Cultural Arts

Grade K & 1: We will continue to learn and create art about creatures that live under-the-sea.

Grades 2 & 3: We are going to learn about scratch-art and experiment with using crayons to create our own scratch-art transfer masterpiece.

Grades 4 & 5: We will be observing and discussing different styles of portraiture throughout art history. We will practice drawing portraits that are inspired by a variety of artists such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo.

In EEE, we have spent the last month teambuilding and now we are getting ready to start our first projects of the year! Students in PreK and K are continuing to build good classroom habits for EEE. Students in 1st & 2nd grade are learning how animals work together. By the end of the project, they will select a class mascot. Finally, students in 3rd-5th grade are studying different types of chairs. They will use this information to design a chair for a client.

Each week, students spend time reading independently or with friends. Reading even just 15 minutes a day can make a big difference. See if you can find a time to read with your child every day. A story before bedtime is a nice way to connect with your child and instill a love of reading.

Students in PreK and Kindergarten have been working on learning new vocabulary while having fun reading stories. They worked hard to learn, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See" by Bill Martin Jr. This month they are exploring the wonderful illustrations of Jan Brett. We have so much fun reading stories, singing songs, and creating projects together.

Students in first grade have been learning about how a library is organized. They have been working with their ABCs to find books in the fiction section of the library. This month first graders are exploring the problem and solution in stories. In addition, they are thinking about how they can make personal connections to the stories they read.

Students in second through fifth grade have been busy using technology in media. To expand their access to books, all students have learned how to use MackinVia to read ebooks. MackinVia has ebooks as well as audiobooks and books in Spanish. Starting in January, students will be accessing the databases in MackinVia for research. In the month of December, students are participating in the "Hour of Code". Students are learning the basic concepts of computer programing through fun and exciting programs. They have access to code.org in ClassLink and can play at home too! Encourage your child to use technology to access books and coding activities.

In Kindergarten we will be reviewing locomotor and non-locomotor movements. We will also begin learning about health and nutrition by exploring MyPlate.

In 1st and 2nd grade we will be practicing ball handling skills such as catching a self-tossed ball and dribbling by using our feet. We will close the month of February by learning a simple line dance.

In 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade we will be exploring a variety of team sports such as baseball, tennis, and hockey. We will also practice rhythm by performing a line dance as well as creating a dance routine using 8 counts.