Art
Self-expression through music, drama, and visual arts is woven into the curriculum and is a component of the daily classroom experience. Cultivating a wide spectrum of aptitudes in children is important, and our program and faculty reflect that philosophy. Skilled specialists in music and art teach classes at all grade levels
Language Arts
The goal of the language arts program is for students to exchange ideas effectively through language, in the context of the world they live in. The elements of phonics, spelling, grammar, reading, writing, speaking and listening are taught both as discrete subjects and in conjunction with related skills. The language arts program includes exposure to a wide variety of classical and contemporary literature. A complementary writing program emphasizes the understanding of and appreciation for writing as an ongoing means of self-expression and communication.
Math
The mathematics program is centered on two goals: the first is to provide a sound foundation in basic mathematical facts and skills through meaningful practice and reinforcement. The second is to provide varied, thought-provoking opportunities for students to apply the mastery of those facts and skills in real-world, problem solving situations. With an emphasis on mathematical reasoning, the entire K-6 curriculum is guided by standards established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Music
The primary goal of music education at Brawerman East is to engage students in active music making in order to gain musical fluency both intellectually and expressively in a formal classroom setting. Students are exposed to a holistic experience which includes singing and instrumental performance, reading music notation, creating through improvisation and composition, and active listening in Grades K-3.
The Kodaly methodology of music teaching lays the foundation for the curriculum. Body percussion, percussion instruments, and Orff barred instruments (xylophones and glockenspiels) are used in the music room as supplemental tools for learning melody, harmony, rhythm, and meter. Students sing many songs embedded in cultural and historical context, including Jewish holiday music, patriotic songs, folk songs from around the world, and songs that align with classroom studies.
Formal instruction of the soprano recorder is integrated in the general music class in Third Grade, reinforcing music literacy while introducing instrument care, best instrumental practice techniques, and solo and ensemble playing. In Fourth Grade, students expand their instrumental music learning through group lessons on the violin or the clarinet. Grades K-2 receive music instruction once a week while Grades 3-4 receive music instruction twice a week. As the student progresses year to year, layers of knowledge and practice built on previous years will enable the student to gain a solid and well-rounded music education. Students have performance opportunities throughout the year at the Chanukah concert, spring concert, and Shabbat services.
At Brawerman we are indeed blessed with beautiful children who make beautiful music!!
PE
Community, character, and courage define our physical education program. The curriculum is designed to provide a broad range of activities and challenges, encouraging cooperation with others and sustained individual effort. Student athletes are encouraged to play skillfully and competitively while maintaining Brawerman's essential values.
As members of the Hollywood Wilshire League, with a full schedule including basketball, volleyball, and soccer, students learn the lessons of winning and losing while participating fairly. Our ultimate goal is to prepare student athletes to engage in an increasingly competitive society, while remaining connected to community, character, and courage.
Science
Our science program strives to inspire joy at the idea of discovery by fostering inquiry with an emphasis on developing critical thinking skills. We engage our students with experiential learning by implementing a hands-on, skill-based, inside/outside curriculum. The science curriculum reinforces concepts and skills in the physical, life, and earth sciences. Students also learn correct and safe lab procedures and develop skills to design experiments, hypothesize, observe, measure and apply critical thinking skills to prove their hypotheses. Collaboration and team building is strongly reinforced in science lessons through problem solving activities in groups and group projects.
Social Studies
A primary focus of the social studies program is facilitating an understanding and appreciation of the world. The social studies program involves an interdisciplinary approach linking history, economics, civics, the study of modern and ancient cultures and geography with literature, writing, math, science and the arts. Relevant field trips at each grade level extend learning beyond the classroom.
Technology
Technology plays a significant role in the academic and personal lives of our students. We believe engaging projects, appropriate applications, and state-of-the-art hardware profoundly affect the way children use technology. To that end, networked computers and iPads, a fully equipped innovation space, B.U.I.L.D. (Building Understanding by Iterating, Learning, and Design), and interactive boards in every classroom provide opportunities for global exploration and collaboration.
Brawerman students are trained in a variety of creativity suites that integrate coding, gaming, animation, and 3D design, as well as a number of productivity applications, including Google Applications for Education. Students also learn how to build and program robots, using LEGO Mindstorms NXT and WeDo, as well as Terrapin Pro-Bots. Students also use MinecraftEDU, which is managed, in part, by a group of student leaders, who help create, modify, and manage virtual worlds. Students also have access to an X-Plane flight simulator, replete with yoke, throttle, and rudder pedals, as well as aviation courses that are entirely student-managed.