A student uses tempera paint sticks to color a Lunar New Year lantern picture.

Ms. Terrell helps students learn how to weave by having them first weave with their bodies..

Students handle woven textiles as part of a unit on weaving.

A student holds up a paint-splattered hand, a fairly typical experience during certain units in art.

Two students work on cutting paper and gluing skills.

Mr. Stuebner supervises students as they work on cutting and gluing skills.

Students work with pastels to create flowers.

Students learn about gluing from watching each other, too!

Students create collage using torn paper.

Ms. Terrell supports students as they create lantern images to celebrate Lunar New Year.

Students glaze pinch pots as part of a sculpture unit.

Mr. Stuebner supports a student during a printmaking unit.

Students learn during a lesson in the library.

A student slides a picture book off a shelf in the library.

After selecting their books and checking out, students sit on the floor and read.

Students wait to check out their books.

Students listed to Mrs. Heyer read a story.

A student relaxes while reading a book.

Mrs. Heyer leads a lesson in the story pit.

Students work on an assignment.

Students show off their work: a personalized reminder about when their class should return books that they can hang up at home.

Mrs. Heyer and students work together to unpack new books Westlawn received as part of a grant.

Students shop at the annual book fair, which is held in the library.

On testing day, individual students perform a short piece of music while classmates listen.

At the beginning of the year, Mr. Erickson talks about band to all interested fifth and sixth grade students.

Students practice in school once per week.

As concert time draws near, Mr. Erickson arranges full band practice in the cafeteria.

Students who play the same instrument sit near each other during the concert.

On concert days, students wear blue Westlawn Music shirts to the daytime performances.

The entire school turns out to hear band students perform.

Mr. Erickson highlights each type of instrument in the band and students display them in the hopes of catching the attention of younger students and getting them interested in band.

Students perform on stage in the Falls Church pyramid winter concert.

All sixth grade students are invited to join chorus. They rehearse at the end of the day.

Students perform for the school in the winter concert.

Younger students listen attentively. Maybe they'll join chorus in the future!

Fifth grade students learn to play the recorder. Even if students do not join band or strings, they still learn to read music and play an instrument.

Students sit in pairs and practice keeping a rhythm using rhythm sticks.

At the beginning of the year, students sit in a circle and pass around an object. Each child has the opportunity to sing their name when they hold the object.

Ms. Pivetta listens while a student introduces himself by singing his name.

Physical movement is incorporated into music class to introduce students to concepts of musical theater.

Assemblies with musicians can enhance students' general music knowledge. Here they learn about the history of percussion.

Mr. Hamilton plays the first grade welcome song while students sing along.

Although students cannot learn to play piano at Westlawn, those who enjoy playing are often invited to share their talents with the class, and play the music to accompany class songs.

In sixth grade, students dive more deeply into their recorder lessons and learn how to play calls and responses in pairs.

Students often play the xylophone and other simple instruments in music class. Here, a group of third grade students plays music while classmates act out "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein.

Third grade students act out "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. Taking different roles to create a production introduces students to the concepts of musical theater.

Students play dreidel after learning how to sing "The Dreidel Song" as part of a look into cultural music.

Kindergarteners don different hats to represent the different roles involved with a portion of "The Nutcracker." Each role came with different allowable movements that students used to maneuver through the room.

Sometimes strings classes can be small and have only 2-3 students.

Ms. Emery plays alongside a class of strings students.

Learning how to hold the instrument and the bow is very important to create good sound.

Ms. Emery directs the students during the winter concert.

Some students are invited to play in the Falls Church all-pyramid orchestra.

Playing in the Falls Church all-pyramid orchestra is an honor.

Students practice the log roll during a gymnastics unit.

Sixth grade students create a gymnastics routine from scratch. Here a student demonstrates a backward roll.

Mr. Maloney and Mr. Howe talk with a class about expectations for behavior.

A kindergarten student shows off gymnastics skills. The trick was touching the mat with one foot, one hand, and one's head.

A kindergarten student demonstrates how to touch the mat with only one's bottom during a gymnastics unit.

Students wait patiently for directions near a blue cone as part of a whole-class game.

Students wait for further instructions at an orange cone.

Students in physical education classes use rhythm sticks.

Students stretch before engaging in physical activities.

A student prepares to knock a ball off a cone during the hockey unit.

Students work in pairs to practice setting a volleyball.

Primary students practice eye-hand coordination with balloons.

Mr. Howe and Mr. Maloney facilitate a game of freeze tag.

A student demonstrates proper push up form before students tackle the push up challenge of their physical fitness test.

Students do the push up portion of their physical fitness test in small groups.

Primary students love using the parachute.

Students love working together to build with robotics kits.

Students work together to solve problems and determine independent and dependent variables.

Learning how to manipulate pieces inside robotics kits gives students opportunities to communicate and work on teams.

Computers are used frequently in STEAM classes for coding and research.

Ms. Winters demonstrates the ways in which students can manipulate elements of a computer program.