CDA Dallas 2020-21 Electives Brochure

CDA Dallas

ELECTIVES 2020-21

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AN INVITATION Electives at Coram Deo Academy are an excellent opportunity for your student to explore current interests and discover new ones. We invite you to browse this course catalogue and consider registering your student for some of our Friday Classes in 2020-21.

We find it helpful to think of two things when considering what courses to take: (1) what does my student already love? and (2) what do I want them to learn to love? Growing to become more well-rounded is one hallmark of a rich classical education. We invite you to consider courses that you know your student will love, and to consider some that you would like to see them grow to love!

HOW TO PLAN YOUR ELECTIVES Find your student’s grade-level on the schedules below to learn what classes are available to them next year. Be sure to read the course descriptions for each course you are considering, as some have specific requirements. Keep in mind that some of our classes fill early, so register as soon as you are able if there is a class you are set on taking.

We recommend having at least a first and second preference for each class period you plan to attend. You can use the Planning Worksheet provided at the end of this catalogue to help! Once you log-in to register, you may notice that your first choice is already full.

HOW AND WHEN TO REGISTER FOR ELECTIVES You may reenroll your current students for the 2020-21 school year on January 1st beginning at noon. As soon as you complete the reenrollment process, you may also register for 2020-21 Electives.

Visit the CDA Family Login (click here if viewing this brochure digitally) to reenroll and to register for Electives. If your preferred class is full, you can join the waitlist, but we also recommend registering for your second choice at that time, too.

Please reach out if we can help you make decisions as you plan for Friday classes in 2020-21.

K- 1 S T F R I D AY C L A S S E S

PERIOD 1 8:30am-10:00am

BASIC ART 1st-3rd

HANDS ON SCIENCE K-1st

PERIOD 2 10:00am-11:30am

BASIC ART 1st-3rd

AROUND THE WORLD K-4th

SPORTS SKILLS K-2nd

LUNCH

PERIOD 3 12:00pm-12:45pm

ART & MUSIC EXPLORATION K-1st

GREAT BOOKS 1st-3rd

*See description. Can be taken individually or as a block.

PERIOD 4 12:45pm-1:30pm

This class is a 3/4 block and meets for 90 minutes.

GREAT BOOKS 1st-3rd

*See description. Can be taken individually or as a block.

PERIOD 5 1:30pm-3:00pm

EXPLORING SPANISH K-4th

MUSICAL THEATER K-6th

MUSIC INTRODUCTION 1st-2nd

NATURE STUDIES 1st-5th

NOTE: 3rd and 4th period are now 45 minute classes.

In some cases, these periods combine to make one 90 minute class. Otherwise, you are free to register for one or both of these periods.

2ND-4TH FRIDAY CLASSES

PERIOD 1 8:30am-10:00am

BASIC ART 1st-3rd

SPORTS SKILLS K-2nd

NATURE STUDIES 1st-5th

PERIOD 2 10:00am-11:30am

BASIC ART 1st-3rd

AROUND THE WORLD K-4th

SPORTS SKILLS 3rd-8th

HANDS ON SCIENCE 2nd-4th

PERIOD 3 12:00pm-12:45pm

INTERMEDIATE ART 4th-8th

MUSIC INTRODUCTION 1st-3rd

*No previous musical experience required.

COMPUTER SKILLS 4th-6th

GREAT BOOKS 1st-3rd

*See description. Can be taken individually or as a block.

PERIOD 4 12:45pm-1:30pm

This class is a 3/4 block and meets for 90 minutes.

MUSIC ELEMENTARY 2nd-4th

*Previous musical experience required.

STUDY HALL 4th-9th

GREAT BOOKS 1st-3rd or 4th-9th

*See description. Can be taken individually or as a block.

PERIOD 5 1:30pm-3:00pm

INTERMEDIATE ART 4th-8th

MUSICAL THEATER K-6th

EXPLORING SPANISH K-4th

LUNCH

5TH-8TH FRIDAY CLASSES

PERIOD 1 8:30am-10:00am

STUDY SKILLS & STUDY HALL 5th-9th

NATURE STUDIES 1st-5th

CHOIR 5th-9th

PERIOD 2 10:00am-11:30am

SPORTS SKILLS 3rd-8th

HOME & HOSPITALITY 5th-8th

PERIOD 3 12:00pm-12:45pm

INTERMEDIATE ART 4th-8th

COMPUTER SKILLS 4th-6th

STUDY HALL 5th-8th

PERIOD 4 12:45pm-1:30pm

This class is a 3/4 block and meets for 90 minutes.

GREAT BOOKS 4th-9th

STUDY HALL 5th-9th

PERIOD 5 1:30pm-3:00pm

INTERMEDIATE ART 4th-8th

MUSICAL THEATER K-6th

VIOLIN ENSEMBLE Audition

LUNCH

NOTE: 3rd and 4th period are now 45 minute classes.

In some cases, these periods combine to make one 90 minute class. Otherwise, you are free to register for one or both of these periods.

INTRO TO WOODWORKING 5th-9th

RHETORIC FRIDAY CLASSES

PERIOD 1 8:30am-10:00am

STUDY SKILLS & STUDY HALL 5th-9th

PERIOD 2 10:00am-11:30am

BIOLOGY LAB Required

9th

CHOIR Musical Fine Art Grad Credit 5th-9th

NOTE: You do not need to register for House when you reenroll. You do need to register for Biology Lab. Both are included in the Rhetoric school tuition.

LUNCH

PERIOD 3 12:00pm-12:45pm

HOUSE SYSTEM Required

9th

PERIOD 4 12:45pm-1:30pm

GREAT BOOKS 4th-9th

STUDY HALL 5th-9th

PERIOD 5 1:30pm-3:00pm

INTRO TO WOODWORKING Visual Fine Art Grad Credit 5th-9th

VIOLIN ENSEMBLE Audition

You need to earn one Musical and one Visual Fine Art credit before you graduate!

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS Unless otherwise noted: 90 minute classes are $500 for the school year, and 45-minute classes are $250 for the school year. There are a total of 32 Friday classes in 2020-21. Violin is offered on Fridays via private lessons with Ms. Lee. Please contact her directly to explore your options.

AROUND THE WORLD | K-4th Students study geography by “visiting” countries around the world. We learn where the country is, what is unique about the area, discover more about the people, as well animals, that live there. We have fun dressing up, tasting food, singing songs in different languages, and learning about missionaries who have served in various places around the world.

ART & MUSIC EXPLORATION | K-1st Kindergarten and First grade students will have an opportunity to engage in seasonal arts and crafts, games, music, stories and finger plays. We will spend time each day engaged in story time and creative play based on our seasonal theme. The children will memorize poems, and songs, lead discussions about our theme and make crafts. Skills like cutting, coloring, tracing and gross motor will be part of our Friday routine. This is a wonderful first Art class to take!

BASIC ART | 1st-3rd In Basic Art, students learn about the seven elements of art (line, shape, form, space, value, texture, color) through fun age appropriate projects. We study famous artists, storybook illustrators, and discuss Art through the ages. There is a strong focus on using our mistakes to create something beautiful. Every year there are new and different projects. First grade students who are not proficient in basic cutting and coloring skills are encouraged to take Art & Music Exploration.

BIOLOGY LAB | 9th, Required | Outside work required All 9th grade students must register for the biology lab on Friday. The biology lab requires a completed pre-lab for entrance into the lab each Friday. The pre-lab is used at the start of each class to complete the hands-on portion of the class. Students learn and observe proper lab safety techniques in addition to seeing the biology concepts from the lecture class in action. The Friday lab is not a separate grade. Grades for the lab assignments will be averaged in with the lecture class grade. Come prepared to see God’s amazing living creation through the microscope!

CHOIR | 5th-9th | Outside work required | Musical Fine Art Graduation Credit for Rhetoric Students Choir is open to 5th graders and above. This group will perform in a Christmas and Spring concert and will learn how to read music and sing with good vocal technique. They will learn various types of repertoire from classical to pop and gain an understanding of music theory.

Homework: Weekly practice to learn the repertoire. Limited extra rehearsals to prepare for concerts.

Performance Expectations: Fall Concert, Spring Concert (other opportunities for competitions are available).

Grading Scale and Credit: ESN for students in the Logic school grades. GPA is not affected by ESN grades.

Number grade for students in the rhetoric school grades. Class counts for a Musical Fine Arts graduation credit, appears on the transcript, and affects GPA. COMPUTER SKILLS | 4th-6th | 45 minutes This course covers a variety of computer skills including but not limited to typing competency, Word document proficiency, Excel Spreadsheets, and PowerPoint Presentations. This class works in conjunction with what the grade levels are studying by allowing them to prepare documents and presentations that expand on class topics.

EXPLORING SPANISH | K-4th Returning Spanish students and new students are invited to discover new vocabulary and dive deeper into the use of oral communication and grammar in the Spanish language. We will often use art, drama and games to practice language development. The class will also focus on re-telling familiar Bible stories and verses in Spanish and will enjoy learning to pray and worship the Lord in a new heart language!

GREAT BOOKS | 1st-3rd | 45 minutes Great Books will expose young learners to wonderful classic children’s books. Through reading aloud, student narration, reader’s theater, crafts, and activities, students will become familiar with story structure and themes (big ideas), quality language, and noble ideas and characters encountered in story.

Note: Each 45-minute block of this class will be reading through a different book. A student may take both blocks, or just one.

GREAT BOOKS | 4th-9th | 45 minutes God uses stories masterfully to tell us of His love and goodness. He has created us to love and respond to stories. We read and discuss works of fiction because, in the process of understanding and assimilating wellcrafted stories, our souls are shaped and the course of our lives are put into focus. Logic-level students love to talk about what they read as it relates to their own lives. Discussion with others gives a sense of community and helps broaden and deepen the exploration process.

Requirements: An average of 30 minutes of outside reading per week.

Grading Scale and Credit: ESN. GPA is not affected by ESN grades. No rhetoric school credit.

HANDS ON SCIENCE | K-1st OR 2nd-4th Grammar-level science students will use all of their senses to learn about plants and understand how God designed them. We will dig in the dirt and plant a garden; identify and examine the many facets of plants; and hike outside to explore and experience the beauty of God’s creation. Our hands-on study of botany will include experiments using the scientific method, games and projects. Studying and experiencing God’s creation is one of the best ways to learn about God and his love for us! We look forward to exploring the world of God’s design with your children. Note: The content covered each year is rotates so that students can repeat the course without repeating content.

HOME & HOSPITALITY | 5th-8th | Outside work required Home & Hospitality offers lessons in seven areas: Cooking, Home Management, Hospitality, Sewing, Budgeting, Health and First Aid, and Community Involvement. Each unit will focus on connecting biblical principals to our Home and Family Life. Projects and assignments encourage students to learn new things while also improving their home life and preparing them for the future homes they will one day have.

HOUSE SYSTEM | 9th, Required | 45 minutes Historically, The House System was established in boarding schools in British Commonwealth countries. Even when boarding schools decreased in availability, the house system continued to flourish and can now be found in schools and colleges across the world.

As a classical school, Coram Deo Academy chose the House System, established in 2007, as its form of student government to create opportunities for student leadership and inter-grade relationships within the Rhetoric school. Houses cooperate with one another in service projects and chapels, while competing against each other in areas of academics and athletics. CDA trains students to be ethical servant-leaders and wise thinkers who will shape culture for the glory of God. The House System is one of a practical ways the school’s mission statement is put into daily use. Students do not need to register for this elective. There is no cost, as it is included in Rhetoric School core tuition.

INTERMEDIATE ART | 4th-8th In Intermediate Art, students continue their exploration of the seven elements of art (line, shape, form, space, value, texture, color) through more advanced projects. We continue to study famous artists and delve into deeper discussion about famous artwork through the ages. We continue to work on having a growth mindset by learning to focus on craftsmanship, but also acknowledging that mistakes are tools for learning and they increase our creativity. Every year there are new and different projects.

INTRO TO WOODWORKING | 5th-9th | Outside work required | Visual Fine Art Credit for Rhetoric Students Over the course of the school year students will be introduced to the fundamentals of woodworking through personal hands-on learning and supplemental reading. They will develop basic skills in the use and maintenance of hand tools and power tools, finishing, hand-carving, as well as shop safety. This course will also expose students to the history and philosophy of fine woodworking while exploring the practice of handcraft as a spiritually forming discipline.

Homework: 60 minutes of outside class time for hand-carving Field Trips and Cost: The class will participate in some scheduled field trips to local woodshops, lumber yards, and woodworking supply stores. Students will pay an additional $100 supply fee, which will provide them with basic hand tools.

Grading Scale and Credit: ESN for students in the Logic school. GPA is not affected by ESN grades. Number grade for students in the Rhetoric school. Class counts for a Visual Fine Arts graduation credit, appears on the transcript, and affects GPA.

MUSIC ELEMENTARY | 2nd-4th | Note: Requires prior musical experience.

This class will introduce students to the elementary principles of music. Students will continue to build their understanding of musical instruments, notation, and theory.

Requirements: 2nd Grade students must have prior musical experience (CDA Music Class, Private Lessons, etc) or interview with the teacher before enrolling. If not, students should take Music Introduction first.

MUSIC INTRODUCTION | 1st-3rd This introductory class will begin to familiarize students with the musical concepts of beat, pitch, rhythm, and melody, among others. Students will learn about various musical instruments, listen to great works, and become familiar with age-appropriate songs.

MUSICAL THEATRE | K-6th Musical Theatre incorporates all aspects of performance for children. This class will perform 2 musicals- a Christmas musical in December, and a spring musical in May. All participants will learn to audition for parts, work on memorizing lines, and use their God given instruments - their voices! Students will also learn about stage set up, production, and direction.

NATURE STUDIES | 1st - 5th This class will lay the foundation for formal science studies by increasing the student's ability observe, classify, study, and record. The class will participate in discovery-based learning which will include nature walks, selected readings, special programs, and nature journaling.

SPORTS SKILLS | K-2nd OR 3rd-8th Make great memories through sports play! This class is designed to introduce each student to the foundational techniques for neuromuscular sequencing for body control (coordination) such as, running form, sports movements, stopping, landing and eye/hand coordination. This will be accomplished through a series of drills teaching various techniques without mastering the entire activity. Foundational learning for activity is best deployed under the part-part-whole method. We will introduce techniques (parts) of an activity before we expect the whole to be accomplished. An example – in order to play soccer we must learn and develop all of the parts: kicking, stopping the ball, running, cutting, and dribbling. STUDY SKILLS & STUDY HALL | 5th-9th | Outside work required In Study Skill & Study Hall, students will learn study skills incrementally and apply those skills in their daily planning, studying, and test preparation. Students spend roughly 30 minutes exploring new study skills, and roughly 60 minutes applying those skills while completing homework. Weekly work to practice study skills learned may be assigned.

STUDY HALL | 5th-8th, 5th-9th | 45 minutes A teacher-monitored room to work on homework between other Friday classes.

CDA District-wide Electives Policy CDA electives are available to CDA Signature Program students at the published rate. Friday, after school, and athletic electives are included in the Five Day Program tuition. Summer and special electives such as the College Tour are not included in the tuition for Five Day students. Elective drop and change fees apply to all students regardless of their Program.

Coram Deo Academy makes contractual commitments to faculty, staff and facilities prior to the start of the new school year. Early registration assists the school in making wise decisions and preparing for our elective program.

Therefore, the following policies are in place for all 2020-21 electives except summer and athletics: Dates

Drop/Change Fee

Refund Policy

Priority Elective Registration: Jan. 1, 2020 - Jan. 20, 2020

No charge

Full refund

Jan. 21, 2020 - Jul. 31, 2020

$25 per change $50 per drop

Full refund less change/drop fees

Aug. 1, 2020 - End of school year

$50 change fee*

No drop fee/ no refund

*For any elective changes after August 1, if the old elective is less expensive than the new elective, the family will be charged the difference between the two electives in addition to the $25 change fee. If the old elective is more expensive than the new elective, families WILL NOT receive a refund of the difference, but the change fee will be waived.

For summer and athletic electives, refunds for dropped electives are available up to the start of the elective.

Families may be charged for any supplies, uniforms, etc. that were purchased for the student prior to the date the elective was dropped.

Any drops or changes in a student’s elective will need to be completed by CDA staff. All requests should be sent to your principal or designated staff member via email. Adjustments to your billing account may take up to two weeks.

ELECTIVE CANCELLATIONS If an elective is cancelled by the school, families will be contacted to see if they want to choose another elective without a change fee or a full refund of the cancelled elective.

PLANNING WORKSHEETS CHILD:

Student McSample, 1st grade

FIRST CHOICE

SECOND CHOICE

THIRD CHOICE

_________________________ PERIOD 1 8:30am-10:00am

SPORTS SKILLS (K-2)

NATURE STUDIES (1-5)

PERIOD 2 10:00am-11:30am

AROUND THE WORLD (K-4)

BASIC ART (1-4)

PERIOD 3 12:00pm-12:45pm

Music Introduction (1-3)

ART & MUSIC EXPLORATION (K-1)

PERIOD 4 12:45pm-1:30pm

Great Books (1-3)

PERIOD 5 1:30pm-3:00pm

EXPLORING SPANISH (K-4)

LUNCH

CHILD: _________________________ PERIOD 1 8:30am-10:00am PERIOD 2 10:00am-11:30am LUNCH PERIOD 3 12:00pm-12:45pm PERIOD 4 12:45pm-1:30pm PERIOD 5 1:30pm-3:00pm

FIRST CHOICE

Great Books (1-3) Great Books (1-3)

MUSICAL THEATRE (K-6)

SECOND CHOICE

THIRD CHOICE

CHILD:

FIRST CHOICE

SECOND CHOICE

THIRD CHOICE

FIRST CHOICE

SECOND CHOICE

THIRD CHOICE

_________________________ PERIOD 1 8:30am-10:00am PERIOD 2 10:00am-11:30am LUNCH PERIOD 3 12:00pm-12:45pm PERIOD 4 12:45pm-1:30pm PERIOD 5 1:30pm-3:00pm

CHILD: _________________________ PERIOD 1 8:30am-10:00am PERIOD 2 10:00am-11:30am LUNCH PERIOD 3 12:00pm-12:45pm PERIOD 4 12:45pm-1:30pm PERIOD 5 1:30pm-3:00pm