Music

Our younger students are working hard on songs celebrating fall and Thanksgiving. Third grade is excited to start playing the recorder, while fourth grade is wrapping up an in-depth study of composers. The Senior Chorus is off to a wonderful start, preparing for their upcoming Tree Lighting and concert. Meanwhile, the Marimba ensemble is doing an exceptional job, showcasing their talent.

 

Spanish

Fifth graders are identifying the rooms of the house in Spanish, as well as analyzing and answering questions based on a visual interior picture of a house.

Fourth grade is listing, matching and recognizing numbers from 0-20.

They are asking and answering, ¿Cuál es tu número favorito? (What is your favorite number?)

Second grade is naming, matching and recalling a variety of vocabulary regarding fruits. They are also learning to ask and answer ¿Te gusta?( Do you like it?)and Me gusta (I like it).

First grade is dancing to a variety of songs ( “Cabeza, Hombros Piernas, Pies” y “Cuando un Amigo Baila”) while identifying parts of the body.

 

Art

 

  • Kindergarten and First grade are making pictures using shapes. Kindergarten cut squares and rectangles to make a robot using collage materials. First graders learned about author and collage artist Lois Ehlert. They read her story, “Growing Vegetable Soup,” and cut paper to make a collage of veggies! 
  • Second grade learned about what an architect does and used shapes to create detailed designs of their very own castles. 
  • Third grade is learning about geometric and organic shapes. They are using mixed media to create pictures of lava lamps. In their art history class, they are finishing up learning about Ancient Greek architecture and the different types of columns. Next, they are going to learn about Ancient Egypt! 
  • Fourth Grade islearning about medieval times and artists who created books called illuminated manuscripts. They are learning about fonts and patterns and are working on creating their own initials using different fonts and patterns inspired by the lettering in the books from this time period.
  •  Fifth Grade learned about the artwork of contemporary artist, Shantell Martin. They created line drawings inspired by her style of “following the pen” and by drawing inspiration from their own experiences, interests, cultures and hobbies.
  • Sixth Grade learned about observational drawing techniques. They did drawing exercises, such as conducting blind and regular contour line drawings on objects like guitars, candle sticks and seashells. Their final drawing was a self-portrait. These line drawings will prepare them for the next unit on shading.

At the end of November, all grade levels will be working on a class decoration to be hung up in a store window on Main Street for the annual Holiday on Main Festival.

 

Garden

Students are continuing to clear and prep the garden beds for next season. With the warm weather, the school has been outside enjoying nature and our garden spaces longer than normal.Classes have been learning about concepts like “leave the leaves” and the benefits of saving our perennial cutting-back for the spring to ensure seeds and hiding places for local winter wildlife. The school also observed a praying mantis egg case. Lastly, fifth grade planted garlic seed to be harvested in the summer and learned about the process of bulb planting.

 

STEAM

  • Kindergarten is doing Thanksgiving Challenges and are building Thanksgiving tables and turkey hideouts.
  • First graders are using STEAM Lab materials to build some of the most important things needed at Thanksgiving, such as tables and chairs for families to share.
  • Second Graders are exploring their Chromebooks and learning about STEAM activities like typing, coding, and more. They are earning 3D printed keychains once they log on to their Chromebooks independently five times in a row.
  • Third grade graphic designers finished digital citizenship posters using Google Slides. They also participated in a scavenger hunt to find the GoogleSlides tools they need to create professional looking posters and presentations.
  • Fourth Graders have finished their 3D modeling and printing unit with a team project. They created themed Tic-Tac-Toe boards to donate to classroom teachers for indoor recess days.
  • Fifth Grade students are starting their LEGO Education unit. They’ll work in small groups and trade the roles of director, builder/coder, and finder to create and program LEGO builds with Science Connections.
  •  Sixth graders wrapped up their prosthetic arm units with advertisements and presentations. They will be moving on to 3D printing in December.

 

Library

Students are engaging in various topics in the library. To learn about civic engagement, students have been casting votes for their favorite books. In honor of Veterans Day, they read stories that helped them appreciate the service and sacrifices of veterans and discussed what it means to be a hero. Students are also taking time to explore indigenous history and traditions, using literature to better understand diverse cultures and celebrations. With Thanksgiving approaching, students will share what they’re grateful for and will learn about holiday traditions. Additionally, while the school gets ready for winter, the students are exploring weather in first grade, eco-systems in fifth grade and seasonal changes through activities. Fifth graders will also identify resources for their class research projects.

 

Physical Education

November started off with a fitness week as students burned off all the candy they collected on Halloween.The students participated in the Fit Pit and the Gaga Pit, as well as activities called The Game of Chance and Zombie Tag. All activities were aimed at elevating the students' health, wellness and fitness levels, while also having fun.