Specials

WAYNE THOMAS SPECIAL CLASSES

P.E.:  At Wayne Thomas we want to engage every student in a safe and fun learning environment that will create a positive outlook on lifetime physical activity, fitness, and wellness.  Our goal is to empower every student with the knowledge and skills necessary to enjoy their pursuit of a lifelong healthy and active lifestyle. All Wayne Thomas students have a daily 30 minute Physical Education Wellness class with Mr. Arensen and/or Mr. Jablonski.  Some of our activities throughout the year include Field Day, Jump Rope/ Hoops for Heart, our Running Track Challenge, Team Building, individual/dual sports, and team sports to name a few. Don’t be surprised if you get a call from us so that we can tell you how awesome your child is doing.  We love to focus on the positive and believe it helps create the environment we want for our students at Wayne Thomas.

Music: Students at Wayne Thomas attend general music classes with Mrs. Crutchfield.  Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students have three 30 minute music classes each week.  3rd, 4th, and 5th graders attend two 30 minute classes every week. Students sing, dance, play instruments, compose, and improvise during music.  They study music from different cultures, eras, and genres. Mrs. Crutchfield especially enjoys using games and children’s literature in her teaching.  General music students play Orff instruments (xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels), unpitched percussion instruments, African drums, recorders, and ukuleles during their six years at Wayne Thomas.  Mrs. Crutchfield strives to make her classroom a place where students look forward to coming to learn and enjoy experiencing music in new ways.

Art: Wayne Thomas students attend art class with Mrs. Kurzawski once a week for 60 minutes. In art, students work with a variety of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional mediums, learning proper techniques for handling tools and exploring their creativity.  Students engage in art history discussions, critiques of self and peer works, research, and of course, hands on art making experiences. Students build on personal interests and experiences to make their artworks original and share their personal stories. To share the artwork with families, we use Artsonia as an online digital gallery, as well as, displaying all students artwork in the hallways at Wayne Thomas. District 112 has an annual art show in March where exceptional pieces are shared with the community. Mrs. Kurzawski’s goals for her art students are to have a safe place to explore, create, and share their stories while gaining understanding about the visual world around them.   

Library: Scholars have the opportunity to attend library weekly. The library is set up as a hub within the school where scholars can make connections with the global community through independent inquiry. Students are taught to use technology and foster an appreciation for literature and learning.