Talk of Terra Verde Winter 2020

Terra Verde Discovery School

Winter Trimester 2020 Newsletter

Talk of Terra Verde Excellence | Education | Ethics | Ecology

FROM THE HEADMASTER TVDS challenges minds and transforms lives. During conversations with recent alumni, I have had the pleasure of seeing the successes of this vision. As we aspire to achieve this goal for the next generation of Owls, the importance of innovation continues to be apparent.

This spring, TVDS will begin installation of 130 additional kilowatts of solar energy on campus. TVDS will be the first school in the state of Oklahoma to consume 100 percent renewable energy, a goal of our community for many years that will come to fruition! Congratulations!

In the classroom, innovation continues to be emphasized as our students learn the importance of an education that includes language instruction, art, and music education. During the spring trimester, our Fine Arts Family Fun Fest (FAFFF) will display how these programs integrate academic content areas to expand student knowledge. If you haven’t attended this community event, it is a great way to experience first hand the impact of these programs on our student development.

As you read through this issue of the Talk of TV, I encourage you to reflect on the innovative ways of our faculty. We are constantly evolving and researching best practices in education with our primary focus being on the student experience.

I share this publication with gratitude and appreciation. Rest assured that throughout the remainder of the year, we will continue to innovate. My thanks to all of you for your input and support as we continue the journey.

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1

From the Headmaster

PAGE 2

Assistant Head of School

PAGE 3

Kindergarten

PAGE 4

1st Grade

PAGE 5

2nd Grade

PAGE 6

3rd Grade

PAGE 7

4th Grade

PAGE 8

5th Grade

PAGE 9

Upper English

PAGE 10-11

Middle School Science

PAGES 12

Upper Math, Pre-Algebra, & Algebra

PAGE 13

Upper Social Studies

PAGES 14-16

Mandarin

PAGE 17-19

Art

PAGES 20

Spanish

PAGE 21-27

Music

PAGE 28-29

The Office/Golf Sponsors

Eric M. Snyder Headmaster

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Mr. Ty Bell ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL Letter to TVDS Community

I would like to take this opportunity to say “Thank You” to the entire Terra Verde community for the extremely warm welcome I have received. For several years I have heard about the incredible things happening at Terra Verde, but to be here and witness it first-hand has been awe-inspiring. I have been an educator for 31 years and I can honestly say I have never witnessed anything as special as the Terra Verde experience. I would like to point out just a few of the things I have noticed that make this such a special place.

First and foremost, the students at Terra Verde have welcomed me with open arms.

Students from kindergarten to 8th grade have been willing to help me learn the ropes. I have been amazed at the academic abilities of our students, but what is most impressive is how our students treat each other with mutual respect and inclusivity. I find myself referring to Terra Verde more often as a family instead of a school. In just a few short months, I have already grown to care about each of the students and I am excited about getting to know them even better in the remaining months of this school year.

I would also like to thank the staff for their patience with me while I learn the “Terra Verde Way” of doing things. The staff has been extremely helpful, and I am blown away by their professionalism and talent. It is without question the best group of people I have ever had the privilege to work with. Not a day goes by that I am not absolutely amazed by the high level of instruction that I witness taking place all over the campus. One thing that caught my attention early on was how all teachers engage students in critical thinking activities. This is something that sets Terra Verde apart from other schools.

Finally, I would like to thank the parents of Terra Verde. I have been welcomed into the Terra Verde community with open arms. I am very aware that we have awesome students because we have awesome families. As parents, you should be very proud of the students you send to Terra Verde each day. Please know that I am here to serve you and your family. Do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can do to be of service to you. I am thrilled to be here, and I look forward to a very bright future here on the 60 Acres!

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Kindergarten By: Ms. Baugh

Mo Willems is an American author loved by children of all ages, parents and teachers! This trimester Kindergarten used books written by Mo to help spark our writing. With the help of Elephant, Piggy and The Pigeon we learned how to form and write opinions and write letters to try and persuade others to have our opinions. Our very first opinion piece was based on the story “Don’t Let The Pigeon Take a Bath.” Students used descriptive words to explain why they preferred to take baths or showers.

After a variety of opinion writings, we dove into persuasive writing! We read the story, Don’t Let The Pigeon Stay Up Late and worked together to write a letter to our parents explaining why Kindergarteners should stay up late. A few favorite reasons included 1) OU football is playing 2) I will clean the house (woohoo!) 3) I will read to my sibling. I loved the way students began to think of what would convince their parents to let them stay up.

Mo Willem’s books weren’t only great for writing, they were fabulous for reading! We devoured a plethora of his stories and the children are always begging for more. His books speak to children, not at them. I think this is why they appeal to such a broad range of ages. Mo’s books explore themes such as friendship, perseverance, empathy, compassion and even patience. This allowed even our youngest readers to think deeply and ask questions about the world around them. Mo openly admits to not having all of the answers to these questions, but presents them in a fun way to explore for children.

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1st Grade

Mrs. McCurry

Exploring Space

First grade dove into the study of space for the second trimester. We were honored with a few visits from experts in the field of space. Ms. Beck, our Upper School science teacher, visited our classroom to reenact Earth’s orbit around the sun. On the basketball course, students imitated how the Earth revolves around the sun. By the end of the interactive lesson, students were able to differentiate between the terms rotate, revolve, and orbit.

Cameron Martin, 5th grade Terra Verde student, visited the first grade classroom to present information about the seasons, planets, the Milky Way, and black holes. We even learned the term spaggification, which is a black hole’s extreme gravitational pull on a body of matter. Our classroom was incredibly inspired by Cameron’s passion and knowledge for space. Many of the first graders hope to work for NASA in the future.

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2nd Grade Ms. Berryhill

Wonderful and Weird Animal Adaptations Students who demonstrate an understanding can make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats. -Next Generation Science Standards, 2013.

Did you know that reindeer’s hooves are soft and spongy in the spring, but hard in the winter? Did you know that a mimic octopus can impersonate fteen sea creatures? Have you heard of countershading in sh? My second grade biologists, armed with loads of non- ction books from the public library, have discovered many weird and wonderful animal adaptations. Their excitement was contagious as we researched animals from around the globe, from clever arctic foxes to tricky caterpillars that pretend to be ants. We met in small groups to compile our research and craft informative paragraphs.

Their fantastic writing is on display in the hall for you to enjoy.

The fun didn’t end there. On an ordinary Thursday morning, we bundled up to go outside for recess, but to their surprise, we loaded into the van instead. We didn’t reveal our destination until we arrived at the Tiger Safari in Tuttle! They were beyond thrilled! We spent the day interacting with so many interesting and unique animals. It was the perfect end to our research unit. They told me, “This is the best day of our lives!”

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3rd Grade Mrs. Miller

Since our study of flowers in the earlier part of the school year was a success, we are making big plans for our spring garden by prepping the greenhouse. We have researched that it takes winter preparation to have an abundant garden in the spring and summer. With that in mind, third grade composted the side beds in the green house, set up the shelves, and distributed potting materials to each classroom. Then in teams of two, students have selected an independent gardening project/experiment they would like to pursue. Some students are growing vegetables from seed, while others are sprouting from existing plants. Some students are labeling plant life around campus and others are even maintaining a pill bug house and observing different types of food they enjoy! The anticipation of new plants on campus has us excited!

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4th Grade

By Mrs. Moser

Regional Food Bank Field Trip

Over the past ten years, Terra Verde students have donated over $36,000 to The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s Backpack Program through proceeds raised from the Terra Verde Café. This field trip gave third and fourth graders the opportunity to see the work and food that goes into making these backpacks. The Regional Food Bank sends food to 21,000 hungry Oklahoma children in 500 schools every week. Students saw the food that goes into each pack – cereal, raisins, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, pudding, applesauce, beef sticks, sunflower seeds, granola bars, juice, and milk. Students worked in an assembly line to create each pack of food.

Students were responsible for replenishing food items on the line, taping together packs of pudding and applesauce, adding each item to the bags, sealing the bags, weighing the contents of the bags to ensure that nothing was left out, packing the bags into boxes, and finally loading the boxes onto a pallet. The students and parents were a great team. By the end of our shift, we had packed 1,032 meals onto two pallets for a total of 1,238 pounds of food.

Cassie Gilman, chief development officer of the Regional Food Bank, led the classes on a tour of the Food Bank afterward. The efficiency and organization of the Food Bank was quite impressive. Cassie showed us the Food Bank cardboard baler, Sir Crams-a-Lot. The Food Bank sells the used cardboard and adds the money to their programs. Last year the Food Bank made $24,790 just from selling cardboard. Cassie also shared that the beef sticks the students had packed were made possible from donations of cattle and hogs by local 4-H and FFA students. Near the end of our tour we saw pallets of food that were being sent out for the backpack program – right to schools in Norman. This really struck the students and made everything we had done come full circle. Each child left knowing they had made a difference and they cannot wait to go back and volunteer again.

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5th Grade Mrs. Reed

Food and Shelter for Friends

The second trimester in fifth grade was filled with preparing for our first science fair, getting ready for our colonial day in March, beginning a new writing curriculum, having our manners’ luncheon, and completing a variety of book projects. Our most rewarding project was our visit to Food and Shelter for Friends in Norman planned out by Ms. Paige. According to their website, “For over thirty years, Food and Shelter has been providing services that empower people in need of food, homes, and hope.” That is exactly what our fifth grade class did.

When we arrived, students brought in donations of milk, juice, wipes, and easy to pass out snacks for the community. After being divided into three groups, the first group went to the kitchen where they were to serve a hot meal to those who needed it.

While the first group continued to serve meals, the other two groups were led to different cottages to clean and prepare them for the next residents. Students were expected to clean everything in these small but comfy establishments such as sweep floors, dust furniture, wash dishes, clean mirrors, and scrub baseboards. Despite all the hard and grueling physical work, students worked happily without any complaints. They were reluctant to leave when the time came as they wanted to clean “just one more thing”.

Students made the following comments about our endeavor: “It was an extraordinary experience.” “I didn’t realize how many people in Norman need our help. We need to help them more.” “I am lucky to have the support of my family.” “When we say we are starving, we really aren’t starving at all.” “It’s important to help others without bragging about it.” Fifth grade went to Food and Shelter for Friends in order to help make a positive impact on our community. It ended up being way more. The larger impact was made on the fifth graders.

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English -Mrs. Pearsall

The 6th Grade haa been full force into writing. From rewriting the myth, “Theseus and the Minotaur,” to using imagery when describing a piece of chocolate. Through learning parts of speech, we are loading up our writer’s toolboxes, such as beginning sentences with adverbs or prepositions rather than just the subject. As we neared the end of the trimester, students analyzed a children’s book, “The Trouble with Dragons,” which is setting us up perfectly for our next novel study, Hoot. Similar to Hatchet, students will read in a variety of settings and develop their oral reading skills dramatically. After the novel study, students will utilize research skills by examining an environmental issue or endangered animal.

We will learn the rhetoric skills of ethos, pathos, logos, to master the art of persuasion.

This trimester has been quite a journey with the seventh graders! After reading a few science fiction short stories, students worked collaboratively in creating their own utopian societies. With Keyes, Vonnegut, and Bradbury in our minds, groups developed their own worlds, we looked at public speaking skills and presented our societies to the class. This has been so exciting to see how their compromising skills and creativity come to life. Just as important is the foundation and prior knowledge that has been established in preparation for our next novel study of Lois Lowry’s, The Giver.

The eighth graders have grown so much as readers, writers, and presenters this trimester! We began the trimester with our TPCASTT presentations where students analyzed a song as a poem and taught the class their takeaways from the project. For students to get up in front of their peers and talk for around 15 minutes is a huge task, and these students accepted the challenge with maturity and ease. After the presentations, students then channeled their inner “Ponyboys” and wrote their own personal narrative over a life experience. Going through the writing process as a recursive cycle and spending most of our time revising truly spoke volumes as to how we craft a piece of writing over multiple drafts. I was really proud of them for creating works that they’ll hopefully hang onto and look back on later in life. Once our own stories were completed, we began to hear the stories from the Holocaust after building a knowledge base of historical information. First, we read a dramatic version of “The Wave,” and then we explored Anne Frank through a reader’s theater. This began the process of putting faces and stories to astonishing numbers.

After Anne Frank, we viewed Elie Wiesel’s documentary where we learned in more detail about life in concentration camps. Now, students have formed book clubs and will be exploring Holocaust fiction and non-fiction pieces in more depth.

The upper school students were also pleasantly surprised with an author visit from Jennifer Lynn Barnes, a professor at OU and an acclaimed YA author. She gave amazing advice and insight in the life of a writer.

We all left inspired and even more curious about her books!

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Middle School Science Mrs. Beck

Trimester 2 in the Science Lab was full of inquiry, discovery, and hands-on activities. Students walked in the footsteps of past scientists and learned how to sift through multiple pieces of evidence to help answer questions related to their individual units. Additionally, students went through a week of iPad Orientation because the Science lab was given 12 ipads and Apple Pencils from the fundraising efforts of the Jog-A-Thon. They were super excited to get started and take their learning to another level! Students went through an iPad orientation and had a chance to play with some of the internal sensors of the iPads with an application called Science Journal.

They had a chance to turn play into purpose by designing possible experiments using Science Journal and coming up with a potential question to investigate, a scientific procedure, and an explanation of how they used one (or more) of the sensors of the iPad. I was blown away by their creativity when they presented their experiments to the class this week. Some students even had a chance to conduct their experiments and presented data during their presentations.

6th Grade wrapped up its cell unit with creative brochures where they explained all of the cells involved a physical activity of their choice. We then transitioned to our ecosystem unit where these amazing scientists explored the ecosystem of the TVDS outdoor classroom.

In their “Adapt or Die” unit, 7th Grade dove into the past to learn how to make predictions for the future by examining scientific research related to embryological and anatomical evidence of different organisms.

8th Grade and Physical Science began their Chemistry units with hands-on labs and periodic table basics. Students were able to visualize some of the more abstract topics of Chemistry with iPad applications that helped them explore and discover the atomic structure of several substances.

It was an exciting trimester that demonstrated how creative and innovative these Terra Verde scientists can be when the right tool is in 10

their hands!

We concluded Trimester II with Science Fair preparations. Students submitted their ideas on forms for the privilege to participate in Terra Verde’s 1st inaugural science fair. Stay tuned for the 3rd edition of the Talk of Terra Verde to find out how the saga ends!

Rockin The Science Vibe Committee What an amazing group of scientists we have and what exciting things we have planned.

Between helping plan the school’s first annual science fair, building model airplanes, and being invited to participate in Speedfest, the Rockin the Science Vibe committee is sure to be quite memorable. We’ve been busy studying aerodynamics and working out logistics for some exciting new developments coming to Terra Verde. Stay tuned for more exciting details!

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Middle Schoolers Use Math to Save Christmas Mrs. Lindsay

With the Great Flood of September 2019 becoming a distant memory, the students got down to business in math class learning a myriad of math concepts.

Help!!--Santa awaits rescue in a locked trunk in the back of the math classroom.

Ratios, rates, and percent dominated the sixth grade classroom, as students solved countless problems involving these concepts. Sixth graders also finished their second project of the year-long Project Bingo assignment. Benson Diehm highlighted Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician at the center of Hidden Figures. The class was saddened to hear of her passing, as her death occurred between the completion of Benson’s project and his presentation.

The students of seventh grade mathematics evaluated expressions, solved equations, and solved and graphed inequalities. In addition, they studied direct proportions, inverse proportions, and the constant of proportionality. They particularly enjoyed doing whiteboard practice, happily completing 50+ problems in class without batting an eye.

Mission accomplished--Mila Govich poses with Santa and her classmates after successfully saving the bearded benefactor.

The pre-algebra classes began their study of linear equations by solving for one variable in terms of another, learning about slope and the y-intercept, and by graphing linear equations written in slope-intercept form. They also studied the relationship between the slopes of parallel lines and the slopes of perpendicular lines.

The students in algebra studied many types of functions—linear functions, piecewise and step functions, and absolute value functions.

They also transformed functions, found inverse functions, and worked with linear functions in different forms. In addition, the students worked on solving and graphing inequalities, compound inequalities, and absolute value inequalities.

All Smiles--Seventh graders relish their victory over the Scrooge Squad.

Victory is Sweet--8th graders enjoy their moment in the sun with a grateful Santa.

Each of these concepts in the various math classes prepared the students to answer the call of duty, as the North Pole Intelligence Agency reached out to each class for help. Santa Claus was kidnapped by a criminal organization called the Scrooge Squad, which has a sole purpose of destroying the goodwill and customs of the holiday season. The Scrooge Squad left a cryptic note, and the room was an explosion of multi-colored notes attached to every vertical surface of the classroom. A locked trunk was located on the back table, and the notes contained a vast array of math problems, letters, and numbers. A combination of emerging leadership, a team-oriented approach, and a problem-solving mindset led to success for each class, and they were able to locate Santa and save him from the evil machination of the Scrooge Squad.

Between their success with saving Santa and working hard in class, the students ended the trimester on a positive note, and the outlook for finishing the year strong looks good.

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Upper School Social Studies Mr. Woolum

6th grade spent the trimester learning about Ancient India and Ancient Greece. The India unit has a heavy focus on religions, with students learning about the beliefs of India’s three major native religions -- Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. They drew some truly wonderful renditions of various Hindu gods and goddesses, and read the story of how Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha. Ask your child what is meant by the phrase: “You must align your karma with the dharma of your varna in order to eventually achieve moksha by escaping the cycle of samsara, becoming one with Brahman.”

7th grade showed their academic curiosity this year by experimenting with a different style of learning. Instead of activities, art projects, and lecture-based discussions, the Mesoamerica unit consisted largely of daily reading assignments for homework, followed by in-class analysis of the reading. The subject of this lesson was a shortened and edited version of Bernal Díaz del Castillo’s True History of the Discovery and Conquest of Mexico, interpolated with excerpts from the native narratives of Broken Spears. I like this lesson because it gives students a chance to sift through a conventional narrative of the European arrival in the Americas in order to find the native narratives hidden throughout. Students liked the change in pace. They could hardly believe it when I told them that a lot of college classes are exactly like that!

8th grade has been busy this trimester. It’s hard to believe that, in only a few short months, we’ve studied American history from Alexander Hamilton to Theodore Roosevelt, but we’ve done it! While there have been a number of highlights from this American history rollercoaster, it seems like the three most impactful lessons from the students’ perspective have been the Oregon Trail simulation, the Gerrymandering activity, and the Family Tree project.

For the Oregon Trail activity, students played an in-class facsimile of the Oregon Trail, updated to include more information about religious and ethnic minorities who participated in the grueling affair. Students loved creating characters and experienced the existential angst of dysentery. The Gerrymandering activity gave students the opportunity to gerrymander their very own political districts. Gerrymandering is one of those concepts that doesn’t make a lot of sense until you see it in action, and students should now have some idea of how much power you have when you create districts.

The Family Tree project is a blast, and it is inspiring to see how much work students put into learning about their families. You almost get the sense that they would do it even if I didn’t grade them on it (almost!). Whether the family tree goes generations back or reveals just how much a student looks like their great-grandmother, it is incredibly fulfilling to see what the class produced.

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MANDARIN Mrs. Tsay

蔡老师

2020 Chinese New Year The second trimester has been filled by lots of stories and Chinese culture activities. One of the highlights is the 2020 Chinese New Year celebration, which began on January 25th and ended on February 8th. Based on the 12 Chinese zodiacs cycle, 2020 is the year of the Rat ( 老鼠）。

To celebrate CNY, all of our students and many of our families gathered in the gym and had a wonderful Chinese New Year showcase. Kindergarteners presented a cute little Mandarin version of Baby Shark. 1st Grade brought back a classic from The Sound of Music, The Lonely Goatherd.

Farmer Appreciation Poem was performed by 2nd graders. 3rd Graders, our Kung Fu masters represented strong-willed and persiverent fighters. 4th Graders amazed us with their stunning Chinese fan dances. 5th Graders wore and introduced the audiences with traditional Chinese dynasty outfits. 6th Graders caught everyone’s attention with their absolutely beautiful Chinese umbrella folk dance. 7th Grader’s talent show cracked us up and 8th Graders taught everyone the fun trending dance Seaweed Dance. It is now so popular that every class is dancing it as a brain break in Mandarin.

Red envelopes that represent good luck were given out to each individual by the end of the celebration.

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A R T

with Mrs. Eberle The Art room is a safe space to get comfortable and create!

Kindergarten has been busy little bees in the Art room! They used paper weaving to make deliciously detailed gingerbread houses, paper-mached love boxes, sponge painted with pattern and rhythm inspired by Alma Thomas, created their own snowy days like Ezra Jack Keats, and created mixed media toucans.

Do you know your kid’s Art days? We get messy!

First grade continued their travels in the art room as well as their printmaking unit. They used fish molds to create Japanese gyotaku prints, used wet paper and plexiglass to create monoprints, and compared horizon lines in urban and rural landscapes.

CHeck it out! 6th grader Hannah Joo’s trash poster entry!

2nd grade explored all kinds of media this last trimester! They read Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold and used fabric to create their own quilt collage. They painted tigers and the statue of liberty, as well as a finished collaborative tree of life.

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Transitions high schoolers LOVE Art too!

Maelis had lots of fun doing CHinese brushwork with guest artist Beverly Herndon!

3rd grade has been taking their time on more involved projects including a collaborative weaving that will be auctioned off at FAFFF. They got to smash aluminum cans and make can heads using all kinds of materials, including puff paint. They explored mood in art with color field painting like Mark Rothko and created unique scissor tailed flycatcher canvases.

4th grade has been working diligently on individual totem poles that include wood and ceramic elements. They considered font and graphic design for 2 contests, the OK trash poster contest and doodle for Google. They are just starting Greek vessels that tie nicely to their Greek unit in the 4th grade classroom.

5th grade is still loving throwing on the pottery wheel! Inspired by Martin Puryear, they created their own interpretation of a ladder. They have also been painting with wild color and details sparked by Yayoi Kasuma. This group is starting to dive into Surrealism.

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The Wheelers, our upper school ceramics committee, are getting ready for the Fine Arts Family Fun Fest! They are collaborating to make a Cats Vs. Dogs chess set that will be 6th grade has been creating their own Egyptian head sculptures. Each auctioned off at FAFFF. artist included their name in hieroglyphs as part of the design. They are collaborating on a large canvas that is full of bubbles which will be Mark your calendar for auctioned off at FAFFF. This group has just started designing stained glass panels with a variety of subjects, from goddesses to breakfast May 1st! cereal.

7th grade designed their own box using collected personal materials and a variety of media. This group was inspired by Joseph Cornell’s collection of boxes. They have been working on small, ceramic work that they will get to raku fire at OU in May. They have just started work based on the future which ties nicely to their utopian study in LA.

8th grade is hard at work getting ready for their group exhibition this spring. Each artist will have a collection of work in a medium or media of their choice with a unifying theme. It's going to rock!

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Hablamos español

Con la profe (Miss Peggy)

If yo ta to a ma in a la ge he un s d , t a go to hi he . If yo ta to hi in hi la ge, t a go to hi he .— Nel Man

Each and every one of our students can be successful as a language learner. Just as we couldn’t rush them to speak as babies, we have to be patient in the second language classroom.

Contact Information: Peggy Guitton Spanish Teacher

E-mail: spanish@terraverdeschool.com

What we’ve learned:

● Greetings (hola, buenos días/tardes/noches, hasta luego, adios) ● How are you? (¿cómo estás? bien, muy bien, más o menos, mal, muy mal) ● How do you feel? (¿cómo estás/te sientes? triste, feliz, enojado, sorprendido, cansado) ● What is your name? (¿cómo te llamas? me llamo ______) ● Ask permission (puedo ir al baño, puedo tomar agua) ● I like/I don’t like (Me gusta / No me gusta) ● We are starting to: Conjugate verbs in present tense and use the verbs SER and ESTAR ● We are asking and answering questions, translating short stories (Spanish to English) and writing full sentences in the target language.

What we did:

● We used stories and songs as a way to practice reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. ● We practice di erent language skills through games. ● We learned about the countries and capitals of Latin America and a few facts about Colombia and Guatemala ● We prepared Arepas, an emblematic food from Colombia and Venezuela. ● The 6th grade visited Morelos, a Mexican market/store/restaurant where the students did a scavenger hunt and interacted with native speakers. ● The 7th and 8th grade visited a Guatemalan restaurant with authentic food where “the chicos” had the opportunity to interact in Spanish with native speakers.

I am very happy to be part of your child's challenge of learning a new language. My goal is to provide the tools to understand and communicate with others in basic Spanish for all of my students who have no prior experience with the language and to increase the level of proficiency of those who have previous knowledge.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out and contact me.

Hasta pronto, La Profe

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Upcoming Dates:

Music

1st, 2nd Grades @ The NEST -

Wednesday, April 15, Spring Informance, 6:30-7:00

8th Grade @ Reaves Park - Sunday, April 19, Norman Earth Day Festival

3rd, 4th Grades @ The NEST - Wednesday, April 29, Spring Informance, 6:30-7:00

ALL Grades @ The NEST - Friday, May 1, FAFFF 5th Grade Marimbas, 7:00 Whole School Performance, 7:15

with Mrs. Underwood

Kindergarten worked hard preparing for our Valentine’s Day Sock Hop. Here they are learning some traditional 1950s dance moves. Ask your Kindie to teach you the hand jive!

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6th Grade represented Terra Verde at Norman’s Winterfest at Legacy Park, performing holiday songs from around the world.

1st Grade students created individual rhythm compositions, then added pitch on the glockenspiel. They worked on their mallet technique and reading skills by playing their friends’ compositions. Ask your 1st grader what pentatonic means!

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Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade students brought some holiday cheer to the residents of Rivermont Retirement Center with songs and instruments.

2nd Grade had some Nutcracker fun with instrument play alongs on Winter Wonderland Day. Then we started preparing for our Sock Hop. Ask your 2nd Grader to teach you the Dishrag!

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PE and Music collaborated for our first TVDS performance of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. 4th and 5th Grade students went above and beyond to make the evening a success. A big thank you goes to Ms. Yolly for making the costumes as well as Mrs. Eberle, Mr. Nathan, and the Transitions students for making our Candyland Arch!

3rd Grade was the first to try out our new risers. We are so grateful to our school as we were able to use them for our Winter Performance at Rivermont Retirement Center! Now we are learning to read notes on staff while we play the recorders. We are also learning Oklahoma’s official state dance, Square Dancing!

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4th Grade did a score study while preparing for The Nutcracker performance. They worked with a partner to find musical symbols, melodic phrases, and the form of the piece.

Thank you to the OU College of Education for donating the gel highlighters we used for this activity!

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5th Grade had some Hanukkah fun during Winter Wonderland. Ask your 5th Grader how to play the dreidel game!

The Serenity Now Committee is student-led this trimester.

Students paired up to plan a calming exercise, a journal technique, and an activity to lead one class period. So far we have had a puzzle day, a nap day, a coloring day, and a milkshake making day. Yet to come are Sudoku and a nature walk on campus!

6th Grade students joined the Sock Hop fun. Ask them to teach you the Up and Over, the Milkshake, and the Yo-Yo!

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8th Grade worked in small groups to master a ukulele song of their chosen level. Choices ranged from strumming on “Riptide” to finger picking the introduction to “Stairway to Heaven”. They are currently learning how to read bass clef by playing the bass lines to Seven Nation Army and Sweet Dreams on the marimbas.

7th Grade participated in a drumming unit which led to small group polyrhythmic compositions. They also learned how to transpose songs on ukulele from one key to another, using Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” as a model.

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TVDS OFFICE

TVDS PARTNERS MightyNest is a unique site that provides you the ability to research, get advice and buy natural, organic and non-toxic products all in one place. Every purchase at MightyNest makes your home healthier, and gives back to Terra Verde, which receives up to 15% of each order.

When shopping for water bottles or lunch gear, shop Mighty Nest, and choose Terra Verde as your school!

Homeland Apply for a Homeland One Card and use Terra Verde's School code #64137 each time you check out. Every time you use that Homeland One Card,Terra Verde gets credit!

Office Hours: Office Hours 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

School Hours 7:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Office Email: Sherri Jones, Office Administrator office@terraverdeschool.com All email is checked daily.

Email received after 12:00pm noon will be returned by the next school day.

Office Contact: Phone 405-366-6362 | Fax 405-928-5065 | Terra Verde Discovery School, 1000 36th Ave S.E., Norman, OK 73026 | www.terraverdeschool.com http://www.facebook.com/terraverdeschool

Fundraising Efforts Winter Trimester Solar Cafe January 22, 2020- Our 7th Grade students raised $1094.42 towards our solar field projects!

Natural Grocers Dollars for School Terra Verde Cafe Stay tuned for NaturalGrocers February 25th, 2020 - Third grade students raised $1910.97 to vouchers for Terra Verde family help fight child hunger locally!

Shopping Spree Days – where Terra Verde gets dollars back if you shop on a particular day.

Box Tops are an easy way to bring in extra funds for our school. This time of year, many participating products have bonus Box Tops. Each is worth 10 cents and they add up quickly. The classrooms all have a Box Top can for collection. You can add them yourselves, or put the Box Tops in your child’s folder and they’ll get to the right place.

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TERRA VERDE THIRD ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT SPONSORS Riverwind Resort Bank of Oklahoma Michael Martin M.D. Merrill Lynch Brad Kelly Farhan Jawed Consumercare Direct Norman Heart & Vascular Associates Crowe & Dunlevy Kickingbird Investments Eide Bailey Top of the World Leonard Building Company Sooner Sports Properties Pinnacle Design Group Agility Medical Group Gillian Roebuck First United Bank Adair Enterprises,LLC McCormick Family Pub W

BancFirst Dr. John M. Kras & Dr. Eric M Snyder Cabbiness Engineering, LLC Accent Glass Comtech Electronic Systems, Inc Steven Shultz M.D. Preston and Allicyn Treat Norman Heating and Air Republic Bank Rick Bell Embassy Suites Success Vodka King Kopy Belmar Golf Course The Trails Golf Course Cool Beans Coffee Benvenuti's El Toro Chino King Kopy The Garage Red Rock Canyon Grille

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