IAA Newsletter

Happy holidays to each of you this holiday season! As we enter the month of December and the completion of three full months of school, our staff is hard at work supporting students’ individual learning needs and developing learning experiences that are tailored for each student. During my visits to classrooms, I have observed students actively engaged in classes with enthusiasm. It is common to see students sharing their understanding of things they are learning with their teachers and classmates. The joy our students seem to get from being a part of classes here at IAA is a testament to the time that our staff has committed to the development of classroom environments that foster a sense of belonging and comfort for students. I hope you will join me in taking a moment to appreciate the work our staff continues to do to support our students now and the remainder of this school year.

Upcoming dates include:

• Monthly Morning Meeting on December 18th.

• IAA Sing-a-long at Friday Town Meeting led by ONE-Sings teaching artist, Brian Perkins, and IAA student on December 20.

Since the 1st Thursday of January falls during school break, the January meeting will be January 9th instead, 6-7:30 in the small cafeteria. Free childcare and pizza available for $1/slice.

On November 20, the Flynn hosted IAA for a student matinee performance by the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH). Now in its fifth decade, the 17-member, multi-ethnic dance company celebrates African-American culture with their powerful vision for ballet in the 21st century.

Registration for the Flynn winter/spring 2020 semester—starting in January—opens this week. Check out our many classes, camps, and workshops<https://www.flynncenter.org/education/take-a-class.html>, including youth theater, show choir, jazz, hip-hop dance, filmmaking, and much more! Financial aid is available; please reach out to Sarah Caliendo at 802-652-4537 or registrar@flynncenter.org<mailto:registrar@flynncenter.org>.

In the new year, three Flynn teaching artists will work with IAA on three different arts-integration residencies! Joan Robinson will teach Words Come Alive; Lois Trombley returns for her second course of ONE Steps; and Hanna Satterlee will collaborate with Ashley Hensel-Browning for a full-school dance residency inspired by DTH. We can’t wait to see the creativity that emerges with your students!

The Kindergarten is currently wrapping up building their decks of cards using a variety of art-making techniques, including cutting geometric shapes to collage. They are beginning to play math games using them! Students are painting on the easels throughout December, to create a Jasper Johns inspired 10 frame. They are practicing using different sized paintbrushes, focusing on light and dark colors, and using math concepts to make art.

First grade is studying the moon. They are using careful observation skills to determine whether images were made by a scientist or an artist and what the image is trying to communicate. Students are using their understanding about the form and surface of the moon to make moon rattles and their understanding of the phases of the moon to build moon tiles.

Second grade is studying bats through science, literacy, and drama using Stellaluna by Janell Cannon as the anchor text. They are writing poems from a bat’s point of view and performing them for their peers using voice, facial expressions, and their bodies to embody character to bring the poems to life.

Third grade is working hard to make the Fill the Bowl fundraiser a huge success. Mr. Scott and Mr. Whitman’s classes used underglaze to create designs with radial symmetry on bowls donated by a local potter. They will be visiting the local food shelf to learn about programs and talk to the shelf’s chef. They are gearing up for the event by writing haikus and making centerpieces for the dinner. Please consider attending Fill the Bowl on Thursday, December 12th 5:30-7:00PM.

Fourth grade is investigating waves in science and music. They are learning some complex concepts, having thoughtful discussions, and experimenting with sound waves.

This month, Fifth grade will enjoy a second visit from Daniel Bernard Roumain during ONE-Strings leading up to their trip to the Flynn to see him perform. During their arts integration block they are studying the volume of prisms as they replicate and measure the Burlington City Skyline with a collaborative art installation.

Happy December, IAA!

As the snowy season is already upon us, so is a plethora of exciting new art projects underway here at IAA.

This month, we have Kindergarten finally finishing up their mobiles inspired by anchor artist, Alexander Calder. They have been working so hard for such a long time and the work will be displayed throughout our school for all to enjoy!

First graders have begun a project inspired by abstract artist Piet Mondrian. Students are exploring three-dimensionality and are making a collective abstract city with the focus being the primary colors.

Second grade had a blast using food coloring and shaving cream to try out paper marbling. They are now carefully drawing out patterns on their marbled paper using pen, focusing on repetition and pattern.

Third grade are working on two projects simultaneously, one having to do with this year’s Fill the Bowl fundraiser where students are creating centerpieces for the event inspired by impressionist, Claude Monet. They are also collaborating together to make a large installation based on the color wheel, which is set to be displayed in the coming weeks!

Fourth grade is still working on their optic art projects where they explore distortion of the senses using colored pencil shading techniques. Victor Vasarely is the inspiration for these colorful illusions.

Lastly, fifth grade is diligently working on shading, contrast, and value by honing their skills to complete an observational drawing. We have looked at M.C. Escher’s work earlier in the year and are tying it all together.

As always, keep an eye out for updates on my Instagram page: @cprinciart!

Warm wishes,

Ms. Princi

It may be snowy outside, but it’s cozy in the music room. 5th graders have been busy learning to write notation and compose using their Noteflight online program. After their initial percussion pieces, they’re now beginning to write their own melodies.

4th graders learned a nice 2-part song, Yonder Sails a Ship. They have also been composing and played their 3-part percussion compositions with each other.

3rd graders have been learning to read music and playing new musical games, like Closet Key.

2nd graders are learning about musical families and applying that knowledge to a musical story called Peter and the Wolf.

Happy Holidays to all!

Mr Myregaard

bmyregaa@bssdvt.org

www.iaamusic.weebly.com

@IAAMusicVT

How can it already be December?!?! We've had a very busy start of the year, especially with our Square 1 Art fundraiser. Thank you to all families who ordered gifts with your students art, we could not do this fundraiser without you. Orders were delivered from Square 1 Art this week (December 9th) and I will arrange them around the library, by grade and class, for pickup later this week. I would love parent help to check and organize orders when they arrive, so please email me (jpeake@bsdvt.org) if you are interested in helping.

A giant, heartfelt thank you to the families that continue to send/donate materials to the library. Your generosity is amazing, and our students are so lucky to have you. If you feel like helping the library out this holiday season, check out our Amazon wishlist.

Follow the library on Instagram: @iaa_library

Ms. Jen

Warm Greetings IAA! With the shorter days and longer nights upon us, we are warming ourselves up through poetry and storytelling. Throughout the month December each grade level will be coming together to tell stories and create dramatic interpretations of poems to warm our hearts, bodies, and minds. Our drama focus will be to practice using our voice to show expression as well as our bodies to tell our stories. Acting requires a great deal of concentration and with the anticipation of winter break, this is often a challenge. So we will be challenging ourselves through activities to build our concentration muscles. As we move through our work this month, we will be tying in the thread of peace and kindness. Wishing you all a Happy December!

AHHH!! DECEMBER, SNOW, HOLIDAYS, FAMILY, LAUGHTER, but best of all just BEING TOGETHER. I wish all of our IAA families a wonderful and blessed holiday season. This month is dedicated to basketball and fitness. The 2nd-5th graders are starting pre-fitness testing, while also learning some basketball skills. The K-1st classes are talking about the importance of fitness but not participating in the testing. K-1st classes have started basketball and I must say WOW we have some amazing skills, especially for never having prior basketball knowledge or skills in a PE setting. I would like to announce that we have officially started monthly yoga and mindfulness in PE. At the beginning of each month the gym is transformed into a calm, peaceful, and tranquil environment for each class to enjoy a break from the hectic day to day. Each class has benefited tremendously and I look forward to the continual progress. If any parents or family members are yoga instructors or are well versed in mindfulness practices feel free to reach out to me. I am sure the students would love to have guests and I know I would enjoy all of the

Fun Fact: Did you know there are roughly 35,000 little bumps on a basketball?

PE wishlist

We all want to stay healthy this holiday season so be sure to continue good hand hygiene! Happy Holidays! :) Check out this blog post from Dr. First MD about keeping you and our student(s) germ free this winter and reduce sickness.

Nurse Ali