Enrichment
 
 
 
 
Dance
 
Professional dance teachers instruct all GCS students daily in classes ranging from ballet, jazz, modern, hip- hop, tap and Latin dance.  Additionally, classroom and dance teachers collaborate to reinforce and broaden the academic curriculum through the integration of creative movement.
 

 
In keeping with our mission to integrate academics and the arts, GCS dance teachers reinforce letter recognition and phonemic awareness through creative movement and music.  Twice a week, in Reading In Motion classes, our kindergarteners and first graders twist their bodies into letters while singing corresponding sounds.  Dance instructors and classroom teachers collaborate to deliver challenging, standardsbased language arts instruction.  At GCS, we are creating a reading culture.  Research by this Chicagobased Reading In Motion program has proven that adding a kinesthetic component to teaching reading boosts the achievement scores of inner city children.  In fact, independent test results have shown that RIM students make nearly two months of reading progress for every month they participate in the program, effectively doubling students' learning rates.
 
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The Art People
 
Volunteers Meg Kasden and Zen Annino provide visual arts enrichment to second and third graders through weekly art projects. Mentored by art teachers at the Center For Early Education, they came to GCS after several years' experience teaching in the Compton Unified District.  They introduce students to the styles of noted artists and collaborate with classroom teachers to design art activities that integrate with social studies and science curricula.
 
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“Our efforts evolved from a desire to do handson work in inner city schools and the realization that these students are missing the opportunity to create their own artwork, using materials that are not part of the academic curriculum,” explains Meg Kasden. “Zen and I both feel that kids deserve certain creative childhood experiences that have been cut from many public school programs.  Therefore, we bring watercolors, tempera paints, oil pastels, fingerpaints, sculpting, sketching techniques, and various crafts into the classrooms; teach children how to use these materials and give them an opportunity to 'get messy' and have artistic, tactile experiences.”
  
During their weekly visits to the school, Meg and Zen get to know the teachers and the students and have offered to help organize other types of enrichment including field trips and assemblies. With the help of more volunteers, they hope to expand the program to all grades in the near future
     
AfterSchool Program
  
Three afterschool teachers and a number of high school volunteers staff the GCS AfterSchool program that provides homework support and supervision until 6:00 p.m.  Students receive individualized help with assignments and personalized tutoring.  They also participate in outdoor and indoor games and art activities.  There is a nominal cost to families who enroll their children.
 
 
High School Volunteers Tutors
 
GCS teachers supervise high school students from Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, Belmont High School and Bishop Conety High School who tutor students during the day and after school.  Students receive community service credit for their service.
 
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Community Volunteers
 
Classroom teachers welcome the weekly participation of a number of community volunteers.  Their involvement in the academic program enables teachers to further differentiate instruction for small groups and individual students.