Adopt a Bench project

For the past month, Katie, Annika, Yasmin, Daniel, Ivy and Zahira work on the Adopt a Bench project and transforming an ordinary bench into something amazing!!!
We got inspired by Romero Britto, one of the artists that we learned this year, and painted very bright and fun word design on an old bench.
It turned out amazing and I can't wait to put this bench next to our new playground!!!

PE

The last week of school is just around the corner....where exactly did this year go?!  Our classes have done a variety of activities this week, ranging from "Steal the Chicken" to a game of basketball.  Each class has done different things, but we've all been having a great time together out in the sunshine.  Here's one of our third grade students displaying some end-of-the-year-enthusiasm!  Have a fantastic weekend CHA!

PE

I hope everyone enjoyed a fabulous Memorial Day Weekend; it's absolutely mind-boggling to think that there are 2 weeks left in the school year.  Wow!  Over the last couple of weeks, our students have been learning about the bones and muscles that comprise their bodies, and more importantly, how those bones and muscles are related to exercise.  Our 2nd-5th grade students culminated our unit on bones and muscles by playing a game called "Them Bones" in which each team gathered up different bones and had to assemble them into a proper skeleton!  Here you can see one of our 3rd grade teams that finished building their skeleton.  Have a great weekend CHA!

Technology Time's Up!

As the end of the year races towards us, students are busying working to get their projects finished so we have had to resort to special measures! It turns out that we can squeeze two classes in the Tech Lab - here you can see the 4th Graders working on their Lego Animations and 3rd Graders continuing with their English Spanish Dictionaries, while Keyon auditions for the role of Tech Teacher. Meanwhile in 2nd Grade the students have pretty much finished their Butterfly Lifecycle PowerPoints - we just need the caterpillars to get a move on so that we can include photos of the Butterfly Release Party - and 5th Graders are busy building their Kodu games!

3rd grade music: clapping games with "Green Sally Up & 4 White Horses"

 Nothin' beats a good game of clap/chants with a friend! Clap games are really fun and I enjoy working with students on these types of activities. Grades 1-4 all had a round of "Green Sally Up." Some groups who wanted a challenge tried the "4 White Horses," which is an advanced clap/chant pattern for 4 people.

Last Chance!!

This week was the final opportunity for students to check out Library books.  Don't forget that all Library books are due Friday, May 30.  If your child doesn't return their book, your account will be billed.  Until payments are made, your report card is held.  Notices were sent home today (Thursday) for the books that were overdue.   Many students have books out, but they're not overdue -- yet!  Please contact me if you have questions at lduffina@chestnuthillacademy.com. Thank you!

CHA Annual Art Show Week--Monday, May 26th ~ Friday, May 30th

Our CHA students has been working hard on their Art Show projects and I am very proud of their effort!

Our Annual Art Show Week starts on Monday, May 26th.
We would like to invite all CHA friends and family to come and be amazed by all the wonderful creations from our children.

4th grade- Rockin' the recorders!

It has been great working on the recorder/guitar unit with our 4th graders. They are a fun group! In recorder class, students have been working on The Lion Sleep Tonight, Shades of Blue, and the melody from "Party Rock Anthem." I've also heard some great solos to boot...Ode to Joy and Happy Birthday, in a minor key. Great job students!

My favorite time of year is here...

...and no I don't mean Teacher Appreciation, although that is AWESOME!, I mean 4th Grade Lego Animation time! This is such a fun project and the students look forward to it enormously. We started with a brainstorming session this week and we will be making our sets next week. Some students would like to bring their own Legos (or similar sized posable characters) in from home. This is fine with me, but I have explained that I do not want them to bring in big expensive models, and I do not expect you to go Lego shopping. I have a Lego supply at school that students who do not have their own Legos can use! The photo is nothing to do with the project - it is one of the lovely bouquets I was given for Teacher Appreciation week!

PE

Our focus in PE this week was on gymnastics, and more specifically the important elements that comprise it.  All of our grades took part in a partner-based activity where students devised their own gymnastic positions and later shared them with their classmates.  Below we can see two of our enthusiastic 4th grade students working on their balance in establishing a gymnastics position.  Enjoy this Mother's Day weekend! 

Instrument Stations in Music

K-3 students enjoyed some small group time with various pitched and non-pitched percussion. Some groups created a song to perform for the class. It was a great exercise in listening, both towards other people's ideas but also listening to the other instruments, while every instrument doesn't have to be playing the entire time. K-1 has also been reviewing instruments of the orchestra with "Peter and the Wolf" and "The Carnival of the Animals."

Congratulations to all our students who performed in the recital on Wednesday. Job well done! Enjoy the weekend!

Feliz Cinco de mayo!!

iii CINCO DE MAYO !!!

This week K-5th grade celebrated Cinco de mayo in Spanish class. 

We learned about Cinco de mayo's history and how it is NOT Mexico's Independence Day!

This is a common misconception in the USA! Mexico’s Independence Day is on September 16th.  Cinco de mayo (May 5th) celebrates the unity, bravery, and pride of the Mexican people after winning the battle of Puebla against the French on May 5th(Cinco de mayo), 1862.

Fourth graders made pinatas in art class (gracias Mrs. Choi) and donated their pinatas to each homeroom class. Each class broke a pinata and ate chips and salsa to celebrate. Check out the pictures below of our fun FIESTA!

2nd Grade Technology

In their homeroom classes the 2nd Grade students are reading a book called 'Pickle - The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School by local author Kim Baker. In tech the students visited the author's web page and were excited to investigate the secret part of the site. I would share the link with you but the code of conduct prohibits anyone over 20 entering! I apologize in advance if there is any pranking this weekend!

2nd/3rd Grade Music: "I Let Her Go-Go"

2nd grade learned the game while 3rd grade brought back an old favorite. Students choose a partner and sing/clap various patterns, then switch places with each other. Then, they jump and switch partners, working their way around the circle. It's a fun one to watch! We are keeping up our singing with small bits of warm ups and patterns. We have a handful of 2nd graders who can sing a major scale in tune, which is exciting! Have a great weekend!

5th Grade 3D Drawing Videos

In their Tech lessons, the 5th Grade students used Sketchup, a 3D drawing program to create a model of their dream house. They then used Screen-o-Matic to create a walk through demo video of the house they made. I have uploaded some of their creations to our drop box so that you can have a look at them at home. You will need to copy and paste the link below in to your browser.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1983wy6godjx7n2/lkQzEzsASu

Typing Kudos!

Congratulations to Anna who this afternoon became the first Second Grader to complete Type to Learn 4 at CHA! Several students are following close behind so I am hoping to post news of their success before school is out. Well done Anna!

4th and 5th Art--Pinata

For the past few weeks, 4th and 5ht grade students put a lot of effort into their Pinatas and their creation turned out GREAT!!! 
The students learned about Cinco de Mayo in Spanish class and worked on the Pinatas in Art class.

PE

During this week of ITBS testing, our students were able to exhaust some of their pent-up energy by dancing in PE!  We took part in the "Cha Cha Slide" and the "Hamster Dance" just to name a couple.  Here's one of our Kindergarten classes showing off their fabulous dance moves.  Have a great weekend CHA!

Songmania in K-1 music

K-1 students have been enjoying a variety of folk songs and games, with the use of some great picture books and CDs. We also visited a tune called "My Aunt Came Back," a zany call and response song that tells the story of My Aunt who traveled all over the world and brought various items with her, that we add as movement/motions. Pictured right, 1st grade enjoys a round of "All Around the Village." Students enjoyed small percussion instruments and xylos to boot. Great job K-1!!

Overdue Library Books

As the end of the year approaches, please be on the lookout for overdue notices from the Library.  Many will be sent home on April 25 in Friday folders.  If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Duffina at lduffina@chestnuthillacademy.com.
Don't forget to look for books in lockers, under beds, and in cars.  When I remind most of the children that they have an overdue book, they usually know where it is.  A gentle reminder from home to bring it back to school is appreciated.  Thank you!

Se Vende Casa (House for Sale)

 For the past two weeks, third graders presented their "House for Sale" projects in class. They have worked really hard on their house in Spanish class and they all did a wonderful job in presenting their speeches!

Cascarones in Spanish class

CASCARONES!!!! Kindergarten and First graders had a GREAT time making Cascarones (Confetti filled eggs) in Spanish class.

Back in the Music Swing!

It was great to get back in the music classroom after musicals, DC, and Spring Break! It was also fun to hear stories of travel from students. In 1st-3rd grade, we made lists of student activities during the break, and used the words to create rhythm patterns on the board. Once secure with speech/vocalization, students transfer to sticks, drums, as well as xylos where students create their own melody. Enjoy the sun!

PE

This week, each class channeled their efforts towards either basketball or softball.  It was fantastic to see our students improve their ability to dribble and shoot the basketball.  It was equally fantastic to begin playing some softball games outside whenever Mother Nature allowed us the chance!  Enjoy the weekend CHA!

Working with Reference Materials

For the past few weeks, students have been working with dictionaries and atlases.  The older students have been using almanacs and encyclopedias as well. We've had scavenger hunts, quizzed one another, and taken assessments.  By far their favorite activity has been looking through the atlases to show their friends where they have been!