Enhancement Team Newsletter
February Newsletter
Dojo Day
Music
Coming up in the third quarter, sixth-grade students will begin a Jazz project in which they conduct research on jazz musicians from the 1920's. Students will dress up like jazz musicians from that era and their peers will ask them interview questions about their life and career based on the research they conducted. At the end of the unit, students will create and present a video of their talk show interviews to their peers.
Fifth-grade students will use instruments to perform rhythmic, melodic, and chordal patterns on classroom instruments. They will also review standard symbols and terms for music as well as learn to classify world instruments into categories based on how their sounds are produced.
Fourth-grade students will begin learning how to play the soprano recorder in order to interpret rhythm and pitch notation in the treble clef. They will also classify instruments into Western orchestral categories of wind, string, percussion, and brass.
P.E.
Students will have the opportunity to add a picture to our “Look At What I Can Do” Board for Physical Education. Students can turn in any activity they choose that shows them playing a sport, doing an activity that they love, or a picture of them doing something they are really good at.
We have an extremely busy 3rd quarter ahead of us in all grade levels. Students will have an opportunity to participate in Jump Rope For Heart in March, BoosterThon in February and Evening With The Arts in April. All 3 will require students to work hard to their potential and be able to raise money for a great cause.
4th Grade has touched a bit on Basketball towards the end of 2nd quarter. Students will continue to work on shooting and concepts that lead into basketball shooting games.
5th Grade will begin to play a number of invasion games. Students will have the opportunity to play sports like Handball, Soccer, Hockey, LaCross and other games where you can invade another teams space to score.
6th Grade will be finishing up Hockey games by playing whole gym hockey. Students will then get into team sports games and choreographing a dance for Evening With The Arts.
Art
During the month of October, the 4th graders had a lesson on “Drawing what we see.” We went outside to enjoy the beautiful fall weather and drew fall trees.
Fourth graders also created Wild/Wavy Strip sculpture, paper mache fruits, as in the colonial times, and torn paper treasures for the holidays.
Fifth graders created a PRINTMAKING project with “Falling Leaves” using the stencils they created. We focused on the principal of design, RHYTHM….random rhythm.
Fifth graders also created a beautiful “Stained Glass Window” drawing after learning the different cultural meanings of candles for the holidays.
Sixth graders created a beautiful Fall Still-life drawing/painting from their point of view. We learned to draw by focusing on the objects themselves and looking at the sizes of objects in comparison to one another.
6th graders also learned the ancient art of Quilling. They twirled and curled strips of paper to create designs and decorations.
September 2016 Newsletter
Peace Day
On September 21st all of our students celebrated the International Day of Peace! Each grade level came together during their Enhancement time, to show and display their work, and just celebrate PEACE! We displayed our Pinwheels for Peace, International Banners for Peace, and “Peace Signs.” We played for Peace and Danced for Peace! More information about this important day can be found at: http://www.peaceoneday.org/welcome
Art
The month of SEPTEMBER was a busy time getting to know each other. Our artwork focused on the Day of Peace, and how were can show Patriotism in art. Our 6th graders created their Pinwheels for Peace (http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com/Pinwheels_for_Peace/home.html).
Fourth and fifth graders created Patriotic artwork based on the book I Pledge Allegiance, which explains the meaning of each part of the Pledge.
In OCTOBER, we are focusing on the art elements, line, shape, color, texture, value…. Soon we will be creating artwork for Fall or Halloween! Keep a lookout for photos of us working hard!
Music
This September, our students were engaged in various activities to build fluency in music reading. In music centers, students composed and performed their own rhythmic patterns and played games like "Bang!" and "Rhythm Round About." These activities were designed to help students interpret and perform rhythm patterns.
Fifth graders sang the Star Spangled Banner and learned about the historical events that prompted its writing. They also used body percussion to review rhythm patterns.
Fourth graders reviewed rhythm patterns by using their bodies to form those notes. They also learned to sing the North Carolina state song. They drew pictures of North Carolina State symbols and used their drawings as the inspiration for rhythmic compositions.
Sixth graders practiced note recognition and reviewed time signature with the help of Play Dough. They also practiced their sight singing skills and played the xylophones to review note values.
For the rest of this month and continuing into November, we will begin preparing repertoire for the annual Winter Concert on December 15. Our students will continue to hone rhythmic and melodic note reading with instruments like the recorder, hand chimes, and xylophones.
PE
Our 4th graders have had an opportunity to learn a few fitness related warm-ups with tag games, jump rope and running. Each student has learned how to size a jump rope that is perfect for their height and have already shown great inmoprvement in the number of times they can jump their rope. The 4th graders have learned how to play “Kerley Style” 4-Square and Rotational 4-Square. They have also learned a very popular throwing, target, and dodging game called Jailbreak. As we move into the next month or 2 the 4th graders will be learning Capture the Flag, baseball, and basketball in the EMIS Gym.
Our 5th graders have really taken on the competition of being the best jump roper in the school. I have challenged each student to use our Jump Roping with purpose whether it be in station work, warm ups or just for fun. I want them each to improve their jumping skills on an individual basis. However, we do have some of our 5th graders that want the competitive challenge of being the best in 5th grade. So far our top jumper has 409 consecutive jumps. Now That Is Amazing. The 5th graders have also leaned how to play some invasion games like Handball and striking games like baseball. As we move forward we will continue with invasion games like Hockey and Soccer whick are also striking games.
Our 6th Graders are beginning to learn the importance of Fitness and learning different activities that can be used for fitness outside of the classroom. Students have been introduce to fitness related warm-ups like 4 corner fitness. Students warm-up by running, jumping rope, jumping jacks, push-ups, line jumps or sit-ups. Our 6th graders have had the opportunity to play Flag Football which is part of our passing and receiving games with locomotion. They have also played whole gym indoor soccer and a few invasion games like handball. Students in the next few months will have the luxury of playing striking games like Hockey and Baseball. Students will also play Basketball which is always a favorite with this age groups because they get to play 2 small sided 5 on 5 games.
Starting in November I would like for our students to participate in a Hall of Fame wall. The Hall of Fame wall will showcase sports, fitness and activites that studetns love to be involved in. They will bring in a picture that shows them doing the Actvitiy that they love and I will place it on a wall in the hallway for all to see.