Special Area News!
Special Area Teachers and Contact Information
Ms. Hardee- Guidance- CHardee@rhmail.org
Mrs. Gregory- Art- HGregory@rhmail.org
Ms. Sicilia- Tech Lab- VSicilia@rhmail.org
Mr. Mckeown- P.E.- dmckeown@rhmail.org
Mrs. Galvis- Music- kabril@rhmail.org
Media Matters
We have some exciting things happening in the library as we end the first nine weeks! We had a great turn out for the Read Your Way to the Big Game Reading Challenge! It was great to see the kids recognized at our Knight Time Tailgate. Look for more information about a new challenge that begins next month! The Battle of the Books Club is in full swing! I am excited about the numbers of students participating and look forward to to our March school competition. Students who are in the Young Author’s Club are reminded that their writing submissions are due by November 9th.
K-2 students will begin focusing on nonfiction texts in November. First grade will complete an inquiry unit on the sun and moon while the second grade will focus on magnets. Grade 3-5 will begin the nine weeks with a study on types of characters found in mysteries and suspense stories.
Guidance
We have had a wonderful start to the school year in guidance. During October, students will be learning about their emotions and how to regulate these feelings. As emotions are a factor in making good choices, I have structured our year so that this coincides with our Red Ribbon celebration. During this time, students will learn the importance of making good choices and the difference between positive and negative peer pressure.
Art
Our Art Studio has been rocking through September and we are ready to attack the second 9 weeks!
Fifth grade classes have been learning about the Golden Age of Comics and are creating self-based super hero characters. Fourth graders are learning about ancient Greece while creating labyrinths. Third grade classes just finished exploring traditional Sumi-e techniques to create ink paintings and have recently begun discussing the work of Rock Hill artist Vernon Grant. Second graders continue their travels to the 7 Continents by looking at migration. Monarch butterflies are an excellent example of this phenomenon. First grade just began a unit about Fairy Tales and will be making several pieces of art on this theme. Finally, kindergarteners are still focused on basic skills. We have been spending A LOT of time cutting, gluing, and practicing control of our art supplies while learning about the primary and secondary colors.
Stay tuned for information regarding our up-and-coming community art displays. Many students will have work featured at the RHSD Fall Art Show in late October. Third grade will display at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in November and December. This will be our 10th year participating as a school and I have something BIG planned to mark this milestone! All 3rd graders will participate and each will also receive a free ticket to the garden’s holiday lights display.
Congratulations to the following artists who will represent Mt. Gallant in the RHSD Fall Art Show.
Kai McClain, Evalette Yang, Gianna Henry, and Piper Faile from Mr. May’s class
Kaliyah Smalls and Taliyah Regelski from Mrs. Faircloth’s class
Ava Howell and Caroline Gaulden from Mrs. Taylor’s class
Cora Welker and Alyssa Ann McKinney from Ms. Nash’s class
Arianna Blackmon and Imon Mitchell from Ms. Morrison’s class
Sofia Marinez from Mrs. Varnadore’s class
Their work will be on display at the Center for the Arts on Main Street Oct. 19th-Nov. 9th!
Music Makers!
Our 4th and 5th graders have been banging away on our 5 gallon paint buckets in the classroom. We use these for bucket drumming! Students read a 4 beat rhythm pattern using the Kodaly method and then transfer into their drumming performance. Students are eager to practice at home. All they need is a bucket and a firm stick! I think some have used pots from the kitchen and wooden spoons! That works too! We have millions of sound sources around us every day.
Our 3rd grade is practicing away for one of our most special concerts of the year. We will be honoring all community heroes and Veterans in a performance Thursday evening, November 15th, at 6:00 pm. If you have ever served in the military, as a fire-fighter, EMT, or policeman, you are more than welcome to arrive "dressed out". The students love making those connections. It will be a sincere program, you won't want to miss. We will also have a walk through museum on the way to the cafeteria!
1st and 2nd grade are relating music and stories. We have learned how music plays an important role in many forms of entertainment: musicals, ballet, orchestral music, and simple stories. We are enjoying observing ways that music can enhance stories, and students are eager and more confident to perform.
Kindergarten has focused on steady beat and using their 4 voices: speaking, singing, calling/shouting, and whispering.
Coming soon: Our new drumline, The Drumming Knights, will have their first performance at our MGES Tailgate event on October 25th!! Come check them out!
Also 5th Graders gearing up for Recording Playing! They will be playing with the S.C.Philharmonic Orchestra at the Koger Center in Columbia, SC- February 2019!!
4th graders will be playing on our keyboard lab in the classroom. They should be able to play a few songs for you by the end of the 2nd 9 weeks.
3rd Grade- Veterans Day Performance- November 15th, 2018 at 6:00 pm.
Students to recognize: MGES alumni Laura Rae Robinson and Bowen Cunningham, along with Current Knight, Kiya Collver. All 3 auditioned last spring for the STATE honor choir. They performed this past weekend in Charleston, SC, and did a fantastic job!
Two students, Macy Monczynski and Peyton Ballard are our MGES representatives in our District Elementary Honor Choir! Congratulations girls!
P.E.
In Physical Education/Health class, we are beginning our study of different food groups and their impact on our bodies; both positive and negative. We are spending some of our time on health as now required by the SC Dept. of Education.
In our activity portion of class, we are beginning our practice/administration of the FitnessGram Fitness test that they will be graded on in Middle and High school. We will also begin our baseball/softball unit of study.