Clubs & Flex Block

When you walk through the halls of Harlem Academy, you may hear students reciting poetry, feel the rhythm of African drums, happen upon an improvisational theater performance, or see our latest Lego robot as it rolls past. The clubs program offers middle school students exciting extracurricular activities. Each club offers an opportunity to develop creative skills in an informal setting alongside faculty mentors. With club sizes varying between seven and 11 students per group, each leader has ample time to monitor the progress and involvement of each club member.

 Harlem Academy Clubs:

• A Capella
• Art
• Chess
• Fantasy Sports
• Improv
• Journalism
• Lego Robotics
• Music Production
• Percussion
• Poetry
• Quilting
• Sci-fi

View the Clubs 2011 media gallery.

Lower school students are exposed to a range of arts, including drama, poetry and spoken word, and fine art during a daily 45-minute flex block. Drama instruction at Harlem Academy places emphasis on character development, including teamwork and respect towards peers, and usually culminates in a performance. Students strengthen their imaginations through improvised storytelling and pantomime and learn about the history of performance, studying ancient Greek customs.

Students read and create poetry throughout their tenure at Harlem Academy. In grade two, students create illustrations connected to poems they read and then create their own books of poetry. Grade-five students develop a poetry anthology showcasing original works styled after famous poets. Meanwhile, a unique program, Bridging Education, Arts, and Technology (The BEAT) teaches children to express themselves in written and spoken word taught by a hip-hop artist.

Students in all grades use fine art to supplement academic instruction. For example, grade-four students study origami and make paper cranes to celebrate their completion of the novel Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. A partnership with Global Classroom offers students an opportunity to learn from Fulbright Scholars who teach about culture through art. As a result, students have explored French art through the study of Monet and French film and Irish culture through a lens of music and dance. A docent from the Metropolitan Museum of Art visits students each year and guides them on a tour of the museum.