Benton Specialist Monthly Recap

In the art room, our older students are working through multi-step, multi-media art projects that challenge their problem-solving skills and encourage artistic expression across a variety of materials and techniques. Meanwhile, our younger students are focusing on strengthening their foundational drawing skills through a series of fun, summer-themed projects that promote imagination and fine motor development.

Students in all grades have finished their mile run.  On our track it is 11.5 laps.  You might notice on the card I give them it only has 10 tallies.  They should be the first to tell you they did 11.5, but I do not mark the last lap because I want to make sure I get their time down.

Most grades also finished the Sit and Reach, Sit-ups, and the Shuttle Run.

We are now stretching out doing a Kowabunga game of 4 way volleyball.

Next up will be our camping unit, experiencing real tents in the gym and on the field.

Students are in good shape and having fun!

5th Grade was hard at work in April on their Video Game Music projects.  We learned about the history of video game music and video game composers, and used our composing skills learned throughout the year to create a song for our very own video game, which the students are also building in Media.  

 4th Grade has spent April learning about Hip Hop.  We studied Hip Hop history and read books about DJ Kool Herc and other early hip hop artists.  Students were able to build their own hip hop backing tracking using digital composing software, and after learning about rapping cadence and practicing speaking those cadences at different speeds, chose a rhythming book to rap over their created track.

3rd grade embarked on a new instrument journey in April- ocarinas!  These “clay flutes” are new to Benton, and third graders have been learning how to play them using proper posture, embouchure, and breath support.  We have mastered two notes, and are still learning more!

2nd grade has been working on purposeful movement with dances like La Raspa, as well as playing simple and complex rhythms to popular songs.  Ask them about the song Crab Rave!

1st Grade continues mastering their knowledge of ta, ti-ti, and quarter rest through playing instruments, body percussion, and movement.  

Kindergarten continues to explore loud and soft, high and low, and discovering their singing voice.  We took a trip to the sea and practiced our musical skills and movement with songs like The Ship and A Pirates Jig.

Happy Spring and warm weather ahead!  This month in Counseling we are discussing diversity, and learning about our differences and similarities.  Through books and other activities, studetns are able to recognize how they see themselves and others in a positive way.  Books like Two Eggs by Sarah Weeks and Betsy Lewin, Last Street on Market Street by Matt De La Pena with pictures by Christian Robinson, and New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer with pictures by Eric Velasquez bring about awareness of outward traits, social economics, and equity in our world.

April has been busy with MAP testing!  I still had time to push into Media this month and help 5th grade code their video game projects in Scratch, and also into 4th grade to help them design hypothetical hip-hop show posters in Canva.

In the makerspace, 1st-5th built DIY Operation games.  I built the game boards and coded the program, and then student built the circuit to make it all work.  they used copper tape, alligator clips, and Makey Makey circuit boards to complete this challenge.  When they finished, they had fun customizing the code to give them more lives and different sound effects.

Kindergarten also used Makey Makey kits to play a video game with Play-Doh buttons.  Super fun.

As always, please fill out this form if you'd like to share something unique about your student on our hallway projector screen! 

In 5th grade, students coded their own video game using Scratch.

In 4th grade, students created their own hip hop poster using Canva.

In K-3rd students have been doing stop motion which is creating a mini movie using pictures.