Brandt's Friday Message
Friday, October 11, 2019
Happy Friday Brandt Community –
As we prepare for a three-day weekend, I wanted to highlight two endeavors we’ve been in the midst of lately: Hispanic Heritage Month and the Week of Respect.
Hispanic Heritage Month gives our students a chance to delve deeply into a beautiful thread woven into our local, state, and national identity. Through hands-on activities, academic pursuits, and study of arts and music, the children were immersed in the aspects of Hispanic culture.
Ms. Paulino and her World Language students learned about Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Some of our Kindergarten students learned about Dia de los Muertos by making sugar skulls and listening to Spanish children’s stories. In first grade, our friends learned about influential Hispanic figures, including Frida Kahlo, Ellen Ochoa, and local folks of note like our Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Mrs. Sandra Rodriguez-Gomez. In second grade, students read “Mango, Abuela, and Me” and compared their own cultures and traditions with the characters in the story. They will also create biography posters highlighting the lives of famous Hispanic people they read about. Third graders discussed the similarities and differences between the Day of the Dead and Halloween, studied Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez, and researched an influential figure of their choice as the basis for a class presentation. In fourth grade, some of our friends learned about musician John Santos while learning to play the maracas. In fifth grade, students began a research project to create a “trading card” highlighting the life and work of Hispanic societal influencers. In Science, some of our little learners studied Astronaut Ellen Ochoa. In Music, students reflected and discussed how music plays a role in cultural identity by studying El Sistema (Venezuela), The Landfill Harmonic (Paraguay), and conductor Gustavo Dudamel (Venezuela). They also listened to the music of Alberto Ginastera (Argentina) and Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazil). Congrats to our students and staff for highlighting so many aspects of Hispanic Culture and how it contributes to our world.
For the past week, our students and staff have done an excellent job participating in our Week of Respect activities designed to promote an awareness of HIB. Among the successes of the week were our themed dress-up days (especially pajama day!), our Kindness Referrals (as of this writing we have almost 50!), and our second through fifth grade “We Rise By Lifting Others” display. Over the course of the week it was truly spectacular to hear about all of the kind acts exhibited by our students. The best part about it is that this happens all of the time, not just during the Week of Respect. Our school community certainly is one that exhibits respect, kindness, and encouragement every day and we have much to be proud of.
Looking ahead, just a few reminders. There is no school on Monday, October 14th. We will have our Walking School Bus event on Thursday, October 17th. If you turned in a permission slip to participate, we will meet in Columbus Park and walk to school together in an effort to highlight the importance of fitness and physical activity. Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Wednesday, October 23rd. This is a 1:00 PM dismissal day for all students and there is no Passport to Learning After School Program. Ensure you make appropriate arrangements to have your child picked up on time. This week, all of our homeroom teachers shared online sign-up documents to reserve a conference slot. If you are having difficulty accessing the form or need assistance, contact your child’s teacher directly. Our PTO-sponsored Book Fair is scheduled for October 21st – 25th. Also, our Halloween Parade is scheduled for October 31st at 9:00 AM. A memo outlining the procedures for the parade will be sent home soon.
As we close out Hispanic Heritage Month, I leave you with the following tunes for a three day weekend. See you Tuesday!
Mr. Bartlett’s “Viva La Musica Parte Dos!” Playlist:
“Barcelona Nights” by Ottmar Liebert
“La Bamba” by Los Lobos
“Get On Your Feet” by Gloria Estefan