News from the Hill
October 6, 2017
Principal's Message
What a wonderful first full week of October! On my classroom visits, I have had the joy of seeing students engaged in their learning. From working in cooperative groups to sharing a good book in partnerships, our classrooms have been filled with the buzz of productive learning! It has also been a pleasure to see your children's smiling faces as they have socialized in the Cafe and have had loads of fun on the playground. Finally, this week, we began our social-emotional learning program. Please click here to visit our school counselor, Ms. Snyder's website for more information on our Second Step program. Additionally, we will continue to infuse our core values of respect, courage and curiosity into all that we do!
October will be filled with lots of excitement! On Thursday, October 12th, we have our School Picture Day. Get your smiles ready! In addition, on Friday, October 13th we will look forward to an assembly on Fire Safety. Also, beginning on October 27th, we will welcome our PTSA New Book Fair where we encourage you to pick up some great new books.
Finally, on Tuesday, October 31st, we will be having our annual Halloween Parade. As you consider potential costumes, we ask that you please be mindful of anything that may be culturally insensitive or may perpetuate stereotypes. We appreciate your help in guiding our children in their selections of inclusive costumes. In addition, we will have alternate activities for those students who do not celebrate Halloween. Our goal at Hillside is to foster an environment that is respectful and inclusive for each and every learner and family. Please note that some families have expressed interest in carrying Trick or Treat for UNICEF boxes this year and if you would like to participate, boxes may be picked up in our main office.
With a long weekend ahead, I encourage you to enjoy some time digging into reading with your children. A parent shared with me a wonderful article from the Washington Post entitled How to Get Kids to Look Away From Their Screens and Take Pleasure in Books. Whether by carving out special family reading time, a visit to the local library or the opportunity to listen to a podcast, this resource is full of unique ways to continue building a life of literacy with your child. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Wishing you a joy-filled weekend with your children,
Amy Cazes
Principal
Parent ELA Meeting
New Date: November 14th at 6:30 PM
Classroom News
Kindergarten
As readers, we have developed a real LOVE of books and reading in our Kindergarten classrooms. We have had great conversations about how to choose books that look interesting to us. We have learned how to share books with partners. Kindergarteners are thoroughly enjoying this magical world of reading!
In September, we started our Nursery rhymes unit that will end in mid October. In this unit, the children have gained a good understanding of the meaning of the nursery rhymes The children are exposed to new vocabulary words, and learned all about rhyming words.
We have learned all about 2 dimensional (flat) and 3 dimensional (solid) shapes. We compared two dimensional and 3 dimensional shapes in different sizes and orientations. We looked at shapes with straight lines and curves lines. We also described their similarities, differences (e.g., number of sides and corners and other attributes ). We love math in Kindergarten!
1st Grade
First grade is FANTASTIC! As we welcomed our students back to school, we were all excited for what this year will bring! Our children have settled into their new classrooms beautifully and are learning to make new friends, learn routines and dive into their learning!
As readers, our children are building their “Reading Toolbox” by developing structures and routines for our Reading Workshop. This past month, our mini-lessons have focused on how to choose books to read and enjoy, how to care for books so they last, how to talk to partners to help them understand stories and how to share their own thoughts about their own books. Our reading community is a place where “hands on books” and “eyes on text” are at the core of our learning!
Our students have completed a unit on Fables and Folktales and enjoyed listening to stories such as “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, “The Goose and the Golden Egg,” and an all-time favorite, the Spanish folktale, “Medio Pollito.” The children loved discussing the morals for each story and were exposed to rich vocabulary. Our upcoming unit will focus on the human body!
In math, Module 1, focuses on building fluency with addition and subtraction of numbers. Students are using various strategies such as counting-on using simple math drawings to solve math stories.
We look forward to seeing you at our Halloween celebrations and parade!
2nd Grade
Things have been going swimmingly in second grade. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in school for already a month; we have been enjoying so many opportunities to learn and grow.
Our readers are immersed in the books they are choosing to read, during the workshop. We’ve learned to focus our eyes and our minds on our books. We are buzzing about our books with classmates, sharing our interests and ideas. Shopping Day is a hit, as we return and borrow treasured texts from our classroom library; enthusiastic conversations and recommendations are overheard.
Our writers are enjoying the daily opportunities to write. Narratives on so many different topics are being collected and shared. Soon, we will choose that one special story to revise,edit, then publish!
Our mathematicians continue to bolster the foundations to master sums and differences to 100, as they rehearse numerous strategies, such as adding and subtracting like units, counting on and back, and using number bonds to make ten(s). As we solve more difficult word problems (many are multi-step), we remember how helpful it is to READ carefully, DRAW a picture to represent the problem’s story and question(s), and then WRITE our solutions, in a sentence (with label).
Our mathematicians also measure up! If you’d dropped in last month, you might have seen us, equipped with cm rulers, paper clips, or meter sticks, measuring items in and around the classroom, including one another! Comparisons were noted: Whose shoe was the longest? Whose hard-working pencil was shorter?
Our second graders are eager to prove their fluency with the basic number facts, to and within 20, this year! Please continue to help them to practice at home! Use flash cards, play dice and card games, or enjoy the websites provided at Back-to-School night!
Our scientists are learning all about matter and its properties. We’ve focused on solids, thus far, but will investigate liquids and gases. Ask any of us to name properties of any solid; we’ll be able to spout about color, texture, size, shape, flexibility, and other attributes.
In social studies, we are learning about citizenship and communities. We have discussed reasons for rules and the responsibilities we all have to follow them.
October should prove to be another wonderful month, packed with learning for all. Please join us for our classroom breakfasts (8:50-9:25) on Halloween morning, followed by the HILLSIDE PARADE, at 9:30!
3rd Grade
Third graders have gotten off to a fabulous start in this first month of school! We have started our first mathematics unit: Properties of Multiplication and Division. Children are learning various strategies to learn their 2, 3 and 4 multiplication facts. They are using math vocabulary such as factors and products, and unknown factors and divisors. They are practicing with arrays and tape diagrams to solve multiplication and division problems.
In ELA we have launched our classroom libraries, and children are eagerly choosing books to read independently. They are discussing their books with their reading partners. Our first unit focuses on engaging students in reading,thinking and talking about books. We conduct daily mini lessons to work on various strategies to strengthen our reading skills. In writing, students have begun writing in their writer’s notebooks. We reviewed various writing skills and now the students are using their notebooks to grow their writing, as they learn to share their life experiences with their audience.
Our Third Grade social studies theme is, “How does WHERE you live affect HOW you live?”. To begin learning about the world, we have been studying geography. This includes learning about the continents, oceans, as well as latitude and longitude through books, readings and song.
We were able to visit the “Physics Bus” and experiment with bubblemakers, rocket launchers, and static electricity, to name a few activities. THANK YOU PTSA for your support of this engaging program!
4th Grade
September has been a great month for 4th graders! We have spent our days immersed in books of every genre and we are learning what it truly means to be a community of readers. Our goals in reading have included understanding the kinds of books we prefer and those we do not, in order to help us find “good fits”, and learning to pay attention to what we read by predicting events, forming opinions, and envisioning events. As we move forward, students will also explore stopping and jotting thoughts in their reading notebooks, as well as sharing recommendations and ideas with peers. .
In Math, 4th graders have been working on the concept of place value and the worth of given digits in a number, as well as standard, unit, and expanded form.. Students have also reviewed rounding and estimation of numbers into the hundred thousands. 4th graders will continue to build on their skills in the next weeks as we review addition and subtraction using algorithms and word problems.
In Social Studies, we have begun our study of New York State. We have learned that New York has specific landforms, weather and resources which help to make our state unique. Over the next several weeks, students will bring their knowledge alive by working together in groups to make large, colorful maps of the 6 regions of New York We look forward to seeing their creativity.
Communications Class K-2
Over the past 4 weeks of school we had a lot of fun getting to know each other better! Our class is made up of some students who were at Hillside last year, some in the K-2 class, some who are new to our program and even some students who are new to our program and our school. So far, we are learning everyone’s name, taking about when our birthdays are and we even made “mini-me” people…that look just like us! We made two class books that are very cute and are helping us get to know each other.
As readers, we have developed a real LOVE of books and reading in our Kindergarten classrooms. We have had great conversations about how to choose books that look interesting to us. We have learned how to share books with partners. Kindergarteners are thoroughly enjoying this magical world of reading!
Other curriculum is based on student IEP goals, grade level skills, and life skills. Throughout the day we will focus on individual skills in addition to accessing the general curriculum. As a whole class, we are participating in many hands-on activities that are both engaging and educational!
Learning Lab
In The Learning Lab, we have been off to a great start. Students have been working hard to select just right books and build reading stamina. We were so happy to have Dr. Sinanis, Mrs. Cazes, and Mr. Stewart share some of their favorite books with us as a read aloud! We have been charting our favorite characters and series and we look forward to discovering more that we love.
As writer’s we have begun using our Writer’s Notebook to explore topics that we can write about. We are zooming in to give the reader lots of detail. We are sharing many read alouds that will inspire us in our writing.
In math we have been exploring concepts of place value and multi-digit addition and subtraction in fourth grade. Our third graders have been using arrays and tape diagrams to demonstrate multiplication and subtraction. Our second graders have been using the 100 chart to add and subtract. We also began measuring using centimeter cubes and centimeter rulers!
Our goal, as always, is to keep students engaged in the curriculum concepts of their peers but scaffold and support our students on the way. We mainstream for all science and social studies lessons, so for information on that please see your grade level blurb.
Art
Fourth Grade: The fourth graders have begun a unit of study based on Abstraction. Students explore what Abstract painting looks like and then they explore what Abstract art can be about. Students meet artist Mary Heilman thru the Art21 video series and respond to ideas that can be found in her work. Students also encounter some artwork that was on exhibit in a recent gallery show in NYC called "Reinventing Abstraction: New York Painting in the 1980's." Students sketch out ideas for their own creation and each will eventually create their own oil painting. Check out some sample ART21 videos of what the students have explored by clicking here.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE RIVER WALK! Students have been putting the finishing touches on their “fish” that were created in Mr. Morgan’s and Mrs Farrell’s classes.
Gourds: The gourds have arrived. Over the next month, the kindergarten thru third grade classes will be drawing & painting fall vegetables. Using the the drawing & mixing skills that they have used over the past two weeks, each grade level will work to create their own unique interpretation of these fall vegetables. Keep an eye out for some displays around Hillside School!
Remember to follow the Hillside Art Blog for regular updates from the Hillside Art Studio - https://www.hohschools.org/Page/1225
Music
We have had an exciting start in the Music Department at Hillside! Students had the option to join the Hillside Chorus in third and fourth grade as well as Orchestra and Band in fourth grade. Be on the lookout for more information about the third grade violin program in the next few weeks!
In general music, third and fourth grade students began using the xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiel to perform steady beat accompaniments to the many songs we sing. In addition, second, third, and fourth grade students learned a song composed by our very own Ms. Concra in preparation for our Rock River Assembly in collaboration with S.T.E.A.M. and Art. Second grade students studied the difference between piano and forte sounds, while Kindergarten and first grade students participated in performance, movement, and directed listening activities that emphasized the difference between our singing and speak voices.
Physical Education
Welcome back Everyone! It has been a great start to the school year thus far. In 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade we have just started our soccer unit. We have taught the students the correct way to pass, dribble and shoot a soccer ball. In the upcoming weeks we will be playing lead up games that will work on the above skills. These lead up games will help the students be successful when we end our unit with full mini soccer games. In Kindergarten and 1st grade we are teaching/ reviewing various locomotor movements and body and spacial awareness by playing simple tag like games. All three of us are so excited to be back in the gym with all of our students. We can tell it is going to be a fantastic year!
FLES
Spanish class has been off to a busy and exciting start as I’ve gotten to know my new students! In September, my Kindergarteners have practiced how to say their name in Spanish (ask your child “¿Cómo te llamas?” and help them practice saying “Me llamo _____”). We’ve also learned how to express the time of day in Spanish and we’re beginning to learn about how to express how they’re feeling. They’ve enjoyed learning these concepts through song, books, and movement activities.
My first through fourth graders have been busy reviewing and building on concepts learned last year and in previous years. My first graders have focused on reviewing how to say their name in Spanish, as well as colors, numbers and body parts. My second and third graders have reviewed how to say their name in Spanish and have talked about the vocabulary associated with their family members, pets, the weather, and the date in Spanish. My fourth graders played a name game where they practiced saying their names in Spanish and asking each other basic questions like “What color do you like?” and also focused on reviewing descriptive adjectives in Spanish to describe celebrities and themselves. We’re working on incorporating the date and weather into our morning routine.
Furthermore, in every grade, students are excited to be on the verge of earning their “Spanish music dance parties” as part of the behavior management plan for Spanish class. Not only does earning a potential of three stars at the end of each Spanish class reinforce and support appropriate behavior, the reward at the end also doubles as a cultural activity that will foster students’ awareness, and appreciation of, music in the beautiful Spanish language.
S.T.E.A.M.
Welcome to our brand-new Hillside S.T.E.A.M. program! We had a wonderful kick-off to the year by exploring the first part of the engineering design process, Ask. Our students were presented with engineering challenges that encouraged collaboration and problem-solving. For example, our kindergarteners were asked to create with tinfoil and pipe cleaners, first graders had to design a balloon tower, second graders were challenged to build a beautiful yet functional bridge with limited materials, third graders had to make a type of catapult, and fourth graders had to work together to “Save Fred,” a sinking gummy worm. We are excited to move into the next step of the engineering design process, Plan!
Hillside Elementary School
Website: www.hohschools.org
Location: 120 Lefurgy Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, United States
Phone: 9144786270