Specials Home / Academics / Specials Building Skills, Cultivating Passions At Wood Acres School, we believe learning goes beyond traditional subjects. Our specials allow our students to explore new skills, engage with diverse cultures, and find out what they love to do. From mastering Spanish and discovering the magic of STEM to giving back to others, they grow into well-rounded individuals ready to make a positive impact. Spanish Language and Culture At Wood Acres School, our students start learning Spanish at just two years old. We offer a truly bilingual learning space. By the time they finish 8th grade, they are ready to speak, read, and understand Spanish. Our 8th graders also can take part in our optional trip to Spain in the spring. Our Curriculum Our Spanish program has two parts: General Learning: Students learn Spanish as part of their regular lessons. Teachers use Spanish in class so children hear it, speak it, and practice it every day. Language and Culture: Students learn about Spanish-speaking countries, their traditions, and how people there live. Our program applies the National Standards for Spanish Learning. In addition to learning how to communicate using Spanish, they learn to compare Spanish and English words, connect Spanish to other school subjects, and use Spanish in real life. Preschool and Elementary School Our teachers use a formal sequential curriculum to help our students become great at speaking Spanish. Our students learn vocabulary and basic grammar to talk about their school, home, clothes, food, and family. They also learn about Hispanic traditions, celebrations, and geography. They discover how amazing the culture is, with its mix of old and new traditions. They quickly see that Spanish is everywhere—in their homes, schools, neighborhoods, and beyond. Our teachers use Spanish to help our students with early reading and math. They grow up learning two languages naturally! Our families and teachers work together to make this bilingual learning fun and exciting. Middle School Our students in 6th through 8th grade use advanced Spanish workbooks and books to practice reading, writing, and speaking. They start with short stories and nonfiction. By the end, they can read chapter books in Spanish! They also learn about science, history, and other subjects while reading in Spanish. Our middle school students become “language detectives.” They figure out how Spanish and English are similar and different. With help from their teachers, they learn tips and tricks to study Spanish on their own. As they practice more, speaking and understanding Spanish gets easier. They begin to use the language without even thinking about it. Academic Excellence Student Honors We are proud to take part in several national honors programs. Our 5th and 8th graders can receive the President’s Education Award. This award is from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals. To earn it, students must meet academic and conduct standards. Winners receive a certificate, presidential letter, and a pin to show off their outstanding achievement. Every year for the past decade, Wood Acres students have proudly earned this award. Graduating from our school is also a big honor. Our diplomas are recognized by both private and public high schools as a symbol of academic excellence. STEM Program STEM at Wood Acres is so exciting! Our students get to explore, create, and learn by doing hands-on Maker Space projects. A STEM expert leads fun activities where our students work together to solve problems, think creatively, and try out new ideas. In our STEM lab, our students learn by building, trying new things, and asking questions like real scientists. They work in teams to solve problems, test their ideas, and complete projects. It is all about thinking, learning, and discovering. Attending Wood Acres through 8th grade helps our students learn and grow in a steady, strong way. This is the Wood Acres advantage! Community Service Slide 1 Slide 2 Service Learning Helping others is a big part of what we do here at Wood Acres School. Service learning means that our students use what they learn in the classroom to do projects that help people and their community. Service learning helps connect lessons to real life. It allows our students to learn by doing, not just watching or listening. They see that what they are learning actually matters in the real world. Service learning brings subjects like math, science, history, and reading together to solve problems. Service learning is meaningful to the student and their community. Our students are active and engaged in the learning process. As much as the learning experience comes from doing as it does also from the reflection. Read more Past Projects Some of our past projects have included walk-a-thons and bike-a-thons to raise money for Smile Train, UNICEF projects, and Cool Girls clothing and accessory drive. We also participated in MUST Ministry sandwich cross-grade project, food drives, armed forces survival cord bracelet projects, place mat project for local elderly, clothing drive for Cobb Foster Program, Mittens for Moms drive, animal shelter projects, letter writing and cards, art for others, and many more. A beloved Wood Acres tradition includes pairing our preschool students with elementary and middle school students. They read stories, share snacks, and work on projects like planting flowers to make the school beautiful. This helps our students see how they are part of a caring school community. What we believe about helping: Projects should be positive, meaningful, real, and age appropriate for students. It is better to work together as a team than to compete with each other. Helping others teaches children about life and gives them the joy of making a difference. After every project, students should have time to think about what they did and feel proud of their work. Projects should be done often and consistently. Giving back builds character, compassion, and humanity Read more
