Specialists Newsletter
April 18, 2022
Art
- Mrs. Bank’s groups will be glazing their ceramics in the next couple of weeks.
- As weather permits artists in all grades will be going outside for art on some of their art days.
- Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade artists are finishing their fiber art projects. They are learning the running stitch and how to thread a needle and tie knots.
- Third, fourth and fifth grade artists will be working on printmaking in the next few weeks. Fourth grade artists are focusing on nature, fifth on cityscapes. We use ink for printmaking, so please make sure students are not in their favorite clothing on art days. We have smocks available, but accidents can still happen.
- Sixth grade artists are finishing their pinatas and will begin a fiber arts project.
Music
Mr. Andert’s Classes:
- Kindergarten students just finished an introduction to xylophone unit. We are going to be starting our last big performance unit this week. We plan on sharing a performance via Zoom before the end of the year.
- 1st grade is starting a new unit this week based on the book “Planting a Rainbow” by Lois Elhert. Students will learn a song, a xylophone accompaniment, create movements and a rhythmic pattern they will use to improvise melodies on the xylophone. We will share the performance with families via Zoom before the end of the year.
- 2nd grade is starting a huge end-of-the-year unit this week. They will be incorporating all the big performance pieces we have learned throughout the year and put on a play based on the book “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak. We will be working on this until the end of the year and will invite families to view a performance via Zoom.
- 3rd grade is starting to play RECORDER! After much anticipation and waiting for COVID numbers to decline, we are starting to learn the recorder this month. Students have received their instruments from the school and have had at least one lesson. I will be sending home a parent letter soon with all information. NOTE: we will be playing recorder outdoors to prevent the spread of germs. On rainy days, we will play in the music room with windows open and socially distant. If a student would like an extra disposable mask, they can cut a slit in the mask to use for recorder playing.
- 4th grade is also starting a recorder unit. Since most students did very little playing last year while we were online, we will be using beginning recorder lessons. If your child received a recorder last year from the school, please have them bring it to school this week. NOTE: we will be playing recorder outdoors to prevent the spread of germs. On rainy days, we will play in the music room with windows open and socially distant. If a student would like an extra disposable mask, they can cut a slit in the mask to use for recorder playing.
- 5th grade will be starting a recorder unit this month, as well. If your child has a recorder at home, please bring it in this week. If their recorder is lost or broken, you can purchase a new one (Amazon or local music stores like Reston Music Center) OR I can give them an old recorder that has been sanitized with bleach and washed. NOTE: we will be playing recorder outdoors to prevent the spread of germs. On rainy days, we will play in the music room with windows open and socially distant. If a student would like an extra disposable mask, they can cut a slit in the mask to use for recorder playing.
LTC
Students will continue working on their second and last part of their LTC project in Spanish:
2 ANIMALS ON THE MOVE WITH MONARCH: learning about colors and sizes related to their own animal project.
4 METEOROLOGIST DREAM: students choose their city and country for their project. They report in Spanish a 5 days weather record for that place. Sentence structure with PORQUE connector.
3 Plants and soils: Students will learn about the function of each part of the plant and will create their BOOKLETS/foldables. Students will read their “booklets” to their friends or family.
5 Animals in ocean: Students will work on colors, sizes of animals and their different habitats in the ocean.
6 Eco friendly school: Students will work in the different eco friendly programs that have been successful in American schools as well as in Hispanic communities. They use full sentence long structures. Most students have been working with their ELECTRONIC NOTEBOOKS reviewing and applying what we have worked so far in each project. 2nd and 3rd will be working most of the time with their LAPBOOKS.
PE
- Students in K-2 continue to work on lacrosse skills. (throwing and catching), as well as knowledge of Nutrition and Fitness.
- Students in grades 3-6 are finishing up lacrosse this week and will move on to Fitness Testing next week. We will move into Soccer after Fitness Testing along with studying the major bones.
Guidance
Last week was Orange so grades 1st, 3rd, 4th and 6th started a two week study of Careers - the second half will be next week. This week is Black week so grade K and 1 will resume Kimochis. For Orange week last week, grades K, 2nd and 5th worked in the Virtual Calm Room. No guidance lessons for 2-6th grade this week.
Kindergarten & 1st Grade this Week:
Kimochi Homelinks Week 1 8
Mad
This week, your child learned about feeling mad and the Kimochis® kotowaza—or
Japanese proverb—that accompanies this emotion: “It’s okay to be mad, but it is not okay
to be mean.” This kotowaza validates that it is acceptable to have angry or mad feelings
(all humans experience them); however, it is not okay for anyone to express those
feelings by being mean or unkind to others. We all know how easy it is to use our
eyes, face, voice, body language, words, and actions to express anger. Your child learned
a communication tool to express mad feelings in an effective way—namely, to use a
Serious Face and Voice to help send a message that is strong and clear, but not hurtful.
Your child will need guidance and patience to remember how to use these newfound
tools when expressing intense feelings. See next page to review the key concepts:
Serious Face and Voice.
2-6th Grade will not have guidance this week
The Fish Bowl- Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd grades
- Kindergarten students returned from Spring Break eager to compare the distances of their shuttle flights. Children are learning the difference between long, longer, and longest and short, shorter, and shortest.
- 1st graders are learning about analogies and the different types of relationships that can be used when creating and analyzing analogies.
- 2nd grade classes did an amazing job presenting their Ozobot Tour of the World projects to a variety of 1st and 4th grade classes. Following Spring Break, students went on a math egg hunt, finding and solving problems that span the standards they have learned all year.