Ellen Ochoa Curriculum

Art, music and physical education are valuable aspects of education at Briarglen. Students attend these classes on a three day rotation schedule. 

Our students are given opportunities to try out a variety of instruments in music class, various materials while in art, and participate in team building in physical education.

Balanced Literacy includes the Reading, Writing, and Word Study components of instruction. Students are challenged to become strong readers, writers, and thinkers as they encounter a variety of literacy experiences. Teachers model the use of reading and writing strategies using authentic literature during whole group instruction.

Students’ reading comprehension and writing proficiency improve as they use these strategies in their independent reading and writing times. As students spend time reading and writing, teachers meet with small groups and individual students to provide support, teach strategies, and assess progress in reading and writing.

In word study, students learn to spell by practicing word patterns, word families, and word meaning on their appropriate spelling level. Spelling levels are determined by individual spelling assessments.

Character Counts! is a district-wide program. It gives us a common language and encourages outstanding character traits. A new character trait is introduced each month. The six traits that are emphasized are Respect, Responsibility, Caring, Trustworthiness, Fairness and Citizenship.

Some activities are school-wide, such as assemblies, character quotes of the day and award presentations for showing good character.

Other activities take place in the context of classroom such as discussions regarding current events or storybook characters and the life lessons demonstrated throughout history.

Ellen Ochoa offers an English Learner curriculum to those students for whom English is not a primary language. Students participate in small group instruction that focuses on the English language.

The Extended Day Program (EDP) provides safe, alternative educational child care, enhancing the child’s extended day. Recognizing the busy lifestyles of today’s family, the district attempts to work in partnership with home and parents by providing before and after school supervision at the school site.

Students identified as gifted/talented are provided an instructional program which supports, enriches and differentiates the regular educational curricula. 

Student Council

Student leaders are actively involved in school and community activities. Student Council also participates in many projects such as collecting books for homeless shelters, and many other service projects.

My Math curriculum is utilized in grade levels K-5. Additionally, Boevers teachers collaborate to plan and implement math units designed around essential standards and concept development. 

A full-time media specialist works hard to ensure that students are able to access grade level books that interest them.

Classroom teachers and media specialist collaborate to conduct classroom research projects, host author visits, and teach library and resource skills.

TCI is utilized by K-5th Grade.. Students are challenged to think about the world around them in ways that make them excited to learn. Students are actively engaged in their social studies learning as they participate in hands-on activities, technology infused lessons, and multi-faceted learning experiences that lead to step-by-step discovery.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) at Union Public Schools is an interdisciplinary approach to learning that encourages students to inquire, explore, and problem solve. 

Ellen Ochoa implements STEM through the support of Project Lead The Way (PLTW).  PLTW is the nation’s leading provider of STEM education curricular programs for elementary, middle and high school students.

PLTW’s elementary program is designed for students in kindergarten through fifth grades and will align with Oklahoma state standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Through a series of topic-based modules, students will engage in design problems that encourage collaboration, analysis, problem solving, and computational thinking.

Union students showcase their art work during YouthArts!

YouthArts! is one of the longest running festivals of its type in the state of Oklahoma. 

Visit the District Fine Arts page.