Enrichment Activities

BASKETBALL

Students enrolled in the primary school program will focus on skill building and teamwork, while having fun and learning the rules of the game.   This is a great way to get ready for the more competitive teams in middle school and High school.
This activity will take place at the Maplewood campus for students in grades 2 to 5 (CE1 - CM2)

TENNIS:

Rochambeau will be teaming up again this year with Tennis Central Academy, created by Yann Auzoux, a former professional player who has participated in the Davis Cup.   
This is an 8 week program which will start on September 6th and end the week of October 31st. Please consult the schedules for more details on practice days and locations.

There are 2 locations for tennis practice -

• The Beach Tennis & Pool @ East Gate - 10200 Gainsborough Rd, Potomac, MD
• Holton-Arms School - 7303 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

You will have to accompany your child to and from the tennis courts - No school transportation is available for this club.
Those who have already shown interest  will  receive a link to register.   Please contact Marc BAUDLET, our athletic director, if you are interested in joining. 
Your children will need sportswear, a racket and a water bottle.

JUDO:

The class is taught by M. Frederic HOCDE,  a second degree black belt who teaches judo in the Washington DC area and has been  teaching Judo at Rochambeau for many years - "Instructing is my passion and I focus my Judo classes around a few key values such as politeness, respect, self-control, and balance" 
 Judo at Rochambeau develops confidence, discipline, strength and agility in a fun and friendly environment.

This club is taught in french and registration is on a yearly basis.

YOGA:

This club focuses on Yoga and mindfulness which have shown to improve both physical and mental health in school-age children. Yoga also improves balance, strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity in children. Yoga and mindfulness offer psychological benefits as well. A growing body of research has already shown that yoga can improve focus, memory, self-esteem, academic performance, and classroom behavior, and can even reduce anxiety and stress in children.

Intro to Chess | Introduction to chess familiarizes the student with each piece and its movement. Once this knowledge is thoroughly demonstrated, the students learn about ‘check,’ how to escape from ‘check,’ and the concept of ‘checkmate’. If the students have thoroughly digested these skills, they will move on to pawn promotion and castling, and will be ready for the next level.

Chess | Chess Wizards offers fun, intellectual and challenging chess education and tournament experiences to children of all abilities and ages.  Our students learn chess is fun on Day 1! In addition to lessons and traditional gameplay, we incorporate variations of chess games that build teamwork and foster a genuine enjoyment of a game over a thousand years old! 

Les Petits Chefs + Les Marmitons

These clubs focus on providing a safe and fun environment for budding chefs to explore and discover their own creative culinary skills.  The young chefs will learn how to use kitchen tools appropriately and safely, how to make fun delicious recipes using simple ingredients that are easy to replicate at home and will learn about nutrition and feeding their bodies in a healthy manner. 

This club is taught in French

SCRATCH JR.:

Learning to Code is a critical skill for children to learn! Much like learning another language, it’s best to have kids learn about programming concepts early and often! In our Scratch Jr class, kids will learn coding concepts including computer automation and linear sequencing. They will make short stories, apply elements of animation, and create their own sprites and objects – all using technology and coding fundamentals!

Arts + Crafts: 

Art activities are a terrific way for kids of all ages to express themselves creatively. Students will work on projects collaboratively in order to learn the value of creating together, all the while exploring their creativity through individual projects and activities.  These activities include working with various materials, cutting and pasting to create collages, to making 3D objects, cards and much more. The goal is to inspire independence and creativity through crafts.
There are several arts and crafts classes throughout the week, taught in several languages. Please refer to the schedule to chose the one appropriate for your child. 

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Interested in drawing, art, or design? In this class, you’ll learn how to use your doodling skills for real, by doing design projects for local nonprofits or small businesses. You will learn how to make professional posters and art that people want to pay for, and you’ll ultimately design posters and ads for real organizations with good causes. Our students' work has been used in ads and online Instagrams posts by the Special Olympics, Martha's Kitchen, and local shelters.

Painting:

Learning techniques of drawing: scale and perspective, organization of the space to be painted... and learning painting: shadow and light, complementary and opposite colors, pointillism and geometry, decorative painting and study of painting styles: Indian, Japanese, etc... We will use various mediums.  Children must bring an apron or a large tee-shirt.

This club is taught in english

Sewing + Crafts:

In club this semester you’ll learn the very basics of how to sew by hand and on a machine while continuing to expand your skills each week. Throughout the course, you’ll finish multiple projects and gain confidence sewing, understanding sewing terminology, and will learn how to read a sewing pattern.

Required supplies - Trousse / pencil case,  to hold the items they use in the club.  All other supplies will be provided by the teacher.  Students are welcome to bring their own supplies if they have some that they prefer to use. 

This club is taught in English

Stop Motion - Creation d'un Film

Stop motion ou film image par image… les enfants pourront laisser libre court à leur imagination et créer des histoires. Et ces histoires, ils les transformeront en film !! Leurs jouets deviendront les héros de leurs histoires. En apprenant à utiliser une application, ils pourront créer leur film… avec dialogues et musiques ! Le futur Spielberg est peut-être parmi vos enfants…Une fois la technique apprise, les enfants pourront facilement pratiquer cette activité à la maison et créer, créer, créer…

This club is taught in French

Theater Arts:

Children play pretend to make sense of the world. Theater and film are primary tools for growing humans to learn about life. This course consists of a variety of activities relating to theater production. Activities include acting exercises/games, costume design, set design, improvisation, and script writing. Ending each semester, students will collaborate to write and put on a small production for parents(recorded and or performed live). Creating situations to
play and assume roles, they will interact with peers and arrange environments to bring their stories to life.
This club is taught in English

BALLET & CREATIVE MOVEMENT:

Creative Movement is a joyful way for children to explore movement through music and dance. Your child will work on developing physical skills, channel energy, stimulate imagination, and creativity.  Using creative movement, students can simultaneously develop motor skills, rhythmic awareness, coordination, and balance in a safe environment.  Join us for 40 minutes of fun for little ones!

For students in GS and CP 

BALLET FOUNDATIONS:

As the foundation of all dance forms, Ballet helps develop base dance techniques for any style. Ballet classes help students with posture, flexibility, fitness, balance, self-discipline, and self-confidence, and can potentially enhance your child’s motor, listening, and social skills. Dancers will learn basic steps and terminology in ballet and will begin to explore their own expressive movement styles while honing in on important technique.

For students in CE1 and CE2

MODERN DANCE:

Dancers will focus on contractions, spirals and basic floor work.  They will build core strength and flexibility in a fun and encouraging environment.  We will explore different styles such as African, Bollywood and Oriental dances.

This club is taught in French

HIP HOP:

Our Hip Hop classes teach rhythm, coordination, musicality and choreography. Students are challenged to think on their feet while enjoying an energetic and fast-paced dance class. Our Hip Hop dancers develop focus, strength, and agility while having fun.

LATIN DANCE:

In this class, students will learn the vibrant and energetic movement of Latin dances such as Salsa, Bachata and Merengue. This class requires more coordination and focus and it's super fun for children ages 12 and up. Students will learn patterns of footwork and partnering and practice dancing to music.

Eveil Musical | Musical initiation:

This club is taught in a playful way around the following five main axes:

• awakening to singing (songs and finger games)
• small percussion (discovery of new instruments, introduction to the percussion orchestra)
• rhythmic games and body percussion 
• listening games (active listening with body movement of the best musical works from different eras)
• introduction to music theory (notes, rhythm, tempo etc.)

This club is taught in French

ZUMBA:
Zumba Kids is a popular class that combines elements of dance and aerobics. With their favorite music accompaniment, kids learn to move, listen to the rhythm, exercise their bodies, and improve their health. Zumba benefits their physical growth, also protects from many problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

This club is taught in French

ARABIC:

Abjadiyah is based in the Washington, DC area and has been teaching Arabic as a second language to students since 2006. Abjadiyah has been taught as a Club Rochambeau since 2010, and prepare the students to integrate the Arabic language option that starts in 6th grade.

With its customized Arabic language curriculum and emphasis on the cultural aspects of linguistic education, the curriculum has changed the way children learn the Arabic language. They learn with age appropriate story characters that come alive in the classroom. The children are motivated to learn not only the language but the culture as well in a fun and loving environment and are They are taught to speak, read and write aided by the very innovative curriculum.

Full year registration is required for this club.  

All elementary school students at Rochambeau are welcome, and they will be organized by both age and ability. 

Participer à un atelier de jeu peut être très amusant ! C'est un excellent moyen d'évacuer le stress, de se détendre et d'explorer des jeux nouveaux ou classiques dans un environnement collaboratif.
La palette de jeux est large : jeux de société, jeux d'enquête, jeux d'observation (dobble, lynx...), jeux de rapidité, jeux axés sur le langage, la pensée logique, jeux collectifs et individuels...  Où chacun apprendra en s'amusant.
Un excellent moyen d'entraîner la mémoire, l'attention, la capacité à résoudre des problèmes et à prendre des décisions, ainsi que dans la coordination physique.
Alors pourquoi ne pas essayer ?

Creative Writing:

The Rochambeau Creative Writing Club brings together CM1 and CM2 students with a passion for storytelling. Students are given the opportunity to collaborate with peers to explore, discuss, and produce prose, poetry, or drama across a variety of genres. Each week, we respond to new prompts and experiment with different styles of writing. Students are encouraged to share their stories, and choose a favorite piece to “publish” in a group literary collection. Above all, in the Creative Writing Club, students of all ability levels are supported in a positive, encouraging environment as they develop their writing skills.

Entrepreneurship

Have you ever wanted to start your own business or website? In this class for budding entrepreneurs, that’s exactly what you’ll do! You’ll work with a classmate to come up with a simple company idea, taking it as far as it will go before the class ends. You’ll create a business plan, enlist friends and family, and set up everything you need to be a junior entrepreneur: a first email address, a basic app or website, and a presentation. Ultimately, you’ll share your idea with friends and family, work hard to get a first customer, and present all your progress to the whole class. You’ll have a ton of fun and accomplish more than you ever have before!

SPEECH & DEBATE

Do you want to become a better public speaker and learn how to make convincing arguments? Our Speech and Debate class is the perfect place to start! In this course, students will learn how to craft persuasive speeches and participate in debates on a variety of topics. You'll learn how to research and analyze different viewpoints, develop your own arguments, and use effective speaking techniques to communicate your ideas. This class will not only help you become a better speaker but also a more critical thinker. No prior experience is needed – just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm!

The BE Project

theBEproject is a culturally responsive program that provides positive youth development for girls between the ages of 9-13, by creating safe spaces that cultivate and empower new generations of well-balance young women. Our curriculum is designed to focus on leadership, character building, behavioral/emotional management, social change, and life skill development. theBEproject strives to reduce conflict, false impressions, and hate amongst young girls, their communities, and the world by cultivating long lasting mentorship, healthy relationships and confidence.