1st-3rd | CCHCJoliet

1st-3rd Grade

The 1st-3rd Grade Pod is for students who are roughly 6-9 years old. If your child does not fit in this group based on age, but you feel he/she would be a good fit for the classes based on your child's maturity and academic level, please contact the Pod Leader for this group and request permission to have your child enrolled.

Flexibility

There are four class hours offered each Monday, with a 30-minute Assembly time built into the middle of the day.

CCHC allows students to take anywhere from one to four classes each Monday. Your child does not have to enroll in all four hours of classes.

If your student is not 6-9 years old, but you would like him/her to take one or more classes in this pod, please contact the pod leader for permission to enroll your child. Remember, your child can take some classes in this pod and some classes in another. Our classes are registered for individually so you can match your child to the class that fits him/her best!

Fall 2026

Each class summary includes a workload. Workload refers to the amount of homework expected outside of class hours.
0= no homework, 1= optional homework, 2= less than 30 minutes of homework a week
3= student may have a presentation/final project to prepare, or less than 1 hour a week
4=student may have 3-4 days a week of homework
5= student may have daily reading, occasional assignments, or 30-45 minutes of daily homework
5+= student may have up to a full hour of daily homework/reading along with tests/quizzes

First Hour

8:30-9:25

Flat Stanley’s Great American Trek

Pack your bags for an epic adventure as we send Flat Stanley on a whirlwind mission to explore all 50 states! Learn about U.S. Geography in a fun and engaging way with Flat Stanley as our tour guide. We’ll learn about U.S. regions, capitals, major cities, rivers and mountain ranges. Students will come away knowing what each state is known for, things to do there and interesting facts about each state. Each student will build a personalized passport journal to document their trek across America. We will play games and do activities to help the students apply what they learn. This class will finish studying the remaining states second semester for students who want to continue with us!

Teacher: Challah Ackerman

Aide: Diana Phillips

Class Fee: $20.00

Workload: 1 (Students will have the opportunity to send Flat Stanley to a friend/relative in another state and share his adventure(s) with the class.)

Required Supplies: 1” binder for a passport journal we’ll make throughout the year, pencil, scissors, glue stick, colored pencils and crayons

Second Hour

9:30-10:25

Birds

We will be exploring an introduction to birds. Each week we will focus on different elements

like: their varied songs, habitats, diets, body parts, etc. There will be some hands-on learning along

with a fun final project that will include a short presentation to the class. The goal is to

encourage children to have an ability to identify local birds and an awareness of the complexity

of our feathered friends.

Teacher: Becky Keller

Aide: Maggie DePasquel

Class Fee: $20

Workload: 1

Required Supplies: pencil, colored pencils

The Magic School Bus Science Adventure!

CLOSED

Buckle up and hop aboard the Magic School Bus! In this hands-on science class for 1st–3rd graders, we’ll explore the wonders of the world through exciting experiments, creative projects, and fun discoveries. Each week, our young scientists might dive into the ocean, blast into space, zoom through the human body, or shrink down to explore the secret life of plants. With two enthusiastic co-teachers leading the way, curiosity and imagination will drive every journey. Learning science has never been this magical!

Teacher: Bethanie Lin

Co-teacher: Stephanie Feehan

Class Fee: $30

Workload: 0

Required Supplies: Glue sticks, crayons/markers, scissors

Old-School Gym

Gym class will be an hour of active fun. We will play different sports, have open gym, and play Team games. Goal is for each child to have fun and be active within his or her own ability.

Teacher: Janet Keller

Aide: Naomi Lopez

Class Fee: $5

Workload: 0

Required Supplies: Water bottle, suitable clothes and shoes for active play

Third Hour

11:00-11:55

Money Smart Minis

In this fun and interactive class, young learners will build a strong foundation in financial literacy through hands-on activities, games, and real-life scenarios. Designed for 1st–3rd grade students, this course introduces essential money skills in a way that is engaging, practical, and easy to understand. Students will learn how to identify and count coins and bills, understand the value of money, and practice making change. We will explore the concepts of earning, saving, spending, and giving.

Teacher: Christina Brand

Aide: Needed

Class Fee: $20 (cash only please)

Workload: 0

Required Supplies: Crayons, scissors, glue, pencil

Cartooning 1

Get ready for an awesome adventure in drawing and creating characters. Each week, we’ll learn something new and build on the skills from the week before. By the end of the 12 weeks, you’ll be able to design your very own cartoon character from scratch!

You’ll have a little bit of homework each week, but don’t worry—it’s fun and helps you grow as an artist.

Teacher: Ed Smith

Aide: Jessie Schwinn

Class Fee: $20

Workload: 3

Required Supplies: Everything will provided by the class fee.

Intro to Spanish

Get introduced to Spanish basics…the alphabet, numbers, colors, and some words. We will also be learning about countries that speak Spanish and some of their traditions.

Teacher: Michelle Gonzalez

Co-teacher: Kelli Diaz

Class Fee: $25

Workload: 1 (Practice work is encouraged)

Required Supplies: Coloring tools, scissors, and glue

Fourth Hour

12:00-12:55

Sound Studio

Enjoy a different musical genre every week. I will share the musical themes and if you are feeling festive, feel free to dress “in character”. (Musical themes will include the following: Polka, blues, Disco, Grease, country, and more!) I can’t wait to dance with you!

Teacher: Janet Bonadeo

Aide: Bethanie Lin

Class fee: $40

Workload: 0

Required Supplies: none

Early American History

CLOSED

Step back in time as we explore the beginnings of our nation using the Beautiful Feet Books Early American History curriculum. Students will journey from the Vikings and Indigenous civilizations through the Revolutionary War and the Constitution. Each week we will read engaging picture books, discuss key events and people, and build a simple timeline notebook.

This class runs parallel to the 4–6 pod course to benefit families with multiple ages. We will study the same time period each week. Families will receive optional extension ideas to use at home, creating the opportunity for this class to serve as your primary social studies instruction for the semester.