Children in all classrooms take part in our specialty classes, which include music, creative dramatics and physical education. 

Music

The Echo Park music program will get your child dancing, singing, playing instruments and listening to different types of music.  Through music, your child develops self-expression and the ability to live in harmony with others. Our beloved music teacher Wendy Rollin and her "Magic Piano" will delight your child with toe-tapping songs from a variety of genres including children’s classics, folk songs from around the world, Broadway show tunes, grand old American standards, and pop and rock favorites, plus her original compositions. Your little musician will learn about the great composers through pictures, stories, and excerpts of masterworks that have been arranged and orchestrated especially for young listeners.  Music concepts including melody, harmony, rhythm, tempo, notes, the musical alphabet, crescendo and more are explored.  Your child will play instruments and dance to fascinating rhythms like samba, cha cha, polka, tango, marches, square dance, novelties, rock ‘n roll, and boogie woogie, to name just a few. Wendy Rollin leads the children in super-spirited, school-wide sing-a-longs for all holidays.  Our really big show, the Spring Music concert, is exciting for students and families alike.  At Echo Park, we make music together and have a lot of fun!

Creative Dramatics

Places everyone...and...action!  It's time to stimulate imagination in Creative Drama.  The dramatic arts are central to the cognitive process, are closely related to traditional academic subjects and stand with them at the core of a true education.  Staying mentally flexible by opening up the imagination fosters positive thinking and motivation to learn new things.  Also, the public speaking skills and confidence introduced in this class will stay with your child throughout her school years and future career.

Children naturally imitate and love to express themselves using a variety of dramatic materials.  Mrs. Smerek begins with story playing, where the dictated words of the children are given form through their choices for actions, costumes and music. As the school year progresses, we learn about improvisation, theater games, props, scene study, scripting ,character creation, costuming, audiences and set design.  Your child will love to use her  giggles to lighten up and release tension which will keep her spirit bright and healthy.  

Physical Education

Physical education is an important part of the curriculum at Echo Park.  So much more than just a way to "blow off steam," motor activity is essential for healthy growth and development; strengthening muscles and bones; and improving eye coordination and fine motor skills.   There is a direct relationship between motor and cognitive development.  Additionally, exercise patterns children develop early in life will stay with them throughout adulthood.  Our physical education program ensures that your child gets off to a healthy start.

Simple group games, relays, basketball, volleyball, football and floor hockey will develop your child's throwing, catching, running, striking and skipping skills.  Activities are carefully guided by Mrs. Good, who helps your child to establish a healthy self-concept and the skills needed to cooperate with others.