We hope that your family has had a wonderful start to the year and the second semester. In this newsletter, you will find information regarding the third nine weeks and special events planned in the next few weeks. Thank you for continued support at home!

Sincerely,

The Related Arts Team

*Background features 3rd and 4th grade student projects done in Spanish class after reading Parrots over Puerto Rico by Cindy Trumbore.

3rd and 4th grade have both completed a seminar on Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" and are working on comparing and contrasting two different performances of the song. The students have had some amazing things to say about the theme of this song! 4th grade is continuing to work on the recorder and recently composed their own melody to play for the class. 3rd grade has also been working on composing and is working on learning songs from the Caribbean for our upcoming Caribbean dinner night.

2nd grade is continuing to sight-read music and build their musical vocabulary. Students have been playing melodies on mini-keyboards that they have read and re- written using their sight-reading skills. Students are also learning music from the Caribbean.4th

1st grade is working on rhythmic dictation-writing down the different rhythm patterns they hear played. Kindergarten is composing with high and low sounds and playing what they create for the class. Both grades are experiencing music from the Caribbean to continue that theme throughout all grade levels.

We have about 65 4th graders in our Disney musical this year--Sleeping Beauty KIDS. These students have been working incredibly hard since October on making this show the best it can possibly be and show time is almost here! The show will premier Friday, March 23rd at 6:00 pm with two more shows Saturday the 24th and Sunday the 25th at 2:00 pm. I am so very proud of everything these students have done so far and will continue to do, they are amazing!

This nine weeks our focus is jump rope skills and hockey skills. February kicks off our Jump Rope for Heart. Students will be discussing the heart and how it works. The deadline to turn in money will be March 9, 2018.

As always, safety of all of our students is most important to us. Please remind your children the necessity of following the physical education rules consistently. The rules are as follows:

1. Be safe. (Stop, look, and listen on the whistle signal).

2. Be able to cooperate with others.

3. Be respectful to others and equipment.

4. Work hard.

5. Have fun.

Thank you for your support at home.

This nine weeks, all classes have continued to build upon foundational skills including numbers, calendar, and basic conversation. Kindergarten students have learned family vocabulary and have begun to study action words. First grade students have also studied family words and are now focusing on vocabulary related to the weather and the seasons. Second grade students have been working towards counting from 1-100 and are now reviewing weather expressions. Third and fourth grade students began the nine weeks with weather and seasons vocabulary and have been working on special projects featuring the parrots of Puerto Rico.

As part of our culture and connections standards in world language, all Spanish students have also been exploring the Caribbean. In class, we have highlighted Puerto Rico’s history, beauty, and ties to the United States. We have also discussed the impact of hurricanes in this part of the world. Knowledge of the Caribbean has also been extended through music, art, and physical education. Our studies will culminate on Friday, March 2 with Sylvan Park’s Caribbean Night. I hope to see you there!