Grade 1-2

K-6 ART NEWS!

The Art Studio has been filling up with all kinds of extraordinary artworks this fall! Our Kindergarten through Sixth Grade students have been exploring a variety of materials including papier-mâché, plaster, cardboard, and wood. Take a look at our young artists in action!

KINDERGARTEN
We have completed our “Not A Stick” project inspired by Antoinette Portis’ book of the same title and now we are moving on to full-body mixed media portraits. Yesterday, we got started with our faces by placing wet plaster strips over aluminum pie pans.

1st & 2nd GRADE
First and Second grade students have been making Action Figures using aluminum foil, wire, and plaster gauze. Now that the sculptures are frozen in their action poses, they are being embellished with fabric, decorative papers, yarn, wood findings, and colored tape.

3rd GRADE
Squares become a cube in our latest project exploring the mechanics of a three-dimensional form. Beginning with a flattened cardboard box, students created small wood assemblages on each of the panels. When folded together and painted, we will have a series of six-sided sculptures that will hang from the ceiling.

4th GRADE
Inspired by the Donald Baechler sculptures we saw on our recent field trip to Omi International Arts Center, students are working on their own playful forms based on Baechler’s bronzed Flower series from 2007-2008. The class traced objects from nature onto cardboard which were then cut out and covered in a plaster ‘skin’ before being propped upright on a base and painted.

5th GRADE
Andy Warhol’s Brillo Box sculptures from the early-mid 1960s prompted discussion and this project about the definition of the art object. Students selected a common plastic container which was then converted into an ‘object d’art’ by coating with plaster gauze. Then, an imaginary product was created complete with a design concept, logo, and product details. The class is in the painting phase of the project, adding color and details to the final pieces.

6th GRADE
After studying masks from around the world, the Sixth Grade class embarked on a large-scale mask making project. Students used cardboard, newspaper, and tape to construct a three-dimensional form based on an animal, human, or imagined creature. The pieces are presently being covered in papier-mâché. In the upcoming weeks, students will bring their characters to life with paint and decorative media.

By |2016-10-25T15:02:31-04:00October 6th, 2015|

Physical Education Fall Activities

The perfect weather is allowing some terrific outdoor time in physical education.  We have been playing may running games with the little ones like hide and go seek, toilet tag, and mosquito tag.  Grades 1,2,and 3 love to use ropes for horse, jumping the brook, and snake.  Grades 4, 5, and 6 keep begging for hunger games, kick the can, and capture the flag.  These activities give the students a lot of movement and group interaction so we can all learn how to respect each others differences and have fun and exercise at the same time.

By |2015-10-05T07:56:17-04:00October 5th, 2015|

Late September in Grade 1-2

Dear Families,

What a busy week we have had.
First off, thank you to Natacha and Kate for a delicious and fun lunchbunch today. Thank you as well to all the parents who were able to join us for Back to School Night.

During our morning literacy block your children have been working on poetry; reading different poems, looking for patterns, listening to poets read their own poems, reciting poems as a group and are in the process of selecting one favorite poem to learn my heart.

In Science our study of trees continues. On Tuesday we learned about deciduous trees.Thursday afternoon we worked in pairs to observe and take notes on a tree that they will study throughout the year.

A few nuts and bolts items:
* if you received medical forms this part week (check backpacks) please return asap either to us or directly to the office.
*Class Field Trip this Friday, October 2nd to Berkshire Botanical Gardens. Please wear boots or sturdy sneakers that day, ground will most likely be wet.
*Book Orders are also due Oct.2nd. Please support your child’s interest in reading and our classroom library.

The slideshow below is a snapshot of some of the different activities of these last 2 weeks including a visit from the 3rd grade for some Choice time, examining tree bark, working with Cuisinaire rods and enjoying some quiet reading time.

Have a wonderful weekend with your families,
Best, Katharine and Kay

By |2016-10-25T15:02:33-04:00September 25th, 2015|

Grade 1-2: First Week of School!

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that our first week is almost over. The children have accomplished a great deal already in just a few days. They have been to music, art, and gym, as well as had their first Spanish class. In the classroom, we began talking about our hopes and dreams for the year ahead. Reading workshop begins this afternoon and tomorrow we will begin our science unit on trees.

Here are some helpful hints and reminders:
*Please be sure to communicate with us regarding how your child is getting home each day: email, a phone call or message, or pop in and let us know.
*We talked with the class about sharing today and want to reiterate that toys from home are not allowed at school. We are working to promote independence and engagement while taking care of our classroom.
*No school on Monday, September 14.
*Friday, September 18 is a pizza day, so make sure you have signed up with the office if you want your child to have pizza. If you prefer not, please send in a lunch as usual.

Special thanks to Natacha and Sarah for starting the lunch-bunch sign-up and being in touch with all of you. We greatly appreciate their efforts.

This group of children is off to a great start. We could not be happier with how hard they work and how well they treat each other.

For those of you viewing this blog on your iphone or ipad you can view the pictures here:
*https://www.flickr.com/photos/bcdtech/sets/72157656117766733*

First week of school 2015 023

Ms. Allentuck and Ms. Lindsay

By |2016-10-25T15:02:35-04:00September 10th, 2015|
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