Mechanics Grove School

Weekly E-Blast for MG

December 6, 2024

Got Books?

MG is having an overdue book return contest! The grade level with the least amount of overdue books on Tuesday, Dec 17 will win a sweet treat on Thursday, Dec. 19. Notes will be sent home Friday notifying you of any overdue books. Please check in the car, under the bed, and any other place the books might be hiding!

Winter has Arrived!

In District 75, we go outside for recess unless there are unsafe conditions and/or the windchill temperature is below 10 degrees. Be sure your child has hat, coat, gloves, etc. If you do not have those things, please contact the school and we can help you out.

Get your MG Spirit Wear!

The online spirit wear store is open! Orders will be accepted through 12/16.

Unfortunately, they will not be ready for the holidays, but pick up should be over break.

https://ultimate-screen-printing.printavo.com/merch/d75online

A Note from our EL Teacher:

Read to AND with Your Children Every Day - As parents, we should read to our children every day. With bilingual students, it is even more important, especially to improve the minority language. Reading books to our children gives them exposure to vocabulary that they may not otherwise hear on a daily basis in normal conversation. The more words they hear, the larger their vocabulary becomes.

Having a variety of books in your home library, especially in your home language, will keep them motivated to read, and help to encourage their language development. Take note of their interests, and provide your child with books and materials that you know they will enjoy.

There is no need to stop reading to our children once they start reading to themselves. No matter how old a child is, they can always benefit from parents reading aloud to them and they usually love it!

A Note from Specials Teachers:

Art: Students have been exploring different art mediums and artistic processes while learning new skills and techniques. The third grade students have been learning proper watercolor painting methods as they learn to blend analogous colors. The fourth grade students successfully completed their oil pastel projects and are now in the ideation stage of a mixed-media painting and printmaking cityscape project. The fifth grade students completed their abstract relief sculptures and are almost finished with an original watercolor painting. Students used past knowledge of color theory to experiment with mixing and blending original unique colors. The fifth graders are also looking forward to some exciting up-and-coming projects like our legacy ceiling tiles and our plushie sewing unit!

Music: We have had an amazing month in the music room! Students have been hard at work making all kinds of music. In 3rd Grade, students learned the folk dance “Los Machetes” to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. 3rd Graders also played xylophones for the first time using the story, “Bedtime at the Swamp.” They focused on improvising melodies on xylophones while using correct playing technique. 4th Grade learned the dance “No Rompas Mas” for Hispanic Heritage Month, as well as the singing game, “Al Citron.” 4th Grade also used xylophones and the book “Frank Was a Monster” to create their own rhythmic and melodic compositions. 5th Grade is currently working on their Music Concert, titled, “Sounds of Winter.” Students have been hard at work singing, dancing, playing, and composing their pieces of music for the concert. Please make sure you have December 11th, 2024 marked on your calendar! We can’t wait to see you there!

PE: Students have been staying active with a fantastic first few months of PE class! In October we learned about fundamental skills in both flag football and soccer, while focusing on the importance of leadership, teamwork, and sportsmanship in athletics. Students will continue to practice manipulative movement skills such as dribbling, passing, kicking, throwing, and catching. We will also be working towards reaching personal fitness goals in target areas of cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility. In PE students are leading the PACK every day by focusing on habits such as synergizing, being proactive, and thinking win-win. In November, our partnership with the Keumgang Martial Arts Academy will be taking place as students will have the opportunity to participate in four different lessons that highlight the following themes: Confidence/Self-Esteem, Trust, Ambition, and Respect/Anti-Bullying. We are extremely excited for students to get to experience this and hope to inspire kids to try new ways to stay active.

DD:

At the end of September, we focused on using the Online Catalog (OPAC) to both find fiction and non-fiction books by author or subject. Third grade is now working on using the table of contents, index, and glossary in non-fiction books. Fourth grade is creating book reviews to display on the television in the Discovery Den and fifth grade is learning to identify fantasy stories. All three grades learned about the life cycle of a pumpkin and are observing our jack-o-lantern in a jar, named Pumpkinstein, as he decomposes - don’t forget to ask your student for updates on how he looks! (see picture below).

A Note from our Social Workers

As the holiday season approaches, we often take this time to reflect on our lives. We think about what we are grateful for and do our best to spread joy to all. However, sometimes the holidays are the hardest time of year. Kids who struggle to find the “little joys” in life, may need extra help to develop the skill of practicing gratitude and positive thinking. Attached are a couple of options families can do with their kids to promote gratitude and positive thinking.

The first is “The Wheel of Thanks”. The Wheel of Thanks is a fun way to share your appreciation. Spin the wheel to land on a sentence starter, then take a moment to finish it with your thoughts and feelings.

The second is “I am Thankful”: Gratitude Placemat. Each family member gets their own placemat to color. Once everyone has finished, enjoy sharing and celebrating the things that make you smile or feel joy.

Important Dates

12/7- MG Choir Perform at Mundelein Tree Lighting Event (4:00pm)

12/11- 5th Grade Music Concerts (details on flyer from Mrs. Oropeza)

12/13- SIP Day (Early Release- students dismissed at 11:05am)

12/16- MISMATCH DAY

12/17- COLOR WARS- 3rd grade wear BLUE, 4th grade wear BLACK, 5th grade wear WHITE

12/18- Holiday Sweater/Apparel Day

12/19- Pajama Day

12/20- NO SCHOOL

1/6/25- NO SCHOOL

1/7- School resumes

1/8- PTO Meeting (7:00pm at CSMS)