Learning ignites in special subjects at CHS
At CHS, "special subjects" mean so much more than just picking out books in the library or running laps in the gym. Coding robots to create crayon art; facing off in passionate, researched debates; chatting in Spanish about the upcoming pickleball game in gym class; there’s no limit to what students accomplish in special subjects at CHS!
In Research in Action, Hawks learn how to engage in in-depth research. Students select carefully curated tomes for hands-on research projects that range from creating speeches from the perspectives of Amazonian animals to setting up fiercely competitive picture book brackets. Lower grades learn how to use notecards to record relevant facts in their own words. As Hawks grow, they take their research to the next level, as they leverage months of research into creative zines in fourth grade and thoughtful debates in fifth.
And that's just one special subject: There are many more.
Special subjects are sometimes thought of as add-ons to the core skill-building subjects of reading, writing, and mathematics. However, the “special” subjects of music, art, STEAM, science, Spanish, library, physical education, and engineering and technology do much more than round out the curriculum. They ignite student learning by bringing out common themes across subjects as well as drive home the core values that are integrated in our curriculum.
The support for special subjects at CHS runs deep. In the spring, families are invited to a colorful event highlighting the many benefits and joys of our special subjects curriculum. The 2024 event, "Hello Yellow: A Night with Special Subjects," saw CHS lit up with bright colors and happy Hawks as families explored every special subjects classroom. Students dived into an engineering room absolutely filled with yellow Legos, while others made use of the crayons and markers in every shade of sunshine to create community artwork in Ms. Curran's room.
“Hello Yellow” was the brainchild of the CHS special subject teachers, and came about first in 2019. Designed to engage students and parents in fun subject-themed activities, the event was a big hit, and the teachers just knew that they had to bring it back once pandemic conditions allowed. Since then, the special subject teachers have planned and executed the big night as a labor of love.
Perhaps nowhere else is the support for this cornerstone of the CHS curriculum more obvious than in the 2024 Spring Special Subjects Campaign. In just a week, parents and faculty raised more than $20,000 just for special subjects, in the form of real-world, tangible classroom materials.
Because of the campaign, Kindergarteners can now explore the world of simple machines with a hand-powered conveyor belt in Ms. Sweeney's STEAM room. As a recent visitor remarked upon seeing the merry world within Ms. Sweeney's classroom: "This is just like a children's discovery museum!"
Family gifts to the spring campaign are visible throughout The Chestnut Hill School. The athletics department now sports new outdoor soccer goals, lacrosse equipment, and an athletic field marking machine to help Mr. Nickerson re-mark the field before soccer games. Young scientists will find joy in watching chicken eggs hatch in the science lab's new incubator, and older Hawks are already enjoying Ms. Orfanos' new earthquake simulator table and rock tumbling kit.
At CHS, special subjects give students an opportunity to explore the world, right from our corner of Chestnut Hill.
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