January 2016

From the Gym at Hilltop School:  Happy New Year!!  I have lots in store for all of your children this month.  We are focusing on Setting a fitness goal in the gym.  Can you Jog without walking for 3 minutes in your first 4 gym classes this year? We will see  We will begin our fitness stations.  Sit ups, Jump roping, Shuttling, zoom ball, and even balance boards.  Our January unit focuses on the Sport of Volleyball.  In about two weeks, ask your child how to Set a Volleyball, I bet they can show you

JUST A REMINDER:

DON’T FORGET TO WEAR OR BRING YOUR SNEAKERS ON GYM DAYS

DON’T FORGET TO WALK WITH A PARENT AND BRING IN YOUR SLIPS TO WIN A TOKEN.  A WALK ON A BRISK DAY IS HEALTHY   

Art: Winter is here in the art room!  We have the fourth graders painting the winter wonderland reviewing many of the concepts that deal with creating 3-D forms. Third graders have just finished their winter birch tree scenes, through which they have learned to create visual rhythm. Second graders are delving into learning about the next element of art -- space.  Their pine tree paintings utilize several space techniques to show distance and a vast area.  First graders are busy with trying out different folk art around the world, but will be painting their winter landscape soon enough.  Kindergarteners are endlessly creating winter scenes using lines, shapes and texture.  Look out for these artworks to come home at the end of the month, as the second marking period ends!

Music: Third graders have learned about the composer Antonio Vivaldi and have listened to excerpts from “Autumn” and “Winter” from Vivaldi’s well-known composition The Four Seasons.  They are working on describing music in writing and using appropriate musical terms: pitch, melody, rhythm, beat, timbre, and dynamics.  They will listen to and describe excerepts from “Spring” and “Summer” from Vivaldi’sThe Four Seasons before the school year ends.  For a great site on classical music for children, visit: http://www.classicsforkids.com/. For the radio show about Vivaldi’s life that third graders listened to, visit this site:  Audio of Vivaldi Biography.  Third graders have now turned their attention to learning how to group known rhythmic values into groups of 4 (Meter in 4 or 4/4 time) by adding bar lines and double bar lines to make measures.  In the next few weeks, they will add the whole note and dotted half note to their vocabulary of rhythmic values in 4/4 time.  Lastly, third graders received a form letter to give to their parents/guardians about our upcoming recorder unit.  This form is due on Friday, January 22, 2016.  If you need a copy of that recorder form letter, you can visit this link: Third Grade 2016 Recorder Form Letter.

LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER/TECHNOLOGY

In the Library Media Center…

3rd and 4th Graders have been learning about and identifying primary and secondary sources. Through our exploration of various narrative nonfiction texts students have been referring to details and examples from our texts to help them write about our reading and support their thoughts and ideas with textual evidence. Here are a few of the nonfiction texts we have enjoyed this month.

** Mr. Ferris and His Wheel **

**Winne: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie the Pooh **

**Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum **

**Gingerbread for Liberty!**

**Earmuffs for Everyone!**

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1st Graders have been busy reading and listening to informational text through various print and online articles.  Students recently completed a biographical research project and understand the importance of citing their sources! Ask them to share Mrs. LeMay’s “Lollipop Story” which highlights an important reason for including a citation in our research.

2nd Graders continue to work on their state research projects and have learned how to add digital recordings, slide transitions and custom animations to their presentation.  We spent a great deal of time discussing the importance of warming up our mouths, practicing our fluency and reading prior to recording our voices, as well as the importance of articulating our words.  Students will be presenting their work to their peers through a “Tech-Time Walk About” in which all students rotate around the computer lab to view and listen to their classmates’ state presentations.