Art, PE, & Instrumental Music

Art – At Bethune, we challenge students through creative experiences and various forms of art such as painting, drawing, printmaking, and ceramics. Students learn the importance of art history and the principles and elements of design. They also learn how to respect themselves and others as young artists. Bethune students are eligible to enter and show their artwork at several prestigious annual exhibitions throughout Phoenix.

General music – We focus on the enjoyment of music and the love of singing and playing instruments. Students improve their listening skills to match pitch, play, and enjoy music of all varieties. We encourage children to listen, move, dance, sing, act and interpret music. The foundation is built through note reading, rhythmic reading, and singing, singing, singing. We strive to increase every student’s musical understanding.

Band – Available during the school day for students in grades 4 through 8, students learn the necessary skills to be life-long musicians including how to produce good sounds, play specific notes, read music, play together with a partner or in a group, assembly and care of their instrument. The school provides a limited number of instruments. Students are also welcome to bring privately owned instruments.

Balanced Literacy

At Bethune, we focus on Balanced Literacy which is a multi-faceted approach to teaching students how to be independent readers and writers. By combining several strategies, teachers provide students with a comprehensive literacy experience. The components of balanced literacy include shared reading, guided reading, reader’s workshop, writer’s workshop, focus poetry, read aloud, and word wall activities.

Shared Reading: The students and the teacher co-read a text. This provides the teacher the opportunity to model reading and comprehension skills.

Guided Reading: The teacher and a small group of students work together on reading one text. This gives students and teachers the opportunity to work one-on-one to meet each student’s literacy levels.

Reader’s Workshop: Students take the reading skills learned and use them independently with texts they select.

Writer’s Workshop: Students go through the writing process including conferencing with the teacher and peers.

Focus Poetry: Similar to shared reading, focus poetry provides students and teachers the opportunity to collaboratively read a piece of poetry.

Read Aloud: The teacher reads a story to the class. This is an opportunity for the teacher to model reading and comprehension strategies.

Word Wall: Classrooms contain a word wall with essential words for students to know. Activities for the word wall include spelling activities, alphabetizing activities, writing activities, and reading activities.

Kids at Hope

At Bethune School, we embrace the Kids at Hope belief system that states and demonstrates that all children are capable of success. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Through our Kids at Hope belief system, we help students and families establish the following success elements:

• Anchor or Parent: This is the person who takes responsibility for the student’s emotional and physical well-being 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
• Other Caring People: Helping children surround themselves with lots of people who believe in them and want them to be the very best they can be.
• High Expectations: We raise the bar to help children achieve well beyond what they think possible.
• Opportunities for Success: We recognize and help facilitate opportunities for children to be successful.

Kids at Hope Pledge

I am a kid at hope.

I am talented, smart, and capable of success.

I have dreams for the future and I will climb to reach those goals and dreams every day.

All children are capable of success. NO EXCEPTIONS!