Specials are Spot On

1st Grade February News

Art

In Miss Pinto’s art classes this month, the first grade students have been preparing to create a SCULPTURE all about MONSTERS!

While collaborating with 1st grade teachers, after they taught the students about ADJECTIVES for both inside and outside traits, we discussed what types of personalities monsters could have. We stretched our imaginations that monsters aren’t only described as “scary”. Our brainstorming of personality traits was exciting and we came up with so many great ways to describe their “inside character traits”, from sassy, to creative, to silly, and so many more.

After we described monsters personalities as a class, we chose the personalities our monsters would have. We then carefully sketched and designed a monster of our very own, using shapes and adding fun details and colors.

Miss Fausette’s First graders have been learning to use water colour techniques on their Chinese New Year Roosters. As we work we have been watching and listening to beautiful rooster crowing videos. It’s amazing to see all the different gestures, patterns and vocalizations of various breeds of roosters. It was fun to apply these experiences to our work for vivid results!

Miss Pinto and Miss Fausette would like to send out a huge thank you to all families who made purchases through our Art to Remember art fundraiser! This fundraiser has helped add very special materials to the art rooms and we are so grateful for your support of our art programs! Information about the delivery date of orders will be announced soon!”

Miss Pinto and Miss Fausette

Music

This month, first graders continued to practice reading and writing the rhythms “ta”, “ti-ti”, and quarter rest. They also tried improvising patterns by having a “conversation” made out of rhythms. Students are working on recognizing a high note and a low note in many simple songs. Soon, they will learn the names and hand signs for these two notes and begin to read notes using solfege. The most exciting thing happening in first grade music right now is the xylophone unit! Students learned the song, “Who’s in the Woods” (ask your child to sing it for you!) and pretended to dance like various woodland creatures. Then, they learned how to use appropriate technique when playing the xylophone. Now, they are working on patterns that accompany the song on xylophones of different sizes! When they put together the finished project, I will post videos or audio recordings on the music room website so families can listen to their children playing the instruments! For now, see the pictures below of some students working hard to learn their parts!

Mrs. Maldonado

Physical Education

Hi everybody!

Looks like a little bit of winter weather has finally arrived. For all us skiers and snow lovers, not a moment too soon! Hopefully during January your family was able to get outside and enjoy the nice weather and fresh air.

In January we continued with our ball skills units, now into using our hands, while starting our beachball volleyball unit. We focus on eye-hand coordination and various technical shots (modified) and reaction time, as the children begin working on their own against the wall and progress to partner work, culminating with advanced play at the net (modified height). We will continue our beachball volleyball unit until the second week of February.

As always, our PE classes begin with a detailed and progressive warm up, including prolonged cardio vascular (aerobic) fitness exercise, either through activities or jogging/running. Our warm up segment (which includes the following areas: power, strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, along with the aerobic fitness component) is about 50% of our class, then we follow the warm up segment with a skills based unit/lesson for the remaining 50% of the class. Thank you for any help and encouragement you are able to provide at home so we can continue to keep our children thinking about all the aspects of a healthy lifestyle, and trying to live that way for the many years ahead!

Take care and enjoy the snow!

Coach Ruel and Coach Boscarino

Library Media

During the month of February, with Mrs. Flannery, students will be learning about the Caldecott Medal. We are learning that the Caldecott Medal is one of the most prestigious awards in children's literature and that it is to recognize outstanding illustrations. We also learned about the award's origins and the man that it was named after (Randolph Caldecott). We are taking a look at some of the winners from previous years, with special attention to last year's winner, Finding Winnie by Lindsay Mattick. The students were surprised to learn that Winnie the Pooh is based on a real bear! Student will be finishing the Caldecott unit by doing an activity where they choose who they think should be the winner! This year's winners were just announced. If you are curious, you can see them here. Coming to the library soon!

With Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Flannery, 1st grade took part in the following read alouds:

Lulu's Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst (2017 Nutmeg Nominee)

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. Also note that this week, February 6-February 10th is Star Read Week. If your child returns their library book this week, they will have the opportunity to take home two books!

Mrs. Flannery and Mrs. Hill