We had a fabuloso time in Spanish class this year! Please be sure to review and practice the language with your child this summer, as it is very easy to forget different skills learned over the long summer months!

                     Some ways to practice together are counting in Spanish, playing games such as “Simon Dice/Simon Says,” singing songs and acting things out- such as feelings, animals and family members, as we did in class. If you are at the beach, can they find something rojo or azul? Also, have your child try ordering food at a Spanish restaurant… or simply ask them to share about their interests in Spanish at the dinner table! Another fun thing to do is read bilingual books or watch a favorite movie in Spanish together, with English subtitles. Many DVDs come with this feature!

                   Students that bring in work they have done over the summer or have a note from a parent telling me specific ways they reviewed will receive special recognition in septiembre. Quizlet, found on the Spanish website, is a great way to practice topics we learned about this year or that they will learn about next year!

                    Thank you for all of your support this year! ¡Feliz verano!

Second graders have mastered their elements of art this year.  During this month, they have created a clay relief of an animal incorporating all the elements of art, proving their development.  I can not wait to have them next year to start on learning experiences on the principles of design.  Hope they are continuously inspired by nature and experiences this summer to create more beautiful art!  All they need is a pencil and a paper.  Enjoy!

Kindergarten students focused on what pitch means in music and sounds like (high, middle, low) and what "percussion" means (you need to hit, shake scrape/rub these instruments). They can name many percussion instruments that they have played this year (drums, earth bells, triangles, rhythm sticks, woodblocks, maracas, guiros, sand blocks, resonator bells, tambourines).  They are beginning to understand what pitched percussion instruments are: boomwhackers, glockenspiels, xylophones, piano, timpani, chimes, and temple blocks. They also did a lot of playing and experimenting with classroom instruments to figure out which instruments make long sounds and which make short sounds; each child wrote a long/short composition using circles and lines.  We wrote these compositions on the SMART board, read the simple "circle" and "line" notation, and played each student's composition using our long and short sounding percussion instruments.  See the example below.

Here are some fun web pages with music games:

http://www.ndimedia.com/portfolio/wumpa3_skymusic/ - younger grades

http://www.classicsforkids.com/games/rhythm/rhythm.html

http://www.nyphilkids.org/games/main.phtml

http://www.sphinxkids.org/MM_Instruments.html

http://www.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/hm.cgi?A1=s&A2=instruments&INSTRUCTS=1

http://www.quia.com/rr/4048.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/4_11/music/mm/orchestra02.shtml - younger grades

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/4_11/music/mm/mood01.shtml - younger grades

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/4_11/music/mm/sound01.shtml - younger grades

http://www.sfskids.org/

http://www.bso.org/brands/bso/education-community/children-families/bso-kids.aspx

http://www.dsokids.com/games

http://www.klsriley.com/for-students/online-music-games/ - grouped by grade level

         Have a wonderful summer!        

PHYSICAL EDUCATION:

Summer Time is almost here.   Your child/children  are all fit and ready to continue keeping their bodies in shape.  They have been taught since September the importance of Exercise on a daily basis. ( we even talked about doing sit ups during commercials while watching TV.)

We finished up the year with some throwing, aiming, striking  and catching skills. Ask your child/children about the game Gladiator Ball.  The bat we used was a little different than most.    For some the Parachute was a big hit.  Continue to take walks at night, ride a bike or just enjoy a little swim at the beach or pool.  

Keeping fit is important. Enjoy your summer!

     

Third and fourth grades have been learning all about a delicioso unit…La Comida/Food! Third graders are busy working in stations to learn how to plan healthy menus, shop for food and speak about food interests and preferences. Fourth graders are working in groups to plan their restaurante skits, which they will present in the beginning of June! Can your child talk with you at the dinner table about the food they are eating and how they feel about it?

Third graders have been experimenting with different materials and having a great time in art.  The month of May has been about being introduced to three-dimensional art.  After learning that a relief is an sculptural artwork that is raised from a flat background surface, the third graders have worked on a metal relief using the techniques of repousse and chasing.   They are currently working on making a full sculpture in the round by making a paper mache animal.  This learning experience will probably end this academic year.  However, with this introduction to sculptural art, I hope that the students would be more open and receptive to different forms of art appreciation perhaps in the summer time and in the future.

First Graders have been working on reading traditional rhythmic notation this spring.  They can identify, read, and perform quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests.  They have been listening to selections from Carnival of Animals by Camille Saint-Saens.  So far we have listened to “Donkey,” “Elephant,” and “Fossils.” First graders are using SMART response individual remotes to answer questions about our listening selections.  Using the response remotes, they can identify instruments they hear and musical elements like tempo, pitch, and dynamics.  Lastly, they have been singing patriotic songs and ringing colored hand bells to accompany themselves.  

Fitness is important, and at this time of year, the children are tested to see how much they have improved.  In October, they were tested on their Flexibility (using a sit and reach piece of equipment), sit ups for 1 minute, a Shuttle run ( for Agility ) and either a mile run, ½ mile run, or a ¼ mile.   They then repeated those Tests in May.  It was GREAT! many many many of the students improved in all areas.  
I am proud of our Hilltop “Gymsters” they have worked hard

     

May has been a busy month!  Students in grades K, 1, and 2 took trips to the Mendham Borough Library. In an effort to promote literacy, encourage summer reading, develop relationships with community workers, and share the importance of supporting public libraries/services, all K,1, and 2 classes visited the Mendham Borough Library this month.