A Very Specials Newsletter
January
What's happening in PE
Kinder-5th grade
This month we will be participating in the Dallas Stars Fitness Challenge. The goal of this program is to teach the students the importance of healthy eating and staying active. There will be five main challenges that they will be attempting to complete to earn star push buttons that go on a bracelet.
Outside of class, students will complete...
1. -Strength (Completion if 100 pushups-either in a row or cumulative)
2. - Cardio (run 3 miles- either in a row or cumulative)
3. - Healthy Choices (Students can take photos of their healthy food, color a picture, or print one off)
Encourage them to try new healthy recipes (They can check out recipe books in the library!)
During Class, students will complete...
4. Agility (Complete and show grasp of 3 hockey drills)
5. Cross Training (Complete fitness gram)
The program is focused on fighting childhood obesity by promoting a healthy lifestyle.
What's happening in Art
5th grade-“selfies” they are drawing their self portrait inside a phone case
4th grade-Zentangles which are lines turned into pattern using a pen
3rd grade-Printmaking-using a Styrofoam printing plate to create numerous “prints”
2nd grade-Stregan Nona Pasta pots-overlapping shapes to create a 3D looking pasta pots. (there are several books from the Strega Nona series available in the library to read with your class!)
1st grade- Wayne Thiebaud style cupcakes
Kindergarten-Wayne Thiebaud style cupcakes
What's Happening in Music
Music is focusing on 3 big concepts:
-Finding our voices: Singing with good support and energy to create a beautiful sound
-Internalizing Beat: Feeling and moving to the beat in multiple ways to establish a steady pulse
-Reviewing Rhythm: Revisiting common rhythms and establishing a baseline for rhythm instruction.
These beginning weeks will also be all about learning names, sharing expectations and practicing procedures.
Thanks for being so welcoming and kind as I jump in mid-year!
We've been learning the sign language to True Colors during Cougar Academy. Take a brain break and have your kids show you what they know!
What's happening in the Library...
- This month we are revisiting library expectations and how to return books. While in the library with your classes, please reinforce placing "lost" books on carts and using shelf markers.
- Makerspace week will be January 25th-29th! This semester, we will be offering makerspace stations to all grades, K-5. During this time, the library is loud, messy, and lots of fun!
- I will be out, and the library will be closed on January 28th while I present at the annual Lite Up! Library Information Technology Expo. The librarian at Central Elementary and I will be sharing with others how we funded, planned, and implemented Makerspaces with limited space and budget.
- I will be meeting with teams NEXT month to start implementing technology into our instruction. Each month we'll focus on a different App or web based program. We'll be starting with Padlet. Start thinking about how you can incorporate this awesome website into your classroom! I'm excited to help find ways to teach our curriculum through digital instruction.
Dates to Know...
Thompson 2nd grade goes to the symphony
Thursday, Jan 21, 2016, 08:30 AM
Meyerson Symphony Center, Flora Street, Dallas, TX, United States
Makerspace Week in the Library
Monday, Jan 25, 2016, 08:30 AM
Thompson Library
Cougar Community Night
We'll be hosting a night of...
-Art show featuring our students
-Live Zumba classes
-Instrument Petting Zoo
-Health fair
-Spanish Book Fair
-4th Grade In-N-Out fundraiser
This will be a night to come together as a Cougar Community and share great things happening in and out of school. Please advertise on your newsletters and websites. We'll be giving more detailed information about your expectations the last week of January.