Art Our young artists began the year with a study all types of lines. We continued with art inspired by the work of Dutch Cubist artist Piet Mondrian, who favored horizontal and vertical lines as well as squares and rectangles. These were all painted in primary colors. We are now in the midst of art work focused on the use of warm and cool colors. Expect to see gorgeous fall leaves, trees and stained glass windows ( made with chalk pastel) either decorating our walls or coming home with our students.
Computer Science Ms. Montaperto is implementing SEPjr. this year in her Computer Science classes. The Software Engineering Program Junior (SEPjr) is a high-quality computer science program for kindergarten through fifth-grade students that balances rigorous and meaningful direct instruction with open-ended creative computing. Teachers and students engage in foundational computer science concepts through teacher-directed lessons and the application of computer science, including through open-ended creative computing platforms such as Scratch, robotics and maker education. The SEPjr curriculum is aligned with the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) standards. Learn more about the SEPjr curriculum here.
English as a New Language (ENL) Ms. K. Marionakis- 2017-2018 School Year- ENL Teacher (Kindergarten) Ms. Marionakis collaborates with kindergarten teachers to plan and prepare lessons which offer more support to students who are learning English. All of the aides and scaffolding used is integrated into the Kindergarten curriculum, so as all students have the same goal and knowledge, they just take different paths to arrive at their goals. She finds ways to help students expand their vocabulary, express themselves and respond to literature according to state standards by offering English Language Learner strategies in and out of the classroom.
Music The music department is resonating throughout the school and here's why: The early childhood division is being infused with lots of music and movement activities. These tactile and kinesthetic experiences enable the students to subliminally absorb the elements of music. Students in the upper division are learning to play the recorder (wind instrument). In addition, these students will sing and play the songs they've learned throughout the semester at a culminating concert at Carnegie Hall! The Chorus is preparing a delightful repertoire for the concert! As they master each song, the students are learning invaluable performing arts skills i.e., ear training, vocal technique, and expressive singing. We've set the momentum for a truly musical year!
Physical Education Mr. Perri teaches Physical Education to students in grades K-5. In the lower grades, the focus is on loco-motor skills such as hopping, jumping, skipping, etc. As the year goes on, students in these grades will work on a variety of other skills such as throwing, catching, kicking and so on. Students in the upper grades prepare and take the NYC Fitnessgram assessment, which is a series of tests designed to assess each students' strength, endurance and flexibility. Once Fitnessgram testing is completed, students in the upper grades will participate in various sports units, as well as cooperative games, international games, etc. Throughout the year, Mr. Perri includes STEM concepts in his lessons and integrates technology and health concepts where applicable as well.
Science Science with Mrs. Atsaves In the 3rd grade, students have learned all about the properties of objects and measurement using the metric system. We are now studying energy and have started with light. Miss USA came to visit class 3-225 and participated in the shoebox experiment! Ask your students what happened. We had a great time! Our 4th graders are dissecting owl pellets as part of our Food Chains and Webs unit. We will discover what the owl had for dinner by reconstructing the bones of its prey! Our scientists are working very hard to decipher each mammal buried inside the furry pellet. This is an amazing way to learn about the transfer of energy in the deciduous forest ecosystem. The next unit will be Magnetism and Electricity. Class 5-342 was very busy using The Engineering Design Process to build parachutes. We asked questions, identified variables, planned, created, and improved our design. We will continue to incorporate STEAM in our lessons by following this process. Soon we will construct lifeboats, pendulums, and whirly birds!
STEM Mr. Katz facilitates STEM activities to grades K-5. During STEM class, students utilize their understanding of science concepts, mathematical skills and a variety of technologies to become engineers and inventors. Engineering is Elementary (EiE) Developed by the Science Museum of Boston, EiE, teaches students about various types of engineers and empowers them to take on that role. Through research-based, teacher-tested hands-on activities, students develop creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. This year, students will use the Engineering Design Process (EDP) to design bridges, earthquake resistant buildings, maglev train systems, and aid drop packages (just to name a few). Wheel of Invention Styled in the format of a game show, Wheel of Invention enables students to become inventors and solve meaningful problems. Using the natural world as a source of inspiration, students collaborate in small groups to face a variety of invention challenges. In these challenges, students research, plan, create and present prototypes. To bring their inventions to life, students have access to a variety of materials ranging from cardboard and basic art supplies to motors, gearboxes and LED lights. It is truly remarkable to see the creative sparks fly as students take on real world challenges as inventors!