This year, we are looking forward to providing our elementary students with a new opportunity, an Elementary Wellness course. This course will support instruction in the areas of physical and mental health, as well as social and emotional skills. We are excited about moving ahead with this instruction, which will become part of our special area programming. The full curriculum for this course can be found on the Wellness & Special Area Review webpage, which is linked to the right.

We are also excited about involving parents and guardians in the discussion that will continue this year related to all special area programs. In order to offer Elementary Wellness, we must take some time from other special area programs, such as Art, Music, Explorations, Physical Education, Library and Spanish. We intend to make a careful evaluation of all special area programs in the year to come, and will seek parental input so we can learn what is valued in our community.

A portion of this year will be spent reviewing each of the elementary special areas. District staff will present information and research about each area over several meetings and there will be opportunities for discussion. This review, in conjunction with feedback from the Wellness course implementation, will assist in making decisions for future elementary special area programming. We look forward to some rich discussions in the months to come as we strive to offer meaningful instructional opportunities for our students. You can stay informed regarding the work of this committee by checking the Wellness & Special Area Review webpage, linked to the right.