Art by Grades 1/2

Performing Arts and Grades 1/2

This week students in Pre-K/K,  in Performing Arts we started learning about some of the instruments in the Orchestra. We looked at the story of Peter and the Wolf! We also danced to some action songs “The Color Song” and “Herman the Worm”!

Artwork by Pre-K/K

Performing Arts Grades 3/4 and 5/6 and 7/8

This week in Performing Arts, the students in Grades 3/4 started learning about some of the instruments in the Orchestra. We talked about the different sounds that the instruments make and how to make those sounds on those instruments. We looked at the story of Peter and the Wolf, which we learned doesn’t only teach us about different instruments but also about motifs in music, which are repeated melodies throughout a piece of music there to represent a character, place, thing, or idea. We talked about how they can also represent different feelings as well! We also danced to some action songs “The Color Song” and “Herman the Worm”!

This week in Performing Arts, the students in Grades 5/6 reviewed what we learned about Aaron Copland last week and listened to another one of his songs from his Opera “The Tender Land”. This allowed us to see a different side of this composer and taught us that composers don’t necessarily have to write in the same style for every piece. Then we started learning about some beautiful music and poetry that came out of a dark time in our history. In preparation for a look into “The Singing Revolution,” we have started looking at some of the music that emerged from the Holocaust. We read the Poem “The Butterfly” from the book of collected works I Never Saw Another Butterfly. We watched a short clip of the composer who set these collected poems to music and his journey in writing that music. We also listened to the first song from the collection of songs and stories “The Holocaust Cantata”.

 

This week in Performing Arts, the students in Grades 5/6 reviewed what we learned about Aaron Copland last week and listened to another one of his songs from his Opera “The Tender Land”. This allowed us to see a different side of this composer and taught us that composers don’t necessarily have to write in the same style for every piece. Then we started learning about some beautiful music and poetry that came out of a dark time in our history. In preparation for a look into “The Singing Revolution”, we have started looking at some of the music that emerged from the Holocaust. We read the Poem “The Butterfly” from the book of collected works I Never Saw Another Butterfly. We watched a short clip of the composer who set these collected poems to music and his journey in writing that music. We also listened to the first song from the collection of songs and stories “The Holocaust Cantata”.

Physical Education

This Week In Art

Puffin/PK/K class made starry skies over snow with general scissor work and fine motor glueing.

Students in 1/2  did a tarry skies over snow—by request—and a mountain landscape cut from four shades of blue construction paper over white. We discussed what is far away is lightest and up on the page while what is closest is dark and lower on the page.

Students in 3/4 finished up work on the illustrations for their ELA bookmark project. Most of the students were drawing quintessential landscapes and animals exclusive to the country they have been researching.

The students in 5/6 folded four sided pyramids and discussed types of triangles, and we did a watercolor painting of an Egyptian pyramid in all yellow and orange.  They are currently studying Ancient Egypt in Super Studies.

The 7/8 class did a geometrical construction with compass and ruler called the Greek shield.  We discovered that a circle can be divided by its own radius exactly six times, setting up a myriad of possible hexagonally inspired constructions within that circle!

Curriculum Updates

Kindergarten and first graders reviewed reading and spelling the sight words- the, can, is, and here. In Math this week the kindergartners continued to learn about shapes and made shape monsters. The first grade started to learn about adding three numbers together by making a ten and then adding the other number ( 6+4+5= 10+5=15. ) Second graders reviewed sight words and pushed their reading levels higher by working on vocabulary and comprehension of their reading by having book chats with Mrs. Baird. The Second-grade mathematicians continued to work on place value and learning how to write numbers in numeral form, expanded form and unit form, and word form. On Friday,  the First and Second grades did a math activity about Martin Luther King Jr.

ELA

Students in 3/4 continued working on research and composing the written portion of their bookmarks to finish up the unit on My Librarian is a Camel.  The bookmarks are starting to look great!

Students in 5/6 learned about the setting and time period of the first heroic epic ever written: Gilgamesh.  They will begin the text this next week.  Students also met with Ellen Booraem on Wed. to read and critic their scenes.

Students in 7/8 are working on creating their own children’s book about Frederick Douglass – this is their final project in this unit. Students also met with Ellen Booraem on Wed. to read and critic their scenes.

Super Studies

This week, the students in 3/4 finished their unit on immigration by making a map of countries that our families originated in and discussing reasons that families might move from one country to another. We also had a discussion about current events; the students are more aware of what is going on in the world than we give them credit for sometimes, and they had lots of questions about the inauguration and what happened at the Capitol on January 6. On Thursday, students began preparing for their next project, which will involve researching a scientist and then sharing what they learn with the class.

The students in 5/6 started a new project on Ancient Egypt this week, and their research on Egyptian pharaohs is coming along nicely! We also started the process of mummifying a hot dog, learned about the Book of the Dead, explored artifacts from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, and took a virtual tour of the great pyramids from Harvard’s Giza Project.

Students in 7/8 started to review and demonstrate what they have learned about the immune system, students made comics that show details of what goes on in our bodies when we fight off infection. We then turned our focus to the circulatory system, where we learned about how the heart works and made a model of the components of blood using corn syrup (as plasma) and different types of candy (as red and white blood cells and platelets). To wrap up our unit on the human body systems, we watched The Incredible Bionic Man, which students will write about as part of their final assignment next Tuesday.

PTF NEWS:

• PTF meeting this afternoon, 1/21@ 4:30. https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71022939992?pwd=dnV4VmRmaHgrSGJEN010V04xRnhBdz09
• Thank you to Maribeth Carson for doing 2 deliveries for the Backpack Program during the holiday break.
• Thank you to all of those who donated to our online fundrasier. We have reached our goal!
• Don’t forget that you can donate your bottle funds through Clynk. It is easy as pie. https://www.clynk.com/

Calendar

February

2/9                   6:00 PM                      School Board Meeting

2/15—2/19                                          February Vacation

March

3/19                                                    Workshop Day/No School

April

4/3                                                       Town Meeting

4/19—4/23                                          April Vacation

May

5/31                                                     Holiday/No school