Echo Horizon Curriculum Guide

ECHO HORIZON:

OUR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY

O U R E D U C AT I O N A L J O U R N E Y

MISSION

STATEMENT The mission of Echo Horizon School and its Echo Center is to educate children in a collaborative environment that is academically challenging and developmentally appropriate. We actively promote mutual respect, individual responsibility, and ethical action. The Echo Horizon graduate is an inquisitive and critical thinker who brings creativity, kindness, and self-reliance to the lifelong journey of learning.

ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

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ear Parents and Guardians,

I am thrilled to share our Echo Horizon curriculum guide with you. It brings to life the thoughtful and intentional educational journey that our students undertake during their years at our joyful school. This guide gives you an overview of the foundational academic skills, habits of mind, engaging projects, and thoughtful units that comprise our curriculum. Upon sixth-grade graduation, Echo’s scholars are well prepared for secondary school and a lifelong journey of learning. Our mindful balance of challenging academics and social-emotional learning ensures that our students become resilient, curious, kind, and self-aware global citizens who are ready to take on new challenges with confidence, poise, and commitment.

Warmly,

PEGGY PROCTER Head of School

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OUR EDUCATIONAL APPROACH At Echo Horizon, we foster a balanced education that focuses on what really matters— curiosity, creativity, kindness, collaboration, and instilling in all students a love of learning. Our diverse activities and pedagogies allow time to play, create, listen, focus, work hard, relax, connect, collaborate, and work alone.

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ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

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ur curriculum includes the structure and rigor of the Common Core standards but is informed by innovation and accessibility.

We use the strongest structures and programs of traditional education and the best researched and evidence-tested innovative practices.

This ensures that learning is tailored to the needs of the individual student. We honor the different experiences and needs of our students and believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and learning. As students learn and grow, they develop skills and habits of mind that include flexibility, creativity, innovation, collaboration, leadership, and conflict resolution. Such skills are vital and require multidisciplinary understanding, equity, and inclusion.

Our whole-school program focuses on considering other points of view and perspectives. Students learn to view projects and problems through multiple lenses and understand that solutions often come when people and content from different disciplines and backgrounds are considered and combined. We also believe that deep learning results from the process of introspection followed by iteration. This growth mindset moves the focus away from short-term outcomes towards longterm goals. Equipped with the experience of repeated success in working through challenges, our students can meet what life presents them with uncommon confidence.

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HUMANITIES

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he Humanities program is designed to connect classroom learning to the outside world, build empathy, and anchor understanding. It uses thematic units, primary sources, and a variety of texts to study people and our past, present, and future. The program takes strong, traditional reading and writing processes and adds depth and meaning through a historical and human lens.

With technology at the core of our development as a community, there has to be an understanding of the balance between technology and the people behind these innovations in order to understand the bigger picture and bring it all together. The foundation of our Humanities program holds that through understanding people we can begin to change the world.

CLASSROOM LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS

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BEGINNING:

MID-LEVEL:

Empathy and Care Toward Others

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

Through the study of fictional and non-fictional characters in Language Arts and Black History Month, first-grade students discuss and write about challenges people encounter due to their differences. Students act out skits and scenarios so that they get a deeper understanding of others’ perspectives. They learn ways to empathize with others and they create Care Packages with personal letters, pictures, and artwork to bring joy to the school community.

While reading How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, second-grade students use Google Earth and supplementary books and articles to learn about the cultures in the book. Throughout the process, students journal, compare and contrast, and analyze the material on a deeper level. Young scholars also reflect and share what they may already know about the cultures and associated countries, and examine daily life there. This exploration and inquiry allows students to understand the similarities and differences that exist around the world and begin to make connections to the many cultures in present-day Los Angeles.

ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

Humanities is where learning really comes to life for our students. They light up as they make meaningful connections and gain understanding about history and the human condition. Our students understand that behind every historical event there is a story about people, adversity, struggles, triumph, and growth. They leave Echo with both an intellectual confidence and a kind heart, ready to support and challenge the

HUMANITIES FROM PRE-K–GRADE 6

PreK–1

With a firm anchor in our six Points of Pride, the beginning program focuses on the basic concepts of respect, citizenship, responsibility, fairness, trustworthiness, and caring. Humanities at this level builds strong foundations in reading, writing, and phonics. It also brings history to life by exploring the definition of “community” and traditions from different cultures. Through learning about roles in a community, different types of communities, and the people who comprise them, we emphasize the importance of kindness, giving, and understanding differences.

2–3

Humanities in the middle grades expands our understanding of community by focusing on cultures around the country and the world. Students begin to research and take notes about various topics while practicing fundamental skills such as writing mechanics (e.g., sentence structure, punctuation, verb tense), organization, and spelling. Primary and secondary sources show various perspectives and help students examine world cultures and the diverse history of Los Angeles. Through history and present-day events, students develop an understanding of different regions of the world. This gives them a broader and deeper understanding of humanity.

- MEGAN BALTAZAR, Director of Teaching and Learning

UPPER LEVEL: Global Partnerships In sixth grade, Students read The Giver by Lois Lowry and undertake an analytical experience with a class from Nicaragua. They research, examine, and compare the components of a durable civilization, aspects of daily life, religious influences, and much more.

Students share observations of what it takes to make a successful community with each other as well as with their video-pal classmates. Then, students write persuasive essays that suggest how to improve the lives of the citizens in The Giver. The local and global engagement of this project brings the outside world in, deepens the learning, and gives scholars the opportunity to address a larger audience.

4–6

Exploring history through a human lens is the focus of our upper-level Humanities program. Through primary and secondary sources, students begin to understand human experiences and how historical events affected communities in the past and still do so today. As they develop solid research and analytical skills, scholars strengthen their overall writing by improving form, exploring voice, and writing to authentic audiences.

Students explore different perspectives through historical and current events, examining traditions, biases, cultural and religious influences, and developing a further understanding of and respect for differences.

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What Echo Horizon Means to Me ELLIS ENLOW

Pre-K Founding Teacher

and Mindfulness Facilitator

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llis Enlow is the founding Pre-K teacher at Echo Horizon and the first teacher that many children rely on as they begin their educational journey. But her initial experience at Echo Horizon was as a parent. “My daughter graduated from Echo Horizon in 2004, so I got to see firsthand what it was like to be a parent at the school. It’s a place that met my daughter’s needs beautifully but also challenged her and allowed her to be herself. Along with the robust creative and academic program, there was a nurturing, social component that made Echo Horizon feel like a home away from home.”

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ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

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s. Enlow heard that the school was developing a Pre-K program and wanted to help create it. She believes that Pre-K is beneficial for children who may be ready for more than preschool offers but not old enough for Kindergarten, and for children who are old enough for Kindergarten but need another year to mature and grow. “When I joined the faculty in 2003, I saw the level of sophistication and care that went into planning and teaching. It was fantastic to be able to develop Pre-K from the ground up and the program has evolved along with the school.”

Ms. Enlow works with Jasa Denny, the Pre-K teacher for Echo Center students. She agrees with those who say that space can serve almost as a third teacher in the room. For Pre-K students, it has to be a space that creates interest but doesn’t overwhelm.

“The space is designed to foster independence and allow children to take ownership of it.”

The Pre-Kindergarten program meets our youngest scholars where they are. For Ms. Enlow, that means an emphasis on social-emotional learning. She supports her Pre-K scholars in gaining a deeper understanding of themselves and others and is passionate about sharing mindfulness activities with her students to aid in emotional regulation and increase well-being. “Young children are innately mindful, as they tend to be in the moment.

They are naturally curious about the mind-body connection,” she says. “I’ve seen children paying attention to their breathing to help themselves calm down. Once one of my Pre-K students helped me relax by putting her hand on my chest so that I could feel my breathing!” As co-chair of the Social-Emotional Learning and Mindfulness Committee, Ms. Enlow has been instrumental in the school’s efforts to develop a more intentional and comprehensive program that incorporates mindfulness

The community is a huge piece of why this school is what it is. To me, Echo Horizon is a place of deep learning, deep curiosity, support, caring, and energy. It’s a vibrant learning community—not only for its students, but also its faculty. I did a yearlong training in mindfulness facilitation at the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center so that I could share mindfulness with the entire Echo Horizon community.

We have a common goal, which is to help kids be their best selves, to be really seen, understood, supported, and challenged. The joyfulness is real and the teachers and staff feel that joy.

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SINGAPORE MATH

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he Singapore Math curriculum is a progressive and incremental program that helps students build number sense, analytical thinking, and conceptual understanding. Singapore Math helps children master new concepts each school year because they understand the material on a deeper level and build upon prior knowledge. Students are able to explain the reasoning behind what they are doing in mathematical computations.

Singapore Math is taught using the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract progression. Students use manipulatives and other hands-on or physical activities to get a sense for how numbers can be manipulated in the real world.

Scholars then showcase their understanding through visual methods such as bar models or other diagrams.

Finally, with this conceptual foundation, students are able to compute mathematical problems through a variety of mathematical strategies.

CLASSROOM LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS

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BEGINNING:

MID-LEVEL:

Pumpkin Investigation

Biz World

After taking a trip to the pumpkin patch, kindergarteners conduct a pumpkin investigation. They make observations about a pumpkin by exploring the look, feel, and weight of it, and sharing and comparing what they notice.

Then they work in groups to estimate the size, number of seeds, and weight before they measure and weigh the pumpkin and count and sort the seeds. Finally, they reflect on their hypotheses and share what they noticed throughout the process before decorating and carving their own pumpkins.

Third graders study and create businesses in our Biz World Unit. They learn about loans, investments, prototypes, manufacturing, advertising, profit, and revenue. Working in groups, students come up with a business plan for a friendship bracelet business. They present their plan to the bank and receive a loan, which they can use to begin their startup. Budgeting for ads and supplies plays an important part in this, and third graders keep in mind that the measure of a successful business is profit. They work together to make bracelets that will appeal to their customers, advertise in a variety of different ways, and eventually sell their products to younger students. Businesses pay their loans and then use the profit revenue equation to determine their success.

ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

SINGAPORE MATH FROM PRE-K–GRADE 6

I first fell in love with Math because it was so black and white. My teacher brought all the other colors into it. He makes really fun projects for us to do. A friend and I made a parody song about the order of numbers that was really funny! I feel engaged in the learning.

PreK–1

- HANNAH, Grade 6

UPPER LEVEL:

2–3

Real-World Budget During sixth grade, our eldest scholars engage in the Budget Unit, a financial literacy project designed to give students real-world experience in learning how to calculate taxes, budget money for their weekly groceries, and save for future investments. Given unique annual salaries and a pay stub, students must calculate the amount of state and federal taxes that are taken out before they research the cost of food, an apartment, and a car. This gives them the opportunity to practice math applications in a real-world context.

4–6

Students begin their math journey by exploring a variety of concepts having to do with quantities and qualities.

These include comparing sizes; finding similarities and differences in objects, including money; and, most importantly, a deep study of the digits 1 through 10.

While examining these digits, students manipulate their values using a variation of other digits. These skills are supported by methods that include ten frames, rekenreks, and number bonds. Students eventually move past the number 10 and apply the same concepts and understanding of the base ten number system to numbers through 100 (by the end of first grade). Basic addition and subtraction concepts are also introduced in the beginning levels, always using manipulatives and pictures to represent the math being learned.

Students continue to explore number systems with a focus on place value while working with numbers through the thousands. They apply their computational skills using place value understandings to strengthen their mental math abilities. In this level, students also begin to thoroughly investigate multiplication and division relationships and meanings. They study fraction concepts with a focus on part to whole, directly relating its meaning to number bond concepts previously studied. Although briefly introduced in second grade, students in third grade spend a great deal of time practicing the representation and solving of word problems using pictorial designs known as bar models.

They also revisit previously learned concepts, such as measurement, time, and money.

Students solidify their understanding of place value, basic operations, and factorization. With this solid foundation, scholars begin to explore the patterns and connections between fraction, decimal, and percent operations—not only through instruction, but with hands-on projects and activities. By sixth grade, students are applying what they know to algebraic concepts, which allows them to make broader connections and notice patterns amongst the world of mathematics.

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MINDFUL SOCIALEMOTIONAL LEARNING

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esearch has shown the value of mindfulness in increasing well-being, training attention, improving selfregulation, and cultivating positive states of mind. Through our Mindful Social-Emotional Learning program, our scholars develop habits of mind, life skills, and ethics that support academic growth, self-awareness, wise action, and well-being for the community.

Flourish: Mindful, Social, and Emotional Learning is our Echo Horizon design for mindfulness-based social-emotional learning. Flourish recognizes that kindness, gratitude, empathy, emotional navigation, curiosity, introspection, a growth mindset, interconnectedness, and optimism can—and must—be explicitly taught. This program draws on mindfulness practices for both teachers and students. It is also supported by our school-wide training in Responsive Classroom techniques, which provide teachers with a set of tools and language to guide behavior, build positive community, foster academic engagement, and further inclusion. Morning meeting, which is a core component of Responsive Classroom, provides a valuable forum for teaching, practicing, and reflecting on these skills.

CLASSROOM LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS

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BEGINNING:

MID-LEVEL:

Mindfulness

Growth Mindset

Students practice various mindfulness activities and games throughout the Pre-K year designed to strengthen the mind-body connection. By becoming aware of the sensation of their breath, physical sensations of emotions, and the capacity to cultivate positive emotions, such as gratitude, the Pre-K students begin to develop greater self-awareness and emotional regulation. A favorite yearly activity is the creation of mindfulness jars, which the children use as a calming tool when they are upset. They love shaking them and watching the colorful glitter settle like a snow globe as they breathe and relax their bodies.

Our second graders learn ways they can stretch and grow their capacities by sticking with challenging activities. During the course of this unit, students learn to appreciate the brain-growing benefits of working through mistakes, consider their power to choose their thoughts, and support peers in their learning. We have been told that children use these tools at home and sometimes even encourage their parents to develop their own growth mindset!

ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL Our Points of Pride are deeply rooted in our Echo Horizon School history and continue to be a touchstone of our Character Education Program. Fairness, Trustworthiness, Caring, Responsibility, Respect, and Citizenship are explicitly taught, as well as incorporated into other subject areas. They are emphasized at schoolwide events and modeled by teachers and staff in their interactions with students and each other.

An important part of social-emotional learning is having strong teacher-child relationships. Over our family’s time at Echo Horizon, I have seen my daughters’ inspiration, openness to learn, selfconfidence, and self-awareness grow as a result of the connections they made with teachers.

Feeling understood and valued for who they are has also made them more motivated to challenge themselves academically.

- KEVIN GRUENBERG, Parent

MINDFUL SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING FROM PRE-K–GRADE 6

PreK–1

2–3

In the early grades, the focus is on relationship skills, kindness, age-appropriate independence, selfawareness, emotional regulation, resilience, decisionmaking, and community. Children actively practice social skills, such as inviting someone to play, finding ways to include others, and using language for self-advocacy.

They explore emotions and develop greater awareness of their own and others’ feelings. They learn tools to manage challenging emotions and increase resilience.

During these years, students continue to develop all of the above skills, with a new focus on selfmanagement of their learning. Focused attention, persistence, a growth mindset, gratitude, and mutual peer respect are explicit curriculum components.

Our scholars also explore issues of identity and what makes each of us unique.

UPPER LEVEL: Family Storytelling Project In the upper grades, academic projects are often infused with a social-emotional learning component. For example, in fifth grade, students undertake an extended unit of study that involves family storytelling. Our scholars research their family, ancestral history, and traditions, expanding their understanding of their identity. At the conclusion of the unit, fifth-grade families come together to hear student presentations and celebrate the beauty and diversity of the fifthgrade community. The presentation of these informative, unique, and sometimes tender family histories increases the sense of community and compassion for others, as they celebrate both differences and commonalities.

4–6

In the upper grades, students build on earlier skills and assume increased independence and responsibility with respect to their learning and their role in the school. In grades 5 and 6, students take part in weekly advisory meetings in which they discuss and reflect on social-emotional issues relevant to preteens. During this facilitated meeting, students may work on social problem-solving, brainstorm solutions to school-wide issues, and develop self-help and well-being skills.

In sixth grade, students draw on their maturity and experience to serve as leaders in a variety of contexts in our school community.

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esign thinking at Echo Horizon isn’t about product, it’s about process. Students learn technical skills, such as programming and 3D design, but in the context of solving real-world problems. If they don’t succeed in their first iteration, that’s ok—they learn by trying. In our Inquiry and Innovation program, we value the process of figuring things out.

During i2 time, the learning is student-driven and teacher-facilitated. In our Maker and STEAM spaces, there are many ways to make and create, from sewing and knitting to computer programming and cooking. In addition, students use existing dedicated spaces for visual art, dance, theatre, music, gardening, cooking, and digital media to develop their imaginations, creativity, problem-solving skills, empathy, and self-reliance.

Our program embraces a wide range of tools and resources in order to connect with students’ passions. We encourage collaboration with classmates and outside partners. This helps students understand different perspectives and value diverse contributions. While laser cutters and 3D printers are some of our obvious tools of innovation, our students also learn how to listen to others and ask questions. Through design thinking, we transform making into a community interaction.

CLASSROOM LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS

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BEGINNING:

MID-LEVEL:

How Does Wind Work?

The Cardboard Show

Using different materials, Pre-K students begin to understand the world and how they interact with it.

While exploring how wind works, they experiment with objects of different densities and see how they are affected by air. Our youngest students then go on to design and create their own kites. In collaboration with Visual Art, they paint the kites with patterns and use sewing and 3D printing to finish them in the Makerspace.

Third-grade students put our Points of Pride into teachable fables and act them out with cardboard sets and puppets that they design and create. By collaborating on a big project, our third-grade scholars write, create, and produce The Cardboard Show! They perform their show at the Downtown LA Maker Faire.

ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

i2 INQUIRY AND INNOVATION FROM PRE-K–GRADE 6 A great thing about our student-choice rich environment is that as the students get older, they come up with more and more of their own projects. I had an older student who designed and built an angler fish puppet. It took a lot of prototypes and rethinking. It was really cool. When he got it done it was an amazing puppet that I couldn’t have made on my own. Those kinds of things happen pretty regularly.

PreK–1

- DR. SAM PATTERSON Maker/Steam Coordinator

2–3 UPPER LEVEL:

Our youngest students explore our world to understand what makes things move, stand up, get warm, cool off, or fall down. How do people build things out of different materials, such as paper, fabric, or wood? As students conduct experiments and explorations, they begin to use concepts of design thinking, such as identifying the user’s need, coming up with ideas in response to that need, prototyping solutions, testing and getting feedback, and redesigning.

As students build their construction skills, they place more emphasis with their projects on collaboration and design thinking. Students practice using tools such as glue guns, machinery, and sewing machines, and use routines for the design-thinking process. This helps them come up with effective solutions in response to others’ needs. They learn through supportive listening and collaboration.

Interactive Halloween Fun For our annual Halloween Carnival, fifth-graders use physical and computer programming to build an interactive fun house that is appropriate for our littlest students. This fun house reacts to movement or other stimuli and is meant to be used without anyone manipulating controls. Students need to do a lot of preplanning to make their fun house work!

4–6

In the upper grades, scholars create routines and begin to take on self-directed projects.

By sixth grade, students find a person with a problem and design a solution. With more independent projects, the students have to master project planning and time management, as well as increasingly advanced challenges in programming and three-dimensional design.

Their communication skills become increasingly important as students and teachers reach outside our community to help others.

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What Echo Horizon Means to Me EMILY FOX AND PETER SCOTT Parents

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mily Fox and Peter Scott are the proud parents of two Echo Horizon scholars: their son is in second grade and their daughter is in fifth grade. When they first started looking at elementary schools, they toured a number of independent schools in the Los Angeles area. “There was something special about the place,” recalls Peter. “We walked into a historic schoolhouse with an inviting, kind community. The decision to come here just became organic.”

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he curriculum has the best traditional elements, interwoven with really interesting innovation and creativity,” says Emily.

“Teachers give the students opportunities to approach things from an innovative direction.

We were looking for something that felt structured with an emphasis on self-discipline—a place where children learn how to be independent thinkers who are motivated to do well and ask questions of the world.”

Peter and Emily recall that the third-grade living museum project was a favorite of their daughter.

Every child dressed as a figure from history and gave a presentation of that person, in chronological order.

“We started with King Tut and ended with George Lucas!” Emily laughs. Their daughter, as Queen Elizabeth I, got to take her love of princesses into the real world and learn about an important and strong woman in history. Their son did a project in second grade in which groups of students had to build a structure that was strong enough to withstand (fan-generated) wind. “He talked so much about it at home,” Peter says. “It encapsulated Echo’s curriculum—it’s project based, it’s fun but demands critical thinking, and it teaches teamwork and collaboration.”

“I like that the school emphasizes personal development as well as academic learning,” Peter says. “Yet they don’t compromise on academic learning in order to accomplish it. At Echo Horizon, academics are intertwined with personal development. Because students feel supported, they know they have the freedom to take risks and make mistakes. Teachers foster a deep understanding of the content, and taking risks or making mistakes is part

ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

of that. There’s an interdisciplinary bond in all the subjects. Art is tied to Humanities, which is tied to Singapore Math, which is tied to the Makerspace. . . . When you integrate subjects, students get these lightbulb moments of understanding. Children develop confidence in themselves—they know they can learn anything.”

When asked to describe what Echo Horizon means to them, Peter and Emily look at each other and smile. They agree that the community of the school, which values kindness and character, has been a foundation for them and important to the development of their children. The confidence that students internalize prepares them for middle school and encourages them to try new things.

Emily and Peter note that their children don’t just focus on what comes more easily for them, whether it be math or writing. They’re also willing to take on new sports and develop new skills, without worrying about failure. And for themselves, the school has been a constant in a time of great change for parents. “I feel like I have friends who spent elementary school wondering if their family was at the right place,” notes Peter. “From the beginning, this has been home. We don’t have to worry that we need to do something differently.”

Emily agrees. “We’ve made wonderful friends with other families and the teachers. There’s an enormous amount of support for families. There are mindfulness classes, speaker series, community conversations, class socials, a book club. It feels like we are invited and embraced, not pressured to participate. And honestly, every time I walk up the steps I feel excited to be here.”

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ARTS AND ALAS

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rts education is an integral part of our curriculum. In Pre-K–Grade 1, students develop their creativity and imagination during weekly lessons in Music, Visual Art, and Performing Arts. Our Arts program is designed purposefully to integrate with core academics while maintaining the integrity of each arts discipline; the discovery of connections between the arts and other subject areas creates a deeper understanding of both.

Students use a variety of media in Visual Art to communicate meaning and intent in original works while considering the elements of art, the principles of design, and aesthetic quality. In Music, active and joyful students learn to sing and play, hear and understand, and move and create through the Orff-Schulwerk approach. Performing Arts nourishes the development of children by integrating their physical, sensory, and emotional selves. Using the elements of dance and theatre, children observe and reflect upon themselves, those around them, and the world.

ALAS, Echo Horizon’s World Arts and Cultures Program, is designed for grades 3–6. The name ALAS is an acronym for Appreciation and Learning through Arts and Spanish and it combines Spanish Language and Cultures, Global Visual Arts, and Global Performing Arts with service and community engagement. An education that encompasses diverse cultures enhances creative expression, collaboration, intellectual openness, initiative and conflict resolution, which are vital to success in our globally interconnected world. An experienced team of teachers works collaboratively to create compelling curriculum for deeper, more connected learning. Working with diverse community members, the curriculum incorporates local and global partnerships.

CLASSROOM LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS

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BEGINNING:

MID-LEVEL:

The African trickster tale, ZOMO

Celebrations from China and India

First-grade students create masks inspired by those of West Africa, with each mask representing an animal from the story. Students make the masks by layering cardboard pieces cut into geometric shapes. They sing a call-and-response West African song and play rhythmic call-and-response patterns on large tubano drums. The rhythmic patterns are grounded in the language of the story. Our first-graders perform ZOMO at our annual Arts Fest, where they wear their masks, play the drums, and perform original dances, inspired by the animals in the tale, that depict the story.

After reading How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World in Humanities, second-grade artists explore celebrations from China and India. Young scholars research, design, and construct a life-sized dragon, commonly seen in Chinese New Year parades, and carry it to perform a Chinese Dragon Dance, the path of which is informed by their original dragon drawings. Inspired by the legends of Holi in India and the joyful Throwing of the Colors, children wear ankle bells to dance Kathak and sing in Hindi.

ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

When thinking about the arts, it’s common to start with its intrinsic value to illuminate inner lives. But the arts can also serve as a catalyst for change.

We embrace different opinions as an essential ingredient of the creative process, fostering an appreciation for diverse perspectives. Although children in our country can feel unaffected by global issues, engaging with world arts connects them to their senses, bodies, and minds.

It makes the world felt. And that act of feeling will spur thinking, engagement, and even action.

- CATHLEEN WOLFF, Chair of the Arts Program

ARTS AND ALAS FROM PRE-K–GRADE 6

PreK–1

2–3

UPPER LEVEL: Hope and Peace Inspired by the French-Tunisian street artist eL Seed’s art for hope and peace, fifth-grade students design and create individual pinwheels. The Pinwheels for Peace initiative boasts 4.5 million pinwheels spinning in over 3,500 locations around the world, all on the International Day of Peace. In Performing Arts, students join the global Paying for Change movement by singing with others around the world on the International Day of Peace. They create movement pieces that tell stories of peace. Using interactive Spanish journals, students discover that the importance placed on greetings and farewells in Latino cultures is the foundation for peaceful relationships.

4–6

The focus of arts education in the primary grades is on actively participating in the creative process. Children observe, imitate, and generate art, music, movement, and theater that represent ideas, concepts, and feelings.

Children work towards artistic literacy at a developmentally appropriate pace that allows for freedom of expression and a processoriented approach to learning.

Students begin to broaden their worldview beyond the local community as they enjoy studying diverse cultures and discovering connections between themselves and others.

Scholars interpret and convey meaning through artistic expression. They recognize relationships between the arts and other disciplines, and within the context of daily life.

Digging deeper and moving into the study of Spanish language and global cultures, students discover that arts are always interwoven with civilization. They look within to relate personal experiences that deepen their understanding of themselves and others, and build empathy.

Being able to now think abstractly, they find the context for artistic ideas within societal, cultural, and historical norms.

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SCIENCE

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e first study science by raising an awareness of how it is all around us and investigating how things work. Students learn foundational science skills such as inquiry and observation and practice them through experiments, projects, and imagination. Teachers also connect science learning to what is being taught in our other programs, such as Humanities. We understand that scientific knowledge advances when young scientists observe phenomena, think about relationships, test their ideas in logical ways, and generate explanations that integrate the newly gathered information into a stronger understanding of the natural and designed worlds. From start to finish, our Science program is designed to bring the natural curiosity within our students to life through engaging with this active participation in scientific practices.

Our science framework continually builds skills as students progress and gain knowledge about inquiry and the scientific method. In every grade level, we explore concepts of earth, life, and physical sciences and make connections to how they affect the world we live in. Our framework is based on a philosophy of teaching and learning that bridges research and practice by providing tools and strategies to engage students and teachers in enduring experiences. This leads to a deeper understanding of the natural and manufactured worlds.

CLASSROOM LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS

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BEGINNING:

MID-LEVEL:

Creating the ideal animal habitat

FREEZE! It’s ice cream!

Kindergarten students read stories about animals and their various needs: food sources, protection, shelter, and social interactions. Then they study survival needs firsthand by observing and describing the structures of fish, birds, snails, earthworms, and household pets. Through discussion of similarities and differences, these young scholars form questions and make hypotheses. From there, they visit the Star Eco Station, an environmental science museum and wildlife rescue center. This experience enhances observation, communication, and comparison skills and prepares students for their final project. After this visit, the kindergarten scientists collaborate to design ideal habitats for an animal they observed at the Eco Station. They discuss animal needs, perceived animal wants, and utilize their knowledge to create an optimal learning environment in the STEAMspace.

Through a series of investigations, our second-grade students identify solid and liquid objects by their properties and observe their behaviors. They observe what happens when solids and liquids are mixed or when heat or cold is applied. With FREEZE! It’s Ice Cream!, students use a hot-water bath to see if they can change small samples of ice, margarine, and chocolate and discover that heat can melt some materials. Then, they mix solid and liquid ingredients to make ice cream.

Our second-grade students put the liquid ice cream mix in a freezer and find that some materials freeze in the cold and that consistency can change. Nothing like understanding the science behind your favorite summer treat!

ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

SCIENCE FROM PRE-K–GRADE 6

In Science at Echo Horizon I learned about the principles of the scientific theory, as well as how to research current topics such as climate change and GMOs. While researching GMOs, we had to debate whether GMOs were good or bad, which led me to pursue debate in middle school.

PreK–1

- BEN, Class of 2018

2–3

For our youngest scientists, we often start with connecting science to stories. Books are carefully chosen to introduce scientific concepts (weather, environments, animals, motion or lights, and sounds) and start the discussion about their effects. From there, students begin to explore physical, earth, and life sciences and how they affect their real lives and those around them.

They observe, question, and experiment with these phenomena to form a better understanding of how things work and fuel their curiosity.

Moving on from beginning scientific observations and inquiry skills, our emerging scientists begin to really investigate and analyze the world around them.

They dig deeper into scientific concepts and make connections to prior knowledge and observations. The students also start working in science journals, keeping track of their research and investigations with pictures, charts, and notes.

UPPER LEVEL: Climate Change: Effects Around the World Sixth-grade students study extreme weather events such as hurricanes, blizzards, and tornadoes, seeing how they affect people, crops, and the environment. From there, they explore global warming, climate change, and drought. They examine the impact that climate change has on humans across the globe and study areas currently feeling the effects of climate change. After building a better understanding, sixth-grade scientists interview a climate refugee and create a climate refugee shelter to meet the needs of people living in these specific areas. Students create a digital 3D model of their refugee shelter using a design program called SketchUp and bring the model to life by creating a physical model using recycled materials.

4–6

Our oldest scientists spend their time honing their research skills and looking deeper into the effects of science on our lives. They explore real-world concepts such as GMOs, cloud seeding, genetics, climate change, chemistry, engineering, and the solar system. With a strong foundation in the scientific process established, our elder scholars gain the ability to make connections and experiment in new ways. Using the design-thinking process, sixth-grade scientists explore every concept through the lens of the human experience and examine how we, as citizens of the Earth, can advocate for change and make positive rather than negative impact. They inquire, conduct interviews, share ideas, investigate, collaborate, and give feedback as true scientists.

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SPORTS AND WELLNESS

E

cho Horizon’s Sports and Wellness program promotes the physical, mental, and emotional health of each student. We believe that the practice of enjoying exercise, eating healthy foods, and learning techniques of mindfulness and wellness will sustain students for a lifetime.

All of the P.E. classes, yard play, and sports teams build students’ motor, manipulative, and specialized skills. They are planned with an emphasis on wellness and social-emotional learning, as well as Echo Horizon’s Points of Pride. These Points of Pride emphasize equity and inclusivity, perseverance, collaboration, fair play, and a growth mindset. Enjoying sports and exercise is crucial for both a healthy body and a healthy mind. Movement is a medicine for creating change in a student’s physical, emotional, and mental state.

CLASSROOM LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS

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BEGINNING:

MID-LEVEL:

Breath Work and Mindful Movement

Pass It On

Our Pre-K students begin what may be a lifelong practice of breath work and yoga by trying out their own yoga mats and doing activities to bring about body awareness (rubbing hands together, shaking legs out, doing a “freeze and breathe” to notice the change in their energy). They practice Bear Belly Breathing, in which they growl as loudly as they can to release energy. Then with Sleepy Bear, they lie down, and put one “paw” on their hearts and one “paw” on their belly buttons while they practice inhaling and exhaling.

Breathing techniques help the students feel grounded and connected with the present moment. Their development of key motor skills helps them learn yoga poses such as “cat/cow” and “downward dog.”

Grade 2 takes part in an unusual relay called “Pass It On” where they sit in a line, pick up an object with their feet, and pass it on to another student’s feet. This game builds motor skills and encourages cooperation as students help each other. And because no one is skilled at it, there is equity in students’ abilities.

The players develop a growth mindset as they try to improve their skills.

ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

I am proud that our Sports and Wellness program emphasizes character development. Sports is more than skills and practice, it is about who you are as a player, how you help your teammates, how you treat opposing players.

Sometimes it’s hard to lose graciously!

But I regularly witness students take on this challenge and congratulate those who’ve won and tell their teammates that they played well.

SPORTS AND WELLNESS FROM PRE-K–GRADE 6

PreK–1

- SAMANTHA HYLTON-CAMPBELL, Chair of the Sports and Wellness Program

UPPER LEVEL:

2–3

Capture the Flag Our fourth graders play a lot of strategy games and Capture the Flag is a favorite. Divided into two teams, they each have football flags on the opposing team’s side. Each student also has a personal flag. They work together to try to capture the team’s flag without having their personal flag taken (in which case a high-five from a teammate gets the student back on the field). Students learn how to strategize their plays and collaborate to build on each other’s strengths (e.g., some players guard the team flag, some go after the opposing team’s flag). Everyone has a role and everyone plays. The winning team always congratulates the losing team and promises a rematch.

4–6

Our youngest students practice collaboration and fair play as they engage in basic skills and games. As they practice, students refine basic locomotor skills.

Eventually, they can successfully perform such skills in changing environments and conditions. As students progress towards more complex manipulative skills, they demonstrate control in traveling, weight-bearing, and balance activities.

Students in our mid-level grades demonstrate basic and specialized skills and learn to apply them tactically in increasingly complex environments and in combination with other skills. With the maturity and versatility that students have developed in their basic motor skills, they engage in more manipulative skills, such as hitting targets or trying formal dance set to music in collaboration with one another. Students also acquire the specialized skills needed to perform movement, such as a basketball chest pass or using a glove in softball.

Our oldest scholars participate with skill in a variety of specialized sports, dance, and cooperative game activities. They use these skills successfully in modified games or activities of increasing complexity. Students demonstrate the use of strategies and tactics with sports activities.

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What Echo Horizon Means to Me CHASE PERRY

Alumni: Class of 2012

C

hase Perry joined Echo Horizon in second grade. “It was a great year!” she cheerfully recalls. “At the time, not a lot of people started in the second grade but I didn’t feel like an outsider at all.

My teachers and the other kids made me feel included. There was a sense of community that I appreciated.”

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“E

cho was such a place of growth for me,” Chase recalls. “I remember that when Astro Camp came up in fourth grade, I felt nervous because I’d never taken an overnight trip without my family before. And here I was, going away with all my classmates for three days and nights nonstop. But it was one of the highlights of my time at Echo. It opened my eyes to this new family that I’d created.” Chase also really liked a state fair project she did in fifth grade. “I chose Indiana because that’s where my dad is from. I got to learn about his state, which was special, and I got to build a huge float that took a lot of research and planning. It was about half my size! When I was done I felt a huge sense of accomplishment.”

After Echo, Chase Perry went on to middle and high school, where she felt that her early exposure to technology served her well. “Learning technology from an early age at Echo was extremely useful because it’s so important in middle and high school, and of course, college. Having that fundamental integration as an eight-year-old has made learning easier.” In high school, Chase earned a full scholarship to Pepperdine University through the Posse Foundation. Posse’s goal is to help diverse and talented students be future leaders. It has been recognized as one of the best college success and leadership development programs in the country.

“My college counselor nominated me for the scholarship. I applied and went through several rounds of interviews. I was elated to get the call one night telling me I’d gotten the scholarship!”

ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

At Pepperdine, Chase is immersed in her studies and planning to major in Theater with a minor in Philosophy. She is especially enjoying her public speaking class. “Public speaking is something I’ve had to do my whole life but I’d never thought about my techniques before. It’s an important foundational skill.”

“I made vital connections with my teachers at Echo Horizon,” Chase reflects. “They gave me the opportunity and the experiences that I have. I’ve been blessed in so many ways to go to schools as wonderful as Echo and Pepperdine. I don’t know where to place that thanks. That’s why I want to be a teacher—so I can be that person in somebody’s life. Students can look back and say, ‘She really helped me get here.’”

To me, Echo Horizon is a family where no matter how far you soar you can always find your way back. Echo means a lot to my family because it’s where my sister and I started and it will always be a part of us. The further I go and the more that I do and accomplish, the more I think back to my roots and how I got here.

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E C HO HORIZON

At-a-Glance Pre-K–6 8:30 am –2:00 pm (Mon.) 8:30 am –3:00 pm (Tues.–Fri.) MORNING CARE: 7:30 am – 8:10 am (Mon.–Fri.) AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM: 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm (Mon.) 3:00 pm –6:00 pm (Tues.–Fri.)

STUDENTTO-TEACHER RATIO: Pre-K:

8 –1

K:

10–1 1–6:

12–1

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of our students are deaf or hard-of-hearing

of our students identify as people of color

ACCREDITATION:

California Association of Independent Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges

ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL

A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers.

- HELEN KELLER

3430 McManus Avenue • Culver City, CA 90232 T: (310) 838-2442 • F: (310) 838-0479 • TTY: (310) 202-7201 www.echohorizon.org