School Day Enrichment Residencies
School Day Enrichment Residencies are funded by our Parent Teacher Organization, thanks to donations to the Annual Fund by members of the PS9 community.
School Day Enrichment Residencies are partnerships with local community organizations, programmed by our Community Assistant. A visiting instructor from each group works with students for a series of weeks on an in depth, hands on exploration of a specific area of study - art, movement, music, performance, science or technology. Each grade participates in one or two of these residencies each year.
Brooklyn Museum
This residency for our fourth graders looks at art from the past and present in connection with classroom curriculum. Students work with an educator from the Brooklyn Museum to sketch regularly in a handmade sketchbook. In their PS9 classroom and during two visits to the museum, students consider portraits from the Revolutionary War era to contemporary times and how artists use pose, expression, clothing, props and setting to create a sense of power. The session ends with students applying these lessons to their own powerful portraits.
Brooklyn Seeds
Brooklyn Seeds offers wonderfully educational outdoor gardening projects that students can do all year round - spring, summer, fall and winter. Within just a few days, students learn how to start, nurture, and successfully care for their own plant. Soil, compost and plants are kept at the school to explore. We adopt neighborhood trees and study local birds, so there is a strong community aspect to our projects.
Projects in our school's garden allow each child to plant outside and even take home his or her own sprouts, plants, cuttings, bird feeders, and, for the adventurous, red wiggler worms. Best of all, second grade students participate in this program in the spring, then rejoin it in the fall to see how our garden grows and changes throughout the seasons.
Engineering for Kids
Engineering for Kids introduces fifth grade students to the world of building and programming basic robots by using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Education EV3 sets. Throughout this program, students use mathematical concepts and engineering principles to brainstorm, plan, test, and modify sequences of instructions to accomplish a specific task. Students also learn the sequence of communication between the robot and the programmer by collecting and analyzing data using the robot's sensors. They learn to utilize and program medium and large motors, ultrasonic sensors and touch sensors.
Espáñate
The mission of Espáñate's Yoga in Spanish program is to promote health, happiness, movement and mindfulness to children as they learn a new language. Our innovative technique of teaching Spanish through Yoga will lead children into relaxation, increasing their focus while they are learning. They will be apt to retain through association when combining movement with language.
Kiddie Science
Kiddie Science is a Brooklyn-based non-profit organization that presents fun, interactive, hands-on science workshops to young children and families. It is our mission to make science a tangible experience and help foster a lifetime love of the subject. By providing each young scientist the tools they need to explore topics in a meaningful way, we empower children to look at their world through scientific eyes. Ms. Carmen will be focusing on Inheritance and Traits with our Grade 3 students.
Marquis Studios
Long time partner Marquis Studios provides music and performance enrichments to several grades throughout the year.
Music and Rhythm
Making music allows our kindergarten students to learn about tempo, melody, and pitch. This residency includes a mixture of chorus and percussion and can be adapted to the students’ level of musical knowledge.
Percussion
First grade students explore the creative process of music-making through collaboration. Our music programs introduce students to the complexity of rhythm, tempo, and reading musical notations through instruction in percussion, singing, and listening. Percussion of the World is a multi-cultural exploration that focuses on drumming styles and percussion instruments from around the world.
Poetry Slam
Fifth grade students begin with the study of poetry and reading examples that inspire them to write their own. But it doesn’t stop there—students learn how to perform their own words with passion and power. Focusing on writing and public speaking, students will gain comfort in presenting, working with found poetry, working on their own pieces, and collaborating. Also, working with rhythm, rhyme and theatrical movement.
Studio in a School
By studying wood sculpture with Studio in a School, kindergarten students discover they can express themselves in new ways through manipulating art materials. They find new solutions for artistic and intellectual challenges. As they learn to work independently and collaboratively in a new language, they often discover important insights about themselves. Each student creates art that reflects his or her unique set of artistic skills and interests, engaging critical thinking as well as creativity. Students respond to a wide range of stimuli and themes and use memory, observation, and imagination to create art works that showcase their individuality.
Treasure Trunk Theatre
Singing, dancing, acting, collaborating...what more could your growing musical theater performer want? In this exciting class with Treasure Trunk Theatre, second grade students will have a chance to work with their peers to create a themed mini musical. Students will develop a script, work on ensemble skills, and learn choreography in an exciting, imaginative environment. The session ends in a small showcase performance for their families.
