Specials Update

Pictured (from left to right):

Mrs. Hodges (Art), Mrs. Cole (Health and Fitness), Mrs. Ready (Music)

We are off to a creative start in the art room!

K–2nd Grade students are learning (and reviewing!) our art room procedures, adding personalized touches to their portfolio folders, and having fun with art room games that help us build our creative community.

3rd–5th Grade students are also jumping into some fun beginning-of-the-year art room games and personalizing their portfolio folders for a brand-new year of creativity.

Soon, we’ll begin our first official art projects of the year and get into the groove of creating, exploring, and thinking like artists! 🎨✨

I’m so excited for a wonderful year of creativity, curiosity, and art-making with your children!

🤩✍🏻🎨🌟🦄🌈💖

I also host afternoon art clubs if you're looking for extra creative time for your kids. There are three different offerings this school year and our first club that started in August is already full! If you're interested, don't wait ,spots fill up fast! There are still some spots left for November and January clubs.

If you're interested: Aspiring Artists registration!

🏃 Health & Fitness: Starting on the Right Track!

👟 Appropriate Shoes Are a Must!

Please send your child to school with athletic shoes that fit properly and stay securely on their feet when they are running, jumping, and kicking. Shoes that slip off can become a safety concern during Physical Education.

Please NO Crocs. They are not appropriate for the activities we do in Physical Education and can easily come off during movement.

If your child is sick or injured, they simply need to have a conversation with me when they arrive. There is no need to send an email. I am very flexible and understanding, especially when a student does not frequently need to sit out.

Students are also welcome to take a break or get water at any time while we are playing. I want students to learn to listen to their bodies and make responsible choices.

🤝 3rd–5th Grade: Teamwork, Problem Solving & Collaboration

During our first week of Health & Fitness, students in 3rd–5th grade have been working on:

• 🤝 Teamwork
• 🧩 Problem solving
• 💬 Collaboration
• 🌟 Building a positive and supportive community

Students have been challenged with different activities that encourage them to work together, communicate, problem-solve, and collaborate. These activities help create a classroom community where everyone can participate and contribute.

We have also gone over playground games such as four square, along with expectations for being safe and respectful while playing outside.

🌈 K–2nd Grade: Learning Our Foundations

Our Kindergarten–2nd grade students have been focusing on four important expectations:

• ↔️ Stay spread out and respect personal space
• 🙌 Keep our hands to ourselves
• 🧍 Stay on our feet
• 🏀 Stay within the boundaries of the gym

We have also been practicing important procedures, including:

• 🎵 Stopping safely when the music stops
• 💧 Getting water when needed
• 🧘 Taking breaks when needed
• 👂 Listening carefully to directions

❤️ A Message About Physical Education

From the first weeks of school, I want students to understand that Physical Education has a wide variety of student interests. Not everyone enjoys the same activities—and that's okay!

Throughout the year, our activities will provide a balance of different sports, games, fitness activities, teamwork challenges, and movement experiences so that we can meet the interests and needs of all students.

My goal is for every student to feel safe, included, successful, and excited to participate in Health & Fitness!

K-2nd grade students are starting the year by reviewing classroom procedures and proper instrument care. We’re also refreshing our knowledge of note names and values using the names of fruits. They love this new method! We have already jumped into Music Workshop, exploring and making music with a variety of instruments!

Coming Up in Music! 🎶

Next, students will continue building their skills through Music Workshop, with a focus on reading music, keeping a steady beat, and playing a variety of instruments. We’ll begin exploring multi-part pieces, where students are responsible for maintaining their own musical part while listening to the larger ensemble. Students will also work on reading and performing more complex rhythms and note patterns. We’ll continue developing our singing voices and learning how to collaborate, problem-solve, and make music successfully as an ensemble!