The Paw Print
March, 2018
P.E. Shorts
Well it has finally come to Skate boarding time this month. I am really looking forward to this unit and I know the kids are also excited. We will also start fitness testing for 3rd -5th grade this month. If you have any questions about PE, please feel free to contact me. My office number is 973-8263 and my e-mail is jdoornbos1@usd259.net.
Jack Doornbos
Science News
March finds us concluding our physical science rotation in the lab. Fifth grade will participate in a crime lab chemistry investigation this month. Fourth grade Students will finish their unit on electricity and make electromagnets. Third grade will be working with physical and chemical changes as they complete their unit on matter. Students will also learn about the eye and participate in a cow eye dissection on Wednesday, March 14. Parents are welcome to join us for this lab experience! Second grade will begin a unit on air and weather. First grade will finish their unit on solids and liquids. Kindergarten will finish up their wood unit and begin learning about weather. Many thanks to the parents that helped us with our wood working projects.
McLean Invention Convention and STEM Night
Our final school-wide science event for the year is the McLean Invention Convention and STEM Night on Thursday, April 19. Students will identify a problem and create an invention to solve the problem. Completed projects will be brought to school Thursday, April 19. Projects will be on display Thursday afternoon and throughout the evening STEM Night activities. Please plan to join us!
Thursday, Apr 19, 2018, 06:00 PM
Mclean Science & Technology Magnet Elementary
Art News
Kindergartners through second grade are participating in the Tot Trot Art Contest for the 2018 RiverFestival. Students were to draw a picture that reflected the Art Theme: Fast Lane. Best of luck to all our students!
Third through fifth grade are learning about artist and art styles. Third grade will look at artwork by Paul Cezanne. He was known for painting still life's of fruit. The students will be drawing a still life of apples. Showing overlapping, patterns and color. Fourth graders are learning about famous artist Georgia O'keefe. She was known for painting close up pictures of flowers. The students will enlarge their flowers and outline it with glue, then they will use chalk to fill in their artwork. Fifth graders are learning about Abstract art. They will paint a variety of colors and shapes and then use gel pens or markers to add various design patterns.
Music Notes
March sees both an ending and beginning amongst the music students. Kindergarten and First grade have performed their Spring Music Program and I was very proud of them. I hope you enjoyed the performance too! They are getting to play a little piano on the District Piano Lab and are enjoying discovering the fun things to do on an electric keyboard.
Grades 2 and 3 are polishing up their program on Aesop’s Fables that will take place on April10th at Pleasant Valley Middle School. We are simultaneously playing pianos, rehearsing songs and casting the plays. Whew! They are a lot of fun to work with.
Grades 4 and 5 are delving deeply into piano playing. I’ve seen many students get excited about mastering as many songs as possible. The line of students wanting to play duets with me on my digital piano seems to be never ending. Watching them work through hard things and succeed is very rewarding for me and I know it has educational benefits as well. Persistence is an important life skill.
Students are also busy auditioning for the All School Talent Show. We even have a class or two participating this year. It’s going to be on the last school day before Spring Break. Exact times to come in next month’s newsletter. I hope you are all having a Musical March.
Check It Out At The Library
March is the time for the annual Read Across America emphasis on Reading. The National Education Association always has this celebration around the birthday of Dr. Seuss which is March 2nd. Each grade level will do lessons around the Dr. Seuss theme in library class and receive a Dr. Seuss bookmark. Many teachers will also have Dr. Seuss activities in their classrooms that week. Although this celebration is centered on Dr. Seuss, it is really to emphasize reading. So please read anything you can! Try to find something that you love to read and take some time to enjoy it! Any type of reading material is fine such as magazines, articles in the newspaper or online, all kinds of books, audio books, comic books, graphic novels, joke books, the cartoons in the newspaper; anything you can read is great!
I want to thank everyone who supported the Spring Book Fair by purchasing new books for your students, and volunteering your time working at the Book Fair. – Ramah Coffman
You can find magic wherever you look. Sit Back and relax, all you need is a book.-Dr. Seuss