K-4th PE

Happy February!  I decided to place the emphasis for this week on fitness as a whole.  There are so many different activities that can contribute to our overall fitness levels, whether it's skiing down a mountain or dancing at home in front of the mirror.  Our 2nd-4th graders participated in an activity called "Scooter Boats", in which students worked together to build a boat from scooters and gymnastic mats.  After the boats' construction was complete, students took turns riding on top of the boat, while the rest of their classmates pushed and pulled them along.  K & 1st graders took part in games of "Hungry Crabs" and "Hokey Pokey Aerobics" where we explored some different muscles that our bodies have.  Below is a picture of our 4th graders busy at work constructing their vessel, enjoy your weekend!

Ski Season!!!

 

 Great times on the mountain!



Shapes in Spanish

 

Kindergartners have been learning the names of different shapes in Spanish this week. They had fun drawing pictures on whiteboards.  I told them what shape to draw in Spanish and how many of that shape to draw. Some students even added faces to their shapes!

Musicals

It was busy this week in music as we started gearing up for musicals! Selections are below:

Kindergarten- 3 Nanny Goats Gruff
1st grade- Lemonade!
2nd grade- Welcome to the Jungle
3rd grade- It's Saturday!
4th grade- A Kid's Life

More to follow!

Ink Splat Monster--Creative Problem Solving

 Our Artists were inspired by the artwork created by Stefan Bucher on his website, www.dailymonster.com. This site shows the artist creating "monsters," in real time, by placing a dot of ink on paper, blowing it through a straw, and adding a drawing around and into it with sharpies.
My students found the spontaneous nature of this type of art challenging (they couldn't plan or erase!) but ultimately satisfying and great fun.

StarFlyers Royal Jewel Rescue!

Students in first grade have been playing "StarFlyers Royal Jewel Rescue" the past two weeks.  Princess Popcorn has lost her jewels and it's up to the StarFlyers to find them all!  The StarFlyers have to travel to worlds like Hot Chocolopocus and the IceCube.  This computer game teaches them skills such as logic, spatial relationships, sequencing, and estimation.  Students often work together to help each other solve problems. 

2nd Grade's Whacky Contraptions!

This week Second Grade students were introduced to Crazy Machines. In this program, students get to turn cranks, rotate gears, pull levers, and use catapults or any objects to build crazy machines.  The program gives students the ability to create their own unique contraptions and solve more than 200 challenging puzzles. They can use a cool physics engine with air-pressure, electricity, gravity, and particle effects and experiment with gears, robots, explosives, and more in your own virtual lab. This was the first time we have used the program, so we started out in the Inventor's Laboratory solving his puzzles. For some students the problems proved a little tricky and they got a bit frustrated - but it was a great lesson in 'If at first you don't succeed, try again - but try something a little different'!

The Zoombinis need our help!

The Third Grade are journeying into a mind-bending puzzle-packed epic adventure. Not long ago, the Zoombinis enjoyed the good life. Tragically, they misplaced their trust in diabolical Bloats, who take over Zoombini Isle. The students job is to lead the Zoombinis on a dangerous quest to a new utopia. Developing their math and logic skills on the expedition across puzzle-packed terrain, each perilous puzzle they solve leads to another, more difficult challenge. Along the way, students are practicing their algebraic thinking, data analysis, graphing and mapping, logical reasoning, pattern finding, problem solving, statistical thinking, theory formulation and testing skills. Plus having some fun!

MS Tech - CAD Designers of the Future!

In Technology this week the students continue to hone their 3D drawing skills. They have ben set the challenge of creating a 3D scale model of the Technology Lab - partly because I would like to paint it over the summer and this is a great way to see what color would look good! The program we are using is Sketchup. I have emailed the students to tell them how to download the program at home - ask them to show you how it works. It is pretty cool, and it is free. Maybe they could help you with a decorating decision too! http://www.sketchup.com/intl/en/download/gsu.html

"Oh, I want to be in THAT number!!"

This week was packed full of MLK Jr. songs, in a variety of styles. 4th grade listened to a more formal song, while grades 2-4 did "Alabama, Mississippi" and "When the saints go marching in."

"Alabama, Mississippi" was special in that MLK helped create the song himself. Here, 3rd graders march and sing "When the saints," and when the lyrics for a number come up, I would hold up a number. Then students formed circles with that number of classmates in the circle, followed by a pat/clap pattern about MLK involving eighth and sixteenth notes. Generally we'd start off in 2s, 3s, 4s. It was fun to hold up the class number "13" and see the whole group get together, as pictured right. The game took teamwork and awareness, and it was great to see students' enjoyment.

We also managed to sneak in some performances this week. 2nd grade performed their MLK song/rhythmic chant in a surprise performance for their teachers, then at the MLK assembly. The piece was in rondo form (ABACA). It was a fantastic week for our 2nd graders!

3rd grade snuck in a surprise performance for Mrs. Anderson with "When the saints" and "Great Big House in New Orleans," in which they sung and played on the xylos. Bravo!

4th--Creating personal logo design

 Fun T-Shirt Design project with our AWESOME parent volunteers!

4th graders had so much fun creating personal logo stamps and made their own personalized shirts.

Thank you, Mrs. Hotes, Mrs. Schneider, Mrs. Connors and Mrs. Hawley.

K-4th PE

Happy upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day!  This week in PE we played a game of kickball in all of our classes.  We wanted to take it easy a little bit, since this was our first week of the ski program!  All of the students seemed to really enjoy themselves up on the mountain and I look forward to seeing their progress in the weeks to come.  Here below is a picture of some kindergarten students playing kickball, enjoy!

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the students in library heard stories and discussed Dr. King's life and legacy.  The younger students heard I'm Like You, You're Like Me and All the Colors of the Earth.  They also viewed a Brain Pop in Technology about Dr. King.  Older students heard Singing for Dr. King, looked up facts about his life, and watched exerpts of his "I have a Dream" speech given in 1963.  We all discussed ways that we can help one another by doing good deeds and not judging others.

Dramamamusic!

 It was great to see the 4th graders perform their African songs at the Peace and Light festival. However, it was not their first performance of the year! Back in October, 4th graders had a 'surprise' performance for Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Kim, in which they moved, sang, and played the xylophones. This week, 4th graders took a hard-earned free choice break in  music. Sometimes 'creative drama' ensues during musical free choice sessions, which is always fun to see! Bravo 4th grade!

K-4th PE

Welcome back to CHA! I hope everyone got some quality rest and relaxation during winter break. This week in PE we practiced our underhand volleyball serves at all grade levels. Our 2nd-4th graders even played a game of "Serving Up Baskets" in which students tried to serve the volleyball through the basketball hoop; challenging to say the least! Our students also got to play a new game called "Destroyer" this week, which saw one team on scooters trying to catch as many balls as they could from the other team trying to toss balls at them. Here we can see some of our 1st graders playing "Destroyer." Have a great weekend.

Clifford's Thinking Adventures

The Kindergarten students began playing a game called "Clifford's Thinking Adventures" in the Technology lab this week.  They were very excited to go on an adventure with Clifford on his birthday.  In true Clifford style, there are problems to be solved using math, listening, and reasoning skills.  Ask your child about playing the game!

Food Unit Review Game

Second graders played a review game of the food unit this week. They were split up into 2 teams, and were shown a flashcard. When one of the students knew what the food was in Spanish, then they could grab "el leon" and say what they word was in Spanish.

Second graders also started presenting their food skits this week!

Farm Animals in Spanish

This week, first grade students began learning the names of different farm animals in Spanish. They also learned an opposites song to assist them in describing what the animals are like. (example: fat, thin, big, small, tall, short, etc)

Second Grade Technology

Second grade students found our how much they know about simple and compound machines at the edheads website. Edheads is a not for profit organization that creates interactive resources to help students understand STEM concepts. You can see the activities at edheads.org

Tech Work at the Multicultural Fair

Hopefully you had a chance to come and see the displays the students made for the Multicultural Fair. Maybe you noticed some of the work they did in Tech classes, making labels, printing maps and flags and creating trifold brochures. We had a lot of fun doing it and hopefully these are skills that will be useful in many projects to come!

Professor Watermelon Visits

Professor Watermelon, former CHA librarian Chadwick Gillenwater, has published a new book called Herbert.  

Herbert is a fly who makes delicious honey. But flies aren’t supposed to make honey. They are supposed to forage the dump for all things spoiled and rotten. Instead of staying at the dump and disgracing his family, Herbert sets out to find the Honeycomb Palace. Will he make it without one of the ferocious and carnivorous dragonflies devouring him? And if he does make it, will Her Majesty the Queen Bee even let a fly inside her hive? Herbert’s journey is filled with triumphs and setbacks, and along the way, a cast of not-so-ordinary characters show Herbert that life isn’t so black and white beyond the dump.

 

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Professor Gillenwater graciously donated his time and shared chapters and writing hints with the Kindergarten through fourth grade classes.  Many students and families pre-ordered the book, but if you would like a copy, please let Mrs. Duffina know.

'Tis the Season!

Congratulations to our 3rd graders on a fantastic performance at Bellevue Square Mall! They sang 14 songs, and did a wonderful job of representing CHA. They are a talented group and it is great working with them!

K-4th PE

Happy Holidays here at CHA! What a wonderful time of the year. This week, all of our students participated in games and activities that emphasized kicking. Our K & 1st graders dribbled around cones and also tried to knock them over by kicking a ball. 2nd-4th grade students played a few games of "Human Foosball", which was a modified version of indoor soccer, as students had an assigned, restricted area to move around in. Here we can see some of our 2nd graders in the heat of foosball. Enjoy your weekend!

 

It is that time of year!!!

Our students had so much fun working on the Art auction projects.

We have been blessed with very creative and fun parent volunteers.

Thank you so much for your time and all the fun projects.

 

 

 

Tying in Technology with the Cultural Fair

Kindergarten and First Grade students had the opportunity to create maps of their Cultural Fair countries this week in Technology.  Using the Microsoft Paint program, Kindergarten students created a map of Turkey and First Graders created a map of Thailand which included labels of the capital and surrounding countries.   These maps were printed and will be placed in their portfolios.

New Titles in the Library

Mrs. Duffina has been busy cataloging new books to add to our CHA library collection.  These books have been donated by individual students as birthday books and donations from the book fair.  A big thank you goes to CHAPTER for donating many new titles ranging from Kindergarten reading level all the way through Middle School.  Not only were fiction books donated, but we also acquired quite a few new non-fiction titles.  Mrs. Duffina shared many of them with the students, and they were quickly checked out!

Congratulations...

 

...to our latest Type to Learn 3 Graduate. Well done Ethan!

Windows 8 in the Tech Lab!

Thank you so much to all the parents who donated copies of Windows 8 so that I could upgrade the Tech lab at CHA. The students are really excited, as you can tell from the answer this student provided in a Math test this afternoon!

Concert season is here!

It's great working with students as we prepare for concert season here at CHA! Our 3rd graders have been gearing up for their performance at Belle Square mall this Wednesday. It will be excting to see and hear them perform for parents, and also the many mall shoppers! Last year, I remember quite a crowd gathering the see student's perform. Our 3rd graders are a strong group of singers. It's great to hear them sing with such clarity and energy, and I'm amazed at how quickly they learn songs!

Other grades are hard at work for the upcoming Peace and Light Festival. Kindergarten will be studying and singing about the country of Turkey. 1st grade-Thailand, 2nd grade- Russia, 3rd grade- Spain, 4th grade Kenya, and 5th grade-Egypt. I hope everyone is enjoying the start of their holiday season!

"Dónde está la pegatina?" (Where is the sticker?) - Kinder

Kindergarteners reviewed classroom vocabulary by playing "Dónde está la pegatina?" (Where is the sticker?).  A sticker was hidden underneath one of the vocabulary cards and they needed to guess where it was by saying the name of the object in Spanish. If they found the sticker they could keep it.

3rd grade - review game

Third graders finished up their bedroom projects this week and were able to play a new review game with a group of students. One student chose a card from the pile and if they could say what it was in English (or from English to Spanish), then they kept the card. If they didn't know what the answer was or said the incorrect word, then they placed the card back in the pile. The student with the most cards at the end won the game. Third graders had a great time playing this review game!

Fourth grade - "Qué te gusta hacer?" (What do you like to do?)

Last week fourth grade students asked four different people "Qué te gusta hacer?" (What do you like to do?) and "Qué no te gusta hacer?" (What don't you like to do?). They then used the data they collected to make a class tally chart, marking the likes and dislikes. We then discussed which activities were most and least popular.

 

 

 

 

This week Señorita Mary came and visited the Spanish classroom and joined in a classroom chat about things the students liked to do and didn't like to do. Fourth graders enjoyed having her visit the classroom! Gracias Señorita!