Benton Specialist Monthly Recap

Things are taking shape in the Art Room! We are wrapping up our line unit and beginning to explore shape. Lines help us define our artwork, while shapes add weight, space, and structure. As we explore shape, many classes will get to try their hand at collage and papercraft.

In Engineering, we are continuing to learn about the engineering design process by testing different types of paper and discovering their strengths and limitations. Coming up, some classes will get to make their own paper, while everyone will have a chance to experiment with printmaking. Lots of creating, testing, and experimenting ahead!

Physical Education is getting into full force this October! We have already completed our fitness testing, including the Mile Run, Sit-Ups, Sit and Reach, and Shuttle Run/Pacer.

Throughout October, students will be working on their throwing skills, building coordination, strength, and proper technique. Toward the end of the month, we will enjoy some fun rhythm activities.

The students are doing a fantastic job! They are also learning about muscles and bones, including where they are located and how they help our bodies move.

I am so blessed to have the best students in Columbia! 💪🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️❤️

Music:

This past month all grades have reviewed how to read rhythms and have been introduced to new rhythms. Throughout October we will continue to build these reading skills and transfer them to instruments. 3rd - 5th grade have also reviewed how to read real music, and we will continue to build on these skills and transfer them to instruments. 

Engineering:

Ms. Cowan's kindergarten has been learning to make shakers and work to identify high pitch sounds vs low pitch sounds as well as loud sounds vs quiet sounds. We've discussed how different materials, shapes, and sizes of containers and materials effect the sound of our shakers. 

Mrs. Brettnacher's 2nd grade class has been learning how to work with small groups to build soundproof boxes to block out unwanted noise and contain noise. We've explored how different materials effect sound absorption as well as the size of the boxes. 

Ms. Arthur's 4th grade class has been analyzing various animal sounds, making predictions on what they sound like and thinking through how those sounds word appear on different types of graphs before drawing their own. 

Happy Fall! In Counseling for the first part of the month, we focus on Personal Safety, learning the 8 Never-Never Rules and how to keep ourselves and others safe. Students will continue to use the 3 R’s tool (Recognize, Refuse, Report), as they explain how to handle unsafe situations like finding a gun, using sharp tools, or wanting to pet a dog that’s not theirs. Students will also practice responsible decision-making during class discussions about unsafe scenarios and possible outcomes. Ask your child if they can name all 8 Never-Never Rules!

We have a lot going on!  Classes are doing awesome at checkout time, and some have already earned Lego Library days for earning so many STEM Stars during that time.

We are in the middle of our first makerspace of the year, which is building Lego robots with our Lego WeDo 2.0 kits.  4-5 will level this up by documenting their builds through a stop-motion project at the same time.  Very cool!

A lot of families are taking advantage of our Take-Home Library program.  If you would like to sign up, please fill out this form.  If you have signed up but have not received a book yet, it is because we 1) haven't completed a reading diagnostic on them, and /or 2) we don't have books on your student's level.  Right now, our collection goes up to level "N."  So anyone reading "O" through "Z" is just out of luck for the moment until we can boost that collection.  But anyway, if you do have a book, send it back and get a new one!  Your student just needs to drop the bookbag off on my desk in the morning, and I'll refill it the first chance I get.

Media:

In October, Media classes are learning research skills and writing skills. 

We've started learning and refreshing our skills in navigating apps like PebbleGo, WorldBook, and BrainPop that we use as online encyclopedias. To make these skills fun, we will be practicing using and citing pictures in drawing apps and writing apps. 

Engineering:

Ms. 5th grade class has completed all 3 of our Ganymede mission objectives: we've built a drill to break ice, gathered and sorted a soil sample, and studied Ganymede's unique magnetic field. Now we have to get our mission results home. They will be studying acceleration and force and designing a parachute system (similar to STEAM night!) to get their samples safely back to Earth. 

Ms. Hollis' 3rd grade class has designed our Mars bases and studied the iron deposits that are plentiful on the planet. To finish up our mission, we will study solar power and design a Lego rover that can help gather samples of iron on the planet to bring back to the Mars base. 

Mrs. Gapsch's 1st grade class has studied the Moon and how its gravity pulls the tides around on Earth. We've designed structures and decorations for our beach, and now it's time to plan our Beach Party. They'll need to design ways to keep their beachgoers safe and keep things fun as they draw and decorate their beach.