ACS Athens ES - The MUSE - March 2013

ACS ATHENS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Volume 2, Issue 2 March 2013

THE MUSE Message from the Principal I can’t think of a better way to begin our spring newsletter than the exhibitions of student learning that was showcased with the 5th grade play followed by the 4th grade South American Museum!

The 5th grade play, “The Quest for Courage” is a demonstration of students’ hard work and commitment.

It was a huge success and the students gave a remarkable performance.

Congratulations to all who contributed to this wonderful experience!

The 4th grade “South American Museum” was another display of our students knowledge and skills. It involved a lot of collaboration, organization, information management and public speaking skills to put together such wonderful work.

Kudos go to all involved in carrying out this outstanding project!

Apart from these two remarkable events, there is a number of projects and activities that are going on in the Elementary School.

The

Greek

Independence

Day celebration is scheduled on March 22nd at 9.15 a.m. in the ACS Theater. Our Greek classes have been preparing hard for this very promising performance. We are looking forward to it!

Additionally, the Office of Student Affairs has scheduled a variety of wonderful events that will take place during Wellness Month (March 4th15th & April 1st-12th) this year in the Elementary School. As part of our holistic education, the children in grades JK-2 will receive information on developing a healthy lifestyle and making healthy life choices. Proper oral hygiene will be part of this process, as well as information sessions on alcohol, tobacco, legal & illegal drugs. Students in grades 3-5 will be involved in large group discussions on internet safety.

Moreover, our dedicated PTO moms have organized their traditional “Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week” (March 19th — 22nd) with a series of events to express their appreciation. Your support is greatly appreciated by each and every one of us! We thank you for your valuable assistance throughout the year!

Grades will be posted on Skyward on March 26th.

You can access your child’s report card after 3.30 p.m. on this date.

At this point I would like to remind you that if your child is absent from school for any reason it is imperative that you notify Ms. Xiggi in our main office at 210-6070-229 or by email xiggic@acs.gr. Attendance is recorded daily and absences will be marked on the report cards.

Parent Teacher Conferences are scheduled on April 16th from 4:00-6:30 p.m. and April 26th from 9:30- 12:00 p.m. A letter will be sent home to you with details in the following week. Teachers will be contacting you to arrange appointments.

Spring Break begins April 29th—May 7th. This time is an opportunity for all to relax, enjoy family and friends and escape from daily routine.

Enjoy the Spring Break with your loved ones.

Cathy Makropoulos Principal

Junior Kindergarten News In closing our unit on Fairy Tales and N u r s e r y Rhymes, we have quickly moved into our next unit on Health and Nutrition. During this month, the children will learn to make choices that promote a healthy life style as they build healthy habits into their daily routines. Applying what the children are learning to their everyday life makes learning meaningful.

Help your child make healthy choices in their daily lives by choosing healthy snacks, regularly brushing their teeth, staying productive, getting plenty of exercise, etc. Discuss these concepts at home with your child so that you can make a meaningful homeschool connection.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our room parents who have done such a wonderful job organizing our holiday parties this year.

We truly appreciate all your help and look forward to working with you through the rest of the school year!

And remember‌ if you ever have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress and achievements, please do not hesitate to contact us or make an appointment to discuss your concerns.

Thank You, Ms. Alex, Ms. Vicki, Ms. Korinna

Kindergarten News T h e Kindergartners w e r e swirling in a c t i o n during the second trimester.

They have completed all of the alphabet letters! Two of our final letters were K and Q, so we decided to celebrate by reading stories about Kings and Queens, role playing and eating King and Queen of Heart tarts. We feel especially regal after this activity. Our Red Hot Readers program is going very well, we love to hear the children read with such confidence and interest. We have been reading all kinds of print, from a long list of high frequency words to our morning messages, calendar words, short stories with

Backpack Bear and other books in our classroom library. We have also become writers! Our monthly journals now include lines that provide space for writing about directed themes related to books that we have read, to our unit topics and even Wellness Month. We are working on adding more details to our drawings and writing to describe events. We use worm spacers so we can write words on their own and are aware of punctuation to begin a sentence with a capital letter and end it with a period. Our interactive writing sessions are fun when we get to write on the board and practice spelling, punctuation, letter formation and thinking process. One of our favorite games is Wheel of Reading and instead of the teacher

leading this activity we are learning to play it on our own.

The children are impressive in their math skills by adding and subtracting to find ways to make different numbers up to 10. We use 10 frames, Rekkenreks (like a small abacus), unifix cubes and other manipulatives to first build a problem, then try and draw from that and then write about it in number and sometimes word form. We are sorting objects up to 10 in each group and prove we can sort more than this just by cleaning up our toys after free time! We continue to recognize patterns and make graphs; we even vote many times in our class to find out what our preferences are for foods,

Kindergarten News continued activities, hobbies, and then even graph our results.

We reached 100 days of school and celebrated with activities galore!

We continue to practice counting to 100 by ones and tens and looking at place value up to 20 using ones and tens. Our happy helper of the day is in charge of this activity as well as the weather graph and calendar.

experiments such as making a tornado in a bottle, rain in a bag and winter planting to help us learn about plants that like cold weather such as oak trees and sweet peas.

We have also planted our two citrus trees in the school yard and observe them as we walk past them on our way to specials every day.

We completed our Seasons unit by reading many fiction and non-fiction books about how the weather changes. We discovered how we dress in each season, what happens to nature as the weather changes, and we even conducted

Our unit about “Neiborhoods” has become interactive through the adding of artwork on our bulletin board as we read stories and discuss what makes a neighborhood.

So far we have made houses,

shops, hospitals, fire and police station, schools, parks, and more to come.

We will expand on neighborhoods with our next unit about Community Helpers.

Kindergartners have much to be proud of, as we definitely are proud of them!

Ms. Tracy and Ms. Stavi

1st Grade News As you are all aware, Captain Chip has helped make your child’s first grade transition and experience that much more rewarding. We look forward to the trimester ahead and invite you to come to our 2nd session (Tuesday, March 12 from 3:45-4:15) with our trainer Theo Koutsopoulos where you will have a chance to meet him, Captain Chip (if you haven’t already), hear about our work so far as well as future plans and ask any questions that you may have.

This has been a very special month – from Valentine’s Day,

the 100th Day of School celebration, and lastly – a celebration of learning with our “Mad Scientist” Special Sharing Investigations. With all this said and done, we are looking forward to our new unit on plants, with our noses to the ground and green thumbs ready while we reach for the sun and grow!

Please feel free to send in any packets of seeds that need planting as well as any potted plants/flowers – as our classrooms will be transforming into Greenhouses before our very eyes!

Look forward to our Bonus Book Bag reading incentive.

These Super Effort Bonus Books are to be read aloud for enjoyment and fluency.

Please dedicate at least 5 minutes daily to having your child read aloud to you from this book. Depending on the length of the book, your child will exchange books daily or as needed.

We are looking forward to meeting with you during Parent-Teacher conferences preceding Spring Break…

Ms. Birbil, Ms. Lamprou, Ms. Safaris

2nd Grade News Tr a n s i t i o ni n g from first trimester to second has been filled with second graders discovering their Community.

Students were able to make connections between communities students have lived in before, other countries, and their very own surroundings in Greece. They have studied cardinal directions, learned map skills and can differentiate between places that are urban, rural or suburban.

During this unit, students read plenty of fiction stories (at their readability levels) and non-fiction books, listened to stories in the computer lab - where they had been given a wide range of interactive e-books filled with facts about community workers - and read within small groups too. Second graders worked in teams to design a map of their surrounding community (ACS) in colorful community maps, including some with 3D details!

Students were able to present these uniquely designed maps in class which they loved sharing ideas and interpretations!

As a culminating activity students were given the chance to explore their “home” community and the places around it.

Students did a marvelous job presenting Greece and the places they love here.

Our classrooms transformed into a

“Greek Community Museum” where students toured to discover what the other classrooms have done and to see each other’s work!

This trimester embarks onto a new unit study about Africa. Our classrooms have already shown great excitement about this continent! Students will be exposed to the various folktales, geographical regions, cultures, landforms, languages, and of course kid’s favo rite, A fri can animals.

Our reading lessons will continue to compliment fictional stories about Africa (at readability levels) while sharing non-fiction texts and African folktales in class.

Through these stories students will learn how to make connections between African folktales and poetry by identifying similes, figurative language, alliteration, hearing music or beats, listening to the vowel patterns that rhyme, etc. After establishing these foundations students will experiment and write poetry of their own. These poems will include, acrostic poems, diamante poems, funny poems and poems with beats.

In addition to learning how to write like a poet and making connections to different genres (folktales and poetry) students will present details

2nd Grade News continued about Dr. Seuss for monthly author study.

their

Second grade math has students continuing working hard on becoming fluent in mental math skills, for both fast math addition and fast math subtraction, covering facts from 1-20. Children are picking up speed and some even have even created personal challenges they are aiming to beat!

colors, food and much more.

They have all proven to master the skill of identifying the difference between a bar graph and a line graph, and how to use details from a tally chart to draw information onto a pictograph.

We are very p r o u d o f t h e i r accomplishments in this unit and look forward to moving into the 1,000’s place in our

new Place Value Unit!

Students will be expected to build an understanding of how larger number concepts will be constructed.

This trimester will be full of poetically patterned adventures that second graders are eager to dive into.

Ms. Johnson, Ms. Moros, Ms. Spiliot, Ms. Mantagos

Second grade math units have included double digit addition and subtraction, graphing and place value.

Having recently successfully completed a unit on Graphing, second graders have graphed everything from their favorite snacks, colors, eye color, hair colors, food and

3rd Grade News Two trimesters are in the books‌ and so are we!

In reading we have been focusing a lot on living inside of a book and really taking a close look at characters. Students have been learning how to open up and let stories really affect them.

The writing focus has shifted to completing essays.

We continue to use the skills we learned in our last unit on personal narratives to make our essays stronger! In math we have finished up a unit on geometry and are moving ahead with fractions!

This is a big unit and can be difficult for students to grasp at first.

and the people, geography, and themes that make them up.

We are using lots of manipulatives and hands on activities to help increase understanding.

In Social Studies we have taken a closer look at the inner workings of a community and how different people can join them.

Science has been different for each class and our rotation through the units will continue. Mrs. Hapsis is learning about sound, Ms. Mukri is exploring rocks and minerals, and Mr. Perroni is investigating the human body. Keep up the hard work!

We also talked about the challenges, and benefits of immigrating.

We will continue to explore communities

Ms. Hapsis, Ms. Mukri, Mr Perroni

4th Grade News Congratulations 4th grade on an outstanding museum with the theme of South America!!

Your hard work and effort shone through!! This event stresses the importance of collaboration, o rg ani z ati o n , i n fo rm ati o n man age me nt an d pu bl i c speaking. Students offered a plethora of information for their posters by using research skills and improved their figurative language by writing folk tales for all to enjoy.

They also challenged us with their math abilities, as they wrote problems related to South America. This unit will wrap up this trimester with more reading and learning about the continent.

the concept of equal grouping and not on the procedural method of long division.

Environmental Museum of Stymphalia, Corinth in the Peloponnese. This was the culminating activity for the two science units of Water and Structures of Life.

Students were able to enjoy the nature preserve on site, investigate the animal habitats, observe erosion and the changes of the land from water and the uses of the land by local residents. It was an engaging trip. We thank all the chaperones for their support.

This trimester, the fourth grade enjoyed a field study to the

In math we are working on division. We are focusing on

Our expectation of the fourth graders at this time of the year is that they must know their multiplication tables.

Please make it a point to review and learn them if your child has not yet.

We see a lot of improvement in the fourth grade so far and we are proud of all the students and the hard work that they have been doing.

Please continue to support your children at home. We would like to emphasize the importance of healthy eating so remember to pack fruit snacks and healthy lunches.

Ms. Koutsioukis, Ms. Soteres, Mr. Perry

5th Grade News It has been a v e r y exciting time as f i f t h graders prepared for their original play production, “The Quest for Courage�.

Students have learned about the many tasks that are necessary to create a theater production. They have helped make props, and design scenery and sets. Each student has become an actor or an actress and has adopted the role of a unique character on stage. Fifth graders learned songs and dances to accompany their parts also. We thank our co l le agu e s, fri e n ds, an d parents who have generously given their time to work with our students in this special project.

We couldn't do it without you!

Besides investigating the theater, fifth graders are reading Greek Mythology and studying Ancient Greek History.

Students have written essays, summaries, and literature responses to enhance their learning. Students have been constructing organized, well-composed paragraphs supported with important facts and details.

During writing sessions students have been reviewing grammar rules as well as tips for writing correctly and clearly.

During writing sessions, students have been reviewing grammar rules as well as tips for writing correctly and clearly.

Students worked hard on the previous Mixtures and Solutions unit exploring how to separate and combine substances.

They learned experimental procedure, how to work in collaborative teams and write up lab reports.

The 5th grade is beginning Reading Workshop! The chief difference with Reading Workshop from a class novel study is that students read independently, developing skills in selecting their own books wi t h gu i d a n ce .

Emphasis is placed on teaching children to select books that are just right for them. The rationale for this program would be to invest more time actually reading, and differentiating reading levels. The emphasis is on allowing students individual choice in the books that they read, to have them behave like readers, engage in

discussions like readers and to be exposed to a wider range of books. Once independent reading is established, then we will be able to pull guided reading groups to focus on specific skills. We are already seeing an increased excitement about reading here in the classroom, and many students have told us this is becoming their favorite time of the day!

We have completed the Fractions Unit in Math, and have also completed a Unit on Multiplying and Dividing Decimals. We have moved into Variables and Expressions, which is a Unit on introducing the students to Algebraic concepts and thinking.

Next, will be Geometry.

We are all hard at work, as Middle School will soon be here!

Ms. Coklas and Ms. Kynigou

News from the OL

News from the Art Room

Students are working on their goals and are meeting with success. We are currently creating new hands-on materials to extend student learning and further develop their skills. New iPad apps are continuously being downloaded, which provides fun and engaging activities for all.

Working alongside Homeroom teachers also allows students to find consistency in their studies; we have worked extensively on many curriculum concepts. In addition we are greatly looking forward to the 8th Annual Conference on Learnin g Differen ces – “Innovative Teaching and Inclusive Learning” which will take place on April 18-20. The Conference Institutes and Workshops will focus on successful practices and innovative approaches to: Autism, ELL, ESL, EFL, Creating a Student-Centered Classroom and enhanced learning for all students.

Choose to attend a two-day Institute on April 18th & April 19t and Multiple two-hour workshop sessions on April 20th.

Registration began in January.

Greetings from the Art Room!

We have been working with a variety of media and elements of design this year.

To name just a few of the many projects:

Sarah Kaldelli

Our 2nd graders learned about the foreground, middle ground, and background in landscape paintings and developed this concept in printmaking.

Books were also made using their prints and a short story describing their land was inserted on

In Kindergarten we have used collage, paint, and other materials to learn about and reinforce our primary and secondary colors. Students completed “Feeling Books” using four different media and most recently created texture rubbings in warm and cool colors followed by texture clay tiles. Currently on display are fish made from recycled cardboard tubes.

Students learned about overlapping and how to mix the secondary colors.

Our 1st graders have worked with line and pattern using a variety of techniques. The four seasons were made into a book using four different media. Our last 3D project was to paint recycled juice boxes as buildings and plant them on a cardboard plot of “land”.

Students created imaginative details about the use of these buildings (some also became spaceships or alien hospitals)!

the last page. Currently we are finishing Gustav Klimtinspired collaborative mixedmedia artworks.

3rd graders started the 2nd trimester with a recycled weaving installation on the Elementary building. We then moved to another 3D project involving recycled boxes which we covered papier mache and made into Haitian Tap Taps (colorful buses) which are hanging in the cafeteria.

4th graders focused on clay projects relating to their South American museum.

Clay masks, plants, and fish of the Amazon are now on display in the lobby of the Theater at ACS. Students are also learning about the printmaking process creating imaginary creatures and writing stories describing the life and personality of their creature.

In 5th grade the set design and a few props were designed in the art room. We have been learning a variety of painting techniques (washes, tints, shades, and mixing from the primary colors) to create landscapes using color and weather to convey mood.

Classes will continue to experiment with a variety of both 2D and 3D materials, as well as collaborative projects in the coming trimester.

Ms. Stauffer

ESL News The pace is picking up as we move into our last trimester! As this second trimester is coming to a close, I am noticing marked improvement in the students’ communication and comprehension!

In the first grade, we continue to focus on phonics but we are also picking up quite a few sight words! We are beginning initial work on writing sentences and using expressive language when speaking and writing. They are really learning to work together and showing more confidence in their English skills.

With the second, third, and fourth grade students, the focus has been on developing vocabulary based on specific content. Most of our work and lessons come from Language Central materials from which we study vocabulary, grammar, and reading strategies within a given lesson. Interwoven in these content-based lessons, we are furthering reading comprehension by focusing on skills needed to break down the meaning of text: identifying main idea and details, asking and answering questions, and summarizing. Also, third—fifth grade students have been learning new, challenging vocabulary words each week that will help them expand their vocabulary and liven up their writing. Try asking them what the Word of the Week is and if they can tell you what it means!

http://reading.ecb.org/.

Please continue encouraging your child to practice their English outside of school! Reading a book in English together is a great way to familiarize your child with old and new words while also working on comprehension.

The internet has some fantastic resources and fun activities that can provide additional English support! Here are several of my favorite websites to use with the kids ranging from basic to more advanced levels: www.starfall.com, www.pbski ds.o rg , and http://reading.ecb.org/.

I am thrilled with the progress students have made and am excited to see continued growth in their abilities to more fully understand and communicate their ideas in English.

Way to go!

Ms. Schulz

News from the Computer Lab!

Kindergarteners have been using the computer lab to reinforce their learning of the alphabet, counting and simple a d di ti o n /su bt r a cti o n an d beginning reading skills with Back Pack Bears.

First grade students are working on their math including addition/subtraction up to 20, place value and beginning geometry.

They also used a template in Microsoft Publisher to make a greeting card and type in a poem!

Our second graders have been w o r ki n g o n t h ei r wo r d processing skills using a variety of tools.

Some wrote letters with Microsoft Word and other students are participating in an exchange with a school in the United States using a classroom Blog.

The blog has been wonderful for practicing their writing skills, learning to ask and answer questions and for learning digital citizenship.

Third graders have been using various programs for learning reinforcement such as TCI, an online interactive Social Studies

program. The students used Raz-Kids, an online guided reading program which helps them improve their reading skills by listening for modeling fluency, reading for practice and checking for comprehension. They have been using Microsoft Word and Publisher for various writings and Microsoft PowerPoint to make presentations. In addition they conducted research on a country with some selected web sites. Our third graders also worked on two different types of animation/ programming programs, 2Animate and Scratch which has stirred a lot of enthusiasm.

Fourth grade students worked extensively on research skills.

They used www.choosito.com to look up information, take notes, and write a report on a country in South America..

The students just began learning Scratch programming language which is used to create interactive stories, mu sic, or art.

Watch www.youtu be.co m/watch? v=Gjc6Ux-BFks. Scratch programming is included in this video.

Fifth grade students worked on their research skills for their Elements project. This project also included a bibliography.

The students have also been practicing their keyboarding skills with www.typingweb.com.

In addition they began using Google Sketchup 8. Sketchup is a 3D modeling program which is for architectural drawing, where students learn to demonstrate their knowledge on basic geometry terms in a fun way and get to understand how it’s used in real life.

News from the Music Room Music is a way of expressing oneself and applies to all ages!

During lessons. students are guided through the learning of the basic ideas of music. They listen, learn, compose and perform music from different parts of the world and of different styles. They are encouraged to use a number of tuned and untuned instruments.

Kindergarten students have been focusing on the basic elements of music. They explore and learn music through a number of games and activities.

Kinesthetic learning is largely used in music lessons.

Students are encouraged to utilize the music vocabulary they learn. Their presentation during the Winter Concert where they acted, sung, and used trays, spoons, and body percussion to perform different rhythms was met with great success. Well done Kindergarten!

First grade students have been exploring ways of reading and writing music.

They have learned how to read and create graphic scores. They have composed, notated, and performed their own music with awareness of the different parts and instruments involved. They have also learned about the different families of instruments and have created their own instruments through row material. First grade should be

proud of their achievements this trimester. They should also be very proud of their performance during the Winter Concert where they acted, sung, and used tuned percussion instruments during their lovely performance on stage. Well done First grade!

Second grade students were introduced to the worlds of Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf' and to Orchestral Music. They learned a lot of facts about the orchestra, its setting, the instruments involved, about how music and specific instruments can express moods, emotions, and the action of a story itself. Second grade were also introduced to x y l o p h o ne s , m e ta l l o phones, and glockenspiels.

They learned to recognize and follow the direction of pitch in music and use this knowledge accordingly.

Second graders gave a wonderful performance during the Winter Concert where they acted, sung, and played body percussion and African drums. Well done Second grade!

Third grade students have been developing their recorder skills and their understanding of

traditional notation. They also learned about Structure in music and have implemented their knowledge through compositions and performances of their and other peoples' music. Group work has been at the core of music lessons with students learning how to work successfully in teams and how to solve problems. Their presentation during the Winter concert was met with great success. During this show they acted, sung, and played body percussion as well as recorders, hoola-hoops, and basketballs! Well done to all involved!

Fourth grade students have been developing their recorder, music notation, and team work skills. They learned the very important musical device in music called ground bass and performed music in two part harmony. They learned background information on the music of the Americas, and danced and performed music from this part of the world. A handful of students also gave a beautiful demonstration of salsa music during the museum event which was a commendable thing to do! Fourth grade as a whole also developed their rhythmic skills and gave an excellent performance during our Winter Concert. During this show they sang, acted, and used sticks, chairs, and

Music continued the floor of the stage of the Arts Theater at ACS to perform music of a high standard for this stage of their music education. A very well done to all involved!

Fifth grade students worked hard on preparing the songs for the 5th grade play. They also listened to and learned Classical Music, the periods involved and the basic characteristics of every era, about the work and music of different composers, and about some of the instruments and their development. Fifth grade students gave a fantastic performance of many challenges during the Winter Concert. They sung music and performed rhythms using brooms, and dust pans and dust brooms. Their performance was of a very high level for this stage of their development and music education. A very well done job to all involved!

Ms. Apostolou

News from the Greek Classes In the month of March Greek classes have been learning about “Apokries” Greek Carnival) and the customs that take place during this time.

They have also started preparing for the Greek Independence Day celebration.

The Elementary School performance will take place on March 22nd at the Theater at ACS. Please mark your calendars. All grades (JK-5) will perform on stage.

In the months of January and February: Greek Language A classes (Greek native and nearnative speakers): Students in grades 3-5 started to work on their history books: 3rd grade “Odyssey”, “Stone Age”, “Cycladic Civilization”. 4th grade “Persian Wars” and “Ancient Athens (Golden Age)” and 5th grade Byzantine history. They have also been working hard on various writing activities and grammar units (i.e. 10 parts of speech, verb-endings, conjugation of nouns and tenses).

Our JK students have worked on the units: “Numbers”, “Fairy Tales” and learned fun songs.

KG students have completed their second alphabet book.

They are now working on their final alphabet workbook.

Our JK students have worked on the units: “Numbers”, “Fairy Tales” and learned fun songs. KG students have completed their second alphabet book.

They are now working on their final alphabet workbook.

In grade 1, students are progressing in reading and writing.

In grade 2, students have been working hard on Greek grammar, especially with articles and nouns.

They have also read many interesting stories and poems.

Greek Language B classes (non-native speakers) KG students are doing a wonderful job practicing songs connected to various units of study! After the winter break we have been working on fall and winter, the weather, the clothes; also we have talked about feelings and body parts.

With our 1st grade students we have completed the first part of the book that refers to the recognition, the sound and the writing of the letters of the Greek alphabet. We are reviewing all the vocabulary taught so far through speaking (recognizing / labeling objects in pictures) and singing.

News from the Greek Classes continued 3rd grade students are still trying to help Zoggo, their textbook hero, learn Greek and teach him some grammar!

In 2nd grade, students are still working on thematically based vocabulary through rhyming.

They have finished books 2 and 3 from the textbooks and have just started with the 4th, through which they are familiarized with the combination sounds, like γγ, ου, τσ etc.

After having worked hard on all units of study from the book so far and having mastered the grammar that refers to plurals, adjectives, present tense and personal pronouns, 4th grade students have started working on a project about the rainforest ….in Greek!

(reading , writing, speaking and listening) through everyday situation dialogues.

Last but not least, we would like to congratulate all students who took a placement test in January and succeeded in joining the advanced level of Greek!

Well done to all our hardworking students!

Ms. Gaki, Ms. Papageorgiou Ms. Rovoli

In 5th grade, students are still learning the Greek language using all skills

News from the Arabic Classes The Arabic classes have been busy working on their curriculum and doing their best in every level.

In the current month, KG students have already completed the alphabet in Arabic and will start reviewing the letters in their new alphabet book. In first grade students are excited working in their new textbook and have started to read paragraphs and to fill in sentences correctly.

Our second graders are reading short stories and answer reading comprehension questions in writing.

In grade three, along with reading, stu dents are focu si ng on grammar, writing sentences and spelling.

Our fourth and fifth graders have done a great job reading stories, spelling new vocabulary and working on challenging grammar activities.

Well done for all the effort and progress.

Ms Lamia Accari

“A VARIETY OF CHALLENGES IN P.E.” Are you ready to be chalenged?

Are you ready to be stopped?

We’re the mighty ACS Athens Elementary students And we’re reaching for the top!

Many units have been taught in P.E. since December. All students, K-5, were introduced and challenged in the units of soccer, and volleyball.

Students learned about each sport’s history, rules and regulations, and all the skills involved in executing each task successfully. Students were also assessed on each unit’s content standards and benchmarks, and they got the opportunity to see what assessment in P.E. is like through mini an d fu n tournaments.

Students in Kindergarten and 1st grade also learned all about the fast and furious game of broomball. Broomball was first played in Canada in the early 1900’s by street car workers using a ball and corn brooms!

The sport evolved and was brought down to the U.S. It was reportedly played in Minnesota, which is considered the birthplace of U.S.A. broomball. Broomball is very similar to ice hockey, and it contains most of the same

rules and regulations.

The sport of broomball helps students to acquire many skills, some of which include: hand-eye coordination, shielding, trapping, throwing, and dodging. It also teaches students social skills, some of which include: teamwork, sportsmanship, guidance, cooperation, motivation.

While broomball was being played, grades 2-5 were acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills needed to play street hockey, and they have begun to see the connection between eye and hand coordination. They have had loads of fun learning and mastering the skills involved in playing street hockey, as well as the rules and regulations, and what it takes to be a united team.

Currently, all students, grades K-5, are learning and acquiring skills in the sport of softball.

Each grade level is obtaining the skills that are relevant to their age group and capabilities. We are having fun learning all about the vocabulary included in softball, its history, the rules, and all the equipment needed to be worn for safety reasons.

Overall, all students are realizing even more the necessary value of teamwork.

Character education is an essential part of sports, and students are shaping their sportsmanship attitude and behavior by noting that it takes more than one person to make a team.

Students, through each and every physical education unit, are being exposed to and taught about the six components of character education: f a ir n e s s , r e s p o n s ib il i t y , citizenship, trustworthiness, caring, and respectfulness.

They are learning to display these traits not only in P.E. class, but in their entire world.

Still to come….. our mini golf unit is up next, followed by our swimming unit which will begin on April 1st.

The students are continuously being challenged to open up their horizon and see how many different and unique sports are played all around the world. They are so enthusiastic to learn, and I enjoy watching them mature into fantastic athletes and citizens. So let’s all celebrate our healthy minds, bodies, and souls, and remind students that: How you play shows some of your character.

How you win or lose Shows ALL of it!

Mrs. Stavroula Salouros