Spotlight on Specials
Fifth Grade- 4th Quarter 2015-2016
Exploratory Team
Art
During the fourth quarter, fifth graders completed three projects. First, students learned how to write an artist statement. The statements accompanied their art display at the fifth grade art show. Next, students learned about digital photography and how to create an interesting composition by integrating the elements and principles of art into their photo. Additionally, students learned how to zoom or crop an images to emphasize an object or space. Finally, students learned about street art. Not all forms of street art are graffiti! Students learned that the goal of many street artists' are to get the viewer to stop and think, to be surprised, or to laugh at their work. In teams, students created their own stencil that represented a famous quote. Using chalk and their stencil, students created street art on the blacktops around the school. If you would like to learn more about each project, please read the note that accompanies your child's art portfolio! To receive updates about the happening in the art room follow me on twitter @RiverviewArt.
Library
In our library classes this quarter students that participated in the William Allen White reading program voted for their favorite 3rd-5th and 6th-8th nominees. It was fun to see the variety of favorites this year! We explored books from the reference section of our library. We review what an atlas is and had fun locating cities using grid coordinates. We looked at the variety of maps in an atlas and worked in small groups to determine the answer to questions using these special use maps. We also explored the almanac. Students had fun sharing facts of interest with each other. We enjoyed stories read by members of the Screen Actors Guild online. We also enjoyed hearing some of the new books that have been added to the Riverview collection. I have enjoyed having your children in the library. I will miss seeing them in the halls. I wish them the very best as they head to middle school. Please keep reading and enjoying books from the public library over the summer!
Music
We had a chance to relax and have fun in the last quarter of 5th Grade Music! After all of their hard work and their amazing program in March, we spent time learning about and playing ukuleles! Students learned about chords and played I – IV – V7 chord accompaniments while they sang some fun songs. We also watched our annual musical. This year we watched “The Music Man”, which they seemed to really enjoy! I wish each of these students the very best as they move on to the next chapter of their amazing lives! I hope you have a wonderful summer and take some time to sing and dance along the way!
P.E.
How the time has flown! I can’t believe the year is over. I told the 5th graders many times that I am so sad that their time to leave Riverview has come already. I didn’t get enough time with them! They are such a special group. I sincerely enjoyed getting to know each and every one of them, and hope to see them in the future. It has been such a busy quarter, but filled with a bunch of fun events. The students were briefly reacquainted with the parachute, (still a fan favorite), and were able to play some classic games. We then got right into striking, where students learned about striking an object using different body parts. We were able to strike balloons, as well as dodge balls and wiffle balls. The students learned how to swing their arm correctly and the amount of force they needed to put into it. We were able to learn the skills and also put them into different game like situations. After spending some time on striking, we got into volleyball. We learned all about volleyball, when it originated, and how it is played. The students were able to learn the main skills and got ample time to practice during different activities. The 5th graders got to be part of the annual 5th grade vs. teachers volleyball game, and that was a blast! They are all amazing athletes! They also completed their last Pacer Test of their Riverview career. Their perseverance and hard work always amazed me. The last couple weeks of PE were spent talking about Field Day. We talked a lot about sportsmanship and the importance of showing great sportsmanship no matter the outcome of an activity. We practiced showing our sportsmanship while playing different games that were played during Field Day. The words they learned during this quarter were fitness, kinesthetic, agility, athlete, volley, and champion. I had such an amazing year with the students and will miss them so much!
Technology
If you are looking for an activity for your child to do over the summer, consider typing skills. My site offers a full page of typing games. Check it out! I hope you have a super summer!
Counselor
In guidance the last nine weeks have been busy ones. We continued to work in our Too Good for Drugs curriculum learning about good decision making, consequences, peer pressure, peer pressure strategies and ending with the harmful effects of tobacco and alcohol on the body. We also had lessons on Careers, Trustworthiness, and Citizenship. Have a wonderful summer and I can’t wait to see you back in August.