Pine Crest Elementary School

Math+:  The students are proud of their colorful, creative tessellation designs, as well as their new 2023 calendars! Please look for the calendars to come home next week, and help to find a space to display them.  We’ve learned that calendars are useful ways to  organize and measure time.  We’ve also practiced converting time (years to months, weeks to days, and years to weeks.).  Please invite your child to tell you all about their calendar tool!

Physical Education: 

We have had a great start to our Wolfpack Wellness Squad Laps Challenge and students are working hard on walking/jogging laps at recess and Fun Friday time to earn fun Toe Tokens and other prizes. Ask your child about it and join in the fun during Kids Day Out. We have a folder for families to record their laps too! In PE class, during Marking Period 3, students will be working on static (still) and dynamic (moving) balance through a variety of gymnastics poses and activities. Students will also be learning social line dances and about  sequence, rhythm, formation, and coordinating movements with others. Our Kids Heart Challenge program starts on February 13th.  We hope that ALL students can register. You can register your child  HERE. Fundraising is completely optional!  

Instrumental Music: Chamber music enables our musicians to work cooperatively and provides a supportive social environment within their small ensemble. Players will learn to listen and adjust to each other. Starting this quarter, our Pine Crest musicians are learning to play duets and trios in a chamber music and small ensemble setting. Beginning string players have begun to play with their bows and placing their fingers on the fingerboard. The band members are learning to demonstrate fast eighth note rhythm on their instrument. Please encourage musicians to always clean after each practice at home and remember to bring their own instrument and supplies for their lesson. 

Media Center: 

We’ve all had opportunities to use the Makerspace in Room 10. All classes have had some free choice time as well as an engineering challenge. I’ve heard so much positive feedback from students regarding the Makerspace and look forward to expanding its use. We are hoping to purchase robotics equipment with the Scholastic book fair funds everyone helped us raise. We still are in need of donations of recycling materials like tp and paper towel rolls, bubble wrap, egg cartons, bottle caps, string, tape, and other craft materials. You can leave donations in the office or send them in with your student. 

Art: 

News from the Art Room. Some of the materials being explored in the art room: empty egg cartons, plaster, wire, stencils, toothbrushes, cotton swabs, knee high pantihose.. What?!?!? While we use traditional art materials in the classroom, our supply closet often stores many of the materials listed above. Using unconventional materials in the art room allows our students to problem solve, and think creatively. 3rd grade students are finishing up their outer space paintings, and moving onto sculptures made of wire and knee high pantihose (the art room is collecting NEW packs of these to help with our supply). 4th grade artists are working on their plaster sculptures built around armatures. Our 5th grade artists are working on their 5th grade Tags: Exploring graffiti style lettering and printmaking. And if you are in the building, be sure to check out some of the updated art displays in the halls. 

General Music: 

We have had a fantastic first semester making and creating so much music.  Here is what you can expect in the following weeks from your Wolfpack musicians…

Third graders will be working on performing music of all types on a variety of instruments.  My hope is to start playing recorder in the spring as we work on reading notes G, A, and B on the staff.  Recorders will be available for all 3rd grade students to borrow.  They will not be taken home.  A letter will be sent regarding my  expectations for each student in the coming weeks.

Fourth graders will be starting to play ukuleles.  This is a great opportunity for students to learn and perform music on an instrument with such a rich history.  If students have a ukulele at home that they would prefer to use, they are more than welcome to bring their instrument on their music day.  Otherwise, Pine Crest has a set of 30 instruments that students will be borrowing each week.

Fifth graders will be preparing for middle school music by reviewing concepts that will be important as they leave the Wolfpack next year..  We are also going to start a world music unit, where each week we look at and analyze a song from different countries.

Chorus news:  Our chorus concert will be on Thursday March 23, 2023 at 7:30 pm in the gymnasium.  Families, please make sure you are also checking your emails and class Dojo for more information about the concert.  Please encourage your student to practice at home, as we will work on music memorization.