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IAA Newsletter

December 2021

IAA NewsletterDecember 2021

Principal's Note

We have been quite busy this month at IAA! We hosted two vaccine clinics for our community members and I am excited that many of our students are now vaccinated. Our 3rd grade students went on their first field trip in 20 months to Burlington City Arts to create bowls for our “Fill the Bowl” fundraiser in the spring. I am happy to announce that in January, we will have our first school wide field trip to The Flynn Theatre. Our students lit up the ROAR board in the main office and earned a dance party during recess. I am excited to DJ this event and see all the students show off their dance moves. I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday break and I look forward to seeing everyone on January 3rd, 2022.

School News

UVM Professor Kelly Becker will be coming to IAA to work with Mr. M in the music room January 3-7 and a handful of classrooms Jan. 10-14 to integrate creative movement and theater with literacy. She is working on a book that will feature us as a partner. Kelly.Becker@uvm.edu


Student Matinee at the Flynn Center for Performing Arts

The whole school matinee is back at the Flynn! Through our partnership with the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, IAA has been offered tickets to see Trey McLaughlin on January 20, 2022 following Martin Luther King day on the 17th. IAA will be the only school in attendance on the main floor. Classes will be able to socially distance from one another. All students and staff will remain fully masked for the duration of the show.

The Burlington School District has a policy that all volunteers need to be cleared through HR. If you are interested in serving as a volunteer to walk with students down to the show, enjoy the music, and walk back and have not yet gone through the BSD process, please reach out to Madison Sousa <msousa@bsdvt.org> in HR to start this process now. Madison Sousa can answer any questions about this policy and process.

Town Meeting

Our November Town Meeting was a celebration of our whole school residency with Burlington Taiko. It provides a behind the scenes view of the work that went into the final performance at Roosevelt Park and also interviews with students about the impact and power of drumming.


December’s Town meeting includes: Students of the Weeks celebration, Sticky Notes to Self Project from the 2nd grade, photos from our Literacy Breakfast, the ROAR dance party, and Music in the Classroom from some special guests!

Arts Integration

Kindergarten is continuing to reinforce math learning through visual art with Ms. Emily T. December has been all about shapes. During Integrated Arts, students applied their knowledge of circles, ovals, squares, rectangles, and triangles to cut these shapes from strips of paper. Ask your Kindergartener a cool trick they learned to cut circles. Then students cut even more, larger shapes using their newfound skills with creating a composition and positional language to work together to make a Kandinsky inspired mural.

1st grade is continuing their work studying and making art about the moon. They have looked closely at a variety of images of the moon and asked themselves, “Did a scientist or an artist make this picture?” and “What are they trying to tell us about the moon?” Students have begun work on their very own artistic interpretation of a moon calendar using printmaking techniques.

2nd grade is writing their own declaration of human rights and communicating it through spoken word and gesture. They also designed their own flags using a symbol and a word for their human right.

3rd grade is wrapping up their social studies unit learning about what makes a healthy neighborhood and bringing it to life with the help of Library Media Arts. They have been using critical thinking to figure out what businesses and organizations are necessary and then designing their own ideal neighborhood.

4th grade concluded their science and music unit studying waves by making their own stringed instruments. Students can control the frequency of the sound waves that their instruments make using an adjustable fret! These 4th graders are ready to shred!

5th grade students have been learning about the history and geography of the United States through textile traditions. Using the women and quilts of Gee’s Bend as inspiration, they are using pattern, color and shape, to design a quilt square that illustrates their relationship to geography and history.

Drama

Poetry and stories have been coming to life at IAA. The 2nd-5th graders brought some rhythm and joy to our day as they brought the poem “Funky the Snowman” to life. The kindergarteners and first graders worked with the story The Mitten becoming different forest animals while moving through space. We are spending our last days before break brushing up on our improv skills with some fun games that are sure to bring some smiles and laughter.

Art News

K-1 students have been learning about the shapes we see in snowflake patterns and about Vermont’s own Snowflake Bentley. While we wait for snow to fall outside, the kindergarteners created an indoor snowstorm with their beautiful paper snowflakes.

Second through fifth graders have been getting in depth with Yayoi Kusama and studying color, pattern, pumpkins, mushrooms and the artist’s history. We have also been experimenting with new art supplies such as paint sticks/masking tape to design the folders that will hold all artwork from the year so far. Their masterpieces will be coming home before break. Enjoy the time off and happy creating!

Ms. Sue

sadamson@bsdvt.org

Music

We have been making lots of music in the music room! Grades 4 and 5 have been learning about the Form and Structure of a song. Students have been “analyzing” songs for their Form and Structure and then learning to compose their own songs, using the clever sounds of Incredibox. The 4th graders worked with music and science for Integrated Arts this last rotation and we learned about waves: frequency, amplitude and wavelength. They even got to make their own instruments to demonstrate their knowledge of these properties. Some sweet instruments were made! The 3rd graders have learned how a ballet incorporates many different art disciplines: music, dance, literature and art design. More musical fun to come in the New Year!


Mr Myregaard

Email: bmyregaa@bsdvt.org

Website: www.iaamusic.weebly.com

Twitter: @IAAMusicVT

Instagram: @iaamusicvt

Library

Thank you to all the families who purchased Square 1 Art! You all supporting your artists helped raise over $1700 for the library this year (our highest grossing fundraiser yet)!

The past few weeks in library we have been learning about facts, opinions and fake news...what’s the difference and how do we make sure we are savvy enough to be fact finders. We read The Sad Little Fact by Johna Winter and Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots (a Red Clover Nominee this year) by Michael Rex. For our final week heading into break we are exploring winter STEAM stations: snowman logic puzzles (like sudoku), making symmetrical snowflakes with glass gems, binary coding candy canes, secret picture coding, and cutting out snowflakes.

Have a restful and cozy break and happy reading.

Ms. Jen

Instagram: @iaa_library

Library Amazon Wish List https://a.co/izrxbCT

PE

Currently in PE grades 2-5 have been working on a basketball unit. These students have been learning proper dribbling, passing, shooting, and defense techniques. The 1st grade students have been excelling in the soccer unit we are currently doing, and are using their skills on the field during recess for many. The kindergarten students are right now working on a throwing unit, learning to throw overhand and underhand, we are also doing tag games, and cooperative games.

Health

Happy Holiday Season! I wish everyone a relaxing and healthy break heading into the New Year. Just some quick reminders; if your student has any symptoms of illness, please keep them home. If your student’s symptoms last longer than 24 hours, please have them tested for COVID with a PCR test. Although the weather has been a little wacky for December, please remember to send your student with weather appropriate clothing (hats, mittens, boots, snow pants, jacket, etc.). Please reach out if you or your student needs help getting any of this clothing, we are happy to help! And lastly, please remember to send your student with a mask every day (and extras if possible!), our supply of masks is running thin!


Have a great break and I look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year!

Nurse Ali

Partner News

BCA Winter/Spring Youth and Family Programs

At the BCA Studios, 405 Pine St

Ages 6 & Up

Scholarships Available!

To Register Visit: https://www.burlingtoncityarts.org/adult-youth-and-family-classes or contact Lauren Genta, lgenta@burlingtoncityarts.org

Family Art Saturdays at BCA Center (125 Church St)

Get creative and mark art together! Families are invited to visit BCA for our drop-in art making program and enjoy an activity inspired by our current exhibitions. Projects ignite the imaginations of your family members!

Dates: Saturdays, January 22, February 26, March 26, 11:00am-1:00pm

WINTER & SPRING SCHOOL BREAK CAMPS | Monday-Friday, February 21-25 and April 18-22 | at the BCA Studios, 405 Pine St.

Join us this winter and spring at the BCA Studios and work closely with professional teaching artists for a week. Every camp includes in-depth studio arts experience and high-quality art materials. Come for a half-day or pair morning and afternoon camps together to make a full-day experience. A supervised lunch break is provided from 11 am–12 pm for campers staying all day. Join our Aftercare Art Club from, 3-5 pm, for an extended camp experience. More time to explore and make!

  • February Camps include Cartoons (Ages 6-8), Eco Art (Ages 9-11) and Pottery (Ages 6-8 and 9-11), Darkroom Photo (Ages 12-18)

  • April Camps include Mini Worlds (Ages 6-8), Digital Illustration (Ages 9-11) and Pottery (Ages 6-8 and 9-11), Printmaking (Ages 12-18)