May/June

JUNE: During this last month of the school year, students have been bringing home their art works from the last marking period.  The portfolios do not have to be returned this time.  As I have explained to the students, they will be making new portfolios next year so please keep all the artworks and portfolios home.  

Fourth graders are still working on their clay bottle people that are really beginning to come alive in the art room.  We have presidents to athletes to movie characters to  personal favorites that are looking fantastic! Hopefully most will be finished by the last day so that they can be taken home for the families to keep for years to come.  

I am going to miss all of my Hilltop artists this summer.  Hope that they continue to draw this summer and keep up with their growing potentials!  Thank you for all of your support for art this year!

MAY: Third graders have learned about Claude Monet, a French artist who is known as the father of Impressionism movement.  They have dabbed into the impressionist technique of creating a dreamy atmosphere with loose brushstrokes of pastel colors.  Their waterlily pond paintings are beautiful!

All grades are finishing off the school year with sculptural learning experiences.  Be on the lookout for some clay projects to come home!

June: Spanish:  It has been a fabuloso year in Spanish at Hilltop School! Kindergarten and First grade students ended the year reviewing some topics they learned about throughout the year, such as introductions, feelings, numbers, colors, body parts and animals!  

Students in grades 2-4 ended the year with some fun class presentations… Frutas Commercials, El Supermercado Skit and El Restaurante! They all did a wonderful job; it is amazing to see their confidence with the language and they way they help one another if needed.

This summer, please have your child visit the Spanish website to go on Quizlet for review or to preview future topics they will learn about! Students also have fun using the website ABC YA Spanish and Rockalingua. Bilingual books are another great way to learn and practice Spanish together, as well as watching kids movies in Spanish with English subtitles.

¡Que tengas un verano magnífico!/Have a magnificent summer!

May: Kindergarten and First grade students have been learning about Los Animales de la Granja y del Zoológico/Farm & Zoo Animals! Your child should be able to tell you some names of animals that they love (Me encanta), like (Me gusta) or dislike (No me gusta). We have practiced describing their colors and size and played fun games such as Charades! They are also describing them with adjectives such as rápido, feroz and grande. At this point in the year, students should feel comfortable saying the colors in Spanish, numbers 1-10 (K) and 1-15 (1st), stating how they feel, and introducing themselves. We always move around the room and stretch out different body parts as well! Can your child tell you how to say eyes or mouth in Spanish?

Second graders have been learning all about Las Frutas/Fruits! In addition to sharing their interests and surveying their friends, students describe the fruit’s size, color, shape and taste! They are currently presenting their comerciales de las frutas/fruit commercials to the class. They have chosen a fruit that we have learned about and are sharing about it in a fun, catchy way! Props, posters, songs, cheers, and dances are just a few of the ideas. Be sure to ask your child about their commercial!

Third and fourth grades are in the middle of a delicioso unit…La Comida/Food! Third graders are busy planning a skit at the supermercado, which they will present to the class in the following weeks. Fourth graders are working in groups to plan their restaurante skits, which they will present in the next few weeks as well! Can your child talk with you at the dinner table about the food they are eating and how they feel about it? Can they tell you some common foods from Spain and Mexico and how their food traditions are similar and different than ours?

Check out the June School Bulletin For MUCH MORE Information From The Hilltop Library Media Center

“Books I Want To Read This Summer!”

Student Constructed Summer Reading Lists Grades 2-4

Students in grades 2-4 compiled lists of books that interested them.  Students listened to Mrs. LeMay booktalk many titles, listened to 4^th Grade Hilltop Student book review podcasts, listened to 3^rd grade reading reviews, and watched book trailers via the links on the HT Library Media Center website.  Students should keep their self-constructed lists handy as they embark on frequent summer trips to the library and bookstore.   Happy Summer Reading!

Summer Reading Activities Packet for ALL STUDENTS and Resources for Summer Reading…go the the Hilltop Library Media Center Webiste and click the link below the sunshine image on the main page to access Mrs. LeMay’s summer reading activities packet, or just CLICK HERE.  Students that complete the packet and submit it to Mrs. LeMay in September will earn prizes from the prize box.  Resources for Summer Reading includes lnks to summer reading programs, resources and free online books! Click HERE for resources.

Digital Citizenship!  Students in grades 1-4 have participated in detailed discussion and review of what is considered ‘private’ information and how to stay safe when we go online.  Students watched “Internet Safety” on BrainPop Jr., and we reviewed the “Pause and Think Online Song” at www.commonsensemedia.com.  For additional information regarding online safety, be sure to check the Hilltop Library Media Center Website and click on the Cyber-Safety and Digital Citizenship links on the left side of the page. 

MAY: This Spring, 4th Grader musicians have read, written, and performed rhythmic patterns with sixteenth notes. They have learned a few pitches on their recorders: F#, Low C, and F.  They are currently earning brown belts in Recorder Karate for Cotton-Eye Joe (different melody than the dance version) and Wayfaring Stranger.  They have learned to identify the following markings in music notation: key signature (for F#), ritardando (slow down), fermata (hold the note/pitch until the conductor tells you to stop), and slur (connect pitches on one breath instead of individually stopping and starting each pitch).  In the next few weeks, they will have an opportunity to complete Recorder Karate by earning black and black “plus” belts.  Lastly, 4th Graders are preparing two selections: Whacky Chopstix (using Boomwhackers) and Ode to Peace (Choral) for the upcoming 4th Grade Talent Show on Friday, June 10, 2016 at 8:45 a.m. in Hilltop’s Gym

MAY: It’s fitness time, the children performed their Presidential Physical Fitness test, sit ups for 1 min, shuttle run, sit and reach and ¼ mile,½ mile and mile runs.  About 85% of the students improved from October.  I am really proud of how hard they work on keeping fit.  The classes are also getting ready to run the baton relays and jump over hurdles in the gym.  This is a fun time of year.