Cottonwood Creek K-8 School

We are offering a dynamic selection of courses available from Kindergarten through to 8th Grade.

COVID-19 DPIE Statement
Cottonwood Creek Elementary School


We are offering a dynamic selection of courses available from Kindergarten through to 8th Grade.  We are offering classes to the Middle School Grades of 6 - 8th Grade.  Below is the list of courses we are offering at Cottonwood Creek K-8 Elementary. 

Click here to see the Current Winter Schedule.

Spring Session 2019/20

Middle School 6 - 8th Grade Class List

Actors’ Workshop!

Instructor:             Professional Actors from Synergy Theater (prev Kenn Adams’ Synergy Theater)
Grade Level:          K -5
Day/Dates:            Wednesday – March 4, 11, 18, 25  |  April 1, 15, 22, 29  |  May 6, 13
Sessions:                10 x 1 hour
Time:                       2.10 - 3.10pm 
Room:                     Stage
Tuition:                   $210

It’s laughter, learning and limelight with the After School Drama Club - The Actor’s Workshop! Through a fun series of theater games, acting exercises and scripted scene work, this introductory acting class teaches the fundamentals of the actor’s craft. Students explore the “three tools of the actor” – voice, body and imagination – as they learn how to create characters, interpret scripts and perform for an audience. The class teaches true theater skills such as stagecraft, emotionally truthful acting, and professional theater etiquette, while encouraging creativity and inspiring the imagination. The class culminates with a workshop presentation of scenes and monologues for an invited audience.

Take it once or take it again and again! Students are encouraged to repeat the program several times. While the overall objectives remain the same, there are always new games, new activities and new performance scenes to keep the program varied and interesting. As students progress through successive iterations of the program, they continue to work on more sophisticated material in order to ensure that their skills continue to grow and that they are being appropriately challenged.

BollyWood Dance Class for Kids

CANCELLED

Instructor:             Professional Dance Instructors from BollyNaach Dance Company
Grade Level:          1 - 5
Day/Dates:             Wednesday – March 4, 11, 18, 25  |  April 1, 15, 22, 29  |  May 6, 13
Sessions:                10 x 1 hour
Time:                       2:10 - 3:10pm
Room:                     TBA
Tuition:                    Early Bird Pricing - $199    After February 28th - $210

A fun-filled introduction to beginner & intermediate Bollywood dance for kids. Instruction includes foundational movements, fundamental techniques, hand gestures, rhythmic patterns and communicative expressions.  Students will learn dance routines choreographed to snippets of popular Bollywood songs as well as some Koliwood and Tollywood songs from the South Indian cinema. The classes will also strengthen individual coordination and rhythmic skills through various exercises and drills.  Additionally, students will develop a vocabulary of common Bollywood dance moves that they can string together to create their own unique dance. This class will expose kids to many different dance styles as Bollywood has become a melting pot of many popular traditional and western dance styles.

Chess Academy for Kids (Monday)

Instructor:             Pacific Chess Academy 
Grade Level:          K - 5
Day/Dates:             Monday – March 16, 23, 30  |  April 13, 20, 27  |  May 4, 11, 18
Sessions:                9 x 70 minutes
Time:                       2.10 - 3.20pm
Room:                     E201
Tuition:                    $206

Learn chess with Pacific Chess Academy!  This program is a great opportunity for kids to learn how to overcome obstacles, think strategically, and stay focused. Specifically designed for young players with various levels (Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced), the course offers video lessons, easy-to-follow instructions, individual recommendations, and preparation to chess tournaments. The use of the modern technology (projectors, iPad, teaching software) makes the learning process easy, fast, and fun! All necessary equipment (boards and pieces, clocks, demo tools) provided. Participants receive certificates and trophies at the end of the school year. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a Chess Champion, this class is for students at all ability levels.

6 Reasons Kids Should Learn Chess

  1. Improves concentration, attention span and memory abilities.
  2. Enhances reading and math skills.
  3. Fosters critical-thinking and creativity in young minds.
  4. Encourages and rewards hard work.
  5. Develops problem solving skills.
  6. Exercises both sides of your brain

 

Chess Academy for Kids (Wednesday)

CANCELLED

Instructor:             Pacific Chess Academy 
Grade Level:          1 - 5
Day/Dates:             Wednesday – March  4, 11, 18, 25  |  April 1, 15, 22, 29  |  May 6, 13
Sessions:                10 x 1 hour
Time:                       2.10pm to 3.10pm
Room:                     TBA
Tuition:                    Early Bird Pricing - $196    After February 28th - $206

Learn chess with Pacific Chess Academy!  This program is a great opportunity for kids to learn how to overcome obstacles, think strategically, and stay focused. Specifically designed for young players with various levels (Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced), the course offers video lessons, easy-to-follow instructions, individual recommendations, and preparation to chess tournaments. The use of the modern technology (projectors, iPad, teaching software) makes the learning process easy, fast, and fun! All necessary equipment (boards and pieces, clocks, demo tools) provided. Participants receive certificates and trophies at the end of the school year. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a Chess Champion, this class is for students at all ability levels.

6 Reasons Kids Should Learn Chess

  1. Improves concentration, attention span and memory abilities.
  2. Enhances reading and math skills.
  3. Fosters critical-thinking and creativity in young minds.
  4. Encourages and rewards hard work.
  5. Develops problem solving skills.
  6. Exercises both sides of your brain

 

Coyote Fitness Fun!

Instructor:          Ms Katie Nerheim, Cottonwood Teacher
Grade Level:       3 - 5
Day/Dates:         Thursday – March 5, 12, 19   | April 2, 16, 23, 30  | May 7, 14, 21
Sessions:            10 classes x 1 hour
Time:                   3:10 - 4:10pm
Room:                  D201
Tuition:                $199

Do you love sports? Do you want to become faster, stronger and more confident? Are you in grades 3 - 5? This is the course for you! Come join Coach Nerheim as we play sports, games, and relays to help improve our coordination and health. Through games, we will learn skills that include collaboration, teamwork, and living with a growth mindset! Having a talent for athletics is great, but do you have the skills it takes to bring yourself to the next level of performance? In this course, we will push our bodies to their limits to help us become stronger, faster and more in control. We will also learn what separates an athlete from a player by practicing growth mindset and sportsmanship. This course will teach real-world skills that will follow each member throughout both their academic and sports careers. We need plenty of sign-ups so we can have full teams to play with, so make sure you tell your friends to sign up!

Contemporary Dance for Kids

CANCELLED

Instructor:             Ms. Anastasiia Zastavna - Bollynaach Dance Co
Grade Level:          K - 5
Day/Dates:             Tuesday -  March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31  |  April 14, 21, 28   |  May 5, 12
Sessions:                10 x 1 hour
Time:                       3.10 - 4.10pm 
Room:                     TBA
Tuition:                   Early Bird - $199         After February 28th - $210

Contemporary as a dance style is a fusion of ballet, jazz, funk, and modern dance styles.  Contemporary dance encourages natural, spontaneous movement and focuses on self-expression, awareness of space and body movement, use of body weight, efficiency of muscle use, safe body alignment and strong use of Modern Dance technique. Classes start with a comprehensive warm-up focusing on improving flexibility, extension, core strength, and balance and gradually build up to contemporary steps and combinations that will consist of abstract movements combining modern and classical ballet elements. Students will learn how to express a wide range of emotions through their dance based on musical interpretation and individual style and using the contemporary dance form as a platform for creative self-expression. Classes emphasize technique, fundamentals and a familiarization of the dance vocabulary.

Recommended Dress - Students must be able to move and stretch fully.  Footless tights, leggings, leotards, fitted dance shorts, fitted tops, t-shirts and athletic pants are ideal.  Medium or long hair pulled away from face in pony-tail, braid, or bun. No shoes, bare-feet.

Mystical, Mythical and Magical Art

Instructor:             Ms Julie Coching, Owner of Cafe Art
Grade Level:          K -5
Day/Dates:            Monday – March 16, 23, 30  |  April 13, 20, 27  |  May 4, 11, 18 
Sessions:                9 x 70 minutes
Time:                       2.10 - 3.20pm
Room:                     C104
Tuition:                    $206

Mermaids, Unicorns, Dragon Eggs, Magical Wands… we will explore it all in this multi-media art class.  We will work with all different types of materials including oil pastel, watercolor, fused glass, clay, sharpies, markers and maybe even some glitter to create some fun magical art.  Projects include building a castle and a magic want out of clay, creating your own watercolor dragon, and students will be able to choose between creating a unicorn, mermaid or dragon as their ceramic piece. Join us in this magical exploration through art.

Speak Your Mind: Present with an IMPACT!

Instructor:            Gurus Education, East Bay
Grade Level:         2 - 5
Day/Dates:           Tuesday -  March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31  |  April 14, 21, 28  |  May 5, 12
Sessions:              10 classes x 1 hour
Time:                     2.10 - 3.10pm
Room:                   D101
Tuition:                  $210

This is an excellent advanced level course that reinforces presentation skills and builds upon basic strategies that students have learned. Students not only learn how to write creatively but also learn how to think critically and impact an audience effectively. We work on delivering descriptive and expository speeches, through powerful presentations. Students begin to conduct research on more current issues and learn to present their speeches with the use of PowerPoint, Charts, Diagrams and other Audio/Visual Aids. This course will help kids expand their general knowledge and formulate their thoughts with a clear and concise structure.

Our goal is to develop well-rounded individuals… and to give students with any level of prior knowledge a HANDS ON experience in each class!

Video Game Design & Coding

Instructor:          Licensed instructor from Code to the Future
Grade Level:       2 - 5
Day/Dates:          Thursday – March 5, 12, 19  |  April 2, 16, 23, 30  |  May 7, 14, 21
Sessions:             10 classes x 1 hour
Time:                    3:10 -4:10pm
Room:                   E205
Tuition:                  $210

Prepare for the world of technology and learn the secret language of computers! New and returning students are welcome! Continue or begin your coding adventure with the Code To The Future team, and create brand new projects like a projectile platformer or multiplayer racing video game! The possibilities to create are endless! New students are always welcome to join throughout the year, and every class is differentiated for individual learning. Choose your favorite theme, from Minecraft to Fortnite!  

This class is online and offline, giving the students the ability to learn coding through Scratch and then uploading their projects to share.

Wheels in Motion Building with LEGO® Bricks!

Instructor:             Bricks 4 Kidz
Grade Level:          K -5
Day/Dates:             Tuesday - March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31  |  April 14, 21, 28  |  May 5, 12 
Sessions:                10 x 1 hour
Time:                       2.10 - 3.10pm
Room:                     D201
Tuition:                   $210

Energy is essential to almost everything we do, from the lights in our homes and classrooms to the gasoline that fuels our cars. Introduce your students to the world of energy in all of it’s amazing forms. This unit explores many sources of energy from wind to solar power to biofuel and fossil fuel. Students will define terms like renewable, landfill, greenhouse effect and generator and build moving models of just some of the awesome ways we power our world.

These wheels are ready to roll! Students will use LEGO® Bricks, axles, pulleys, gears, and motors to build a variety of models on wheels. Some are familiar vehicles, such as a fire engine and delivery truck. Others are more spectacular, such as the Rescue Robot and K-9 Bot. Do you have a need for speed? Put your Speed Bot model to the test as your race against others using remote controls! We’ll explore concepts of speed and force, and gain non-vehicle knowledge from the unconventional Wheels in Motion models as well. Let’s roll!

Yoga for Kids - The Movement of Imagination

Instructor:            Ms Katie Nerheim, Cottonwood Teacher
Grade Level:        1 - 5
Day/Dates:           Monday – March 16, 23, 30  |  April 13, 20, 27  |  May 4, 11, 18
Sessions:              9 X 70 minutes
Time:                     2.10 - 3:20pm
Room:                   C106
Tuition:                  $195    

Jump like a frog!  Salute the sun. Root into the earth as a tree and sit like a lotus petal floating in a calm pool of water. Monkey Bear Yoga brings story-telling to the practice of Yoga for Kids. Through imagination, children are engaged and excited to learn yoga. Yoga for Kids is a fun-filled journey to the self. Through mindful movement, breathing techniques and imaginative play, children connect with their authentic selves.

We live in a high speed, fast paced environment that can be taxing to our spirit and sense of self. Children experience stress and anxiety just as adults do. Yoga fosters the whole child. Children will develop strength and flexibility in their bodies and minds through yoga poses and partner exercises. They will learn breathing techniques to soothe anxiety, focus better, and practice patience. Yoga for Kids give children the tools to live a balanced, peaceful life.

Middle School After School Courses

Present to Inspire & Persuade: Learn Speech & Debate Skills

Instructor:            Gurus Education, East Bay
Grade Level:         6 - 8
Day/Dates:           Tuesday -  March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31  |  April 14, 21, 28   |  May 5, 12
Sessions:              10 classes x 1 hour
Time:                     3.15 - 4.15pm
Room:                   D101
Tuition:                  $210

It’s an outstanding class where speakers experience the usage of audio and visual aids to make their speech more effective and memorable for the audience. The students enjoy presenting on thought provoking topics with the help of props, Power Point presentations, charts, diagrams, and models to get their point across. This class prepares students to make strong arguments by providing reasoning & evidence and become a complete presenter. Students thoroughly enjoy the hands on way of presenting their speeches and get ready to SUCCEED!

Instructor:             Pacific Chess Academy 
Grade Level:          6 - 8
Day/Dates:             Monday - Dec  2, 9, 16  | Jan  13, 27  | Feb  3, 10, 24  | March 2
Sessions:                9 x 70 minutes
Time:                       3.20 - 4.30pm
Room:                     D205 
Tuition:                   Early Bird Pricing -  $195 After August 25th -  $205

Learn chess with Pacific Chess Academy!  This program is a great opportunity for kids to learn how to overcome obstacles, think strategically, and stay focused. Specifically designed for young players with various levels (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced), the course offers video lessons, easy-to-follow instructions, individual recommendations, and preparation for chess tournaments. The use of modern technology (projector, iPad, teaching software) makes the learning process easy, fast, and fun! The class is offered to Grades 1-7. All necessary equipment (boards and pieces, clocks, demo tools) provided. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a Chess Champion, this class is for students at all ability levels.

6 Reasons Kids Should Learn Chess

  1. Improves concentration, attention span and memory abilities.
  2. Enhances reading and math skills.
  3. Fosters critical-thinking and creativity in young minds.
  4. Encourages and rewards hard work.
  5. Develops problem solving skills.
  6. Exercises both sides of your brain


We are using a new teaching software, which is FREE and remarkably easy-to-use and fully motivates students with features like ratings and standings, bonus points and statistics.  Kids will have access to thousands of chess workouts while parents can monitor their progress, see the curriculum, and even learn new chess techniques with their kids.

Enrollment Open

Instructor:             Ms Julie Coching, Owner of Cafe Art
Grade Level:          6 - 8
Day/Dates:            Monday - Dec  2, 9, 16  |  Jan  13, 27  | Feb  3, 10, 24   |  Mar  2 
Sessions:                9 x 70 minutes
Time:                       3.20 - 4.30pm
Room:                     TBC
Tuition:                   Early Bird - $199     After Nov. 24th - $210

In this beginners clay and ceramics class be prepared be creative and fun while you get your hands dirty. Students will learn clay basics through fun projects. The kids start by  learning about ceramic paints and what makes them so different from regular everyday paints. They will learn to make a pinch pot project, a name plaque with clay coils, a textured slab bowl, and a free choice clay project. All clay pieces will be painted once they are fired. The students will also paint on pre-formed ceramic pieces, a bowl, and a mug or figurine and best of all students will be able to keep their creations and take them home.

Enrollment Open

Instructor:          Licensed instructor from Code to the Future
Grade Level:       6 - 8
Day/Dates:          Friday - Dec 6, 13   | Jan  10, 17, 24, 31  | Feb  7, 21, 28
Sessions:             9 x 70 minutes
Time:                    3:20 - 4:30pm
Room:                   D205
Tuition:                 Early Bird Pricing - $199   After November 24th - $210

Make the full transition from player to content creator!  Why just “play” Minecraft when you can “create” Minecraft? In these classes designed for quick learners or those with block-based coding experience, campers will learn how to code in Java by making a mod for Minecraft! This is professional, text-based coding. Create and craft your own sword, change your durability, make your own food that gives you more life, make your own stronger armor, make your own blocks, Make your own stronger pickaxe, and much much more!

Enrollment Open

Instructor:          Ms Kristy Heister-Kodam, Cottonwood Creek Teacher
Grade Level:       1 - 3
Day/Dates:          Thursday  - March 7, 14, 21, 28 |  April 11, 25 | May 2, 9, 16, 23
Sessions:             10 classes x 1 hour
Time:                    3:05 - 4:05pm
Room:                  C104
Tuition:                Early Bird Pricing - $185 After February 24th - $199

Do you like fairy tales? Do you like designing and creating a solution to problems? Then this is the class for you. Throughout the session, you will read 10 classic fairy tales and solve problems through engineering to help the characters. From the Yellow Brick Road to the Three Little Pigs, come and see if you can outsmart the Big Bad Wolf and create a house that can’t be blown down. Have fun and watch your imaginations wander throughout these many adventures. Over the weeks, we will help many characters solve their problems by engineering things like a tower for Rapunzel, a cage to lock the witch up, a bridge to stop the trolls, and many more.

 Enrollment Now Open

Instructor:            Ms Akinder Gill, Cottonwood Teacher -  (Certified BASP/BCLAD K-12 Spanish/English Dual Immersion)
Grade Level:         K  -5
Days/Dates:          Thursday - March 7, 14, 21, 28 |  April 11, 25 | May 2, 9, 16, 23
Sessions:               10 classes x 1 hour
Time:                      3:05 - 4:05pm
Room:                     D101
Tuition:                   $199

We are all global citizens! Let's begin a journey to explore and understand the Latin American experience and learn to speak Spanish in highly interactive and engaging ways!  We will gain cultural and linguistic understanding through interactive dialogue, songs, videos, games, maps, literature, and the arts. Learning how to express oneself in another language builds confidence.  It also develops articulate and culturally, linguistically, and socially tolerant individuals. Learning another language produces immeasurable benefits socially as well as academically. The goal of the program is to teach students how to speak another language confidently and to think critically about the benefits of learning about other cultures and languages.  The program also enhances students’ verbal skills, active listening, communication, and critical thinking skills through presentations, activities, songs, and games.

CANCELLED
Instructor:          Ms. Lorrin Harris, Cottonwood Teacher
Grade Level:       3 - 5
Day/Dates:         Thursday - Sept  5, 12, 19, 26 | Oct  3, 10, 17, 24  | Nov  7, 14
Sessions:            10 classes x 1 hour
Time:                   3:10 - 4:10pm
Room:                  C-206
Tuition:                Early Bird Pricing - $189 After August 25th - $199

What is the third most spoken language in the world? If you guessed Sign Language, you would be correct! Sign Language is used by 70 million people and around the world it can be understood differently. In this course, students will focus on American Sign Language (ASL) and learn to speak not only with their hands, but also through facial expressions. The course will introduce learners to the basics along with understanding that this language has it own grammar rules. Come learn how to say, “I love you” and other fun expression in this 10 week course.

CANCELLED
Instructor:             Ms. Lorrin Harris, Cottonwood Teacher
Grade Level:          3 -5
Day/Dates:             Friday - Aug 30  | Sept 6, 13, 20, 27 | Oct  4, 11, 18, 25  | Nov 8
Sessions:                10 x 1 hour
Time:                       3.10 - 4.10pm 
Room:                     C206
Tuition:                   Early Bird Princing - $189 After Aug. 25th - $199

Explore the world without ever leaving Dubin! Immerse yourself in the language and cultures of the world. Join me in this fun-filled class as we tour the world and introduce students to amazing world culture. Student will have the chance to explore and learn about art, music and theater around the world while also learning to appreciate that for all of our differences, people have many similarities in their daily lives. 

Students will be introduced to a number of languages and cultures in this course such as Spanish and Braizilian Portuguese and will learn some basic language skills along the way..   Come join the fun of exploring the world and learning to speak in a different language. You won’t want to miss this trip.

Elementary Schools

Questions or Comments

We are here to help. Please contact us with questions or feedback.

Main Office
(925) 587-5610

Vickie Constantinides
Academy Program Manager
(925) 587-5611
vickie@dpie.org

Rich Boschetti
Academy Director
(925) 587-5613
rich@dpie.org

Angela Clifford
Office Administrator
(925) 587-5614
angela@dpie.org

Local, Qualified Teachers

Courses organized by local teachers with California Teaching Credentials.