Specials Newsletter

Pre-kindergarten students are learning about weather through material exploration and art making.

Kindergarten students are learning about landscapes and creating a video game landscape painting.

1st-grade students are learning about international artist Romero Britto and creating artwork with various patterns.

2nd-grade students are finishing their 3-dimensional clay snowmen and creating a watercolor egg artwork inspired by Ukranian Pysanky art.

3rd-grade students are creating an Iceberg Landscape painting by creating different values of the shade blue with collaged penguins.

4th-grade students are learning ceramic techniques and creating a 3-dimensional chia pet.

5th-grade students are learning about the Harlem Renaissance and printmaking techniques to create a relief print of a musical instrument.

6th-grade students are learning about skateboard artist Mark Rivard and creating a skateboard design of their own.

Art Magnet application and interview materials are due in January (6th grade only).

Mrs. Wilke

469-593-8208

jenny.wilke@risd.org

Just before the Winter Break, students in K – 3 did a STEM activity related to a book we read in the library. Students in 4th – 6th grade used the Ozobots to code. Ozobots are tiny, round robots that “read” color codes. Based on the color code, Ozobots may spin, go backward, etc.

ECSE & PreK

Students’ library lessons are usually tied-in to their curriculum. Students do some fingerplays, hear a story and check-out books when they come to the library each week.

Upcoming Topics for Books Being Read & Displayed

Book topics include winter weather/snow, holidays (Valentine’s Day & Lunar New Year) and Black History Month .

Book Trailers

The older students are using their iPads to scan QR codes to watch book trailers. Book trailers are a little like movie trailers on the screen before the main movie is shown. The purpose of movie trailers is to get people interested in coming back to the movie theater to see another movie. Book trailers are basically a short video clip about the book to get students interested in checking out the book and reading it.

K-6 Digital Citizenship Lessons

We are continuing our Digital Citizenship lessons this quarter. Units will include “Healthy Online Relationships” and “Digital Balance.” Online safety and appropriate online behavior are also stressed in each lesson. It’s obvious from some students’ comments that you’ve already discussed online issues with your student(s), too.

UIL Oral Reading Contest:

Some 5th & 6th grade students have been practicing in the OHE Library in anticipation of the UIL Oral Reading Contest on Saturday, February 3rd. Coaches are Ms. Brown, Ms. Havens & Ms. Elliott

The Scholastic Book Fair is Friday, March 1st through Thursday, March 7th.

Students will come during the school day with their homeroom class. We are planning a family night at the Book Fair on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

Happy New Year!

Mrs. Brown

469-593-8179

linda.brown@risd.org

• PreK: Creative Me, On the Move, Amazing critters
• K: Rhythm of the words, pitch matching, unpitched percussion, loud/soft, same/different
• 1st: 2/4 and 4/4 meter, quarter rest, label la, piano/forte, allegro/largo
• 2nd: 4/4 time signature, present re, terms: pentatonic, round, coda, tempi
• 3rd: sixteenth notes, extended pentatone, crescendo/decrescendo
• 4th: anacrusis, present high do, 4 part rounds, review question/answer
• 5th: traditional counting system, present low ti, la and so, form, sharp symbol
• 6th: F lydian, G Mixolydian, melodic ostinato, review: theme and variations

3rd and 5th grade have their second music exam in January. This is a district exam.

March Music Madness begins Feb. 26th.

For 6th graders in band and orchestra, please contact the Liberty directors for anything band and orchestra related.

Feburary 22nd at 5:30PM: Specials night and parent Goal Setting meeting

March 7th at 5:30PM: Kindergarten performance and open house

Mrs. Becker

469-593-8209

emma.bjornson@risd.org

Mr. Springer

469-593-8230

joshua.springer@risd.org

Coach Saba and Coach Erickson are looking forward to a great second semester with the students at O. Henry Elementary. We have four exciting units planned before spring break. We will spend our first three weeks of the semester with a unit on soccer (a student favorite for sure). Following soccer, we will spend the next two weeks on a jump rope unit. Next, we will have a two week unit on hand ball, a fast paced game that will definitely improve the fitness level of all who participate. The last two weeks before spring break will be spent on a fun bowling unit.

Students will continue to get opportunities during the spring semester to attend Berkner High School athletic events by completing Cornell Notes over various Texas colleges. We have trips planned to watch soccer, baseball, and softball games on the Berkner campus with fellow students from Mark Twain Elementary. It should be a great spring semester here at OHE in P.E.!!

Coach Saba

469-593-8204

brian.saba@risd.org

Coach Erickson

469-593-8204

brian.erickson@risd.org