From the Hawk Nest

Today you will receive your child's progress report along with the NWEA assessment. (You may have already received this assessment at your conference). Please take some time to review this information to have a glimpse of what area to best support your child. Below is a link to help with questions on how to interpret the results. Look for Parent's Guide to Map. https://www.nwea.org/resources/a-parents-guide-to-map/

In addition, we are having a NWEA parent informational night on November 29th. If you have questions or concerns before then, please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher.

This week during our professional development day, we spent the majority of the afternoon developing a new Harvey Swanson Mission Statement. After careful thought and consideration we are ready to share it with you:

Our Harvey Swanson family is dedicated to engage and motivate all individuals to reach their personal best!

Have you always wanted to get involved in the school, but not sure how? If so, stop by the HSE library on Thursday at 4:00 to find out how you can get connected. Plan to join us as we share what's coming up for your child and Harvey Swanson. (We'll have childcare available as well)

Happy Thanksgiving from the music room! I am thankful for all of my students and the music they make!

Jr. Kindergarten students are about to sing and enact an echo song about a turkey. They are learning to tell the difference between singing and speaking and to use both in their music making. Soon they will be exploring different sounds that can be made with instruments from the shaker family and apply those to their Thanksgiving rhymes and songs.

Kindergarten students are learning to differentiate between singing and speaking voices and grown-ups’ and children’s voices. They are also learning to read and play patterns in threes and fours, written in traditional quarter notes and rests, to accompany their music. As Thanksgiving approaches, they will experiment, playing a few instruments in different ways to create sound effects to fit the text of a holiday song.

This month the main focus for students in first grade will be on learning to differentiate between a solo and a chorus using Thanksgiving songs. As time allows, they will work towards developing the skill of recognizing, counting and playing rhythm patterns written in standard notation of quarter notes, quarter rests and eighth-note pairs.

Second-grade students are learning to recognize head and chest voices (a.k.a. light and heavy vocal registers) and when to use them to make their singing more expressive and in tune/on pitch. They’ll be studying the notation of patriotic and seasonal songs to determine the pitch direction, a.k.a. melodic direction, then follow this direction with, both, their hands and voices.

Third grades are studying an arranger’s arrangement of The Ghost of John to learn more about phrasing, singing with expression and counting rhythms. They will work toward playing three, different accompaniments for the song then layer those on xylophones, metallophones and rhythm instruments.

Looking for a way to help? Please consider donating hand sanitizer to the music room. Sanitizing little hands is easier than disinfecting dozens of hand-held instruments. We would be thankful for any contributions!

This Thanksgiving may your blessings be many!

Ms. Vergith

Our lost and found area is overflowing! If your child is missing an article of clothing, a water bottle, or a lunchbox, you might want to stop by and take a look. You can find the lost and found across from the cafeteria.

Friday, Nov. 11 -Veteran's Day

Monday, 14 -The School Dentist to visit

Wednesday, 16 -Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten Fall Friendship Feast @ 6:00-7:00pm

Thursday, 17 -H.E.L.P. Meeting at 4:00pm in HSE Library

Friday, 18 -MSU Student Credit Union is open!

Monday, 21 - Board of Ed Meeting

Tuesday, 22 -Wojo's Wreath Pick-up

Wednesday, 23 -Half Day

Thursday, 24-25 -No School

Week of Monday, Nov. 28 -Hearing Screening for K & 2. If you would like your child exempt from taking the hearing test, please let the office know.

Get Connected and Stay Connected

Student Day-8:55-3:50pm

Half Day-8:55-12:10pm

Office Hours-8:10-4:40pm

Email: brenner@brandon.k12.mi.us
Website: http://www.brandonschooldistrict.org/index.php/schools/harvey-swanson-elementary
Location: 209 Varsity Drive, Ortonville, MI, United States
Phone: (248) 627-1850