Art

Our visual arts program at St. Cyprian’s Episcopal School exposes children to the role art plays in our lives.  From self-portraits, street scenes, still-lifes, landscapes, weaving, and sculpting, our students have the opportunity to express themselves in a wide variety of mediums.

Pre-school Classes:

The Pre-school art program is limited only by a child’s creativity.  Opportunities for experimentation are offered through the use of tempra, watercolor, oil pastels, clay, collage, markers, crayons, glue and more.  Introduction to colors, color mixing, shapes and types of lines encourage awareness of the surrounding world of design.

Kindergarten to 6th:

Through the use of Adventures in Art, creative art activities encourage originality and develop skills in design and media.  Multicultural comparison develops an appreciation of artistic achievement around the world.  Examples of media used are oil pastels, watercolor, collage, clay, printmaking, tempra, and colored pencils.

Music

St. Cyprian’s Episcopal School embraces the arts! We believe children should be exposed to music of all cultures and given the opportunity to sing, dance, and experiment with instruments, rhythms and sounds. Making a joyful noise is what our music program is all about!

Pre-school Classes:

Students explore concepts such as Fast/Slow, Loud/Soft, and Steady Beat. They develop gross and fine motor skills through movement and dance, instrument play, and music games. Singing, active listening to music and sounds, and reinforcement of classroom skills are also included in the preschool curriculum.

Kindergarten to 5th:

The music curriculum, which is based on the TEKS, provides students with meaningful learning and performing experiences. Students become familiar with standard music terminology and rhythmic and melodic notation through singing and playing a variety of age-appropriate instruments such as recorders, guitars and percussion instruments. Students are also given opportunities to create music compositions using the knowledge they have acquired. Students learn to relate music to history, society, and culture.

Physical Education

St. Cyprian’s Episcopal School’s Physical Education program encourages students to value an active lifestyle and to promote sportsmanship and team spirit.  Our hope is that every student, regardless of his or her natural athletic ability, achieves success in a variety of physical activities and sees improvement in their physical development.

What Do You Do in P.E.?

P.E. classes consist of four components: a warm-up activity, an aerobic fitness activity, a specific motor skill development activity, and a game incorporating specific motor skills.  We emphasize four components of physical fitness: aerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility.

While we do play some competitive games, we emphasize activities that are all-inclusive, non-elimination, and non-competitive.  This type of play ensures all students can participate fully.  We utilize a wide range of physical activities and sports-related skills. 

Through age appropriate physical activities, students work on motor skills relating to most major sports.  Our desire is to expose students to the skills necessary to participate in life-long physical activity.  This method also provides students with the basics for competitive sports when they are developmentally ready.  Some of those lead-up skills include: soccer, basketball, softball, kickball, volleyball, and racket sports.  We also emphasize cardiovascular fitness and the development of muscular strength and flexibility.

Do You Have a Field Day?

Yes, Field Day is the highlight of our Physical Education Program.  We set an entire day aside each Spring for all types of athletic activities for 5K-5th grades.  Field Day is one of the most anticipated events of the school year.

Spanish

Every child at St. Cyprian’s Episcopal School takes Spanish!  We feel strongly that a working knowledge of Spanish is essential in our rapidly changing world.  Spanish is officially the second language in Texas.  In order to do business, teach school, communicate, or appreciate the heritage and history of Texas, our students need to know the language and understand the Hispanic culture. 

Pre-school Classes:

Our Pre-school students go to Spanish at least once each week.  During class they become familiar and more comfortable with the Spanish language.  Our primary source is the BBC’s Early Advantage “Muzzy” method.  This method centers on characters in a video.  Additional resources are music, games and storybooks.

Kindergarten to 5th:

These students attend Spanish at least twice each week depending on a rotating schedule. They use some of the developmentally appropriate activities that our Pre-school students enjoy, but on a more advanced level.  They practice the conversational concepts presented in the activities, both orally and through physical response. Our curriculum emphasizes grammar, vocabulary, and the construction of complete sentences and paragraphs. We also work to translate Spanish - English.

Technology

Knowing that today’s children will eventually work in a highly technical world, we believe in exposing children to technology at a very early age.  Faculty use computers to augment instruction by fostering an atmosphere that encourages exploration, creativity, and involvement in real world projects.  The use of computers is integrated into the curriculum and is taught as a separate subject. The computers are in each classroom, as well as a separate computer lab, to allow ongoing interaction between children while they solve problems and share ideas.  Teachers support children in their efforts to develop technical literacy and lifelong computer skills.

At all grade levels, children produce high-level multimedia projects in all subject areas.  All students use the Internet for the retrieval of information for use in research projects that culminate in a wide variety of technology-aided products.  Through the completion of hands-on integrated curriculum projects, students become proficient in the use of digital cameras, scanners, input tools, and presentation tools such as PowerPoint.

In Fall 2002, we implemented a mobile, wireless computer lab.  This system lends itself to more independent research and customized course work.  With the wireless networks, students can connect to the Internet to do research, and collaborate with teachers and fellow students.  Having connected computers in the classroom at the point of instruction, rather than having to schedule time or a class in the computer lab, makes the laptop and the Internet integral tools in the learning process.

Pre-school Classes:

Young children have much to gain from the use of technology. In pre-school, they expand their ability to acquire information, solve problems, and communicate with others. Regular access and exposure to computers and related technology can enhance this learning. Children use engaging, age-appropriate, challenging software and technology to extend their knowledge and to enrich their learning of curriculum content and concepts. These technologies serve as important learning tools and are integrated throughout the instructional program.

Kindergarten to 3rd:

Students gain basic skills such as inputting information, beginning touch keyboarding and becoming familiar with the computer. Using technology, students access information that can include text, audio, video, and graphics. They use computers and related technology to make presentations and prepare projects for foundation curriculum areas.

Students use proper keyboarding techniques and acquire information by selecting the most appropriate search strategies. Students use word processing, graphics, databases, spreadsheets, simulations, multimedia, and telecommunications. They solve problems and communicate information in various formats and to a variety of audiences and evaluate their results.

Grades 4-5:

Building on Grades K-3rd knowledge and skills, student become fluent in using multiple software applications.  Students use word processing, graphics, databases, spreadsheets, simulations, multimedia, and apply them across the curriculum.  5th Grade students participate in a hands-on computer project where they analyze computer hardware as they dismantle and rebuild working computer systems.