Our students spend time frequently in our school garden where they participate in hands-on learning, develop connections to nature, and learn environmental stewardship. Our Garden Enrichment Program (GEP) instills a sense of responsibility and empowerment, and students take ownership of caring for plants and watching them grow. With the help of our GEP coordinator, students plant, harvest, and prepare food from the garden year round. Students study pollinators, run a composting system, and gain the social-emotional benefits of having time in the garden each week.
Our library is a place where students learn to LOVE reading. Through weekly visits, students have the opportunity to check out books with the help of our library coordinator. Through the library, families also have the opportunity to take part in Penngrove Reading Kits. This is a fun way to bring new books home to read as a family, support a struggling reader, encourage a love of reading, or just for FUN!
Physical education fosters healthy habits, strengthens bodies and minds, and promotes cooperative learning. Our students engage in PE regularly with an emphasis on health, fitness, and fun! Our students engage in weekly PE classes taught by our PE coordinator with an emphasis on health, fitness, and fun! Additionally, our students get their bodies and brains moving at the start of the day though Penngrove In Motion.
Social-emotional learning (SEL) lays the foundation for student well-being and success. SEL equips children with essential skills such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and effective communication, which are fundamental for navigating relationships, managing emotions, and making responsible decisions. Students in all grades are taught and utilize the ToolBox curriculum. Our youngest students (TK - 2nd grade) also use Kimochis to help them learn about and explore their feelings. By fostering a positive school climate and providing opportunities for SEL, educators empower students to thrive academically, emotionally, and socially.
We are fortunate to have a mental health team to support our students. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs), Guidance Counselors, and counseling interns, work with students in classroom, group, and individual settings to support their mental health. We are fortunate to have an amazing team supporting students at Penngrove. Ms. Jillian Jirik, LMFT, is on campus one to two days a week supporting students and Mr. Cameron Hampton is on campus three days a week. We are also fortunate to have interns who are assigned annually to further meet the needs of our students.
Students of all ages LOVE our Penngrove Buddy program. Older students serve as mentors to their younger buddies where they learn to work together in community bonding activities. Encouraging students to build relationships across grade levels provides a safe, supportive school environment for all students.
Field trips and outdoor education provide experiential learning opportunities that add context and real-world applications to classroom activities. Common field trips include local watersheds, historical sites, museums, and an overnight 6th-grade camp experience.
Students at Penngrove have the opportunity to participate in a variety of afterschool programs to further extend their learning. These enrichment opportunities vary yearly, but always support academics, the arts, and athletics. Common after school programs include Homework Club, Chess, Robotics, music (marimba and piano), theater, soccer, golf, art and more. We look forward to sharing this year’s after school enrichment selections soon.
Current Offerings
Our students receive weekly instruction in music from a credentialed music teacher. Primary-age students explore singing and rhythm through Orff instruments, movement and song. Grades 5 and 6 have opportunities to learn a band instrument such as woodwinds, brass, and percussion.
Our students have an opportunity to participate in a musical theater production through our afterschool program. In addition to acting, singing, and dancing, participating in theater arts can help develop confidence, public speaking skills and lasting friendships.
Our students receive instruction in visual art from a credentialed art teacher and from volunteers in our art docent program. Our program strives to nurture creativity and critical thinking through hands-on activities and exposure to various artistic techniques and mediums.
