La Lectura
We read a Christmas story together, creating a vocabulary word bank last we went along. We then used this vocabulary word bank to write the ending to our own stories.
We worked on sequencing the story in order to form a correct summary. Some of the kiddos had a hard time with this. They can get better at this if they practice re-telling what they have just read. Please ask your child to tell you a summary/resumen each time they have finished their daily reading.
Students should be reading every single day. Please have them log on and read at least 3 times a week (and complete comprehension questions) at www.kidsa-z.com. This will be a great way for them to stay on top of their Spanish reading throughout the holidays.
Las matemáticas
The classroom was a MESS this week as we created arrays with hole-punchers (but it sure was fun!). We also created our own little multiplication elves.
Please see last week’s newsletter for a multiplication link.
My hope would be for every student to practice their multiplication facts in www.mathfactspro.com over the two-week vacation. How many facts can they master before we return to classes in January??
A check list for Genius Hour presentations was sent home on Friday. Please be sure to look for this in your child’s very full backpacks!
This week we learned about RVs (the kiddos were quite interested in these!) and how plants use their food (glucose – just like us!).
Specialists
Art with Ms. Kelly
Nutcracker Drawings
Grades 1 to 5 created some wonderful Nutcracker drawings and paintings this month! The goals were:
- Learn about Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite: the music, ballet and story
- Learn how to use folded paper guidelines and basic shapes to draw a nutcracker
- Add details, decorations and color, using markers, watercolors, and colored pencils
Each class did a wonderful job following directions and creating their own unique Nutcracker artwork!
The 2nd/3rd grade nutcracker artwork created a very festive bulletin board this month!
Winter Trees with Snow
The students used copies of “Sleigh Ride” sheet music to cut out tree shapes, then added torn-paper evergreens, redbirds, and white tempera paint for snow.
Thank you to Ms. Laura who helps out each week in the 2/3 class!
Everyone have a wonderful holiday!
Music with Ms. Nadia
Tis the season for jingle bells, the Nutcracker, and Frozen 2! We have had a blast jingling along to our favorite holiday songs this month, especially Jingle Bells. As we continue in learning about the orchestra, we have discovered the beauty of ballet through Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Not only have we listened to the music and watched excerpts of the ballet, we also lived the story through a fun game of Toy Store. This past week was a particularly special class with a pop-up Christmas tree advent calendar! Each student had an opportunity to crack open a tiny door and decorate the tree with an ornament. There was one catch—each student had to first answer a question about something we learned in music class so far. I didn’t go easy on them, but this group knows a lot about the orchestra! We also played a hilarious game of “Rudolf the Red-Nose Madlibs”. Here is our version of the song:
Freddy Mercury the Indigo-Nosed Pig had a very furry nose.
And if you ever saw him, you would even say it runs!
All of the other cats used to laugh and call him Christmas Sweater.
They never let poor Nadia join in any dog basketball.
Then one stinky Christmas eve, Ariana Grande came to say,
“Freddy Mercury with your mouth so slimy, won’t you guide my teleport tonight?”
Then how the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with depressed!
Freddy Mercury the Indigo-Nosed Pig, you’ll go down in fieldtrip!
I’m enjoying this class’s energy and enthusiasm! Other highlights include a Simple Gifts Scramble game, learning about 16th notes, taking turns playing my ukulele, and Bop It: Live with percussion instruments (clave it, ding it, shake it!)!
Merry Christmas and a Musical New Year!