ART Z

INE

WINTER 2014

Well, as the ice is breaking and we are defrosting, Milton is gearing up for another marking period of music. December ended with a bang commencing with a fantastic Winter Showcase. I would like to congratulate the fifth graders on a wonderful performance. Not only did they sing great, but they looked great too! With the very flattering praise we received from this first performance I can’t wait to

see what they do in the spring! Great job, fifth graders! Make sure to check out the pictures

from the concert in this newsletter as well! Things are moving smoothly with the rest of Milton’s musicians as well. The fourth graders are getting into performance mode as well, preparing pieces for the spring concert. They are sounding better each week! Third grade has expanded their musical vocabulary, learning the Italian words for different dynamics and tempos such as

forte, allegro, and accelerando. The second graders are in their last stage

s

MUSIC NOTESBY: MR. MAHONEY

of writing their very own boomwhacker melodies, which will be performed for the class in the upcoming week. They have worked hard, combining what they know about rhythm as well as pitch to make music. I can’t wait to hear what their creativity has come up with! Kindergarten and first grade have been learning a variety of songs from different cultures that demonstrate

different musical concepts. First grade used the “Making Popcorn” song to demonstrate gradual and sudden changes in volume, while kindergarten have been using the “Rain” songs to demonstrate different speeds. It is shaping up to be an exciting third marking period. Stay warm and be musical everyone!

I’m so excited to see winter here. It is perfect weather for snuggling up with a good book. You could choose a book that would put you right in the middle of a snowstorm or on a tropical island. It’s your choice. The holiday books are flying off the shelves. The kindergarteners are getting ready to learn how to choose their books from the shelves. As for the other grades, they are doing great with choosing books from their personal reading level and asking for new subjects to read about. The students are learning about the authors we have in our library so they can identify the books they enjoy to read or find books written by their favorite authors.

I have a local author coming to read to one of our 1st grade classes in the upcoming month and hope to

find a few more. We use that time to ask questions to our local author such as, how they were inspired to write and what age they began writing. I also have a few ambitious MES authors who have written and illustrated their own books and donated to our library. Way to go!!

We are always finding fun ways to keep it exciting in our library. Be on the look out for library bracelets, which are friendly reminders for returning a late book. Please continue to read…either to yourself, a sibling, a stuffed animal, or a parent/ guardian. Don’t forget to create a quite space just for you, open that book and image the possibilities that come from reading a good book!

Library Lines by Mrs. Stratton

With the start of the 3rd marking period it’s hard to believe that the year is half over. Students have been working hard

to finish their Kids Kreations projects.

In a few weeks students will receive their free sheet of stickers featuring their artwork along with a personalized order form from which family may order additional keepsake items showcasing your students art. Proceeds from this fundraiser will help defray the costs of our 5th grade field trip to the

National Gallery in Washington D.C. in the spring.

The wintery weather has worked its way into the art room. Many of our projects have been inspired by the season:

Kindergarten students are beginning a Polar Bear painting. First grade students will be using Ed Emberlys ‘Drawing Alphabet” to complete a penguin adventure. Second grade students are working on a winter wonderland inspired by the story “Snowmen at Night.” Fifth graders will begin using watercolor to create “Winter Birch Trees” while fourth grade finishes up a unit on Value. Third grade students will be learning about Picasso and his contribution to the world of Art.

I am happy to report that MES Tech Stars are shining bright! We have covered a lot of ground these past few months but one of the most rewarding learning experiences was our schools participation in the Hour of Code. It is not every day that you get to participate in a campaign kicked off by the president, with tech giants like Bill Gates and Mark

Zuckerberg personally tutoring you. With over 15 million other students in 35,000 schools across 167 countries, MES tech stars wrote, for many, their first lines of code. It was an exciting week in the lab. I want to thank all the parents and caregivers who so generously volunteered their time, making this event a true success. As we enter into the 3rd marking period, there is no slowing down in the lab. We will continue to focus on Digital Citizenship, literacy and creative computing. Stay in the know, by visiting the the lab site, check out the Showcase to see a sampling of students’ projects and the subscribed to RSS feed on the Lab News.

COMPUTER BYTESBy: Mrs. Coleman

Milton Elementary’s Physical Education classes started 2014 with the continuation of the indoor field hockey unit that we began before Winter Break. Mr. Mike Eisenhour taught grades 2-5 about offensive and defensive positioning on the field and how to control the fast rolling hockey ball through an obstacle course. The students also had the opportunity to shoot into the goal cages. Mr. Eisenhour donated some shin guards to Milton Elementary so the students will be able to participate in a game situation without injury. The younger students continue to practice dodging and fleeing skills in various games. The younger students worked with jump ropes. Ask your child to tell you something they learned to do with the jump ropes. Everyone will soon be starting one of their favorite team sport … basketball. The students will take part in learning the history, equipment, rules, and skills associated with this sport. Finally, circuit training, tumbling, and cooperative games will finish out the cold winter months and inside activities. The older students will see the conclusion of indoor field hockey. If you are the parent of a fifth-grader please be on the lookout for information about the Olympic Project. This project is a way to celebrate the 2014 Winter Olympics and integrate other subjects into physical education.

The students are to complete the Olympic Project assignment as part of their third marking period grade. It will be due on February 28, 2014.

With temperatures in the 20s and 30s, some parents may be hesitant to let their kids outdoors for fear of exposing them to the harsh elements.

But don't let cold weather keep you or your children indoors. Before heading out, make sure you and your children are

wearing appropriate clothes: coats, hats, gloves and scarves as well as remembering to dress in

layers. Please remember these rules when dressing your child for school. Different

parts of the school vary in temperature so the layers of clothing will allow the students to shed or add layers when necessary. A rule of thumb for the gymnasium is to allow your child to

wear a short sleeve shirt under a heavier long sleeve shirt so that they may shed

the top shirt as their body heats up during play.

Please remember to dress your child appropriately for Physical Education, especially SNEAKERS. If you would like to

donate any gently used sneakers to our “Sneaker Collection” please send them in with your child. We are especially in need of boy’s footwear.

GYMJAM by Mrs. Bailey

February February March March

21Hat Day Benefiting The American Cancer Society

285th Grade’s Olympic Projects are due

14Milton Elementary Health Fair6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

24 - 28Jump Rope for HeartBenefiting the American Heart Association

IMPORTANT

DATES

To

Remember

On January 15, 2014

staff members from Milton Elementary School

participated in a Fitness Fundraiser.

John Lehne, personal trainer and owner, from 302 Fitness in Milton led

the educators in a boot camp. He took them through a whole body workout

for 45 minutes. This charity event collected $130 to purchase

equipment for Milton Elementary's Physical

Education