INSIDE THIS ISSUE... Page 1-2 All the World’s a Stage Page 3 Summer Camp Page 4-5 PTO Page 6-7 Achievements Page 8-17 Classroom Updates Page 18 M3S Spanish Page 19 Media Page 20 Music Page 21-27 Art Page 28 End of Year Show Page 30-31 Special Events Page 32 Calendar
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM MILLHOPPER MONTESSORI SCHOOL
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All the World’s a Stage By MMS Owner and Teacher, Ms. Christina Miller “It is the child who makes the man, and no man exists who was not made by the child he once was” -Dr. Maria Montessori In the twenty-first century, it is more important than ever before to be able to communicate thoughts, feelings, and ideas to other individuals and groups in a variety of effective ways. This article addresses the role drama plays in building these skills, how it dovetails and enhances education, and how it impacts child development in a holistic way. A child is in the process of creating himself. With drama, the self is used as the creative medium. One’s self activity and expression is all that is needed to communicate and create with others. This is different than other mediums which would require tools such as paints, technology or musical instruments. Drama is thought of as a form of human expression found throughout history and all over the world. It is, therefore, a fundamental need of humans. It is spontaneous in children’s play when they “rehearse” at being a parent, imitate a movie star, or imagine stretching abilities like a super hero. In Shakespeare’s play, As You Like It, Jaques says, “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts.” Essentially, children are trying on life. After time, this develops into abstract thinking, problem solving, self esteem, flexibility, thinking outside the box, creating new knowledge and even common sense. Howard Gardner’s list of eight intelligences is inherent to all humans. These are: 1. Spatial, 2.Bodily and Kinesthetic, 3.Logical-Mathematical, 4.Linguistic, 5.Musical, 6.Social Interpersonal, 7. Self-awareness Intrapersonal, and 8.Naturalistic. A well rounded developmentally appropriate education should include opportunities to develop all eight intelligences to prepare students for life in the twenty-first century. Drama helps to accomplish the aforementioned by providing a fertile ground for developing Interpersonal and Intrapersonal skills. Also, there is an emphasis on developing Bodily, Spatial, and Linguistic intelligence. These intelligences have long been eclipsed in traditional curriculum planning by reading, writing, and arithmetic. (Continued on Page 2)
All the World’s a Stage By MMS Owner and Teacher, Ms. Christina Miller (Story continued from cover) Research now shows that even the three Rs are positively impacted by drama because it develops listening and speaking skills and improves memory and comprehension. Drama, speech, debate and a well rounded performing arts program can be implemented easily within the curriculum. If viewed as a part of every subject area and not as an elective, education becomes authentic and meaningful as well as loads of fun. In Science, students can enact the working of a cell. In grammar, they can learn pronouns by memorizing the famous “Who’s on First”. In History and Humanities the opportunities are endless such as personifying historic people or doing a simulation of the Underground Railroad. Also, there has always been a strong relationship between storytelling and theatre. The National Curriculum for English recommends that all English teachers include drama when teaching reading and writing. Even the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has added the history of mathematics as a standard for the twenty-first century. A performing arts program would not be complete without a theater production component. Experiencing a stage and memorizing and reciting lines offer children the opportunity to express themselves with self confidence. When a child is able to speak competently to adults or not be nervous in front of his class he will not develop the fear of public speaking. There are many authentic components of a theater experience. Within the structure lie opportunities for creating sets, memorizing lines, singing and dancing, auditioning, and learning about the technology of lighting and sound. Drama in education builds skills that are needed in the twenty-first Century. An authentic curriculum that is cutting edge and dynamic must be taught in an environment that includes drama in many subject areas because of how it impacts child development in a holistic way. Children are naturally drawn to it because it helps them create the adults they are becoming, develop their self esteems, and provides opportunities to shine. Set the stage and let the curtain rise!
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Silent Auction MMS’ PTO organized a school-wide silent auction fundraiser this spring. The students and teachers had a wonderful time creating pieces to auction off, and the parents had an even better time bidding! Ms. Susie Long also made a Dr. Seuss themed quilt and sham pillow case for a chance drawing. Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you for helping the PTO raise over $2,000. This money has gone toward the Beginners through Kindergarten classes end of the year Splash Day, and the First through Eighth Grades End of the Year Show After Party. What a treat for our students! Please check out opportunities for the 2015-2016 school year to support the PTO and our school: http://millhopper.com/pto/volunteering/
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Spirit “Knights” We had several Spirit “Knights” throughout the 2014—2015 school year. This was an opportunity to eat dinner out with family and friends at designated restaurants in order to raise a percentage for MMS. Thank you to all who participated in helping us raise about $1,000! We are looking forward to more Spirit “Knights” next year at Piesanos and Sonny’s. BBQ.
Teacher Appreciation Week Every year the teachers and staff are treated to a week of appreciation for all their hard work. This year, they were showered with an assortment of homemade breakfast specials, popcorn with various toppings, a catered lunch spread, coffee and pastries, and a gift of individual monetary funds from many MMS families. Thank you to the all the parents on the PTO for organizing this week long event, and a job well done to teachers and staff on another successful school year.
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Contest Winners! During the month of March, several of our students participated in the 2015 “Saving My Alachua” Environmental Art Contest, and four students from MMS won! Two of the four students, who happen to be brothers, won the Calendar Selection portion as well, meaning their art work will be featured in the 2016 “Saving My Alachua” Calendar. Congratulations to these four students on your big win:
Sebastian P., 1st place, Kindergarten Category, and Calendar Selection Ori S., 1st place, Second Grade Category Xavier P., 2nd place, Second Grade Category, and Calendar Selection Sienna C., 1st place, Fourth Grade Category
Throughout the year, MMS families have been donating Box Top labels as a way for our school to raise extra funds. We exceeded our goal of $1,000! The winner for bringing the most in this 2014-2015 school year is Mr. Richard and Ms. Suzi’s class with 1,724 total! They have the Kona Ice Truck coming their way for free snow cones. Thank you to everyone for putting forth the effort this school year.
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Bee Winners! Mr. Richard Aslanian’s 2nd & 3rd Grade class: Spelling Bee 2nd Grade 1st place-Ketki B. 2nd place-Lena W.
3rd Grade 1st place-Stasi W. 2nd place-Vivie T.
Geography Bee
1st place-Koharu M. 2nd place-Sienna C. 3rd place-Teya B-W. 4th place-Chloe G.
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Runners-Up: 2nd Grade 3rd Grade Isabelle S. Akimi A. DJ F. Ori S. Ben G. Ivo T. Anthony W.
Ms. Christina Miller’s 4th Grade class: Spelling Bee
3rd Grade 1 place-Stasi W. 2nd place-Penny D.
2nd Grade 1st place-Ketki B. 2nd place-Jeremy B-W.
Ms. Karina Newman’s 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Spanish class: Spelling Bee 6th Grade 1 place-Anu S. 2nd place-Rissa J. 3rd place-Robyn J. st
7th Grade 1 place-Lindey F. 2nd place-Eileen K. 3rd place-Ariana H. st
8th Grade 1 place-Tara P. nd 2 place-Becca B. 3rd place-Ari J. st
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Beginners: Ages 2 to 4 Ms. Crystal Sorrow ~ Ms. Kyra Akay ~ Ms. Oksana Carlberg
Spring is always an amazing time in the Beginners Class. By spring students are very comfortable with the Montessori environment, the expectations of the class, and the daily schedule. Students are growing and blossoming in so many exceptional ways as they absorb new information, discover new topics of study, and refine their skills in their quests for independence and mastery. This spring students learned about fruits and vegetables with daily tastings. They strengthened their fine motor skills with peeling, cutting, and scrubbing. They expanded their palates by smelling and Counting using green peppers
tasting new fruits and vegetables and some old favorites besides. Students discussed what grows on trees, plants or bushes, or underground. The cooking activities were a delight for all. The fruits and vegetables study was followed by a month long unit study on France in which vocabulary, country facts, food, and culture was explored. There was a tasting day each week of French cuisine and French artists, composers, inventors, and singers were also focused upon. The students learned colors, numbers, and greetings in
Making guacamole out of avocados
French as the month progressed.
Posing with the mime, Ms. Crystal PAGE
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Learning about French cuisine
March is always our garden unit in the Beginners Class and is one of our favorite units every year. Class families help us plant the garden and the class cares for the garden all month long mulching, taking cuttings, watering, and weeding. Our family appreciation picnic every year is the amazing finale to our gardening as gifts are made, representative of the garden, and families enjoy picnicking and garden viewing with their children. The class continues to smell of basil, mint, and fresh flowers as vases are filled each week with cuttings from the garden. A natural progression after our garden unit was our study on birds. The class was lucky enough to have both chickens and parakeets visit during the month. Students learned about the body parts, habitats, nest structures, and life cycle of birds. The class has a bird bath and bird feeder and saw many cardinals and wrens along with other bird species. Each day the class listened to different bird calls and enjoyed works focused on birds.
Gardening, animals and family, oh my!
May is always a fun month as students enjoy end of the year activities and dressing up for a variety of delightful days, including splash day. It is always a rewarding happy time as another school year comes to a close and all the incredible growth the students have experienced this year is reflected upon. The Beginners Class students are the youngest in the school but they develop in so many ways from the beginning of the year until the end, and observing and encouraging that development is truly a thrill. PAGE
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Preschool: Ages 3 to 5 Ms. Martha Dolan ~ Ms. Christina Wegner The Montessori environment is where children are encouraged to be critical thinkers. Before the geography unit on land and water forms, the students are introduced to the:
sand paper globe (language: land and water) globe (language: continent and ocean) puzzle map of the hemispheres (language: names of continents) puzzle map of the continent on which they live (language: names of the countries)
The land forms were introduced two at a time, using opposites. (Isthmus and strait, peninsula and gulf, lake and island) Of course their favorite was the Florida peninsula. We concluded the unit by making and eating land forms out of bread. Eating the land forms made out of bread
Land forms on display
The Montessori environment and curriculum are inquisitive-based. During the month of March, the students explored and learned what leaves caterpillars eat leading to our unit study of the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. The students learned the stages of the butterfly (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, fully developed butterfly). We concluded our study with the students making caterpillars and painting butterfly wings symmetrically. The Montessori environment allows children to predict. During our science experiment of sink and float the students brought their own objects to experiment with to see if they would sink or float. They even found out that some objects would float for a short while and as they absorbed water, they would sink.
Pom Pom caterpillars Decorating butterfly wings
Gathered as a group in their butterfly wings
Students working on and presenting their sink and float experiments PAGE
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Children are naturally curious. During our unit study of parts of the seed and flower, the students were able to plant green bean seeds and watch them grow into a plant. They dissected lima bean seeds and learned what was inside of a seed then they made a book and labeled the seed parts. For their art activity, they painted sunflowers and glued sunflower seeds in the middle of their flower.
Painting sunflowers
Gluing sunflower stems
Watering her plant
The Montessori environment encourages students to feel comfortable. During April, action rhymes gave the students the opportunity to act out nursery rhymes like “Jack and Jill” and “Hickory Dickory Dock”. “Hickory Dickory Dock” is intended to introduce children to fundamentals of telling time. The first publication date for the “Hickory Dickory Dock” rhyme was 1744. The students did several push pin art works of nursery rhymes. Showing her Hickory Dickory Clock During May, the students painted and displayed their push pin art for their unit study of dinosaurs. They pretended to be paleontologist and worked at excavating dinosaur bones from clay.
Painting and presenting their push pin dinosaur landscape art
During our Parent Appreciation day, the students preformed “The World Is a Rainbow”. The students painted and decorated their own picture frame as a thank you present for their parents. What a nice way to end an exciting school year!
Students enjoying breakfast with and performing for their parents PAGE
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Preschool/Kindergarten Ms. Renee Brohamer ~ Ms. Kathleen Bastien This second half of the school year has gone by so quickly. In January we began a unit study on oceans and marine life. We learned about the different ocean zones and about how sunlight impacts the living creatures that make the ocean their home. We learned that marine life, like all things can be classified into groups by their similarities. We did lots or sorting and grouping of marine animals into their different classes. We also enhanced our unit study with our annual research projects. The children each selected a favorite marine animal to learn more about, and then they designed a format for sharing their findings with the class. Our students shared their findings using posters, dioramas, other models, and some even wrote their own books on their selected creature. The projects were phenomenal! In considering how to do research we discussed places to find information such as books, the internet, videos, museums, zoos/aquariums, or the best source, people who are experts on the subject. In February we had our second Students presenting their marine annual “Parent Night”. The children life research projects enjoyed showing their parents the lessons they had been working on in the classroom and it also gave the parents an opportunity to see the displays of all the research projects. By mid-February we were ready to begin our next unit study, Asia. We began on Lunar New Year’s Eve with an informative and Students presenting their works interactive presentation by during Parent Night Warinna’s mother about China and Chinese New Year. We tasted several Chinese treats, we learned about Chinese writing using characters which could stand for a whole word or a syllable of a word and we learned that the two most common languages in China are Mandarin and Cantonese. PAGE
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Students enjoying their Chinese treats
Throughout the next six weeks we explored several Asian countries with an emphasis on those countries represented by students in our class. Many of our parents came in to help their children teach the class about their homeland. Mia’s mother shared about Japan and Japanese culture with yet another interactive presentation including a favorite Japanese game they all played together and samples of Japanese treats including dried seaweed crisps. Alisha, Nikita, Aahna, and Saharsh all dressed in traditional clothing from India and gave wonderful presentations about India and the particular state they each came from. We learned that there are several languages in India and many states as well. Each family shared a bit about their own state and also about a holiday or festival celebrated there. Nikita and her mother even preformed a traditional dance for us. It was beautiful! Our final presentation on Sri Lanka was equally entertaining and informative Thenula’s mother did a power-point about the tropical island country and sent everyone home with delicious tea, their major export. All of the presentations were amazing and really served to help the children understand what life might be like in these faraway places.
Students playing a traditional Japanese game
A presentation by students and parents on India
A presentation by a student and mother on Sri Lanka
With the dawn of spring we began our next unit study, which is all about spring. We have been making many wonderful scientific observations. We split bean seeds and found the embryonic plant within, just waiting for the right conditions to begin growing. We then watered whole seeds and observed how they swelled and grew using root view containers, and the children tracked each day’s growth in their journals. They also learned the names of the parts of the seed and the seedling. At the same time we have also been discussing insects and other little creatures associated with gardens and plants. We had the opportunity to observe the life cycle and metamorphosis of lady bugs and butterflies. My they all grow so fast. Just like our children. What a wonderful year of discovery we have had.
Students participate in the ladybug and butterfly release
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Lower Elementary: 2nd & 3rd Grades Mr. Richard Aslanian ~ Ms. Suzi Rumsey
We’ve been working hard and been busy since our last newsletter. Here are a few fun things we have been covering over the past few months: In Science, we’ve learned about solutions, mixtures and saturation. We were able to make some of our own crystals in the classroom. We also spent some time learning about the water cycle and the journey that each molecule of water goes through. Now, we are immersed in the parts and functions of plants and flowers, photosynthesis, pollination and the nitrogen cycle. It was great to have Dr. Jack Putz come in and spend some time talking about the many different types of flowers and seeds that we can find right in our own yards. He had some fun investigations for us and our classroom was messy and smelled like onions!
Refracting light and prisms in Science class
During March and April our class spent some time creating some original poems in our literature studies. We learned about couplets, tongue twisters, onomatopoeia and limericks. We have many talented poets in our class this year. Their original poems became part of their journal writing. This year’s Geography Bee was fun and challenging. Both the second and third grade bees went beyond the study packet and had to be decided by all new questions that the students did not have a chance to learn beforehand. We were very impressed with the effort of the students and hope that this will continue to inspire them to learn about the many places around the world. One of our group projects during the last month was to create a new denomination of money and to choose a famous woman to be pictured on the bill. The students were separated into their houses, where they discussed who they would like to choose and what amount would be on the bill. Slytherin chose Rosa Parks on the $75 bill. Hufflepuff went with Harriet Tubman on the $300 bill, because she helped over 300 people escape from slavery, Ravenclaw decided on Eleanor Roosevelt on the $25 bill and Gryffindor voted on Betsy Ross on the $13 bill for the original colonies. Each group had to create a poster of the bill and to research the importance of their subject and tell us why they thought she should be the one chosen. The final step was to present the completed project to the class. PAGE 14
When we step back and look at all the topics and lessons that we have had and add the amount of other events such as Elementary/Middle School Showcase, Father’s Field Day, Physical Fitness Testing, Mother’s Day Tea, the End of the Year Show and the many creative projects that we do, it really is quite amazing. Our students are busy and exposed to so many wonderful things that they handle with such grace and excitement. Thanks to all of our families for another great year. We look forward to making the last month fun and educational.
A student showing his grandfather his work during Student Showcase Field Day fun!
Reading: 1st-3rd Grades Ms. Elaine Manion ~ Ms. Rhea Bush As the school year draws to a close we begin to reflect on how far our students have come since August. We are very proud of how hard the children have worked in reading this year. On the last day of school we will hand out reading awards to the students reflecting this progress. Awards will be given for meeting monthly reading goals, last year’s summer reading participation, excelling in total number of reading points, and/or comprehension scores, and other special achievements. Speaking of summer reading, did you know that children who do not read on the summer break can lose up to three months’ worth of reading progress? This can leave them behind in the fall. Summer reading loss, sometimes referred to as “summer slide” can be overcome by reading daily throughout the summer. Books are very portable and can be brought along on vacation, car rides, relatives’ houses, and even your own back yard. The public library is open all summer and has some fun programs to help alleviate the summer slide. We will also be sending home information regarding our own summer reading program for tracking minutes read. As mentioned, we give awards to those children who bring in reading logs of minutes they read over the summer.
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Middle School: 6th, 7th & 8th Grades Ms. Sherilyn Farris ~ Ms. Susan Hansen Middle School students presented a Festival of Dionysus to third through fifth graders on Friday, February 27th. Students studied Classical Mythology throughout January and February in addition to preparing for the show. Seventh and eighth grade students read many adaptations of popular myths and did an in depth study of the Odyssey while reading The Adventures of Ulysses by Bernard Evslin. Students also conducted research and wrote papers on topics related to life in Ancient Greece. Sixth grade students studied Ancient Greek civilization in history class as well. To prepare for the festival, each group of students chose a myth and adapted it into a play. The plays presented were Prometheus, Orpheus and Eurydice, Pandora, and Atalanta. Students also wrote encomia, or poems, to honor Greek heroes. Sixth grade student prepared a debate to compare life in Sparta to life in Athens. All students presented scenes from the Iliad and the Odyssey on Greek vases that were incorporated into the festival as a backdrop. Eighth graders used these vases to retell these epics in the ancient oral tradition. This project was cross-curricular combining social studies, language arts, art, and drama classes. The middle school presents a Festival of Dionysus every two years. Next year we will be presenting the seventh Shakespeare Festival to first through fifth grade classes.
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Seventh and Eighth Grade Middle School internships took place during the first week of March. The Seventh grade students interned in one of the MMS Kindergarten or Elementary classes. The Eighth grade students fulfilled their internships in a community business of their choice. Seventh grade interns were responsible for various classroom assignments, such as reading to students, or having students read to them, helping with math questions, or overseeing seasonal craft projects. Classroom teachers appreciated the with lessons and spring projects, and interning student experienced the role of “teacher” for the week.
The Eighth grade students chose some very interesting sites to complete their internships. These sites were: The Orthopedic Institute, Florida Awards and Trophy Company, Timberview Pet Clinic, Stuffany Bakery, and the US Geological Survey. All of the employers were very positive with their evaluations of the middle school students, especially pointing out the students’ high level of responsibility and their desire to help where ever needed. Many employers also commented that the time length of the internship project, one week, gave the students a better opportunity to experience the different aspects of a business environment. Overall, internships were very successful. All of the 7th and 8th Grade Middle School students made positive contributions to their internship sites and, in return, gained a sense of what will be expected of them when they enter the working environment.
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Spanish: 6th, 7th & 8th Grades Sra. Karina Newman ¡Hola a todos! The school year is almost over, and it has been satisfactory for me as their Spanish teacher to see how all of the students according to their level have improved their ability to speak in Spanish. The Sixth graders studied have been studying Unit 1, lección 2 Mis amigos y yo. They learned how to describe themselves and their friends, and to identify people and things. Later in the semester they have been studying Unit 2, lección 1 Somos estudiantes. They have learned how to talk about daily schedules, ask and tell the time, say what they have to do and what things they do and how often they do them. During May we discussed the celebration of Cinco de Mayo and what happened on this date. Over the past weeks they have been focused on the study of the verb “tener” and have practiced the spelling of the vocabulary words in order to be ready for the Spanish Spelling Bee. The Seventh graders studied Unit 4, España, lección 2, ¿Qué hacemos esta noche? They learned to describe places and events in town, talk about different types of transportation, say what you are going to do and order from a menu, and the vocabulary related to a restaurant. As part of this unit we went to the Mexican restaurant Pepper’s where the students had to order from a menu in Spanish, and had the opportunity to speak and interact with Spanish speaking people in a real setting. They had a great time. It was a fun learning activity. Later in the semester they have been studying unidad 5, Ecuador, lección 1 Vivimos aqui. Students learned how to describe a house and its household items. As part of this unit they did a project about their ideal house. They used an app to design the house, and then they had to present the design of the house to the class and describe in Spanish what furniture and house hold items it had. For the project they had to work with their IPhones, and, as you know, this is something they love to do. The Eighth graders at the beginning of this semester reviewed the vocabulary related with food. As part of this lesson they prepared beef and vegetables empanadas (turnovers) and then did a presentation to the class, in Spanish, about the recipe and how to prepare it. Also, they studied Unit 8, Costa Rica, lección 2 Vamos de Vacaciones. In this unit they reviewed specific vocabulary about vacation activities and how to buy souvenirs. They also studied the use of indirect object pronouns and demonstrative adjectives. Later in the semester they studied the Present Progressive Tense and the Future Tense. They have learned Spanish songs which lyrics reinforce the grammar that they were learning. Students learned the songs Lloraré from David Bisbal, Bailando from Enrique Iglesias, and Antología from Shakira.
¡Felices vacaciones de verano!
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Media
Ms. Jennifer Kuntz Our Spring Book Fair was held Monday, March 16th – Friday, March 20th, right before Spring Break. With the proceeds, we were able to purchase almost $1,000.00 worth of books for the school – including almost all of the teacher requests! The additional profit goes into “Scholastic Dollars”, which has helped us purchase even more books for the next school year. Mark your calendars now for the Fall Book Fair: November 30 – December 4, 2015. That’s the week right after Thanksgiving break, so you can get a head start on your holiday shopping! We are fortunate in Alachua County to have an excellent library system, especially when it comes to summer reading! They hold many special programs throughout the summer at the various library branches. Visit http://www.aclib.us/ for a complete list of events or to search for books, movies, and more. Click on the “Kids” or “Teens” link at the top of the library web page to find information – including suggested reading lists by grade – picked just for Elementary and Middle / High School students! Elementary and Middle School students will have reading lists (with some required books) to help them get ready for next year. No matter what age, make sure your child(ren) read some books of their choice – just for fun! Children of any age also love to be read to, so break out some old favorites.
Below are some links to help you support your child with their summer reading: http://www.scholastic.com/summer The theme of this year’s Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge is “Power Up & Read”. All rising First – Fifth graders can login to track their reading and earn online badges as they reach goals. The Scholastic site includes a section for parents, which has resources such as activities and suggested titles by age. There are even suggested Young Adult titles – maybe you’ll find something new! http://www.ala.org/alsc/2015-summer-reading-list The Association of Library Service to Children has created updated summer reading lists for 2015. Follow the link above for suggested titles divided into three separate lists: Kindergarten – 2nd Grade; 3rd – 5th Grade; and 6th – 8th Grade. http://www.justreadfamilies.org/ This site, home of the state of Florida’s “Just Read, Families!” initiative, includes lots of information about supporting your child’s reading development, including suggested summer reading-related activities and outside links. http://www.floridamedia.org/?page=ssyrahome The Florida Association for Media in Education and the Florida Department of Education jointly sponsor the Sunshine State Young Reader’s Awards to encourage students in Upper Elementary and Middle School to read appealing, good quality literature. The lists for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year are available at the link above. Students who read three or more titles from the list can vote for their favorite at the end of the school year. Here’s a hint: Ms. Jennifer Kuntz and Ms. Susan Hansen expect their language arts students to read books from these lists! PAGE
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Music Ms. Liz Bublitz Ms. Liz is very excited to be back this semester working with all the MMS students! Ms. Crystal’s class is enjoying some fun animal songs that include clapping rhythms and musical dynamics. The students understand four different dynamic levels (piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte and forte) and can successfully demonstrate them. The Preschool, Preschool/Kindergarten students have proven to be educational sponges this semester. They understand 6 different dynamic levels (pianissimo, piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, forte, fortissimo) and can successfully demonstrate them. The students also learned basic rhythms and note values such as whole notes, half notes, quarter notes and eighth note. A majority can sing examples of these rhythms. The students also experimented with glockenspiel's and continued playing rhythms on them.
First through Eighth grades have been diligently working on the end of the year musical, Seussical Jr. All students have experienced the process of learning their music, memorizing music and learning choreography. I am thrilled with the excitement and dedication these students have shown these past few months. I invite everyone to come out to PK Yonge on Friday, May 29th at 5:30 PM to see all their hard work!
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Art: 1st through 8th Grades Ms. Joanne McFarland MS. ERIN SOREL’S 1ST & 2ND GRADE CLASS What is a symbol versus a pattern? What is a complex pattern? What is a motif? These are questions we discussed as we studied Helen Galler’s folk art landscape pictures. We started by creating a layout with pencil, and had at least 15 sections with various patterns. After patterning the sections, we added trees, suns, barns, and other aspects of the landscape. After we penciled everything in, we used a black sharpie marker and outlined EVERYTHING. Then we colored in Helen Galler Landscape the shapes (not the backgrounds) with crayons, being sure to color very solidly, and painted the background with watercolors. We ended up with very fanciful, colorful worlds!
The artist Alexander Calder is famous for his works in sculpture, especially his mobiles. We studied how Calder maintained balance even though it looks like one side might have more or heavier shapes than the other. We discussed the shapes we saw in his mobiles, colors he used, and how the sculpture balanced. Using pipe cleaners and construction paper, we made our own Calder sculptures. We cut out shapes out of colored construction paper, and punched a hole in one side of each shape. Then we twisted two pipe cleaners together until they were able to balance on one finger, and hung the construction paper shapes off the ends of the pipe cleaners. Finally, we made adjustments as needed so that our mobiles were still balanced with the shapes.
Alexander Calder Untitled (1937)
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MS. ERIN SOREL’S 1ST & 2ND GRADE CLASS (continued) Making pictures of ourselves is a great activity for an early elementary student! We studied different self-portraits from famous artists, such as Vincent Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo. We discussed that making our art look specifically like us is the goal, but it is okay if it’s not an exact resemblance. We focused on having lots of color and pattern for our backgrounds and being sure to have our image fill the page.
Vincent Van Gogh Self Portrait
Frida Kahlo Self Portrait
We started by drawing a large letter “U” in the middle of the paper to signify where our faces would be. Then we added our hair and facial features, making sure to be specific – if we wore glasses, draw the glasses. If our hair was curly, make squiggles. If our tooth was missing, draw a gap in our mouth. After we drew our features, we added lots of pattern to the background and colored them in with many colors.
For our next project, worked with construction paper, and studied the work of Piet Mondrian. He was a Dutch painter famous for a style of art he termed neoplasticism (images that can be reduced to simple shapes). He used primary colors, black and white vertical and horizontal lines, and lots of negative spaces (places where there is no color). Piet Mondrian Self Portrait
We used strips of black construction paper, blocks of colored construction paper, and tried several different arrangements to see what was most pleasing. We made sure that the black strips bordered all the colored blocks, and then glued them to a white background to for the same kind of effect as Mondrian. The results were simple, but stunning! PAGE
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MR. RICHARD ASLANIAN’S 2ND & 3RD GRADE CLASS A fun project not based on a famous artist can be a welcome diversion. We looked at a video of the annual Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM, and “oooh’ed” and “aaah’ed “over the pretty patterns on the balloons. Then we made our own pictures of what we would want our balloon to look like. We focused on patterns, perspective (making the balloon look round), and color. We were very pleased with our results!
Paul Cezanne’s paintings are full of bold colors, broad brush strokes, and common subjects – especially trees! We looked at several of his paintings of trees and discussed the different kinds of shapes, colors, needle contours. We talked about how they can be simplified into shapes that we recognize, such as cones and triangles, and discussed the use of Cezanne’s backgrounds. Paul Cezanne The Banks of the Marne (1888)
We began by making the background. We used tempera paints in broad brushstrokes in a random pattern and colors. Then we used white tempera paint and cotton balls to dab on “snow” to make our landscape a winter scene. While the background dried, we drew the trees out of different colored green construction paper, cut them out, and added boughs with glitter for some sparkle. Finally, we glued the trees to our background for a spectacular effect.
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MR. RICHARD ASLANIAN’S 2ND & 3RD GRADE CLASS (continued) For another project, we looked at trees again but in a different way. We discussed the look of trees in fall and winter as deciduous trees drop their leaves, and evergreen needles stay. We looked at trees done in black and white by relatively unknown artists and discussed how painting a tree in black and white makes it look very different from paintings of trees done in color. We discussed the differences between these artists' trees details, branches, random and spontaneous lines – and how people’s paintings of the same subject can look very different. Kiriaki Ink Trees
Melanie Ford Wilson Ink Tree Colin Brewer Ink Trees
We started this project by painting the background in watercolors - a wet on wet method. Many of us added a sun to create a sunset or sunrise. We made sure to paint the entire background, and let it dry. Once the background was dry, I put a medium sized drop of black ink at the bottom of the painting, and had the students use straws to blow the "tree" upward to create the main trunk. We then made the branches by blowing the ink outward from the “trunk.” The students were allowed to use more drops if needed or wanted. To add interest to the painting, we varied the placement and size of the ink drops to create perspective. The results gave us very evocative landscapes of winter trees.
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MS. CHRISTINA MILLER’S 4TH & 5TH GRADE CLASS In the 4th and 5th grade class, we looked at another Gustav Klimt painting (remember our Tree of Life project?) to study birch trees. We started by studying the texture, color, and shape of his birch trees, and compared and contrasted Klimt’s style with pictures of actual birch trees. We noticed that Klimt’s birch trees are very realistic. We studied his use of perspective and noted that the
Gustav Klimt Farmhouse with Birch Trees (1903)
To start our paintings, we used masking tape on our paper where we wanted our trees to be. We made sure that the tape went off the top of the page, but had them “grow” from anywhere on the page. Then, we used oil pastels to draw details on the ground, simulating leaves and soil. To finish the background, we used watercolors and painted in the sky and ground.
When our background was dry, we carefully peeled off the tape, revealing the white paper underneath. Then we used a credit card dipped in black tempera paint to make the bark of the birch trees. We dragged the dipped card across only the white space to simulate the texture and color of birch trees. We were all pleased with how realistic the trees looked!
For our next project, used only two items: paper and a pen! We looked at an art form called Tangles – a form of Op Art that incorporates the use of pattern to create a picture. We sectioned off parts of an outline (shapes, picture, or letters), and added as many patterns as we could think of. Soft, relaxing music played to help our minds be open to creativity, and most of us enjoyed the quiet experience!
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MS. SHERILYN FARRIS’ 6TH, 7TH & 8TH GRADE CLASS Chuck Close is a famous American painter. He first became famous for his large scale photorealist portraits. In the middle school art class, we started our study of portraits by watching a CBS mini-documentary where Chuck Close writes a note to his younger self. Most people are, understandably, apprehensive about doing a portrait, even more so about doing a self-portrait. To make drawing a self-portrait less threatening, we used Chuck Close’s approach of drawing from a grid. We started by taking pictures of ourselves, and printing them out in black and white. Then, we drew a grid over this picture. After that, we drew a grid on a blank piece of drawing Chuck Close paper. Finally, we drew our self-portraits from the photograph onto the drawing Philip (1969) paper, square by square. The advantage of this method is that each square is much more manageable than looking at a whole picture and trying to draw it. We focused on using tones and shading instead of lines, which made our drawings much more 3 dimensional. Some of us really enjoyed the process and were quite pleased with our self-portraits. Others were very happy to move on to the next project!
In conjunction with Ms. Susan Hansen’s Greek unit, we made copies of ancient Greek vases, or amphora. We researched different motifs and styles of vases, and learned that often the vases told a story. For the Greek festival, each of us was assigned a part in a reading of a Greek play or poem, so our vases were to reflect that part of the literature. We started the project by folding a 12x18 piece of brown construction paper in half, lengthwise. Then we drew the silhouette of half the shape of the vase that we wanted. We cut it out on the fold, and when we unfolded it, we had a symmetrical form. Next, we drew the scene that we were assigned, and used black markers and gold metallic paint to embellish the design. After the vases were mounted on colorful background paper, they made a great backdrop for our Festival of Dionysus! PAGE
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Art Class ~ PTO Auction Group Art Projects Mr. Richard’s 1st & 2nd Grade class ~ Decoupage Vases
Ms. Christina Miller’s 4th & 5th Grade class ~ Tiled Trays and Trivets
Ms. Sherilyn Farris’ 6th, 7th & 8th Grade class ~ Painted Wineglasses
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End of the Year Show Sponsorship Contributors
Director’s Chair Sponsors
Mullally Family
Johnston Family
Lessard Family
Center Stage Sponsors
John Annin
Turk Family
Stage Manager Sponsors
Daina Greene Family
Leading Role Sponsors
Goslinga Family
Supporting Role Sponsors
Webb Family Gillis Family Jaffe Family PAGE
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Joe Lentz
Stern Family Dobbins Family Adkins Family
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Beginners, Preschool, & Preschool/Kindergarten Parent Appreciation Picnic and Breakfast
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Elementary and Middle School Mother’s Day Teas
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May 2015
C A L
Kindergarten Graduation Pictures 10:00 AM
Wednesday, May 27
Kindergarten Graduation 1:30 PM
Thursday, May 28
Last Day of School for Preschool/Kindergarten
Friday, May 29
End of Year Show @ P.K. Yonge 5:30 PM
June 2015 Tuesday, June 2
Middle School 8th Grade Graduation @ Unity Church 6:00 PM *Pictures at 5:30 PM*
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Wednesday, June 3
Northeast Pool Trip (Erin Sorel’s class)
Wednesday, June 3
Blue Springs Trip (Richard Aslanian’s 2nd & 3rd Grade, Sr. Elementary, Middle School)
Thursday, June 4
Last Day of School for Elementary/Middle School
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Monday, June 8
Summer Camp begins
D A R PAGE
Wednesday, May 27
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August 2015 Friday, August 14
Beginners, Preschool, Preschool/Kindergarten Orientation Day
Monday, August 17
First Day of School for Beginners, Preschool, Preschool/Kindergarten
Monday, August 24
First Day of School for Elementary/Middle School
September 2015 Monday, September 7
Labor Day Holiday – No School
Tuesday, September 8
Teacher Work Afternoon 3:30-5:30 PM
Tuesday, September 29
Elementary/Middle School Interim Reports Sent Home