Art Specialist – Mrs.  Alice Parker, Rm.  11

 

          In the third marking period, art classes will have a heavier concentration of 3D projects. Fifth graders will be using plastercraft.  Second graders through fifth graders will be doing clay projects.  We will continue to paint, do origami based multimedia projects and create paper sculptures. Windows art students will be painting with acrylics, creating wire sculptures and possibly literal cakes using sculptamold.

 

Instrumental Music Specialist - Mrs. Michele Hughes, Stage

 

     Both Packanack bands are hard at work during the winter months with new music for the spring concert!  The 5th graders favorite is “Raider’s March”, and the 4th grade band is getting their musical feet wet with the classic “Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony”.  All students are working on achieving their band karate belts, and Smartmusic is up and running! Students can still enroll- if interested, please speak to Mrs. Hughes.

     As a reminder, band students should be practicing for a minimum of 60 minutes per week, and return the signed practice record weekly.  Practice makes great musicians! 

Mrs. Michele Hughes

Packanack Band Director

 

Library Media Specialist – Mrs. Charlene Mason, Library Media Center

 

     The Readers Patch Program is off to a great start!  This year all third, fourth, and fifth grade students are required to read a fiction book each month and submit a written book review.  Later in the year, these book reviews will be made into podcasts and be accessible through the library catalog.  Students in the lower elementary grades are reading and recording two books read per month.  All students will receive Reading Patches for their literary accomplishments in June, compliments of our wonderful PTO.  Please see the links below for forms needed for the Readers Patch Program.

     In February we will celebrate our love of reading with our 10th Annual Cat's PJ Party.  Research projects in March for fourth and fifth graders will feature the U.S. States and Countries of the World respectively.  All other classes will be engaged in Readers' Theater a fun-filled way to promote reading.

     We are excitedly looking forward to our Author Visit on April 23, 2010 of Robert J. Blake.  His new book, "Little Devils" highlights his most recent trip to Australia and his encounters with Tasmanian Devils.

     The link below to ParenTech is a PowerPoint presentation that features the technology that we use at the elementary level in Wayne schools and some other useful information for parents in navigating through Cyberspace with their children.  Please visit me in the Media Center if you have questions about it or need more information.

"Paws to read the purr-fect book"

 

 

 

ParenTech Presentation 2010

Readers Patch Program

JR. Readers Patch

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Mason

 

Physical Educational Specialists - Ms. Beth Collins, Mr. Steve Guttman, Gymnasium

 

     Packanack students are currently participating in their gymnastics unit.  They are busy tumbling, vaulting and climbing ropes.  On February 19th, Packanack students will be participating in the 6th annual Jump Rope for Heart Day.   Students will be preparing for this event by practice jumping with the short and long ropes as well as the hula hoops.  Our late winter and early spring units will include floor hockey and basketball.

 

Vocal/Choral Music Specialist - Miss Elizabeth Murray, Library Media Center

 

Preschool: We will be reviewing the songs we have learned so far throughout the year.  The students will continue to act out and interpret songs to help develop fine and large motor skills as well as reinforce the concept of a steady beat in music.

Kindergarten: We will be experimenting with solo singing and voice identification throughout the third marking period through the use of song games.  We will also continue to reinforce concepts such as beat vs. rhythm, fast vs. slow, high vs. low, and loud vs. quiet.

1st Grade: We will be using our knowledge of rhythmic symbols to being reading rhythmic patterns in our songs.  We will also be learning a new symbol towards the end of the marking period.  The students will begin making connections between music, art, and literacy through rewriting and illustrating their own line of a song.

2nd Grade: Throughout the third marking period students will be learning about the blues.  We will trace this style of music back to its original roots and outline its form.  Students will then experiment with song writing and create their very own blues song by the end of the marking period.

3rd Grade: We will be learning about musical instruments and the families to which they belong.  Student will not only learn the names of the instruments but also how they are categorized into the families. 

4th Grade: In fourth grade we will be learning about twenty-four different styles of music.  We will be discussing facts about each style as well as learning characteristics to help us identify each style by sound.

5th Grade: Fifth graders will be working on, and presenting, their music project throughout this marking period.  The music project theme is “My Life’s Soundtrack”.  Each student is to select at least ten major/important events that have happened to them throughout their life and then select a song that represents each event.  This project includes a written paper and the creation of a CD Cover.  Details are provided to the students to use as a guide throughout this process.  We will also begin preparing our repertoire for the Spring Concert which takes place at the end of May. 

uring the second marking period each grade explores similar musical styles while experiencing slightly different elemental focuses.  Each grade level will be learning through winter and holiday themed music.  They will not only learn about the songs and traditions associated with them but they will also further their comprehension of musical notation and stylistic techniques.

 

World Language Specialist– Señora Yvette March, Rm. 103A

Welcome!

¡Bienvenidos !

 

For this marking period the fourth graders will moving on from learning about colors, clothes and seasons, to clothes around the world.  Students will learn what other cultures wear and will have an opportunity to dress an international doll figure to showcase; we are looking forward to the beautiful creations. During these past weeks our fourth and fifth graders have also learned that there are many ways to say “I love you”. The bulletin board on love around the world near the media center by the doorway was to highlight Valentine’s Day in the month of February.  Students have been making lots of connections with science, social studies, and grammar during our lessons; they are really getting a cross cultural experience!   Through the use of technology and audio resources we have been sharpening our listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.  We will move on in the fourth grade to learn new vocabulary dealing with the birthday theme, higher numbers, the school and the people in the school.  

In the fifth grade we have been learning about school and personnel at the school as well as feelings.  We have been working on our listening and writing skills and will be moving on to talking about phone conversations, our neighborhood and sports.

Looking forward to our next couple of months….We’re doing Fantastico!

Hasta pronto! ……..Señora March, Spanish teacher