Encore Newsletter

About Us:
Art: Mrs. Sara Minnick minnisar@wcps.k12.md.us
www.artwithmrsminnick.weebly.com

Fountaindale Elementary January 2013

Happy New Year! What a great year of learning we are having so far! Your child has had many opportunities to experience the arts through singing, playing, dancing, and creating! Our Enduring Understandings:

Dance: Mrs. Amber Karkan karkaamb@wcps.k12.md.us

Music: Mrs. Jennifer Roberts

www.fountaindalemusic.weebly.com

Music, Dance, and Art are languages for communicating thoughts, feelings and ideas! PE: Be Fit with a Purpose! A Healthy Person has an Active Body and a Mind for Life!
Art:
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Square 1 Art Fundraiser. It was very successful and I plan to do it again next fall. We have been able to re stock some of our art room staples and purchase new and exciting materials for the school year. Third marking period all students will be working on realistic art and sculpture in a variety of subject matters and materials...self portraits, still life, pottery, animals made from recycled materials and more. Ask your child to update you on what their grade level is working on, what artists and techniques they are learning about and what choices they are making within their projects to express their ideas.

www.mrsrobertsmusic.com roberjen@wcps.k12.md.us PE: Mr. Patrick Sweeney sweeneype.weebly.com sweenpat@wcps.k12.md.us STEM: Mr. Erik Vreeland vreeleri@wcps.k12.md.us Instrumental Music: Ms. Jenny Jones jonesjen@wcps.k12.md.us

Looking Ahead:
All-County Elementary Instrumental Music Festival February 7, 2013 South High Jump Rope for Heart Feb. 18-22, 2013 Gr. 2 Music and Dance Performance Gettin Down with Mama Goose April 18, 2013, 6:30pm Student Art Exhibition April 2013 Pizazz Coffeehouse May 2, 2013, 6:30pm Gr. 4 and 5 Band Concert May 8, 2013, 6:00pm Gr. 4 and 5 Strings Concert May 15, 2013, 6:00pm

Dance:
Dance has different purposes for different people. During the next few weeks, students will be looking at how ballet is a type of dance used to tell stories, increases balance, flexibility, and strength and is practiced to make better dancers all around the world. Dont be surprised if your student comes home speaking French words like plie, releve, and battement!

Music:

To learn about what happening in music class check out the student blog at www.fountaindalemusic.weebly.com

Music is a unique language that all students are learning to decode and understand. All grades are learning that we can communicate our own ideas and understand a composers purpose by better understanding the rhythmic and melodic language of music.

PE:
Throughout January and February in Physical Education we will be focusing on tumbling/gymnastics and how it effects and benefits our body as far as muscles used to perform various skills and movements, and how our body works together to perform complex skills. We will focus on how coordination, strength, endurance, power, and flexibility all have an impact. We will also be participating in Jump Rope For Heart during the week of February 18th-22nd during PE class. All money collected will be due by February 22nd.

STEM:
In 4th grade we are working with the Scientific Method to explore how living things survive in their environment. We will be starting with plants and moving into other living organisms and their ecosystems. In 2nd grade we are getting ready to start our work with chemistry and properties of matter. Each grade level will have the opportunity to join an after-school academy to prepare for a school wide Science Fair which will take place in March. Keep an eye out for more information coming home in the near future.

Instrumental Music:
4th Grade Beginning Band and Strings are working hard to master skills on their instruments having to do with making a good tone on their instrument and performing with a group. We are preparing for our first concert in the spring and will be getting concert music very soon. Band parents: Please check your students band journal weekly to see what we have been doing and to check your childs progress. String Parents: Check the yellow pages in the back of your students book to see songs and skills we are working on. 5th Grade Advanced Band and Strings are developing new skills and learning new rhythms and notes in preparation for concert music for our spring concert. Parents should be checking their band students journal, or their strings students yellow pages on a weekly basis to see what we are doing and help students keep track of their progress.

Encore Stars:
Congratulations to the following students that have shown excellence in encore for the first half of the year! These students were nominated as Rising and Shining STARS!

Music:
Alexandra Gregory Eliza Durham Rachel Mease Kaylee Simpson

Art:
Audrey Miller Brettley Horst Alex Watson Danielle Cook

Dance:
Erianna Schleigh Eliza Durham Elena Dellamea Melanie Boschen

Instrumental:
Hunter Maddock Aidan Thomas Kairema Villaman Caleb Shank

Awesome Apps for the Arts:

Music:
Rhythm Cat Singing Fingers Sound Brush ABC Music Musical Me Talking Gina

Art:
Color Uncovered Art Circles Paint Sparkles

Instrumental:
Recorder Master Piano Duster

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ~Picasso Everything in the universe has rhythm, everything dances
~Maya Angelou

Dance:
DMM Lite

PE:
Coachs Eye