December’s Newsletter Westminster Community Charter School. Buffalo’s Best!!!! Newsletter Date
Volume 1, Issue 1
M e e t ou r Ne w P r i n c i p a l Special points of
As a part of our plan to keep you informed we are developing a monthly newsletter. Every grade level and department will provide updates for you and your family. We are also hoping that this newsletter helps to open communication lines between you and the school. In addition to this newsletter, which will also be published online, we are redesigning / updating our website, developing and maintaining various social media accounts (twitter and Facebook) and utilizing an automated phone tree system. The first three newsletters will be printed for every student, after that we will print limited copies and publish almost exclusively online. We
interest: Briefly highlight your point of interest here. Briefly highlight your point of interest here. Briefly highlight your point of interest here. Briefly highlight your point of interest here.
Dr. Aiyende Rudolph
hope you enjoy.
In this issue:
In this issue: Meet the new principal
1
Grade Level Updates
1
Dr. Rudolph’s Reading
2
list Middle School notes from Mr. Abraham Ways to stay connected
2
Do we have your current number? If not then you will miss out on important updates, emergency calls and opportunities to celebrate.
Guidance Department
The Guidance would like to say that this year is off to a great start. We have had a lot of exciting things happen thus far for the 6-8th grade students. Here are a few: University at Buffalo Tennis Clinic (6-8th grade students were allowed to go to the University at Buffalo and learn how to play tennis from the University at Buffalo tennis team) Meet the Women’s Basketball team (The junior high students met the women’s basketball team in an intimate setting in our auditorium. Our students were allowed to ask the athletes what necessary steps were taking to become a Division I athlete.) Women’s Basketball Game (Our students were allowed to go to the University at Buffalo to see the women’s basketball game) Charter/ Private High School Fair: (Charter and Private High Schools within the surrounding area visited the school to recruit our 7 th and 8th grade students) High School Ahead Informative session: (8th Grade Parents were allowed to ask the school counselors whatever questions they had about the High School Application process, and were given a tutorial on how to fill out the online applications) 7th Grade Career Fair: (7th graders were invited to view all of the medical professions at the Buffalo Museum of Science) 7th Grade High School Career Fair (7th graders were allowed to view all of the Buffalo Public Schools and the programs that are offered at each school) Here in the Guidance department we believe that is important for our students to see different activities, so that they can see how their current lessons correlate to the real world. Things to look for: National Junior Honor Society, and the completion of the High School Applications. What we offer in the Guidance Department: One-on-one counseling, career exploration, bullying intervention, linkages to counseling, individual academic support, and much more. I can always be reached on my office phone 716-816-3452 or through email: mmabraham@buffaloschools.org.
Kindergarten News and Notes December Edition Writing Workshop The children are really coming along as writers. We have begun a small moments unit in which the students are writing true stories about their own lives. The range of abilities varies depending upon each child’s strengths. Some are drawing a picture to represent the event, others are adding letters to represent the words they are trying to write by including initial sounds of words ; others have begun to use phonetic skills to stretch words, like a rubber band, as we say in kindergarten, to represent sounds they hear. Writing, as we stated in September at open house, is a developmental process, all students are like flowers and bloom when they are ready! How can you help out at home: Recall events, experiences, and things you and your child do. Ask them to retell you the story across three fingers (as we do in workshop) starting with what happened first (the beginning), what happened next (the Middle) and what happened last (the end). Our small moments stories need to be told in one time, one place. Example: so if the story was about going to grandma’s house all three pages should describe in detail, through pictures labels and words (the best they are able-letters for some, pictures for others), what they did at grandma’s, who was there *(chart examples below) the w words: who, what, where, when
In reading workshop Kindergarten has been using their SUPER POWERS to preview, read, and retell their Star Books, Emergent Story Books and Just Right Books. Here are some of our SUPER POWERS that we have learned to use when we are reading any book. Try them out with them at home! Readers think about what might happen in the book by looking at the cover and flipping through the book to get their reading engines ready. Readers check the pictures and point under the words. Partners read or act out the big, important parts when they sit and learn together. Super readers make MOVIES IN THEIR MINDS by using the pictures and words from the story to add to their scenes. When readers get stuck on a word, they look at the pictures for help and get their mouths ready for the beginning sounds of the tricky word. Readers read words they know and sight words on the words wall in a snap. Readers use all their SUPER POWERS when they meet together with partners or BOOK BUDDIES!
Social Studies Learning about holidays is part of our cultural study. During the month of December we will continue learning how other countries celebrate the holidays. By the end of this unit, we will have traveled to many different countries. We will learn new songs, complete projects and talk about Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and more
Your child has been a first grader for fifty days already! Please continue to read daily at home, practice sight words and math flashcards. Below you will find information about the content being learned in each subject and how you can help at home.
Science
Reading Workshop
In science, first graders are studying “Sunshine and Shadows”. We are learning that you need three things to make a shadow: a light, a surface, and an object. You can help your first grader at home by looking for shadows around the house or outside and seeing how we can make shadows move.
First grade readers are working on nonfiction reading this month! We are learning how the features of a nonfiction book, Table of Contents, Pictures and Captions, bold words, can help teach us about what we are reading. You can help your reader at home by including nonfiction reading into your daily reading routines. Newspapers and magazines are great for this!
Math
Writing Workshop
In math, first graders are working on addition and
In writing, the first graders are
subtraction strategies. We
books. First graders are writing about topics they are “experts” in
are reading story problems and have to figure out if we need to use addition or subtraction to solve it. We have been looking at equations/number sentences where the total is known, and a part is missing. For example, 7+___=10 or 8___=4. You can help your child at home by continuing to work on the flashcards sent home with the homework a couple weeks ago. Your child should know the flashcards in a snap without needing to use their fingers. Also, you can help your child at home by telling a story about an equation/number sentence. For example, give your child an equation like 7-2=5 and ask them to tell a story using the equation (ex: There were seven monkeys in a tree. Then two monkeys left the tree. Now there are five monkeys left in the tree).
working on writing informational
and creating an “all about” piece to teach their readers about it. We have learned about how headings, labels, captions, “zoomed in” pictures all can be added to better explain the topic to our readers. You can help your first grader at home by talking with them about things they are an “expert” at and have them teach you by telling the most important parts across their fingers!
Social Studies In Social Studies, the first grade is learning about communities. The students have learned that a community is where people live, work and play. We have discussed all of the things found in a community including buildings, homes, citizens and our leaders. We also have learned about different community workers and how they each have a role in keeping our community safe and to help it be successful. The students have also been busy creating a model of a community in our classroom with each student in charge of building a part of it. Ask your first grader to tell you about the community workers we have learned about and what their roles are!
Math
In math, first graders are working on addition and subtraction strategies. We are reading story problems and have to figure out if we need to use addition or subtraction to solve it. We have been looking at equations/number sentences where the total is known, and a part is missing. For example, 7+___=10 or 8-___=4. You can help your child at home by continuing to work on the flashcards sent home with the homework a couple weeks ago. Your child should know the flashcards in a snap without needing to use their fingers. Also, you can help your child at home by telling a story about an equation/number sentence. For example, give your child an equation like 7-2=5 and ask them to tell a story using the equation (ex: There were seven monkeys in a tree. Then two monkeys left the tree. Now there are five monkeys left in the tree).
Dates to Remember
Every Friday your child must turn in their homework. If your child is absent, the homework is due the day he/she is back in school.
December 3rd: Book Fair begins.
December 24-January 1st-Winter Break
December 2012 2nd grade News
2nd Grade Mr. Taggart
Room 251
Mrs. Vishion
Room 252
Warming up with Learning!! December Units of Study
Social Studies Holidays Around the World Students will learn about how different countries celebrate the holidays. They will explore America, Mexico, and a few other countries. They will also
Writing: Reading Nonfiction, Reading the world
explore Kwanzaa and Hanukah.
Science
Students will be working to sort, classify, and synthesize information as they research a variety of topics, from animals to occupations. Readers will also be putting their decoding skills to the test as they encounter lots of new vocabulary Reading: Informational Writing. Readers will be creating information books to share their knowledge of an "expert topic". Students will take extra care in how they structure their texts, keeping them engaged to the last word.
Air and Weather
STUDENTS WILL CONTINUE LEARN ABOUT AIR AND WEATHER THOUGH HANDS ON EXPERIMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS. THEY WILL FOCUS ON TEMPERATURE, WIND. THE WATER CYCLE, AND CLOUDS.
On Time and In Uniform! Please make sure that your Second Grader is in
Math Adding/Subtracting Multiples of 10 Adding/Subtracting on a Hundred Chart
school every day on time and in full uniform, including a tie every day.
Changing of the Season Please make sure that your child comes to school with a jacket daily, the weather is now colder and we do try to make an effort to go outside for some
December Birthdays
fresh air and exercise.
Breakfast 12/1: Ja’vion West 12/2: Abijah Johnson 12/6: Reniya Jones 12/7: Jayden Hoskins
Breakfast starts at 8:00 sharp and ends promptly at 8:15. Please make sure your child is on time to enjoy the delicious breakfast so that they can start their day energized and with fuel for their brain.
Third Grade Is Rocking!! READ ABOUT ALL THE HAPPENINGS IN 3RD GRADE!! learning.
No v/ De c 2012
V O L. 1
Our brilliant mathematicians have begun learning about multiplication. They will be expected to see objects in groups, rows &
Great things are happening in 3rd grade! As you know, we are in full swing at WCCS in all our academic endeavors. The routines and procedures are in place and with the help of our great support staff; we are focused on fine tuning our
columns and relate multiplication with addition. They will also be introduced to division strategies including repeated subtraction and making equal groups. Our Common Core standards for 3rd grade states that the students should know the
multiplication facts up to 12 with fluency & accuracy. Therefore, we will spend time learning the facts with automaticity! Any skill practice and on the spot quizzing of math facts at home can make a huge difference in the classroom every day. You
“You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction your choose.�: ~ Dr. Seuss
Reading Workshop In Reading Workshop, October & November was spent enjoying series books in book clubs exploring characters, character traits, patterns in characters across books, growing theories about characters etc. Your child should be able to engage in thoughtful conversations with you about the characters in their books so initiate those discussions after your child reads at home. In December, your son or daughter will be focusing on non-fiction reading. Our Common Core 3rd grade standards state that students
Series Books Sample 3rd Grade Text
should be able to determine the main idea of a text and recount key details, use text features and search tools and ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text referring explicitly to the text as the basis for their answers. Students will delve into the world of informational text as a way to “read to learn� and grow ideas. Although they will be reading non-fiction text in class, they should continue to bring home a fiction/realistic fiction text and a reading log each night. This will keep the momentum going and continue to foster their love for reading without having to do the work of navigating non-fiction text at home. Keeping up their independent reading lives is extremely important.
Non-Fiction/Informational
events using dialogue and descriptions of characters actions, thoughts and feelings. Our 3rd graders did an AWESOME job!! See an example of our realistic fiction writing bulletin board below. In December, students will be using their non-fiction reading skills learned in Reading Workshop to help them write informational books. We will be utiliz-
Writing Workshop In Writing Workshop, your children have been using what they’ve learned about characters, story elements and writing crafts in reading to write realistic fiction stories. Students created a character and wrote stories about the character involving a realistic problem the character might face, incorporated secondary characters in their story, decided on a realistic way the character would solve their problem and planned
ing the aspects of their everyday lives to brainstorm topics they are experts in, and in turn, writing books teaching readers about this topic of expertise! For example, a child who is great at helping around the house might choose to write a book entitled “Doing Chores Is Hard Work but Fun!” The students will learn to plan how their writing will go, create a Table of Contents, write chapters, draw diagrams and add any non fiction text feature they choose. What good fun! :)
thoughtfully about how the stories should end ( a happy ending or a not-so-happy ending where the character learns a lesson about life). Our Common Core 3rd grade standards states students should be able to
develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising and editing, write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
As you can see, we are full speed ahead in all three 3 rd grade classrooms! Hope to see you on Parent & Teacher conference night Dec.5, 2012!! Ms. Rosenthal, Mr. Koch & Ms. Hnatyszyn
4th Grade November and December Reading
During reading workshop in the months of November and December, fourth grade students will be busy reading nonfiction. The areas of nonfiction reading will include expository and narrative. Students will be submerged in a variety of text, such as books, articles, and short stories. To help support your student look for reading opportunities which include headings, subheadings, graphs, photos, and graphic organizers. Students should also be asked to identify the main idea and supporting details of a text.
November and December Writing Writing will be focused on opinion and persuasive essays. Students will be writing with introductions, thesis statements, supports with examples, and lastly ending with a culminating conclusion. The students will learn to write with purpose to support an opinion and to persuade the reader to his/her way of thinking also known as argument writing. Please review your students’ writing notebook to become familiar with the structure for each type of writing to assist your student if he/she should need help during homework assignments. This type of writing will greatly help your student with the ELA state exam writing.
5th Grade Newsletter! Westminster Community Charter School
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
Re a d e r s a n d W r i t e r s o f W or k sh op Reading
Please make sure your child is reading their fiction/ non fiction books at home every night for at least 45 minutes. Please look at your child's planners daily
DECEMBER 2012
Fifth graders are getting informed by exploring the world of Non-Fiction Texts! In this Reading Workshop Unit, students have been working on getting deeper meaning out of the information they are learning. Strategies we are practicing do to this include: determining 2 or more main ideas in a text, supporting those ideas with text evidence, comparing and contrasting structures of different informational texts, and analyzing multiple accounts of articles on a similar topic.
to check for homework assignments.
Writing
Students are expected to write in their readers and writers notebooks at home
Uncovering the Past in Social Studies... Fifth grade is learning about the great empires of our past. Powerful civilization such as the Maya, Inca, and Aztecs empires developed
Students use this “Informational Text Structures� chart to help them read their informational books.
Fifth grade authors are writing Informational Texts! Students each chose a topic that was important to them and one they wanted to teach others about. Using their expert knowledge and a little bit of research they are now producing texts modeled after the informational texts they are reading during Reading Workshop! We are looking forward to learning a lot from their published pieces!
and spread through Mexico, central America, and South America. Through activities and powerful conversations, fifth graders have been learning, first-hand, what it was like for archaeologist to decipher ancient writings! Our next unit of study will be Native Americans of North America. We will learn about the Iroquois, the Cheyenne, the Hopi, and the Kwakiutl. We will be creating class projects, watching video clips, viewing art, and even listening to music to learn more about these great cultures!
What our Mathematicians are doing... Fifth grade mathematicians are computing, talking about, and working with numbers, using the operations of multiplication and division. Our students are multiplying whole numbers with up to three digits and at least one factor and dividing numbers with up to four digit dividends and two digit divisors. They are using previous learned information, such as place value an the relationship between multiplication and division to solve math challenges. Our next unit will be adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals. This unit will give students another opportunity to use place value to reason and explain decimals. They will also use models, drawings, and written explanation to explain the strategy chosen to represent a math challenge.
4th Grade Science
Water, Water Everywhere…but especially in third grade, where scientists are studying water and its properties! Students are working cooperatively to observe and compare water on a variety of surfaces (tinfoil, wax paper, paper towel, copy paper). Once that’s done, students are communicating their findings to their classmates using their notes and diagrams. Look for more fun experiments as we study evaporation and condensation!
Fourth Grade Scientists have been building volcanoes and studying how a volcano changes the Earth quickly. It’s been fun to watch them erupt and learn Earth’s role in this amazing process. In addition, students are conducting experiments that reinforce the concepts of Weathering and Erosion. Along with our study of the Earth, fourth grade scientists are comparing and contrasting different types of rocks to determine if luster, color and hardness are good indicators of identification. As if that’s not enough…students are also comparing soil types to determine which one drains the best and which one holds water more efficiently. Our field trip to the Buffalo Science Museum was a wonderful supplement to our Earth Science Unit!
Scientists in Fifth Grade have been incredibly busy learning about Astronomy and Earth’s place in the Solar System. Starting with a visit to the Buffa-
lo
Museum of Science, students have been active in learning about how the Sun, Earth and Moon work in conjunction, as well as the relative distance between these celestial bodies. At the current time, students are conducting Moon Observations on a daily (or nightly) basis and then bringing that information back to class for discussion. In the near future, students will be using Oreos to construct models of the Moon’s Phases…yummy! After that, we’ll dive right into planet research which will lead to Virtual Postcards… depicting a “fantasy” visit to another planet, along with a postcard back home! It’s already been an “out-of-this-world” experience!
Westminster Community Charter School
7th and 8th Grade Newsletter Decemeber Volume 1, Issue 1
7 t h a n d 8t h Gr a d e
S c ien c e
Inside this issue: 7th and 8th Grade Scie
1
8th Grade ELA
1
8th Grade Math
1
to compete in this new technological age. In addition, you may want to consider buying your child a tablet or Ipad they can use in school. My class is full of opportunities for students to learn online and take advantage of the Internet. Any questions? Call me at 578-2786 or email me at rbaxter@buffaloschools.org! Mr. Baxter, Room 350
8th Grade Algebra
2
7th and 8th Grade Social Studies
2
Students are busy with many science explorations 7th ELA
2
this year. The students in the picture are investigating how levers work first hand. They also completed the annual egg drop competition. Everyone
8t h Gr a d e
ELA
In English Language Arts, we are ending our his-
did an ‘egg’cellent job! Our eighth graders will be starting dissections shortly as we cover the systems of the body. Our world has been taken over
torical fiction writing pieces and moving into journalism. Students will have the opportunity to publish their own news stories, and towards the end
by technology. Our students can learn practically anything using the Internet. Give your child an
of December move into investigative journaling. Please feel free to watch any news show with your
advantage in the classroom by providing them with Internet access at home. This will allow them
child and have them study it for content and organization.
8t h G r a d e
Ma t h
In eighth grade, math students are wrapping up their unit on exponents and scientific notation. Students explored real world problems involving scientific notation. The month of November was full of investigations during our volume unit. Students had the opportunity to
explore the relationship between volume of a sphere, cone and cylinder. They did this by measuring and calculating the volume of a watermelon, grape, ice cream cone, candy corn and many other objects. Mrs. Zipp, Room 353
8th Grade Algebra
In algebra we are currently working on the Algebra Performance Indicators learning how to perform the four core operations on polynomial expressions. Please ensure that your child is completing their homework at night for review the next day. Algebra requires more practice than regular math and it is imperative that each student try the sample problems to expand on what they have learned in class. Please check my website http://www.nylearns.org/ahamilton for daily notes and homework assignments. Other resources like http://www.khanacademy.org and http:// www.regentsprep.org are amazing resources with additional instructional materials to help the students clear up any other confusing concepts that they may have outside of class. Thank you for your support! Mr. Hamilton
7th and 8th Grade Social Studies In social studies, we are working on doing the work of true historians. Historians analyze primary and secondary sources to understand popular opinions on key concepts in history and then create new information. In 8 th grade, we are thinking about how the Reconstruction Era valued the ideals of the American democratic system. We are engaging in a series of activities to help us to form individual perspectives. Students will complete a project to show their understanding of the material. In 7 th grade, students are considering the nature and evolution of a constitutional democracy as it is evident in the causes of the American Revolution. Students will have homework nightly such as reading and reflection on what was learned in class and that will be needed for the next class. Please make sure your child completes homework. Please email me should you have any questions at tnyachae@buffaloschools.org. Thank you so much for your cooperation and support!
7th Grade Math In seventh grade math we just finished up our unit on equations, inequalities and expressions. Students have been creating and solving equations and inequalities based on real world situations. Students are given grade reports weekly to inform them of where they stand. Please remember that grades can be improved and corrections made to demonstrate understanding of all standards. If your child is simply reciting step-by-step instructions, en-
7th ELA Mrs. Zipp, Room 353
7th grade readers have spent the past seven weeks analyzing, discussing and questioning characters. In student selected series books, each child has been learning about character traits, motives and analyzing character behavior to track
courage him or her to elaborate by asking questions focusing on the “why” of the problem:
changes over time. The haunting, and somewhat bizarre, poetry of Edgar Allan Poe helped the
•What is the goal of the problem?
students discover various aspects of an author’s style. 7th graders have used the information that they learned to rehearse, edit, draft and publish
•Why does that step work? •Why would we want to do that next? •What does this step in the process accomplish? •How do I know if my answer is reasonable? •Can I check my work to make sure it makes sense to me?
multiple stories throughout the unit. During the remainder of November and the month of December, we will be diving into nonfiction texts. Social studies and reading will be integrated during this unit to help students better comprehend both subjects. Though the kids will be keeping up with their fiction stories independently, look forward to your children reading and writing about news articles, magazines and internet databases.
News from Special Education G re e t i n gs W C C S C o m mu n i t y ! There are some exciting changes happening in the special education department that we are all excited to see. Our focus will be on data, differentiated instruction, progress monitoring and the coteaching process. We have laid the groundwork and now we are ready to build upon what we know, to make our students successful learners. As you know by now, we will become more diligent in creating differentiated instruction using
The focus this school year is all about development and progression of both students and teachers. We are looking forward to great things happening! Please note that Special Education Quarterly progress reports have been completed and mailed to parents. The special education teachers can make them available for review when requested. The Special Education Resource Room has been repurposed for the Math Department. Special
the following definition: Differentiated instruction is a process to teaching and learning for students of differing abilities in the same class. The intent of differentiating instruction is to maximize each student's growth and individual success by meeting each student where he or she is and assisting in the learning process. We will be working as a department to craft opportunities to differentiate the instruction and strategies to use to implement them. This process cannot be achieved without everyone’s support through planning and collaboration. In addition, everyone will be looking at student performance and the effectiveness of the interventions in place. education teachers will now be utilizing spaces in classrooms. Testing accommodations will be moved to the space outside of the bookroom and the Special Education Coordinator’s office. Additional space will be provided as needed. On behalf of Mrs. Baxter and Ms. Horton, they thank you for all your well wishes. On behalf of the entire Special Education Department, thank you for your continued support.
As a department, we will also conduct monthly data chats to measure student growth.
WCCS Volume 1, Issue 1 Newsletter Date: November
Special points of interest: http://www.cast.org/index.html http://www.glencoe.com/sec/ teachingtoday/subject/ di_meeting.phtml http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=hMo5suNUoKw http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=hadT55umZU0
Art: Kindergarten-Third grade
It has been a great start to the school year. Students have created some amazing artwork and are enjoying the process of creating. Our first marking period has come to an end in the art room. Students seem anxious to get started with our exploration of new art projects. Students in all grades will be working with a variety of art mediums, creating projects that are hands on and fun.
Kindergarten students have been working on a unit about family in the art room. Students just finished creating beautiful family trees. Our next unit of study will be shape where we will look at shape in the world around us and explore various artists and how they use shape in their artwork.
Left: LaNiya Sheppard Room 158 Family tree
First grade students have just finished a unit on art and literature. We read several different stories and became illustrators. Students are currently working on a unit with my student teacher Ms. Klein about the artist Elizabeth Murray. Students will be creating abstract collage paintings.
Left: Yoan Kalthoff Room 255 Dinosaur Stomp painting
Second grade students are currently working on a color unit. We are looking at colors and how they make us feel. Students read several books about color and mood. We then used our class IPad to create these beautiful pictures showing a mood and words that describe our mood. These were creating using an app called WordFoto. Students will be creating self-portraits in a color scheme that represents their mood and writing poems to go with their work of art.
Left: Justin Blue Room 252 Moody Me Portraits
Third Grade students are currently working on a unit artists and shape. The have completed a project where they studied the artist Elizabeth Murray. Students then transformed organic shapes into object in their daily lives. This week students are learning about the artist Henri Matisse. They will be making hand painted papers in an Eric Carle style that they will use to create a collage.
Left: Iyana Ransom Room 204 Murray Collage
Announcements: Drama Club set design will begin in December.
4-7 Art Newsletter
Anyone interested that is not involved in Band or Sports, please see Mr. Panek for details.
4th Grade: We just finished up the Expressive Emotion Lesson. The students will be put into the role of a Cartographer, where they will explore the art of mapmaking. We will have a discussion about the past and forecast the future of Cartographers and how they could affect our lives today. Finally, the students will apply what was learned in Social Studies to develop a unique map with All the necessary elements (including erosion and an antique look). 5th Grade: As we put the finishing touches on the Frank Lloyd Wright stained glass window designs, we look to the art movement that became popular in the 1960’s, Pop Art. The blending of popular culture and consumer products with the visual arts world caused much controversy within the fine arts community. Where it began, to what it has blossomed into today, many critics were doubters. We will explore this style and the students will give their opinion as to whether or not this should be considered art?
6th Grade: An intimidating lesson, at times can be quite intense but once learned and mastered can be an invaluable tool in life. I’m describing one point perspective. In this lesson the students will learn 4 styles of 1 point perspective and how each style will change the look and feel of a design. We will create a cityscape in Orthographic view first, then re-create that design using 1 of the 4 styles (or more). The difficulty is high, but the end result is worth it.
7th Grade: We are also putting the finishing touches on the crosscurricular math lesson of Tessellations/Translations. Our next challenge, will be an extensive look into the art movement of Fauvism. Our first lesson of the year dealt with image symbolism and meaning, this lesson focuses on color and what it represents. We will look at how color alone can change the mood, feel and meaning of our hybrid design. In order to have this control we need a medium that is easily manipulated, that answer is Oil Pastels.
WCCS Library Media Center The library is excited to announce our upcoming winter book fair. It will run December 3 rd through 7th. We will host a family night on Wednesday December 5 th until 6:30pm to allow parents and students to shop together. Though the majority of our library class time is spent with teaching and hands on learning, we also continue to allow students the opportunity to borrow materials. Promoting an appreciation of reading will always be a focus in the library media center!
Primary Classes: Our library classes have been busy reading and sharing since September. Kindergarten has been working on distinguishing fiction books from non-fiction. Our author study in first grade has focused on Author/Illustrator Eric Carle. Second grade classes have been working on a multitude of topics, most recently we began mapping out the stories we share during read aloud. This includes identifying the main character(s), setting, plot, and other story elements. Lastly, our third grade class has been studying literary genres. With this subject we read stories such as Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini and Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg.
Fourth Grade Research Class: Our research class has been focusing on the subject of research. We have selected our favorite author to learn more about. The culmination of our research will be a letter we write and mail to our selected author.
Sixth Grade Research Class: Since the beginning of the school year we have worked on copyright, bibliographies, and conducting research. Our first major project was on the election. Students completed posters and conducted research.