Specials
Enriching learning through specialist-led STEM, arts, language and physical education
Enriching learning through specialist-led STEM, arts, language and physical education
Tessa International School enriches learning from as early as PK2 with a range of “Specials” classes, including STEM, Music, PSPE, English Reinforcement, and Music & Movement. These classes are led by dedicated specialists who work hand-in-hand with classroom teachers to extend learning beyond the homeroom. Together, they help children build early skills, explore new ways of thinking, and make connections with their Units of Inquiry. This collaborative approach ensures our students grow through a well-rounded, developmentally aligned program that supports their bilingual journey and nurtures confident, curious learners.
KG-Grade 5
STEM is a hands-on class that invites children to think, design, and explore like scientists and engineers. Through interactive projects, students strengthen their problem-solving, collaboration, and critical-thinking skills while learning how science, technology, engineering, and math work together to explain the world. Each unit centers on a theme (such as Digital Storytelling & Multimedia, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, or Coding with Logic & Loops) encouraging children to ask questions, test ideas, and discover solutions through experimentation. Whether constructing simple machines, coding, or investigating natural phenomena, students learn to think creatively and persistently, skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
KG-Grade 5
PSPE is a class designed to strengthen children’s physical abilities, confidence, and understanding of teamwork through engaging, age-appropriate activities. Students build coordination, balance, and endurance while learning the value of healthy habits and movement. Units are centered around themes such as Cooperative Play and Social Skills, Active Games and Sportsmanship, and Advanced Movement Skills and Physical Fitness, helping children understand how movement connects to personal growth and collaboration. Whether they’re running, stretching, or playing cooperative games, students learn to challenge themselves, support one another, and develop a lifelong appreciation for physical activity and wellness.
PK2-Grade 5
Music is a class designed to nurture children’s creativity, expression, and listening skills through joyful, hands-on exploration. Students sing, move, and play instruments while discovering rhythm, melody, and harmony across diverse musical styles. The curriculum is built around themes such as Instrumental World, Musical Stories, and Music Around the World, helping children connect music to feeling, culture, and community. As they learn to listen closely and perform confidently, students build not only musical understanding but also focus, cooperation, and a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
PK3-PK4
Music & Movement is a class designed to strengthen children’s physical skills and musical understanding in a connected, age-appropriate way. Within one cohesive program, children receive focused instruction in both areas, building coordination, balance, and confidence through movement while also exploring rhythm, sound, and expression through music. The units are built around shared concepts such as Sound and Space, Rhythm and Balance, and Working as a Team, helping children recognize how music and movement relate. They might practice hopping, balancing, or navigating space one week, and the next explore how rhythm and tempo shape the way we move and play together. This structure ensures that children grow physically, creatively, and socially, developing the confidence to move, listen, and express themselves with increasing control and joy.
PK3-KG
English Reinforcement is a class designed to help young learners build strong early literacy foundations while supporting their bilingual development. Through songs, rhymes, storytelling, and play-based activities, children develop phonemic and phonological awareness; the ability to hear, recognize, and work with sounds in words. As they begin connecting sounds to letters, students explore early reading and writing in meaningful, age-appropriate ways. Units focus on themes such as Building Phonemic Awareness, Developing Early Reading Comprehension, and Expressing Ideas Through Words and Stories. Each lesson strengthens confidence in English, helping students bridge their home language and English while fostering the skills and curiosity needed for lifelong learning.
PK3-PK4
Monthly visits from the Liberty Science Center introduce young learners to the world of scientific discovery through hands-on exploration and age-appropriate experiments. Guided by the LSC team, students investigate simple scientific concepts (such as observation, cause and effect, and properties of materials) through activities that encourage curiosity and active learning. Each session invites students to wonder, test ideas, and build early scientific thinking skills, laying a strong foundation for future inquiry and discovery.
Discover why our bilingual curriculum is recognized as one of the best. Learn how we combine academic excellence with engaging, interactive experiences that foster global awareness.
Office: (201) 755-5585
Location: 720 Monroe St. Hoboken, NJ 07030