HOME SCHOOL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
CLASS UPDATES
1st Quarter Update 2024
2nd-3rd Writing:
The second and third graders are off to a great start as they have worked through the Ideas and Organization traits. Students began the year learning how to narrow down their ideas from watermelon stories to seed stories. Then the students learned the importance of bold beginnings and how to write bold beginnings. They also learned about using mighty middles in their writing to show organization and sequence and how to write excellent endings to tie up their writing. If you haven’t had a chance to peek in your student’s writer’s notebooks, we encourage you to look at the great writing they have completed. You will find a personal narrative of their choice, How to Make Applesauce, a retelling of The Paperboy by Dave Pilkey, and several other pieces.
4th/5th Grade Writing:
4th/5th graders are off to a wonderful start in writing! The IDEAS writing trait helped us focus on where we, as writers, get our ideas. We quickly realized that it's best when we can focus our topic by narrowing it down to a SMALL MOMENT (or SEED STORY). Other lessons covered included the importance of starting our story with a BOLD BEGINNING, continuing with specific details, and leaving your reader with an EXCELLENT ENDING. Ask your child to tell you more about these topics. Emphasis was also placed on each student having the opportunity to write or type their own personal narrative and present their final draft in front of their classmates. We’re proud to say, we have a great group of writers who gained confidence speaking in front of their peers and doing a wonderful job! Mrs. Weis and Mrs. Chapman look forward to seeing even more growth in our 4th/5th grade writers in the coming months!
6th-12th Writing:
We started the year learning how to use Canvas, our Learning Management System. The students are all now pros! Then we spent a couple of weeks reviewing the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing. Currently, we are embarking on writing Personal Narratives and we are in the pre-writing/planning stage. Students can choose from the following five topics: Friend/Mentor, Lightbulb Moment, Childhood Event, Achieving a Goal, The Good and the Bad. (They all have a purple sheet which is also included in Canvas that explains the topics in more detail.) All 6 + 1 Traits will be important for this writing task with Voice and Word Choice as our focus. While I do hand out information in class, I also include everything in my Canvas class. WDMCS provides families with Canvas Resources including how to set up a Parent account.
Click here for more information: https://www.wdmcs.org/our-district/academic-programs/canvas-resources
SCIENCE
K-1st grade: We have been learning all about bugs, more specifically insects, to start the school year. Students learned a song about the parts of an insect, read letters from Eddy (an entomologist) about mystery insects, and created and labeled an insect diagram. We have also spent time learning about ants and have enjoyed watching the ants in our classroom ant farms. We have just started to learn about magnets this week and will finish the semester learning about electricity. We have had so much fun the first few months in science getting to know our classmates and practicing our science skills!
2nd-7th grade and Friday 7-9 grade: We started the semester with “The Great Pencil Caper Mystery” to get to know our classmates and practice our science reasoning skills. From there, we started into our first big unit on magnets and electricity. Students spent time learning about properties of magnets, the three types of magnets, and making electromagnets. These past few weeks, students were challenged to light a bulb only using one battery, one wire, and a small bulb. It was so fun to watch students work together to experiment with different ideas and eventually light their bulbs. They are now learning about series and parallel circuits and creating all types of circuits using bulbs, switches, and motors.
8th-12th STEM: The Friday STEM class has been working on a variety of activities. They solved “The Great Pencil Caper Mystery”. After that, they designed, created, and tested classroom cars and learned about opportunities in the future to utilize these skills. They are currently learning about chromatography and how it impacts the beautiful colors we are seeing in our neighborhoods and parks the past few weeks. We started simply by extracting colors from markers and are now extracting pigments from the beautiful fall leaves.
ART
All students in grades K-12 have created a cover for their sketch booklet which reflects our theme of
“Connections: We’re Better Together.”
The focus of the visuals on each sketchbook reflects the concept of “Self.” Throughout the year, we will move onto family, community, and a world / global focus. Our artwork will reinforce our theme of “Connections.”
K-1st Grades:
The first two projects for our youngest artists revolve around the children’s literature
“The Rainbow Fish” (Marcus Pfister.) Our 2-D works are watercolor paintings(ask your child about the effects of SALT!) and the 3-D projects will be a fired, textured clay project based on the form of the “Rainbow Fish.”
Throughout both creations is the running thread of friendship, caring, and acceptance.
2ne-3rd Grades:
These students are in the middle of our fun unit which is inspired by the children’s book
“Pete the Cat, I love my WHITE SHOES.” (James Dean & Eric Litwin) We have learned the differences between 2-D & 3-D and have created SHOE drawings focusing on art elements of line, shape, pattern, and color. Coming up: CLAY! Each student will put their unique spin on a 3-D ceramic SHOE which they design, construct, and paint. This project distinguishes the difference between shape and form.
4th-5th Grades:
These students have begun to understand all of the stages CLAY goes through during the process of designing and constructing a food-safe kiln fired mug. Much teamwork will go into this project as we are sharing tools, space, glazes, and peer help along the way. “Connections” continues to be the underlying theme as we embark on this work. We are “enjoying the journey...” and can’t wait to see the results.
6-8th Grades:
Students are in the middle of the 2-D TESSELLATION unit before moving onto our CLAY projects.
Each student has designed their own “tile” and has created a composition while repeating patterns of visual significance to themselves. The Art Elements we have focused on are Line, Shape, Pattern, and Color. The Principles of Design included in this work are Pattern and Repetition. Our upcoming clay unit for the 6/7 grade groups will begin soon as we learn how to construct a clay “Ocarina” ( whistle) with the option of also being a clay sculpture. It is fun to think about the science behind what makes it work!
7-12th Grades on Fridays:
In continuing with the theme of “CONNECTIONS,” our upper grade levels are on track with three projects to kick off the beginning of this year.
1 Completion of our Sketch booklet COLLAGE COVER focusing on “SELF.” (Laminated and attached.)
2 TESSELLATIONS (Utilizing a self designed “TILE” to create a repeating pattern to be embellished with sharpie, colored pencil, crayon, marker, watercolor paint or a combination of two.
3 Coming Up real quick… Our CLAY unit! This year’s Friday students will design their own plan which builds upon and utilizes techniques previously learned in the younger years. Choices for design include pinch, slab, and coil or a combination. The theme will include their own spin on “Connections…Self, Family, Community, or Global..”
SPANISH
Kindergarten and 1st graders have learned colors and numbers to 15, places around the room, school supplies, and basic directions like “stand up, “sit down,” and “walk to.” Next we will study all things calendar (days of the week, months of the year) and weather!
2nd - 5th graders have just about completed their beginning-of-the-year review. Our first new unit this year will be the Spanish alphabet along with maps (cardinal directions, continents, and oceans). Our unit will culminate with a twister game on a large floor map, using map coordinates for placement of hands and feet!
6th/7th graders (Spanish A) have begun the textbook called Realidades A. We have been focused on reviewing basics for those who have been in our classes at Rex for awhile and introducing those basics to our newer students. Please remind them to study for their weekly mini-quiz using each week’s handout or accessing my website at www.bit.ly/homeschoolspanish and going to the Spanish A page. (Password: day).
8th graders (Spanish B)
started on page 100 of the textbook Realidades A. We did a heavy review of subject pronouns and AR verb conjugation. Now, we have moved on to classroom items and location of items in the room. We had fun making class videos with the students in various locations around the room. You can watch them at the links below. Please remind students to study for their weekly mini-quiz using each week’s handout or by accessing my website at www.bit.ly/homeschoolspanish and going to the Spanish A page. (Password: day).
Thursday class video: https://animoto.com/play/LL0zQjM61L0tycP4SnBR6A
Friday class video: https://animoto.com/play/1OCMn2v6pTl8Fi4N3QF4fA
WRITING
K-1st Grade Writing:
We have been enjoying all things Fall in our writing. Kindergarten students have loved using our Fall word list to sound out and write words about pumpkins, apples, and scarecrows. Some of our favorite read-aloud books and writing projects have been with: Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and The Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything. Each read-aloud book is very interactive, and we have a blast acting them out! First Grade students have been learning how to use their personal Spelling Dictionaries to help them with their story ideas and writing. We add new words to their dictionaries each week, and they are feeling more confident with their writing! Feel free to add words and use it at home to help with their writing. First Grade students have also been taking turns being the Star Writer and being showcased in our classroom which is a special treat. Please ask your child to show off their Writer’s Notebook to you. It is a fantastic way to see what they have been doing and learning. They are doing a great job!
DRAMA
We have reached a very exciting time of the semester in drama class! All of the parts have been cast for all 31 plays and all 390-ish students! Now we are working hard on blocking (the movement on stage), characterization, and memorizing lines. PLEASE work on lines at home with your student(s). The dress rehearsal and performances will be here before we know it! For the first time in memory, the dress rehearsal will be held before Thanksgiving, and that’s right around the corner. Be watching for costumes notes to be emailed home, which will give details and ideas on what your child will need for his/her costume. Most will need to provide their own costume; exceptions will be made clear to kids and in the costume note.
We continue to have fun in drama class with vocal warm-ups and games when we have time!
Please refer to the HSAP website home page (https://www.wdmcs-hsap.org/) for dress rehearsal and performance dates. Times and more specifics will be emailed to parents.
December Drama Productions
Friday, Nov. 22
Dress Rehearsal for 4th-12th grades
NO CLASSES for
Friday students on Nov. 22
Tuesday, Dec. 3
Tuesday Classes Perform
Friday, Dec. 6
Wed. & 10-12th grade Fri. Classes Perform
Monday, Dec. 9
Monday Classes Perform
Thursday, Dec. 12
Thur. & 7-9th grade Fri. Classes Perform
Watch your email for more details as we get closer to performance dates.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
The focus for PE has been to find fun and joy in movement. The students have played a variety of activities which includes moving. Opportunities to play volleyball, basketball, capture the pin, noodle tag, line tag, newcomb, scatterball, and football, hula hooping, jump ropes, scooters, and parachutes have contributed to the fun and joy in PE. The beautiful weather has allowed us to be outside some, but we know it will get cooler soon. Please be sure to have hoodies and jackets on hand in the event that we can continue to enjoy the outdoors.
ART
FREE CHOICE DAY BUFFET DONATIONS
COMING UP SOON, THE MUCH ANTICIPATED “FREE CHOICE ART DAY BUFFET” WILL TAKE PLACE DURING ART TIMES THE WEEK JUST BEFORE WINTER BREAK.
WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ACCEPT DONATIONS BEGINNING THE WEEK AFTER
THANKSGIVING. 🙂
SOME POPULAR WINTER SUPPLIES ARE:
Jingle bells, small pine cones, small pieces of fabric scraps, model magic, duck tape, beads, pretty ribbon, basically anything that would make for a fun craft.
Thank You in advance~ Mrs. C