School Life
Student Experience
Specialty Programs
Specialty Programs complement academics and offer students the opportunity to develop skills, talents, and passions in a myriad of ways throughout their Armstrong career. People with dyslexia often demonstrate great strengths in areas such as spatial awareness, problem-solving, creative and innovative thinking, empathy, and making connections. Armstrong Specialty Programs help students find and develop their strengths.
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Athletics
The Armstrong Athletics Program is a highlight for a students and begins in fourth grade. Athletics at Armstrong are all about participation, fun, and learning how to be part of a team. Athletics are “No Cut” and everyone is encouraged to play. The program is run by our PE teachers and many faculty and staff members also serve as coaches. Practices generally take place during the school day while competitions are after school. Depending upon interest, we offer 8-11 teams in 5 or more sports over 3 seasons, including Cross Country, Volleyball, Flag Football, Basketball, Soccer, and Track & Field. -
Garden
As part of Armstrong’s beautiful grounds, the garden provides an outdoor learning space that combines science and art. Students also come to the garden to reflect and relax throughout the school day. -
Visual Arts
In Armstrong’s vibrant Visual arts program, students explore a variety of media, learn new skills, take risks, and develop a passion for creative expression. Materials and Concepts Include: Elements of Art and Principles of Design, Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking, Weaving, Embroidering, and Machine Sewing, Sculpture with Clay, Papier-mâché, and Recycled Materials, Photography and Digital Art, Cultural Exploration and Celebrations Through Art, Art History and Social and Environmental Issues. -
Music
The music program is designed to offer a comprehensive musical education to students from a young age. For 2nd through 5th graders, music classes are integrated into the curriculum, laying the groundwork in rhythm, patterns, musical notation, pitch, solfege, and vocal production. Middle school students have the option to delve deeper through electives such as chorus, show choir, and participation in the school musical. A variety of instruments, including drums, Orff instruments, recorders, ukuleles, guitars, and pianos, are utilized to enrich the students' musical experience. -
Movement
Movement is a multi-faceted class for Lower School students that refines physical education skills, develops physical and mental fitness, promotes physical expression, and anchors academic concepts to memory through movement with Action Based Learning™. Using a variety of equipment, students enhance complex motor skills, visual-motor control, core strength, physical fitness, beat competency, coordination, balance, spatial awareness, sequencing and patterning, vestibular and proprioceptive development, and cooperative and social skills, which help to facilitate cognition and prepare the brain for optimal learning. Creativity, innovation, and expression are enthusiastically encouraged and fostered in movement activities and performance opportunities. -
Physical Education
The PE program at Charles Armstrong celebrates and recognizes the entire student no matter their skill, experience, or learning style. -
Library
Our school library is a welcoming environment where all students can learn, explore, research, and thrive. Students and teachers utilize the library for a variety of visits including story time, readers advisory, genre studies, researching, and citation help. We also have several paid educational databases that include both audio and visual features including BrainPop, PebbleGo, BookFlix, TrueFlix, and more. -
Design Thinking
Through classes, electives, and recess options, Armstrong students enjoy Design Thinking in a dedicated MakerSpace. Engineers and designers explore, create, and build while experiencing the iterative process. The goals of the Design Thinking program are to: Foster creativity and innovation, Teach problem-solving skills, Promote teamwork and collaboration, Develop empathy and understanding, Provide hands-on learning experiences, Enhance communication skills, and Prepare students for future challenges. -
Performing Arts
The performing arts program is a vibrant part of the educational experience, designed to cultivate creativity, and confidence, highlight the strengths of students with Dyslexia, and authentically apply academic skills. 2nd-5th grade students take the spotlight in the Lower School Winter Program, an integrated concert of music and movement. The community comes together for a lower and middle school talent show, celebrating a wide array of strengths and affinities. The pinnacle of the program is the ambitious, school-wide musical staged at a professional theatre venue, offering students a chance to experience the rigor and excitement of a large-scale production.
