Kirby Hall offers an array of after-school enrichment activities. Each year’s offerings vary as we try to be responsive to requests from parents and students. After-school offerings may include the following:
Robotics and Coding
American Robotics Academy aims to excite, inspire and motivate children about the importance of robotics technology. Our hands-on classes offers an introduction to the fundamentals of engineering design, and helps children understand how things work. Students work in age-appropriate teams and learn how to design, build and test remote-controlled miniature robots. We use simple, motorized machines—all made from Lego* bricks—to demonstrate mechanical movements and other effects.
Healthy, Fun Cooking
Sticky Fingers Cooking – When’s the last time you had Ethiopian food? Or yummy Indian, Swedish or Columbian food? Guess what? Your kids can have a blast every week discovering how easy and fun it is to prepare (and love to eat!) tasty, healthy, globally-inspired foods, as well as American Classic Sticky Fingers Cooking recipes!
Art Meets Science
Being Da Vinci – inspired from both Reggio Emilia and Montessori teaching practices and the S.T.E.A.M. teaching method, Beyond the Bell in offers Being Da Vinci. Being Da Vinci combines the science of what naturally exists, the engineering and technology possibilities interpreted through the humanities and the arts.
In addition, the project-based learning approach integrates facts and reasoning into the creative process. Students learn to create collaborative works rather than individual studio pieces in this project-based laboratory of imagination. Curiosity in the process of design, creative expression, and increased thinking across these related subjects will have even the most spirited child engaged!
Chess Club
Whether your child is already an advanced player, or he/she has never picked up a chess piece before, Mighty Kid Chess is the right place for them! With our unique curriculum and awesome coaches, your child will learn to master the game of chess in no time and have a lot of fun doing it. We start with the basic, then move on to the real fun! Each week we will go over a new tactic or strategy such as forking, x-raying, deflecting and much more!
Piano and Keyboarding Lessons
iPianoLab introduces the freshest way to learn piano or keyboard. While most traditional methods concentrate on months of drills and “baby” tunes before a student gets to play “real” music, iPianoLab teaches kids to play songs they really like! One Republic, Spongebob, Taylor Swift, Super Mario Bros., Star Wars, even Bach and Beethoven are all in reach, right from the first lesson! We break the music down into simple, great sounding arrangements kids love to play! And a child who likes practicing their songs is a child who will make rapid progress on the instrument! iPianoLab is also about much more than just fun. It’s a comprehensive approach that teaches all the essential keyboard basics. We teach all the skills necessary to play all music; from classics to pop to rock to gospel to R&B to country!
Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS)
MOEMS develops enthusiasm for problem solving and mathematics. It deepens the understanding and strengthens the ability to use math concepts. Team members also build a stronger foundation for future math studies.
Circuit Building and Coding
MakeCrate Maker Club teaches students to build and program circuits, including sensors, motors, switches, buttons, and displays. They write, debug, and run code to make circuits work.
