CLASSROOM SUBJECTS TAUGHT BY AUXILIARY TEACHERS

Spanish:  Fifteen-minute lessons are given twice weekly to pre-school students, and one-half hour lessons are given to elementary school students.  Since students enroll in grades throughout the elementary school and may have not had previous Spanish instruction, this subject is only graded for participation.
 
 

FINE ART Fine Arts Instruction is given to every elementary student twice a month.  Each lesson begins with an activity or game, using museum reproductions, to highlight an artist or a concept.  Line, color, contour, design, and compostition are some of the elements of art introduced, as well as techniques in landscape, still life, or portraiture.  The children also explore particular styles, such as impressionism, cubism, and abstract expressionism.     The studio portion of each meeting allows the children to engage in the concept, technique, or style being taught. Media used include crayons, paints, pencils, sharpie pens, many kinds of paper, and "found" materials.  Creativity within the framework of the lesson is encouraged.  Each meeting concludes with a critique of the students'  work, emphasizing the understanding exhibited and the individual creativity shown.

INTRAMURAL SPORTS
 

During the school year, El Rancho students are very enthusiastic about basketball.  Practice in November and December really develops the skills of our boys and girls.  Third through Sixth grade students are on the Mustang teams.  Our teams play in a private school league.  There is a huge turn-out of parents for games and the players are thrilled to play before such big crowds!  We have some great games!  El Rancho players are known for their unfailing fine sportsmanship.

 
CHEERLEADING SQUAD

	A pee-wee and senior cheerleading squad of enthusiastic, energetic and vivacious girls added fun and a great deal of spirit to basketball games.  Their stylish outfits and clever cheers were really appreciated by the teams and audience.  The girls not only learned cheerleading & leadership skills, but confidence, enhanced self-esteem and cooperation.  A great time was had by all.

What adult doesn't remember FIELD TRIPS when he/she was in school?  Field trips are great fun and help kids make the connection from "book" learning to real life!  El Rancho School links units of study in the classroom to visits in the community and around the state.  The following is a partial list of field trips students have enjoyed in previous years:

Overnight Trips
C.A. Thayer tall ship in S.F. bay
Alliance Redwoods - Environmental Camp	Old Sierra Camp
USS Pampanito Submarine - San Francisco Bay
Monterey Aquarium	Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Mission Springs State Park	Sly Park Environmental Ed. Camp
Day Trips
Explorit Science Center, U.C. Davis	Pumpkin Farms
Planetarium at Sacramento Science Center	Challenger Learning Center - an interactive space flight simulation
Plays and Musicals	Exploratorium in S.F.
Zoos	California Missions
Mercer Caverns	Alcatraz
Train and Bus rides	Crocker Art Museum
Safetyville	Effie Yeaw Nature Center
California Railroad Museum	State Capital
Sutter's Fort	California Indian Museum
IMAX Theatre	Fire Stations
Nimbus Fish Hatchery	TV Stations
Columbia State Park	Grocery Stores

 

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