second half I think 1art, no computers this year since 1 of 2 computer teachers let go for budget cuts
a music and library
b gym
c Spanish
d music
e gym

dd 4th - not sure second half but I think she picks up music
a computers and library
b art
c gym
d Spanish
e computers

 

[justcantwait]

Also in CT here. My DD7 gets about 50 minutes per day for specials - Music, Art, Gym, Library, Computer. Each class has one particular special twice a week, so one day a week she has 2 specials (she has music twice a week this year ). DS10 is in middle school. They have a weird schedule, hard to explain. 4 semesters, each semester has one special and 2 minimesters each day. So, in all, 12 periods that are outside of regular classes. 3 out of 4 semesters he has gym in minimester. He also has home economics, art, music, language arts enrichment, math enrichment, media tech, health, Spanish, and I can't remember the rest! This is all done on an "A" day/"B" day type of schedule. So, how many minutes a week of music is that? God only knows! Here too, whenever they talk about cutting programs, it's always art or music, never sports. Don't they believe that kids could get a music scholarship just as they would a football or basketball scholarship? IDK, just hope things work out for you. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Kathy

 

[SalandJeff]

We are in CT also. DD is in 1st grade. They have music twice a week, art, PE, library once per week, with each class being 40 minutes. They also have computer lab, but I'm not sure how often. I will be very upset if they cut any of their specials. They are so important.

You should get the parents in your town involved. I am sure they will raise a ruckus. Good luck.

 

[PaulaSue]

Our school has a 6 day cycle and specials 2 times a week (music, art and gym) and library 1 time a week (regualar week)

 

["Cinder" Ella's Mom]

In Chicago suburbs my kids (1st and 3rd grades) have PE 4X's per week,
Art 1X per week, Music 2X's per week, Library 1X per week. From 3rd grade up they get Spanish 2X's a week.

Good luck!

 

[design_mom]

My kids go to Elementary in Ohio.

DS is in 3rd grade. He has:
PE - 45 minute class, 2 days per week (also has 45 minutes worth of "recess" per day.)
Music - 30 minute class, 2 days per week
Art - 1 hour class, 1 day per week
Computer Lab - 45 minute class, 1 day per week
Library - 30 minute class, once every other week

DD's schedule is a little different because she's in kindergarten (not f/t kinder). She has all the same "specials" but the duration is different and they only have PE and music once per week.