Kindergarteners have been practicing lots of cutting and gluing for the fall art projects, as well as exploring painting in the art room.
It’s been a tradition for the first graders to paint a barn landscape. They have learned how to create a landscape using aerial perspective and appropriate proportion for different grounds.
Second graders have been onto the next element of art--color. They have been learning about the color theory and making a colorful still life arrangement. They have also learned about texture and created a texture painting of fall trees using different applications.
Third Graders have been working on painting their fall still lifes, emphasizing unity and balance of their composition. Since they have art only once a week, some classes, especially those that have art on Mondays, have missed art for a couple of weeks and have been still trying to finish up their paintings. We’ll try to send those home soon.
Fourth Grade have been working on the unit of Art of Face. They finished their symbolic portraits, inspired by the artist Arcimboldo. We have also studied Mona Lisa and the history of portraiture, as they have started their realistic selfies.
The Goblins in the gym have come and gone. Its time to focus on Our Dance Moves. The children will be learning dances from the early 40’s like the Alley Cat, moving forward to the 70’s with the Village People’s YMCA. For Our 3rd and 4th graders, we will be doing some country dancing.
The Virginia Reel and the Cotton Eye Joe will be taught. 
The students will also be strengthening their CORE muscles, by moving about in different ways on the scooters. 
FROM THE HILLTOP LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER
Students in grades K-4 learned about voting, elections, ballots,
absentee ballots, and more! We then read
our four literary candidates. Students
took the time to think about each book and its illustrations, themes,
characters and purpose. We asked
questions. Did the
book inspire you? Do you think about the story, even when you aren't
reading it? Did you love the characters, setting, genre, or theme? Did you
enjoy the pictures? Did the pictures do a great job at helping to tell
the story? Which book do you feel deserves to be the "Winning Title"
for our 2016 Book Election?
Students were then given the opportunity to enter
the voting booth and cast their vote! Check
out the results at the Hilltop Library Media Center website by clicking HERE.
What kind of DIGITAL FOOTPRINT are you creating? In
an effort to continue our exploration and understanding of DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, students in 3rd
and 4th grade learned about and reflected upon their own growing
digital footprint. Students learned that the information they put online leaves
a digital footprint or trail. We
discussed what information is appropriate and inappropriate. For more information regarding online safety
check out the link on the Hilltop Library Media Center website for COMMON SENSE
MEDIA Digital Citiizenship Family Activity Sheets
RESPECT COMIC STRIPS…..3rd
and 4th grade students thought about ways in which they SHOW
respect. Students constructed tables in
Powerpoint, inserted text boxes, speech and thought bubbles, images, and
backgrounds. Students worked heavily
with the ORDER tool to help them layer the multiple images and text boxes
within each frame of their comic strip.
The result…GREAT Graphic Design Work and Great Messages! Check out the
rest of our comic strips on the Hilltop Library Media Center website.
Kindergarteners are identifying and “reading” dynamic markings (Loud, Quiet) to short chants and songs. They continue to play a classroom instrument each week and review instruments we’ve played previously. They will begin learning short, age appropriate song for their holiday/winter concert on December 21.
First Graders have been learning about pitch: high, low, going higher and going lower. They have played some unique instruments like the whistle tubes and thunder tubes. They will begin learning short, age-appropriate song for their holiday/winter concert on December 21.
Second Graders continue to use rhythms and patterns. They are learning how to accompany themselves on xylophone to short songs. They will begin learning short, age-appropriate song for their holiday/winter concert on December 21.
Third Graders are reading and performing rhythms with half notes and half rests. They are also using xylophones to accompany short songs. We have begun to learn songs for their holiday/winter concert on December 21.
