Specials are Spot On

At the end of February, 3rd grade students started their coding unit with Mrs. Flannery. This year 3rd grade students are using a tool called Bloxels to explore coding, problem solving, and video game creation. The students were tasked with creating a hero and a practical yet challenging landscape or layout for their hero to interact with. We saw some really creative designs from animals to walking pizza, navigating through obstacles such as waterfalls, lava, and sky! Students are having a great time building games from the ground up and are learning how to work through some of the challenges they are coming up against. Later in the year, we hope to create a game based on what we learn in our research unit (coming up next).

With Mrs. Hill, students participated in the following read alouds:

Lulu’s Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst (Nutmeg Nominee)

*Please note: The spring book fair will be held from March 13-March 17. More details will be coming home soon.

If you have any questions in regards to your child’s library experience. Please don’t hesitate to contact us or locate more information on the library webpage.

Mrs. Flannery and Mrs. Hill

In February, Miss Pinto’s third grade classes have been creating all sorts of amazing still-life and landscape masterpieces. Once clay became an available material in the art room, most of the third graders got so excited and created their next “choice” work of art with the use of clay; earning their sculpture stamps in their passports! Students are flying through their art passports, and many have earned drawing, painting, mixed media, sculpture and technology stamps! Because we are approaching the end of the school year (I know, it’s only 3.5 months away!) I continue to encourage the students to plan ahead to make sure they achieve their end of year goal, to explore and successfully use all 6 media categories. It can be challenging for some students who would prefer to draw everything, or build their artworks. We are all working hard at assessing our own masterpieces, as well as pushing ourselves to reach outside of what we find comfortable to test new materials and processes on our ownJ Certain students have become “experts” in the art room as well, and know how to use certain materials so well that they can be teachers and help out others!

We have completed STILL-LIFE masterpieces and are currently moving on to explore the concept and creation of LANDSCAPES. It is amazing to watch the students create such unique and different works of art!

Miss Fausette’s third graders are patiently waiting while their Toad Houses are being dried and fired in the kiln. In the meantime we made fun Mardi Gras masks. We got started in the art room with templates and wallpaper patterns and then took our masks home to finish and enjoy. Soon we will be able to see our Toad Houses again and apply a shiny and colourful coating of glaze.

FUNDRAISER ALERT!!! ART TO REMEMBER ORDERS ARE READY FOR PICK-UP ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, MARCH 8TH AND 9TH FROM 4:30-5:30 IN THE CAFETERIA! ANY PARENTS WHO CANNOT ARRANGE FOR PICK-UP OF FUNDRAISER ORDERS WILL HAVE THEM SENT HOME WITH THEIR CHILD ON MONDAY, MARCH 13TH PLEASE CONTACT MISS PINTO FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS REGARDING YOUR ORDER, AND THANK YOU AGAIN SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR ART PROGRAM!

Miss Pinto and Miss Fausette

Third graders are progressing through the levels of recorder karate rapidly! Students earned white, yellow, and sometimes orange belts during the past month! With recorder karate, students are able to move at their own pace through the levels and personalize their learning through song choices. Students are quite excited to have a choice between three songs for the green belt. This month, students also worked in small groups to compose recorder songs using many elements of music. As a reminder, students are expected to practice recorder as part of their homework.

Eleven Memorial School students will perform at the district-wide art show and music recital this month! The selected students, who show exemplary work in the recorder program, will perform music that goes beyond what is taught in music class. Be sure to stop in to the auditorium during the district art show/recital on March 21st to listen to the musical talents of students from grades 3-12!

In the coming months, we will continue our work on music literacy and the recorder karate program. We will also learn about many instruments and songs from various cultures. Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or concerns!

Mrs. Maldonado

Hi everybody! As winter returns, at least for the weekend, we have had many opportunities to get outside and be active, enjoy the fresh air, and enjoy time with our families. In January we continued our ball skills units, now working more with our hands, as we started our beachball volleyball unit. We focused on eye hand coordination and various technical shots and reaction time, as the children progressed from individual work, to partner activities and then onto larger groups. Our unit culminated with our serving component of our Fitness Clubs and playing an actual volleyball game, just as entered February. As always, our PE classes begin with a detailed and progressive warm up, including a prolonged cardiovascular (aerobic) fitness exercise, either through running or jogging activities. We then progress through the warm up with attention to exercises and movements focusing on power, strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. The warm up is about 50% of our class, then we move to skill based activities/units/lessons for the remaining 50% of class.

Thank you so much for all your support at home and trying your best to take advantage of the many outside of school activities, clubs, and sports that are available for our children to participate in and hopefully bring the healthy, active, movement based lifestyle that we stress and work towards at school into your and with your families! Our PE Department is very appreciative of all the time and efforts you put into you on child’s life to make them all as active and healthy as they can be!

Take care, enjoy the short burst of winter this first weekend of March, and Spring, here we come!

Coach Ruel and Coach Boscarino

Email: rflannery@easthamptonct.org
Website: www.easthamptonps.org
Location: Memorial School, Smith Street, East Hampton, CT, United States
Phone: 8603654020
Facebook: facebook.com/MemorialElementarySchool
Twitter: @EHPublicSchools