Special Classes
November 28, 2005
SPECIAL CLASSES
ART
Students in kindergarten through second grade receive scheduled instruction from an art teacher. Each child is introduced to a variety of media and utensils and explore their uses. This stimulates ideas, creativity, and problem solving. Small motor skills are practiced and refined in sequential developmental experiences.
Many times during the year students are asked to bring in scrap materials such as yarn or cloth for use in art projects. Companies have throw away's and surplus items that can also be useful. If you have access to these items, please send them to school. We have had cardboard, balloons, carbon paper, plastic boxes, and paper donated in the past. Any help would be greatly appreciated by the staff and students.
LIBRARY
Bayless Elementary Library provides instructional and recreational reading materials for all students PreK-2. Additional media collections are maintained by the library to supply supplemental materials to enhance the school curriculum.
PreK-2 Classes are brought to the library by their teachers at a scheduled time period on a weekly basis so that students can be given library skill instructions, reading encouragement, and computer training. A full-time librarian is on hand to provide this instruction as well as offer stories and literature-based activities.
Book Fairs are held twice a year to raise funds for additional library materials and equipment. Participation of students is optional in these events.
Library Procedures
1. Books are checked out for a one-week period.
2. Two books may be checked out at a time by all students, except
kindergartners, as long as the student does not have overdue or lost books
outstanding.
Book selection for first and second graders are made from the total collection.
Other grades are limited to grade appropriate areas of the collection unless the
teacher requests special privileges for gifted students.
4. No fines are made for overdue books. However, students who do not return
books when due are not allowed to check out more books until the others have
been returned.
5. Reminder notes are sent home with students if books are more than a week
late. Late books may be returned at any time. Letters are mailed to parents
when books are more than a month overdue.
6. If a book is lost, the student responsible will be charged an amount dependent
upon the value of the book.
Please direct any questions about anything concerning the library to the librarian -- not the classroom teacher.
MUSIC
The purpose of the Bayless Elementary music program is to provide musical learning experiences that will help develop each child's thinking and learning skills and enrich the life of the child. The music program is designed to develop each students rhythmic, tonal, and listening skills. The students also have the opportunity to hear and see professional and non-professional concerts throughout the school year.
Each student receives scheduled instruction from the music teacher conforming to state classification guidelines.
An important part of music education is giving students opportunities to display their skills. Bayless Elementary students (Grades K-2) have scheduled performances which are listed on building calendars.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Mastery of basic skills is essential to the development of sport skills. In keeping with this idea, our physical education curriculum includes movement activities, rhythms, ball handling, gymnastics, stunts, tumbling, and lead-up games, which use the basic skills of the various sports.
All students in grades K-2 receive scheduled instruction from a physical education teacher conforming to state classification guidelines. The students participate in street clothes; therefore girls wearing dresses are advised to wear shorts underneath. For safety reasons each child must wear tennis shoes that tie or have Velcro straps.
If a child needs to be excused from participation for any reason, a note is required from the parent/guardian. If the excuse is longer than two days, a doctor's note is required. Any child excused from physical education class will not be allowed to have outdoor recess for the duration of the excuse.
GIFTED PROGRAM
Bayless School Districts gifted program, MINDGLO, serves academically talented students in grades 2-6. Students are chosen for the program based on a state directed selection process, which evaluates both academic performance and academic potential. Following further state guidelines only students who rank in the top 5% of their grade level are invited to join the class. Involving a blend of theory and practice, students meet for one full day each week in the MINDGLO classroom in the Intermediate school to work at individual and group activities designed to foster independent skills. The students also take part in field trips, seminars, and guest presentations.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL)
The school district has a special program for those students who come to our school from another country and have limited English skills. Students qualify for this program based on information given at the time of registration as well as teacher referrals.
READING CENTER
Special reading classes and/or services are designed for students whose reading achievement is substantially below the level normally expected for their age and grade placement. The classes are available for students in grades first through second who are in compliance with state education department requirements.
SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Special School District offers a variety of services within the Bayless School District for students with special needs for ages 3 to 21. There are two programs at Bayless Elementary School for students with special needs. The resource/itinerant programs which involve students leaving their classroom to receive additional help in an individual or small group setting. The self-contained programs involve a more intense amount of service within a classroom. These students are integrated into classes for art, music, physical education, library, lunch, recess, and academic classes as deemed appropriate.
Other services available are speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, hearing itinerant, visual itinerant, physically impaired itinerant, and adaptive physical education. If you have any questions about these services feel free to contact Special School District at (314) 989-8100 and ask for the area coordinator who works in the Bayless District.
TITLE I
This is a federally funded program, which allows the Bayless School District to provide special programs for students who are in need of extra help in reading. Students qualify for these programs based on classroom performance, student test scores, and parent/teacher referral.
