Chameleon Chronicle April 2024

As you will see in our newsletter, March brought many educational opportunities for our Chameleons and it was a busy month with our book fair, parent night, and field day. Our students thoroughly enjoyed watching the College of Charleston Opera perform for us last week. We are excited and preparing for our artist in residence and the chameleon steel structure that begins on Tuesday. We are now in the fourth quarter and our students are working hard to finish the year strong! Please be sure to check out the "Mark your Calendar" section that includes end of the year dates.

Carolina Studios, a nonprofit organization teaching students in South Carolina creativity and computer skills through music education, provided a hands on experience for our 3rd-5th graders. Carolina Studios provides a mobile recording studio, that gives students the opportunity of musical expression through recording their ideas on a desktop computer. Students were able to create musical loops using the bus's software and explored the program Logic Pro X. Our chameleons had a great time!

Second graders learned theatre and writing from Engaging Creative Minds artist, Jeff Jordan. Jeff Jordan taught theatre at Ashley River Creative Arts for 25 years. Students created dramatic presentations in response to prompts and wrote descriptive narratives. Students participated in acting warm-ups, brainstorming, acting exercises, improvisation, and writing. Students acted in short scenes.

Last week our fifth grade students had a wonderful artist in residence with fiber artist Kristy Bishop. Students learned about natural fabric dyeing, practiced the scientific method with various dyes, and created a dye chart. Using the chart, students were able to plan and create a piece of fabric art. Kristy Bishop is a fiber artist with expertise in natural dyes, indigo, weaving, and textile surface design. She has been a partner with ECM since 2014. Living and working in Charleston, Kristy spends much of her time teaching fiber techniques to students in public schools, adult workshops, and summer camps.Thank you to Engaging Creative Minds for this opportunity!

Symmetry in Math & Art

The kindergarten students watched a quick video about symmetry. Then, they created half of a butterfly on a folded piece of paper following along with Mrs. Irimescu. Next, they traced the other half of the butterfly on a light box and opened their paper to see their symmetrical butterflies! Finally, they traced it in sharpie and painted the butterfly and background with watercolors contrasting warm and cool colors.

K.ATO.6 Describe simple repeating patterns using AB, AAB, ABB, and ABC type patterns.

K.G.2 Identify and describe a given shape and shapes of objects in everyday situations to include two-dimensional shapes

Art Standards:

Benchmark VA.CR NM.1 I can combine several elements of art to express ideas.

Benchmark VA.C NL.7 I can show art concepts among arts disciplines, other content areas, and related careers

Measurement and Huichol Yarn Paintings

The crafts of Mexico are renowned for bright colors and bold designs, especially the nierika, or sacred yarn paintings, made by the Huichol people. Fourth grade students created yarn paintings starting with 3 yards of yarn (each a different color). The students used one yard as is, another piece of yarn cut into 2 feet (the student chose to use 1 or 2 feet of the yarn), and the final piece of yarn was 1 foot divided into one-inch pieces. Students demonstrated an understanding of customary measurements by creating art from measured yarn pieces and labeling the length of yarn used in relation to yards, feet, and inches.

Math Standard:

4.MGSR.2.5 Convert customary units of length, weight, and liquid volume from a larger unit to a smaller unit, given direct comparisons of the two measurements and/or the unit equivalencies within a single system of measurement. Limit to inches, feet, yards, ounces, pounds, fluid ounces, cups, pints, quarts, and gallons when given unit equivalencies.

Art Standards:

Benchmark VA.CR NM.1 I can combine several elements of art to express ideas.

Indicator VA.CR NM.2.2 I can use three-dimensional art materials and techniques to make art.

Indicator VA.C NH.7.1: I can identify ways visual art concepts and skills are used in other subjects in my school.

Moving with Multiplication

Recently Mrs. Steele and Mrs. Williams infused multiplication and locomotor movements. It was so fast paced and fun! The students worked on their fluency as they answered multiplication facts (from their threes all the way to their sixes), when they answered the question, then they were able to demonstrate three different locomotor (traveling) movements around our life size tic tac toe board and then they had to create a shape on the board.

Standards Addressed:

Math: 3. ATO.4 Determine the unknown whole number in a multiplication or division equation relating three whole numbers when the unknown is a missing factor, product, dividend, divisor, or quotient.

Dance: D.CR, IL.1.1: I can make choices by combining and manipulating a variety of dance elements. D.P. NM.4.3: I can dance for and with others in a designated space.

Check out this video to watch the students in action…..

Students and teachers in first grade wrote an original song that will be used

in our 1st and 2nd grade program. Our second graders composed the

melody and the first grades wrote the lyrics. The lyrics focused on writing a

story. Each class focused on a storywriting topic. They knew so much

information. Come on April 19th and see their original creations!

Standards:

I can arrange and compose music.

I can use rhythm patterns, songs or words to create a musical idea.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using effective

techniques.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences. When writing: a)

detail events in a logical order using temporal words to signal event order;

b) include details that describe actions, thoughts, and feelings; and c)

provide a sense of ending.

Working with Money

Math Standards:

2.MDA.7 Solve real-world/story problems involving dollar bills using the $ symbol or involving quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies using the ¢ symbol.

PE Standards:

Standard 1: The physically literate individual demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns

1.6: Throw a hand-sized ball overhand with force for distance.

I can throw an object with mature form towards a target.

PE Standard 3: Play safely and cooperatively in physical activities that are personally enjoyable with classmates.

3.1 Play safely and cooperatively in physical activities that are personally enjoyable with classmates.

Students had fun while counting coins and performing exercises, throwing and matching coins, dribbling a basketball for change, counting money while having scooter fun, and bouncing on a exercise ball while sorting and counting coins.

In 5th Grade Theatre and Science Infusion, students used theatre skills to write and perform accurate weather reports of current weather and future weather events. Objectives included describing current weather, forecasting future weather, collaborating on script writing using weather terminology, and performing with appropriate vocal expression and gestures. Students engaged with artistic vocabulary like vocal expression, gestures, filming, and script, alongside content vocabulary such as weather report, meteorologist, current weather, and weather events. Prior to the lesson, students had experience performing and scripting in theatre class.

Science Standard:

5-ESS2-1. Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.

Theatre Standards:

T.C NH.8 I can apply theatre concepts among arts disciplines other content areas and related careers.

T.P NM.3.1 I can make choices about using my body and/or voice to imitate a variety of characters, conditions and emotions.

Digital citizenship lessons are taught in the library throughout the school year. Several grade levels recently focused on cyberbullying; what it is, how to avoid it, and what to do if it happens to them. Common Sense Media offers excellent tips for students, parents, and educators on this topic, among others! Here are six tips straight from Common Sense Media on how to help kids fight cyberbullying and other mean online behavior:

Define your terms.

Make sure kids understand what cyberbullying is: repeated and unwanted mean or hurtful words or behavior that occur online (through texts, social media posts, online chat, etc.).

Check in about online life.

Just like you'd ask your kid about their sleep, exercise, and eating, stay on top of their online life. Who are they chatting with? How do people treat each other in the games and on the sites they're using?

Role-play.

If kids feel like they might have trouble removing themselves from digital drama, experiment with some different ways they can make a graceful exit. Talk through words they can use, ways they can steer conversations in positive directions, etc.

Encourage upstanding.

Let kids know that supporting a friend or acquaintance who is being bullied can make a big difference. If they feel safe confronting the bully, they should. If not, a private message to the victim can be enough to help someone through a tough time. Speaking up against hate speech is important, too.

Take breaks.

If you notice your kid getting pulled into digital drama, help them take a break. It's great if they can determine for themselves when they need to step back, but they might need some help setting limits. Putting devices to bed at a specific time, plus breaks for mealtimes and face-to-face connection, can help kids recharge.

Review worst-case steps.

Walk through what to do if your kid is being bullied online. First, step away. Ignoring a bully can be very effective. If the bullying continues, take screenshots or print out evidence. Then block the person. If it gets worse, report the behavior to a trusted adult. Talk about who those people are and make sure your kid has their contact information.

For additional tips, articles, and information, go to https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles

Howe Hall AIMS is fortunate to have formed a partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Berkeley County this year to celebrate our students. The Kiwanis Club has a character-building program known as Terrific Kids that encourages students to become the best version of themselves. This program is a perfect companion to BCSD’s character education initiative. Each month our students focus on a character trait in our guidance lessons as well as in the classroom. Students and teachers reflect each month on the qualities each trait represents and look for instances that they have observed a classmate or student demonstrating those qualities. Those students are chosen to be the Terrific Kid for their homeroom and are invited to a celebration honoring them. We celebrated the trait of Perserverance on Thursday, March 28th with ice cream sundaes provided by our wonderful PTA. Congratulations to our Terrific Kids for March!

ADC recently participated in the 2nd annual Berkeley County School District Day of Dance. Students attended technique classes all day on Friday February 23rd. The district brought in a guest artist and they learned and performed her choreography on Saturday the 24th. One theatre student performed an excerpt from the 5th grade Newsies show. It was such a busy and great weekend. The students represented AIMS in such a professional manner. Mrs. Steele, Mrs. Rogers, and Mrs. Rodriguez are so proud of our students.

Our Chameleon Choraleers sang the National Anthem at the College of Charleston's basketball game on March 2nd. It was an impressive performance and a great experience for our students!

We had four students represent Howe Hall AIMS at BCSD All County Chorus! These students worked with students from all of the elementary school across the district all day on Friday and Saturday morning on the pieces for the performance. Great job, Ava, Ariel, Carley, Caroline, and Ms. Liebenow. Two of our students were selected to perform solos. Congratulatios Ava and Ariel! Former HHA music teacher, Kathy Clark was the Clinician for this experience. Ms. Swati Linder, former HHA band director and current parent was a featured flutist in one of the pieces.

Our March Bedford Falls Book Fair was a huge success, thanks to all of our amazing families!! Our school sales total after taxes was $8,267.69!! The sales earned our school $2,452.83 in books and an additional $542.27 in cash! Be sure to check out the pictures of our major book haul from our amazing book commission that will be added to our library collection. Thank you all for your support!!!

Thank you for your donations for the Kids Heart Challenge! We raised $18,613.93 for the American Heast Assosications and ourstudents had a blast! We appreciate our parents that came to support the students jump!

On Thursday, March 14th our PTA treated our teachers and staff to a delicious Pi(e) day celebration! Parents provided several delicious pies. They also stayed in the cafeteria and provided duty free lunch for our teachers. We are so thankful to our incredible volunteers for supporting our school!

Pictured above Lisa Christie, Brenda Newcomb, Amanda Blocker, Tina Wright, Laura Buonomo, Rachel Hall, Ashley Bukay, Sarah Cieplenski, John Wiggins, Abery Keane Newman, Sarah Ekvall, and Megan Wickline.

Our students won for having the highest percentage of lessons passed for the dates of February 10-March 15th! We are thankful for our hardworking students and teachers. Keep working hard Chameleons!

Chameleons BELIEVE and RESPECT the ARTS while VALUING EVERYONE