Second Grade Specialist Update
Claxton Elementary
Art Update- Mr. Cassara
- Foreground, middleground, and background. Fall landscapes in paint, crayon,
and torn paper.
- Edgar Degas inspired dancers in pastel and paint: lead into their December 4th
field trip to the Nutcracker ballet.
Drama Update- Mrs. Rigsby
Health & PE Update- Coach Swain
Music Update - Mr. Butler
Younger grades learn about and sing this American standard as we approach Veteran's Day in lessons that integrate history and music. Dating to the American Revolution, Yankee Doodle has fun lyrics with references that help us learn about the birth of our nation.
"Yankee Doodle went to town a-riding on a pony, stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni." Did you know that "macaroni" was originally an Italian word for "fancy?" Hence the fancy noodles that go so well with cheese got their name. The expression was also used for a person who dressed fancy; what we would call a "dandy" in English . Without decent uniforms, especially compared to the British "Red-Coats," the first American soldiers had to resort to a feather in a cap as a uniform of sorts. Really not fancy at all, but good enough for the Yankee Doodle dandy!
2nd Grade Nutcracker and the Mouse King Field Trip
The 2nd grade attended the Asheville Contemporary Dance Company's Nutcracker and the Mouse King at Diana Wortham Theatre on December 4th, a modern dance adaptation of the same story made popular by the Russian composer Tchaikovsky's famous ballet. They learned about Tchaikovsky's wonderful music from the Nutcracker Suite in 2nd grades and other classes as the winter Holidays approach.