Hawley Special Area News
Check Out our Mid-Year Happenings Below
P.E. with Mr. Michlovitz
The students have been enjoying their time in physical education class! Below are some highlights of the activities they’ve enjoyed since December.
Kindergarten
The kindergarten curriculum continues to build on the basic movement patterns the students have learned since the beginning of the school year. These skills are then used in a variety of fun activities. The students have really enjoyed using the climbing (rock) wall, scooters and of course the parachute!
Grade 1
The first grade curriculum continues to focus on basic movement patterns (i.e. skipping, hopping, galloping,etc…) and incorporating these important skills into a variety of games and activities. For example, the children were introduced to the concept of how to rotate through stations successfully and safely and how to properly take turns during a relay race. The first graders also had an opportunity to use the climbing wall, typically one of the highlights of the year for P.E.!
Grade 2
The second graders continued to participate in a variety of activities that emphasized the overhead throw. Some of these fun games included “castle ball” and “basketball bonanza” among others. The students also had an opportunity to participate in our annual Jump Rope for Heart event. This is a wonderful opportunity to raise money for a good cause and teach healthy habits!
Grade 3
The third graders had a blast learning basic basketball skills that included dribbling, passing, and shooting. The highlight of the basketball unit was definitely our game of “knockout”. This is a popular activity in both physical education classes and summer camps around the country. These students also had a chance to participate in a fun game called “Titanic”. This cooperative activity requires the important 21st century skills of communication and cooperation to successfully complete the game. The third graders also had a chance to participate in our annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser.
Grade 4
One of the primary focuses of the fourth grade curriculum is preparing for the Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment. The children completed the PACER and sit & reach test back in the fall and early winter. The month of April will focus on completing the curl-up and push-up assessments. Just like the second and third graders, the 4th graders had an opportunity to work on their jump roping skills while they participated in our Jump Rope for Heart event sponsored by the American Heart Association.
Getting Active in P.E.
¡Bienvenidos!
Welcome back to kindergarten Spanish!
We have been having fun practicing our listening and speaking skills. Here is a look at what we have been working on this January, February and March.
Our learning:
Greetings - hola, adiós, buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches.
Introducing ourselves - ¿Cómo te llamas?, me llamo, mucho gusto.
Following classroom directions - levántense, siéntense, escuchen, miren
Números 1-30
Rainbow colors
Weather
Days of the week
Farm Animals - la vaca, el perro, el gato, el gallo, la gallina, los pollitos, el caballo, el cerdo.
Los pollitos dicen song
Parts of the body - la cabeza, los hombros, las rodillas, los pies, los ojos, las orejas, la boca, la nariz.
Appreciating other Spanish-speaking cultures and countries
Welcome back to first grade Spanish!
We have been having fun practicing our listening and speaking skills. Here is a look at what we have been working on this January, February and March.
Our learning:
Greetings - hola, adiós, buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches.
Introducing ourselves - ¿Cómo te llamas?, me llamo, mucho gusto.
Following classroom directions - levántense, siéntense, escuchen, miren
Números 1-30
Rainbow colors
Weather
Days of the week
Farm Animals - la vaca, el perro, el gato, el gallo, la gallina, los pollitos, el caballo, el cerdo.
Los pollitos dicen song
Parts of the body - la cabeza, los hombros, las rodillas, los pies, los ojos, las orejas, la boca, la nariz.
Appreciating other Spanish-speaking cultures and countries
Welcome back to second grade Spanish!
We have been having fun practicing our listening and speaking skills. Here is a look at what we have been working on this January, February and March.
Our learning:
Greetings - hola, adiós, buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches.
Introducing ourselves - ¿Cómo te llamas?, me llamo, mucho gusto.
Following classroom directions - levántense, siéntense, escuchen, miren
¿Cómo estás? - expressing feelings/emotions
Números 1-100
Days of the week review
Months of the year
Colors extended
Alphabet and vowels
Weather and seasons - el otoño, el invierno, la primavera, el verano
Telling time in Spanish ¿Qué hora es?
Appreciating other Spanish-speaking cultures and countries
Welcome back to third grade Spanish!
We have been having fun practicing our listening and speaking skills. Here is a look at what we have been working on this January, February and March.
Our learning:
Greetings - hola, adiós, buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches.
Introducing ourselves - ¿Cómo te llamas? me llamo, se llama, mucho gusto.
Following classroom directions - levántense, siéntense, escuchen, miren
To give and follow directions with words like levanta/ baja la mano
¿Cómo estás? - expressing feelings/emotions
Números 1-1000
Colors extended
Weather/seasons
Rooms of the house
Appreciating other Spanish-speaking cultures and countries
Exploring the 21 Spanish speaking countries by “traveling” to a new country each class time, with international passports and stamps from each country
Locate the country on the map, identify the capital and continent, discover national points of interest from places, flowers, animals, food, traditions, dance, sport, colors and symbolism of each flag.
Welcome back to fourth grade Spanish!
We have been having fun practicing our listening and speaking skills. Here is a look at what we have been working on this January, February and March.
Our learning:
Greetings - hola, adiós, buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches.
Introducing ourselves - ¿Cómo te llamas? me llamo, se llama, mucho gusto.
Following classroom directions - levántense, siéntense, escuchen, miren
To give and follow directions with words like levanta/ baja la mano
¿Cómo estás? - expressing feelings/emotions
Números 1-1000
Colors extended
Weather/seasons
Rooms of the house
Appreciating other Spanish-speaking cultures and countries
Exploring the 21 Spanish speaking countries by “traveling” to a new country each class time, with international passports and stamps from each country
Locate the country on the map, identify the capital and continent, discover national points of interest from places, flowers, animals, food, traditions, dance, sport, colors and symbolism of each flag.
Muchísimas gracias - Srta. Marisa Basso
Art with Ms. Giddings and Ms. Griffin
A Note from Ms. Giddings and Ms. Griffin,
The art room at Hawley School has been bustling this Winter and Spring. Students have been working on various colorful projects using many different types of media. We look forward to seeing you at the art show, An Evening of Art, on June 6, 2022, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. to celebrate all the fantastic artists at Hawley School.
Our artists have been working hard these last few months. The art program supports thinking creatively, learning techniques to make ideas visual, appreciating the meaning in other people’s art, and enjoying creative time together.
Kindergarten: Kindergarten artists created castle artworks using shapes inspired by Mary Blair’s “It’s a Small World” at Walt Disney World. The students continued learning about architecture by building paper sculptures. We read the book I’m Not Just a Scribble by Diane Alber, and the students scribbled the cutest little scribbles and used stickers for the eyes and mouth that go with the story. The kindergarten artists then explored the artwork of artist Piet Mondrian who used mainly the primary colors and pure abstraction in his painting. Using collage, the students cut out squares, rectangles, and strips to design a Piet Mondrian-inspired artwork. The students had a great time dancing to the Broadway Boogie Woogie.
1st Grade: The first-grade artists created the most beautiful sparkly snow globes using colored pencils. Each was unique and special and reflected the students' personalities through their artwork. Next, the students focused on Black artist Faith Ringgold and her story quilt artwork. We read the book Tar Beach written and illustrated by Faith Ringgold, which tells the story of a young girl and her dreams. The students created a quilt square border using collage and drew patterns on the squares. They made a drawing of a place that they wished to visit and fly over. Then the students made a self-portrait paper doll of themselves with clothes, shoes, and hair. This project was a labor of love, and the result is truly spectacular! The first-grade artists have lovely imaginations and work hard to improve their skills.
The students also learned about Vincent van Gogh's iconic painting, "The Starry Night." The children created their interpretations of the beautiful stars at night using oil pastels and watercolor. Next, they will begin a unit on one of our greatest artists, Pablo Picasso, and his painting of the girl with the long ponytail. He broke many traditional rules in art and changed the art world. We are counting on all first-grade artists to do the same.
2nd Grade: The second-grade artists created stained glass window artworks inspired by Black stained glass artist Douglas Phillips. Douglas Phillips was one of America’s top stained glass artists, and his artwork is in many churches, synagogues, hospitals, chapels, and government buildings. Students used bright colored markers and sharpies to create an original window design. Some are abstract, and some are realistic. Next, the student explored the landscape and flower artworks of Georgia O’Keefe. Each student created a zoomed-in artwork and practiced blending colors using oil pastels.
3rd Grade: The third-grade artists learned about value by creating snowman drawings using warm and cool colors. We read the book Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner for inspiration. Then the students created stained glass window artworks inspired by Black stained glass artist Douglas Phillips. Douglas Phillips was one of America’s top stained glass artists, and his artwork is in many churches, synagogues, hospitals, chapels, and government buildings. Students used bright colored markers and sharpies to create an original window design. Next, students learned all about dragons and engaged in a discussion about if they were real or imaginary. Many of the students knew a lot about dragons. The students created a dragon eye artwork, practicing using value and blending colors to create texture and details.
Mrs. Vazzano's third-grade artists learned about Romare Bearden, known for his vibrant paintings and collages that celebrated jazz music and the people's lives during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1930s. The students create colorful collages and drawings of instruments to reflect their learning and express their thoughtful artistic choices. Then these third-grade artists learn about Op Art as they create an illusion of a hand under the silk.
4th Grade: The fourth-grade artists created identity portraits inspired by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s childhood journey to becoming an artist. Basquiat is an American artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent, and his art style is a combination of neo-expressionism, contemporary, and primitive. They used words and simple imagery to communicate many qualities and characteristics about themselves. The students are currently working on optical illusion art, inspired by an art movement of the 1960s which can simultaneously confuse and excite the eye. Students began to create either a web or tube design using curved repeating lines. Then they started filling in the design using light, medium, and hard pressure with two different colored pencils to create the illusion of light and dark, making the drawing look 3D and optical.
4th Grade
4th Grade
1st Grade
Kindergarten
3rd Grade
Kindergarten
3rd Grade
3rd Grade
Kindergarten
3rd Grade
Kindergarten
Kindergarten
Music with Ms. Marak
This school year has been an exciting one in music! Getting back to singing has been a welcome change.
In the first part of this school year, the students worked very hard to learn all the different borduns used on the xylophones. A bordun is a repeated pattern that accompanies a melody played by another student. The result is something similar to a drone.
Recently, the students in grades 1 - 3 composed a short piece that started and ended on the note C. The students wrote down their
melodies using just the note names so that they would remember the notes! We are now learning how to write the notes on the staff.
We also reviewed the different borduns they learned earlier in the year so that they can accompany their classmates playing their own melodies!
The younger grade levels started the year with learning the opposites in music-slow/fast, loud/quiet, high/low. We are also working on movement and instrument sounds that help the students to keep the beat during the songs!
The 4th grade is now working on recorders. Even though we got a late start to the recorder unit, the students are working hard to earn their Recorder Karate belts!
Library with Ms. Carlson & Mrs. Topolski
The Hawley Library has been very busy throughout the winter and early spring months with a variety of new and expanded learning activities. At this point in the school year, the curriculum pushes students to shift from acquiring library orientation, organization, and navigational skills to now putting them to use with minimal teacher support. Students are showing that they are learning, having fun, and most importantly, checking out books they love!
We have been fortunate to continue our Birthday Book Club celebrations during the winter months, which has resulted in over FORTY new books being donated to the library for student use. Thank you to all!
The third annual “Hawley Tournament of Books” took place in March. Similar to college basketball's March Madness, students voted in two divisions to determine which picture book would be crowned Hawley’s Book of the year alongside a Fiction chapter book. Starting with the sixteen most checked out books of the year in each division, students voted weekly to determine which books would move on to the next round, until there was only one book standing. For the Everyone, picture book division, The Pigeon Gets a Cookie?!, Mo Willems, was the winner and in the Fiction chapter book division, The One and Only Bob, by Katherine Applegate, remained on top for the second year in a row.
We are also excited to share that thanks to the Hawley PTA, we are able to host author/illustrator, Deborah Freedman, for an in-person visit with our students on Thursday, May 19. Ms. Freedman will be sharing with students her method in transferring ideas into actual stories and illustrations. Students will get to read all of her books before her visit, so be sure to chat with your children about her books at home. Turning the Page Bookstore in Monroe will be organizing book orders for families. Be on the lookout for an order form in your child’s folder in the coming days. All orders need to be returned to Ms. Carlson in the Library by May 4. Ms. Freedman will be signing the books during her visit!
The 2023 Nutmeg nominees will be announced on May 1, 2022, and our students are getting excited. As a special treat for our 4th graders, a friendly competition will take place until the end of the school year to see if anyone is up to reading all ten intermediate Nutmeg nominees. All who participate are recognized for their efforts during 4th Grade Awards. Students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade are invited to read then fifteen 2023 Elementary Nutmeg nominees as well! Voting for the 2022 Nutmeg Winners will take place the last week of April and all of our students are welcome to participate! The winners are usually announced around May 15th by the committee.
Kindergarten
Our youngest students have been doing a great job using their navigational skills to find the books they want to check out. From beloved princess books, Clifford, Lego, Piggy & Gerald, cats, dogs, snakes, sharks and everything in between, these kindergarteners know where to go to find their most favorite books! They have also spent the last couple of weeks exploring the sequencing of a story with some classic folktales, such as The Three Little Pigs, Henny Penny, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
First Grade
First graders are really enjoying a variety of read alouds during Library class. We learned about Mary Blair, the first female artist to design animation sets and rides at Walt Disney World as well as some inspiring picture books nominated by the Charter Oak Children’s Books nominees such as Up in the Leaves: The True Story of the Central Park Treehouses. Students have also been using their coding skills in an “unplugged” coding game where they have to create a code that leads a gamer to nonfiction book titles. This challenges our students to work cooperatively as well as demonstrate their knowledge of what makes a book fiction or nonfiction.
Second Grade
Second graders are proving to show off their skills in using Destiny Discover to look up books and find books on the shelves with minimum teacher assistance. This is a pivotal step for our students in developing their confidence and independence. These students have also crossed a bridge in really beginning to see that knowing how the entire call number is used to organize books makes a big difference in being able to locate a book on the shelf. They have also been doing a great job in learning the foundational skills of identifying the verso information on both the title and copyright pages of books. They are beginning to see the big picture in why it is necessary to reference this information in order to properly credit an author/illustrator. Second graders enjoyed reading about all of the things one may encounter if visiting Earth from outer space in the Charter Oak Children’s nominee picture book, If You Came to Earth, by Sophie Blackall.
Third Grade
Third graders are diving deep into exploring the many resources available to them in the library. The first of the reference resources was the dictionary. They were able to check out a dictionary’s organization, purpose, and importance with both print and digital versions. Next, they had a lot of fun taking on and using print and digital versions of thesauruses. They came to see how this reference resource can help them expand their word choice, especially in their writing. Currently, these students are learning the many ways an online encyclopedia can help them in finding “just the right” articles and copyright-free images about all kinds of topics. Specifically, they are researching biographies to learn about figures they admire, while also learning how to read text for a specific purpose. Third graders also found great enjoyment in learning about the life and career of Selena in a picture book biography about her, Sing with Me: The Story of Selena Quintanilla, by Diana Lopez.
Fourth Grade
Fourth graders have been gathering new research skills while investigating a specific topic of interest. Through each step of the process, students are using the skills they have learned in the library for the past four years in conjunction with new learning in regards to the challenges all researchers face when not successful on the first try. They began their work brainstorming topics, narrowing down to one, coming up with “I wonder” questions, turning closed questions into open questions, generating keywords for database searches, using databases to find books and online articles, writing works cited to give credit to others for their work, as well as learning how to effectively take notes. Research is never an easy process, but they have been working hard and are making great progress. We can’t wait to see what they come up with at the end of the school year! Fourth graders really enjoyed learning about an unsung WWII hero in the picture book, Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued, by Peter Sis.