Benton Specialist Monthly Recap

In the art room, we recently wrapped up our Space unit!  K-2 students explored depth by creating landscape drawings, while 3-5 students experimented with Op Art, bringing optical illusions to life.  Up next, we’ll dive into our Texture and Value units, where students will focus on painting techniques to add richness and dimension to their artwork.

This month we are transitioning into throwing skills. Students are learning about dominant and non-dominant hands and legs. Throws are more precise with PB&J: Point, arm Back and Javelin throw!!

Stretching is always a big part of our day!

5th grade- Fifth graders spent the month of February working on ukuleles.  Students learned C, F, A minor and G chords, and played along wo many songs using those chords.

4th grade- We wrapped up recorders this month.  Students mastered the notes B,A,G,E and D, and can now play many songs on the recorder using those notes!

3rd grade- 3rd grade continued working on half and sixteenth notes through song and movement

2nd grade- Second grade learned how to play a crossover bordun on Orff instruments, using Do and Mi

Kindergarten and 1st-  Kindergarten and First continued working on steady beat, loud and quiet, and fast and slow using classroom instruments and song.

All Benton Bees spent the month learning about different amazing musicians like Trombone Shorty, John Batiste, Cole Porter, Scott Joplin, and Ella Fitzgerald as well!

In Counseling, students have been developing skills to handle conflict and resolve problems.  Conflict can be anywhere: at recess or lunch with peers, in the classroom, on the bus, and at home with siblings and neighbors.  Learning to identify how conflict affects you can also lead to making safe choices to solve conflict before it escalates.  While exploring options on the Problem-Solving Wheel and applying them to conflict scenarios, students have opportunities to talk it out and practice defusing conflict for themselves and others.  Learning conflict resolution is an important life skill because problem solvers are responsible for what they say and do, and they help build safe learning communities.

In the makerspace this month, we learned about Rube Goldberg machines.  With their materials, students were tasked with getting a ping pong ball in a cup in the most complicated way imaginable.  It was really fun to see their creativity fly and watch them as they troubleshooted the various chain reactions along the way.  When the ball finally got into the cup, it was a celebration!

I also needed to spend the rest of my budget this month, and I used most of it to bulk up our higher-level chapter book collection.  Can't wait until they arrive!  Combined with all the books we were able to purchase from this month's Book Fair, our collection is receiving quite a boost!

Next week is Read Across America week!  Every student will get five books from the library and make a reading pin.  Classes will have guest readers, and are also logging their total reading minutes toward earning an extra recess with me. 

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

In Media, we are celebrating Black History Month by learning about Jerry Lawson.  Jerry Lawson was an electronics engineer who designed the Fairchild Channel F video game console.  Because of this he is known as the father of the game cartridge.

In honor of his life’s work, Google created a Google Doodle with retro inspired video games. You can play it yourself by clicking here.