It is the goal of the GHR Intermediate School Art Program to provide students with an exceptional art education. I seek to nurture the artistry and creativity in all our students by providing experiences that are fun rewarding and challenging. The commitment is also to create within students a sense of pride and worth that allows them to be the best persons possible as well as the best young artists.

The GHR art curriculum is designed to offer each student the opportunity to study art thematically, incorporating the Connecticut and National Standards for Visual Art Education. Units of study focus on the application of the elements of art and principles of design to create various drawing, painting, ceramic, printmaking and sculpture projects. Many of the units also integrate language arts, science, math, or social studies. This allows students to develop an ability to transfer and apply knowledge from one discipline to another, resulting in authentic cross curricular learning.

The George Hersey Robertson Intermediate School Music Department is committed to maintaining a music program that provides students the opportunity to develop their musical talents according to their individual abilities. Students create, perform, and respond with understanding, regarding the music concepts of melody, harmony, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and tone color. In addition, students connect their understanding to social, cultural, and historical contexts when creating, performing, and responding to music. Students will be guided toward a lifelong love and appreciation for music by exploring various genres, such as program music, jazz, country, folk, opera, and ballet, as well as Classical, Romantic and Modern period styles.

Grade 3: Students sing and respond to a varied repertoire of songs and music, develop their music literacy skills, and demonstrate various music concepts. They are introduced to specific music notation, learning various symbols that are most commonly used in songs from music classes. Students learn to identify notes, rests, the treble clef, the music staff, line and space note names, and to interpret different rhythmic and tonal patterns using the various note symbols. There are a wide variety of songs, including some in various languages. They also learn to identify the four families and names of the instruments. At the conclusion of the school year, Grade 3 students perform a 30-minute End-of-Year Concert.

Grade 4: Students sing and respond to a varied repertoire of songs and music and some songs in two parts as an introduction to harmony. They develop their music literacy skills by reviewing the symbols and notation learned in Grade 3 to continue their learning of more challenging music notation. Students also demonstrate various music concepts including playing the recorder as a pre-band instrument. The study of recorder also reinforces all they learn about music notation and their interpretation of different rhythmic and tonal patterns using the various note symbols. They also learn about various meters and create their own songs and share their creations with their class. At the conclusion of the school year, Grade 4 students sing and play their recorders in a 30-minute End-of-Year Concert.

Grade 5: Students sing and respond to a varied repertoire of songs and music including songs in two or three parts to further develop their understanding of harmony. They further develop their music literacy skills by reviewing the symbols and notation learned in Grades 3 and 4 to continue their learning of more challenging music notation. Students also demonstrate various music concepts by studying various genres of music. All Grade 5 students attend a field trip to a music performance at various performing arts locations every year. Students study before the performance to make connections to their own performing, creating, and responding during music class. Toward the end of the school year students develop their understanding of playing the piano via a keyboard lab setup in the music room. Students participating in Grade 5 Chorus and Band perform in a Winter Informance Concert and at the conclusion of the school year Grade 5 Chorus and Band students perform a 45-minute Spring Concert.

The goal of the Physical Education program is for students to participate in physical activities that increase their fitness, knowledge of movement concepts and skill levels. Students will participate in a variety of activities that focus on the affective, psychomotor, and cognitive development of the child through individual and team sports, as well as lifetime activities., In addition, students will develop an understanding of wellness concepts to enhance levels of physical fitness and to encourage living a physically active, healthy lifestyle. Students fitness levels will be developed through activities based on flexibility, and cardiorespiratory and muscular endurance. Furthermore, students will develop and exhibit teamwork, cooperation, problem solving, and decision making through participation in a variety of games and activities.

Students will be expected to participate in all physical education activities while demonstrating effort and positive sportsmanship. Students will exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in a physical activity environment.

Students will be expected to come prepared for class with the appropriate footwear (sneakers). In the winter, students should always be prepared for the snowshoeing unit by having, snow boots or extra sneakers and socks, snow pants, and a winter jacket.

Goals of the G.H. Robertson Intermediate School Library Media Center:

• To foster the love of reading through the promotion of literature of all genres.
• To promote practices that will encourage students to become life-long readers and learners.
• To acquire and maintain a balanced collection of Media Center resources, which represent a wide range of subjects, levels of difficulty and formats.
• To help students to learn to work independently in the Media Center and beyond to locate & evaluate sources and information.
• To inspire students to ask questions and seek answers using all forms of media.
• To encourage students to communicate new learning through collaboration and technology.
• To provide students with access to electronic resources, for research and pleasure reading, in and out of school.
• To promote ethical practices using technology to foster good digital citizens.
• To integrate S.T.E.A.M. opportunities for learning and creativity using a Makerspace.
• To support the Coventry Public School’s curriculum through materials and instruction.