Art
Third Quarter
Kindergarten Junior
The Kindergarten Junior class has been very busy the past nine weeks practicing lots of important art concepts. We have mainly focused on tracing, cutting, and our coloring skills. We did a torn snowman where the students learned how to make shapes without using scissors. They also learned how to make snowflakes while using scissors and then they made a snowman from there snowflakes. The students learned about shapes and colors during this period. We watched a short movie based on colors and shapes as well to enhance the students learning. We learned about the saying “March came in like a lamb and went out like a lion.” The students then made lambs as a class. In order to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, the students made rainbows and necklaces out of fruit loops. Over the past few weeks, we have started to explore the color wheel. Students learned what colors we mix together to make new colors. We made color wheel caterpillars, which are in the hall on display at this time. During the past nine weeks, we have integrated a new program called ABC Music and Me. This program integrates music and movement with reading skills. We do lots of singing throughout this program and we dance quite a bit too! The students have greatly enjoyed this program thus far.
Kindergarten
The Kindergarten classes have been busy working on their fine motor skills, and eye/hand coordination. The students enjoyed making a couple different types of snowmen over the past few weeks. They practiced cutting snowmen as well as tearing snowmen. Their favorite snowman was the one where they used different materials around the room to create the snowman. This project was inspired by the book Snowballs by Lois Ehlert. The students made Valentines Cards for their special someone at home. I hope you enjoyed them. At the beginning of March, the weather started to change so we did a project about the 4 seasons of the year. We used paint and our hands to create this project. These are currently being displayed. The students learned about the saying “March came in like a lamb and went out like a lion.” Students then traced their hand print and turned it into a lamb. St. Patrick's Day came along at a perfect time because we were just starting to learn about the color wheel and therefore we were able to combine our learning about rainbows with our learning about the color wheel. The students made rainbow wreaths using their own hand prints. Many of them are in the hall on display at this time. We finished up the nine weeks by making Easter cards! I hope you enjoyed them!
1st Grade
The first grade classes started out the third quarter by making a few kinds of snowmen, where they were able to practice cutting. We then moved on to our Valentines Day cards. The students did a great job with their cards and I really hope you enjoyed them. The next concept we learned was how to make objects in a picture appear closer or farther away. We did this by making cardinals that sat on a branch. They turned out great. From here we learned about the saying “March came in like a lamb and went out like a lion.” The students made lion mosaics that you will find currently displayed in the hall. Next, the students were able to practice their cutting and tracing skills while learning about the color wheel and celebrating St. Patricks Day! We combined our learnings from the color wheel with the rainbow and made St. Patricks Day mobiles. We also made our very own color wheels using different types of spring animals. Our color wheels are on display in the hall at this time. We finished up the nine weeks by making Easter eggs. We worked on using different types of lines with our Easter eggs and we talked about color choice!
2nd Grade
The second grade classes started out this quarter by making a collage that was all about them. This was a way for me to get to know the students and for them to get to know me! Next, we moved on to making snowmen. These snowmen were made from different kinds of materials that you may have laying around your house. The snowmen were inspired by a book called Snowballs, written by Lois Ehlert. From there we learned how to make objects appear closer or farther away in a picture. The students made snow globes using this concept and they turned out great. The next thing we did was make three snow heads. The students were instructed to trace three circles and then decorate their snow heads so that each of them looked different. Then we used watercolors to paint the snow heads using a wet-on-wet technique. When March arrived we started to talk about spring. We learned what “In like a lamb and out like a lion” really means. The students made lion heads using oil pastels. We used different kinds of lines for the mane of the lion and they did a really nice job with this project. The lions are on display in the hall, along with the graph depicting the weather in March! For St. Patrick's Day the students made textured shamrocks. We used lots of different textures and lots of different shades of green to make this project. They turned out really neat! To finish out this semester the students made Easter baskets by designing two different eggs with lots of unique design and color on them. We finished up by having a short Easter egg hunt!
3rd Grade
The third grade started out the quarter by doing a get to know you activity. They used magazines to create a collage telling me all about them. From there we took some time to finish up their hidden object art, which turned out fantastic. Next, the students began to learn about pop art. I was able to give them some general information about pop art and then we looked more directly at Andy Warhol. The students learning was enhanced by a very informational video about Andy Warhol. We designed our very own pop art by making tie-dye snowflakes. These turned out really great! The next thing we learned about was the color wheel. We talked about primary and secondary colors and we discussed what colors get mixed together to make new colors. From there the students made their name using bubble letters. We added horizontal and vertical lines, as well as shapes to add interest. Next the students used watercolors to paint their name in order of the color wheel. They turned out great. Currently, the students are working on wind socks to bring home and share with you. We will finish this project up after spring break. Through this project we are learning about warm colors and cool colors. They are looking great so far. I can't wait for you to see them!
4th Grade
The fourth grade started out the quarter by doing a get to know you activity. This was a way for me to better know the students as we began to create art together! Next, the students began to learn about pop art. I was able to give them some general information about pop art and then we looked more directly at Andy Warhol. The students learning was enhanced by a very informational video about Andy Warhol. We designed our very own pop art by making tie-dye snowflakes. After this learning we began to learn about another pop artist by the name of Roy Lichenstein. He was famous for using the primary colors in his paintings. Therefore, we created a self-portrait using only the primary colors. We did a self-esteem building activity prior to starting our self-portraits and the students used one of the words that their classmates gave to describe themselves. This word was included in the painting! We used tempera paint for this project, which the students really enjoyed. This was a time consuming project due to the fact that we had to be careful not to mix the colors or else we would create the secondary colors. Their paintings are coming along very nicely!
5th Grade
The fifth grade started out the quarter doing a get to know you activity as well. We created a unique collage using magazines and many different kinds of materials to form their names. Next, we took some time to finish up their movable art projects. These turned out very nice. We moved from there to our learnings about Pop Art! I was able to give them some general information about pop art and then we looked more directly at Andy Warhol. The students learning was enhanced by a very informational video about Andy Warhol. We designed our very own pop art by making tie-dye snowflakes. The next thing we learned about was the color wheel. We learned the difference between warm and cool colors. The students then designed a project that used their initials and either a warm color or a cool color background. Inside each letter of their name they created five patterns, while making sure to use a variety of values at the same time. For the background, the students created an abstracted grid and blended two colors inside each section using either warm or cool colors. They did a great job with these!
6th Grade
The sixth grade students started out doing a getting to know you activity. I wanted to know more about each individual student before we began our learning together. From there the students were given some time to finish up their panther parade drawings. These turned out fantastic and are currently on display around the gymnasium for families and spectators to enjoy! The next thing we learned about was Pop Art. I gave the students some general information about Pop Art and then we enhanced our learning by watching a very informational video about Andy Warhol. We then made our very own Pop Art by designing Tie Dye Snowflakes! Currently, we are working on finishing up fish that we are designing for the prom this year. The students are creating 2-sided fish using watercolors and glitter. They are really taking their time and doing a great job! I am excited to see how they turn out in the end!
Addison Elementary Physical Education Third Quarter
Report
Students in the Elementary Physical Education classes work in the areas of cardiovascular development, strength, flexibility, and basic skills needed to per sue an active lifestyle. Students also participate in activities to encourage cooperation, fairness, and compassion.
KINDERGARTEN Kindergarten students have been participating in games and activities involving running and chasing, and throwing and kicking. They also have been participating in activities requiring sharing, cooperating, and following directions. Some of these activities are various tag games such as Treasure Island; throwing and kicking games such as Target Ball and Kickball; and cooperating games such as Stuff Relay and various station work.
FIRST GRADE/SECOND GRADE
First grade and second grade students have been participating in movement activities challenging eye hand coordination, and locomotor skills through various relays. They also have been participating in team and cooperation games such as Target Ball, Kickball, and Indoor Soccer. Activities to encourage aerobic fitness have included Stuff Relay, 4 Stations, Musical Hoops, and Music Warmups.
THIRD GRADE and FOURTH GRADE
Third graders and fourth graders have been working on a running/jogging program in which they are encouraged to see how long they can run/jog without walking. They have done 2 minutes and 3 minutes and will increase by 1 minute intervals every other week. Many students have surprised themselves! Skill work has focused on push up technique, and games utilizing throwing, kicking, and striking skills. Some of these activities are Targetball, various kickball games, Beach Ball Volleyball, and Sacred Stone. FIFTH GRADE and SIXTH GRADE Fifth and sixth graders have also been working on a running/jogging program in which they are encouraged to see how long they can run/jog without walking. They have done 2 and 3 minutes and hopefully be up to 8 minutes by the end of the year. They have been working on push up technique as well as activities requiring teamwork and cooperation, such as Mattball Kickball, Sharpshooters Kickball, Beach Ball Volleyball, Airball, and Knockout.
Music Education
3rd Quarter
2009-2010
KINDERGARTEN
What a busy quarter we have had. Looking ahead to Kindergarten Graduation we have been working on a program that includes drama and lots of singing. Some of the songs we have been working on include: “Ride the Bus”, “I'm So Glad to Be Here”, “Golden Rule”, “Wash Your Hands”, “Brush Your Teeth”, “Gratitude Attitude”, “See You Later”,
“Magic Words”, “We Appreciate You” and “Stoplight”. The program is sure to be quite entertaining.
In addition to preparing for Kindergarten Graduation we have been learning about Jazz and Opera. Within the Jazz unit we focused on reading quarter and eighth notes and have put that knowledge to the test by the playing of hand drums and using movement songs. We've explored scat singing as well as the two-tone woodblock, egg shakers, and sandblocks.
Our Opera unit introduced the students to the idea of solo's and duet's. They were also introduced to the music of Mozart through Variations in C (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star), and The Magic Flute. Students were given the opportunity to play the castanets and learned songs that incorporated a beach ball. Our literacy section included “Papageno's Feather” and “Noodles from Scratch”.
FIRST GRADE
During the third quarter the first grade students have been focusing on reading notes and hearing pitch through ear training exercises. One exercise required the students to listen to two pitches and then identify the second pitch as being either higher, lower or the same as the previous pitch. This seems like a fairly easy task, but is quite challenging for this age group. Students have also been working on reading rhythms using the “ta – ti ti” method. Recently we pretended to be a real marching band and marched around the school campus with instruments working on rhythm skills. We've also discovered that songs can be sung in many different languages. Specifically, students heard the Queen of the Night from the “Magic Flute” sing in German. In addition to all of that, students have learned the music symbols of a sharp and a flat and how they change a pitch of a note by either a half step lower or higher. Our literacy section included “Cleveland Lee's Beale Street Band”. We have also had fun singing the following songs: “Eenie Beanie”, “Freeze”, “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt”, “Tippy Toes”, “Try Again”, “Little 'Ol Cowboy”, “Yankee Doodle”, “Shake it up”, “Bunny Go Away”, “Kangaroo Hop”, and “Play the Drum”.
SECOND GRADE
Hand Bells Galore!! This quarter the second grade students have spent a great deal of time playing hand bells. One of our goals is to perform a hand bell piece at an upcoming concert. Prior to starting the hand bells the students learned about eighth notes, completed Lesson #2 of our Basic Musicianship unit, learned about half and whole rests and read the book “Pianna”. Other highlights include the exploration of Peer Gynt through puppetry, learning about solfege hand symbols and syllables and of course dance and choreography. Toward the end of the quarter we went on a scavenger hunt to find all of the p's (piano symbols) and f's (forte symbols) throughout the Wayne Gray Early Learning Center. Through their hunt they learned that “piano” markings in music instructs a musician to sing or play softly. A “forte” symbol however, instructs a musician to sing or play loudly. Other songs we learned include “Pinata”, “Ladybug in my Soda”, “Valentine”, “Solfeggio”, “Stand Up”, “Can You?”, “Snow Day”, and “All Jazzed Up”.
THIRD GRADE
DIG IT! The majority of the third quarter has been focused on preparing for the spring muscial “Dig It”. On May 13th the 3rd and 4th grade students will showcase what they have been working on in class in a performance you won't want to miss. It's filled with laughter, drama, singing and dance. Make sure you mark your calendar and come out to support these fine students. Prior to starting “Dig It” the students learned about the music of Mussorgsky, specifically “Pictures at an Exhibition”, completed Lesson #2 of our Basic Musicianship unit and read the book “Meet the Orchestra”. In that book students learned that the orchestra is composed of four different families (Woodwind, Brass, Strings and Percussion). Students learned characteristics of each family and why particular instruments are placed in those groups. As with all of my classes I include a great deal of singing in each lesson. The third grade students have learned “Air Guitar”, “Dan Tucker”, “Grandma's Chicken Soup”, “They are the Penguins”, “Yakkin' on a Cell Phone”, and “Onomatopoeia”,
FOURTH GRADE
DIG IT! The majority of the third quarter has been focused on preparing for the spring muscial “Dig It”. On May 13th the 3rd and 4th grade students will showcase what they have been working on in class in a performance you won't want to miss. It's filled with laughter, drama, singing and dance. Make sure you mark your calendar and come out to support these fine students. Prior to starting “Dig It” the students have been diligently working on earning their belts for the Recorder Karate series we have been working on.
Those students earning black belt status received a pizza party and will play at the 3rd and 4th grade Spring Musical on May 13th.
FIFTH GRADE
During the third quarter my fifth grade students have been busy. Through a lesson called “Four Walls” the students heard musical examples of different orchestral instruments and then had to name the instrument and identify which family it belonged to. Students have also reviewed note and rest names and their values. As the quarter progressed students completed Lesson #3 and #4 in both rhythm and solfege in the Basic Musicianship course of study and learned about the music of Stevie Wonder. One of the fifth grade favorites is playing pitched and non-pitched instruments to pre-recorded music. This activity improves their reading skills and allows them to express themselves musically. During this quarter, they learned the song “Juba Jive”. In order to excel at this activity they learned how to read music off of a staff completing activities that focused on treble and bass clef note names. Do the sayings, “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge”, “FACE”, “Great Big Dogs Fight Animals” and “All Cows Eat Grass” sound familiar? Students were given the opportunity to write their own sayings. Boy, do they have imaginations!!!!! Our most recent projects included the group work of composing ostinato's to the poem “A Panda Named Lu” and learning about Handel, the composer, through the video “Handel's Last Chance”. Some of the songs the fifth grade students enjoy singing include: “Spicy Hot”, “Dancin' on the Rooftop”, “Yodelady”, “Jelly Bean Blues”, “Whacky Solfeggio”, “Twang That Thang”, “Viva Vernal Equinox”, and “Let the Games Begin”.
SIXTH GRADE
During the third quarter the sixth grade students have been learning to become independent musicians. Through body rhythm and a program called “The Body Electric”, students explore different ways to express music through one of the greatest instruments of all – our bodies. Another aspect of music we have learned is the importance of classical composers and their relationship to modern music today. Specifically, we learned about Bach and all of his great accomplishments despite his difficult life. This allowed me to teach the students that anything is possible, regardless of their personal or physical limitations. We also learned about intervals in written music and had a great time playing the boomwhackers to the song “Taiko Boom”. Finally, we explored the new music link to Panther Lab. Students were amazed at all of the fun and informative music lessons on this site and have been learning a great deal these past few weeks about technology in music. Currently, we are working on some of the songs they will be singing for their sixth grade celebration at the end of the school year. Dates and times for this event will be sent at a later time.
Mrs. Christen Black
Computers
Kindergarten comes to computers and begins with a typing program called Type to Learn Jr. (We call it the RED IR). We have also been in a program called Tux Typing which is a free webbased program that you may want to download for use at home. I would put it on Panther Lab but it has to be downloaded. We practice our keyboarding for approximately 10 minutes of class time. We have practiced saving a document in my documents and then when they came in the next week, they opened their Scholastic Keys power point back up and continued on their project. They were introduced to another new program called TUX PAINT which is a fun drawing program. We continue to learn how to open and close as well as having fun within the programs themselves. They have also used a program called KidWorks and practice typing their ABC’s and then get to draw a picture in the program when they are finished. Pantherlab is used quite often in class; please feel free to get online with your child so they may share with you what they learn in class. http://sites.google.com/site/pantherlab
1st Grade:
Students come to computers once a week for 50 minutes. They are still learning their keyboarding skills using the program called Type to Learn Jr. and they are learning to use TWO hands now when they type. Another fun typing program we have used this marking period is Tux Typing. It is a web based typing program that can be downloaded and installed on your computer. (It’s free). We have practiced opening and closing programs. We have a new program to coincide with Microsoft Word called Scholastic Keys. It’s much more user friendly with this age so they can focus on learning the tools they need and save their work.
2nd Grade
Students come to computers once a week for 50 minutes. This year is the year that students are expected to keep their hands on the home row keys and practice their lessons using a program called Typing Web. This is a web based program that they can also access and practice at home. Each student was assigned a login and password and you can access it through pantherlab. We have been working in Microsoft Word and Powerpoint (using a addon program called Scholastic Keys). We also practice saving our work in our own folders located on the server. They have been creative making up their own tall tales and other writing activities.
3rd Grade
This is the year that students come to computers twice a week for 50 minutes. They spend 15 to 20 minutes of class time practicing their keyboarding. We use a web based program called Typing Web, so they can also practice at home. You can access it through Panther Lab. They have been taking their typing test each month and there is some competition for the fastest typer in third grade. We have worked in Microsoft Word, Publisher and we have just begun using Excel. I have collaborated with their classroom teachers on a project doing research on a city in Michigan. After which they made an informational brochure in Publisher. They did a wonderful job.
4th grade
Fourth grade comes to computers twice a week; we keyboard quite often in this grade to re-enforce good hand placement and keyboarding skills. They take a typing test once a month to watch their own progress. They have set typing goals for themselves and hopefully each and every one of them will reach their goals by June. Students have been working in Microsoft “Word” and “Power Point” this marking period. They have learned many new tools this marking period, as we will expand on those throughout the year as we keep building on their computer skills. They should be mastering the skill of saving their work, changing font, size, style and color of text, and adding pictures to their documents.
5th grade
In 5th grade students have reached a point where now is the realization that computers are going to be in their lives. I see these students twice a week for 50 minutes and this year we are going to track their progress by graded assignments, which will be posted on their report cards. Student’s work and progress can be monitored using Home Access, which parents may access through the Internet. (There is a link from our Addison Home Webpage).