Exploratories

The Swift School’s Visual Arts Program develops self-confidence, brings out creativity, and promotes higher-level thinking in all of our students.

Lower Division

In the Lower Division, students are exposed to a wide array of studio arts, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, weaving and printmaking. They learn about various artists and periods of art history, as well as other cultures. Cross-curricular projects are created to provide a link between the arts and the academic classroom.

Projects are adapted based on students’ strengths and needs.
 

Middle School

In the Middle Division, students continue to build upon their artistic knowledge. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional art are created. More time is put into each artwork, and more elaborate pieces emerge. Student personalities really start to shine through their creations.
 

Presentation

You will find student artwork throughout our campus. Every year, an art sale takes place to showcase students’ creativity.

“When our students activate their right brain, they step into a world of unlimited imagination, where they can express themselves through truly extraordinary works of art.” - Lynn Kaplin

Spanish is taught by Ms. Hallie Poindexter. Students learn and practice the language through songs, games, crafts, partner discussions, role playing activities, movies, and traditional classroom instruction.

Many students will be required to take a foreign language in high school, and Swift's Spanish class allows students to receive exposure to another language. Students will gain a foundation and confidence in their abilities to learn any language in their future. Students will also gain an understanding of how languages are taught and learned. As pupils explore the language and culture of another country, they will broaden their world perspective and gain a better understanding of language and culture differences.

"Though many students begin the semester with the belief they will not be able to learn a second language, they each finish the semester able to form complete sentences, and most importantly, have a belief in their ability to learn a new language." 
- Hallie Poindexter

Mr. Lucas Tarrant's class incorporates not only music but a movement aspect as well. Mr. Tarrant, a third-year Swift School teacher and classically trained Opera singer, engages students through music and movement to keep class engaging and fun while ensuring that students learn. 

“Music is important to me, so I knew how pivotal it was that we had not only music but also the movement aspect," Mr. Tarrant said. "The movement goes hand-in-hand with music instruction and is vital for dyslexic learners." 

In Music & Movement, Mr. Tarrant builds up students' knowledge of music, instruments, and voice. Students also learn how to read notes. The lessons are not traditional where students continually sit and take notes. Additionally, Mr. Tarrant teaches a chorus club that is offered as an after-school option periodically throughout the school year. 

Philosophy

At Swift School, our Physical Education program helps students stay active, build skills, and practice good sportsmanship.

We design activities that support both individual and group growth. These activities are not only fun, but they also connect with Occupational Therapy strategies to strengthen coordination, balance, and motor skills.

For our Spartan team sports (Middle Division only), we have a no-cut policy. Every student who wants to play is welcome and encouraged.

Our goal is to inspire students to enjoy movement, develop lifelong fitness habits, and benefit from the social connections physical activity provides.
 

Goals

The goals of Swift’s Physical Education Program will be based on the National Association for Sports and Physical Education Standards. The goals have been divided into seven areas that the association feels are necessary for a quality physical education program.

• Motor Skills
• Learning Concepts
• Active Lifestyles Outside of the Classroom
• Physical Fitness
• Personal and Social Skills
• Diversity
• Values Exercise
   

Frequency

• Lower Division – grades 1-4
• Two 55-minute PE sessions per week.
• Middle Division – grades 5-8
• Two one-hour PE sessions per week.

In STEAM, students will be learning about identifying problems and the steps to engineering solutions.  As the year progresses, the students will take part in planning, designing, and creating a variety of projects. To help students with finding problems and developing realistic solutions, they will be using the Novel Engineering approach. In the Novel Engineering approach students will be using stories, text, or novels from their Language Arts classes to identify problems within the story, develop solutions, and build models to solve the problems. 
 

Lower Division Objectives (Kindergarten - 4th Grades)

• Students will learn how to use and design with a variety of materials and tools including but not limited to computer aided design, robotics, gears, 3-D printers, and coding applications.   
• Students will utilize the Engineering Design Cycle to plan, research, create, test and improve working models. 
• Students will be able to use a variety of materials to construct working solutions to problems identified within stories for specific characters.
• Students will modify and improve their models after participating in small group and class discussions.

Middle Division Objectives:

In addition to the continued work on the objectives from Lower Division students in Middle Division will apply STEAM related skills to build and modify special projects including child sized electrical cars and 3-D printed displays.