Where do I go when I am craving spiritual fulfillment? Watching sitcoms on TV probably won't fill that craving. Mindlessly cruising the Internet and buying more "stuff" won't do it either. I need to focus in on the most likely place to satisfy this craving! For me, it's spending time in prayer, reading Scripture, and both talking and LISTENING to what God has to say to me. It's taking the time to be still, be silent, await the nourishment that will satisfy.
Students did an activity that is part of the Candy Corn Music Puzzle Bundle by Tracy King on TPT. The bundle includes puzzles for Dynamics, Notes and Rests and Recorders. In this activity, students matched up note names, notes on the staff and the corresponding fingering on the recorder. It was an enjoyable way to learn!
The highlight of our month was the entire school performing for our Veterans on Veterans Day. We sang "Thankful for the USA" written by Teresa Jennings. It's a fun, upbeat song, and we enjoyed learning it. With the audience, we also sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", a song by American writer Julia Ward Howeusing, the music from the song "John Brown's Body". Students sang three verses to this patriotic song, and from Kindergarten to Sixth grade, it was a favorite! Students dressed up in their patriotic attire and proudly honored the veterans who were able to attend. Many classes helped decorate the gym, with many many art projects. It was great!
Students in grades 4-6 in technology class have been blogging this month. They are finishing up blogs on a favorite book they have read recently. If you have one of these students in your family, ask them to share their blog with you! Third graders will begin blogging. Students are required to apply what they have been taught in other subject areas when they are writing....good grammar, correct spelling, appropriate sentence structure. There are different specific requirements for each grade level, corresponding to what's required of them in their other classes. 
Integral to writing is the skill of proofreading. Students not only proofread their own writing, but work together with a partner to proof each other's work. It's always good to have another set of eyes look at your work!
The holidays provide a variety of games that not only work on computer skills such as mouse control, Internet navigation, typing etc. but also skills from other academic areas. Kindergarten students reviewed counting by 1's, 5's and 10's while completing this turkey activity. 
Common. For me, I think of the words ordinary, unsurprising, plain, many of, not unique..... when I think of "common." I am common. I am a mother, a teacher, a musician, a lover, a leader...many others in our world fulfill these same roles, and many much better than I do, I'm sure! Yet, I know that really, I am NOT common. Neither are you. 
Students are experimenting with spooky movements and sounds, environmental noises, and, as always, practicing keeping the steady beat! One of the all-time favorites of students is a simple song called "Pass The Pumpkin" We sing and pass the pumpkin around a circle to the steady beat of the song. If the pumpkin lands on YOU at the end of the song, you move to the rhythm sticks to play the steady beat! Another FAVORITE game is "Pass The Witch's Broomstick", especially with the older grades. This video will give you an idea of the song/game. |
| Jerald holding the Old Lady while classmates stuffed her with a fly, spider, bird, cat, dog, sheep, cow and HORSE (She's dead of course!)
As many 3rd grade parents have probably heard, we have begun to learn how to play recorders! So far, we have learned B-A-and G! The students are quick learners and finding out what it means to be a part of an ensemble. They have found that there is as much listening is involved as there is playing! Hopefully they will be performing with the 4th graders at the Winter Program in December!
Veterans Day is fast approaching, and the students are looking forward to performing for our Veterans. Our celebration will be held on Friday, Nov. 11 at 10:00 am at the MGS Activity Center. Families and friends are invited to attend!
Before this month ends, students WILL be rehearsing selections for their Winter Program, to be held on December 13 for Preschool through 4th graders and on December 5 for grades 5-12. Both performances will be held at the Activity Center at 7:00 PM.
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Students in Technology Classes are immersed in learning new skills and technological terms as well as how to apply them to real life! Kindergarteners have become proficient in navigation on the computer. Activities are helping them locate keys on the keyboard as well as perfect their mouse skills. They have made some scaaaaaary looking pumpkins this month!
Students in grades 1-2 have explored many ways of improving upon their keyboarding skills, and will soon be creating some of their own products with word processing.
Grades 3-4 have been discussing topics such as Internet Privacy, Cyberbullying, and how to safely and effectively do an Internet Search. A favorite way for them to review technology vocab is through the game Kahoot! The game is energizing, fun, and very competitive!
If you have a 5th of 6th grader, as them what a Boolean Operator is!
Do you know what it is??
 
Copyright, plagiarism, fair use, and royalty free music are timely topics we've been exploring. The history behind these laws and how they impact both industry and personal creativity has been surprising to many students.
Stay Tuned for more next month!
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We talked up the activity in our music classes and encouraged the students to bring their parents. They did! We heard comments from many parents similar to, "My son/daughter has been waiting ALL WEEK for tonight! We HAD to come here!" 
The instruments were set up in the room next door to our music room, since it had easier access for parents. Signs were up in the hallways directing people to "The Music Zoo". Parents and children came to explore, and several came back again for more!
We had instruments grouped in categories around the room - woods, metals, skins, melodic, scrapers. There was an informational sheet on each table explaining the instrument group. It wasn't just the students who were involved in the petting zoo, several parents explored the instruments as well, and many times parents/children joined together to make music!♫♩♫♩.
In music classes we have been talking a lot about the Star-Spangled Banner as well as other patriotic songs as we begin this year. Veterans Day isn't that far away! We are already preparing our performance for the Veterans! 🇺🇸🇺🇸
Mary Pickersgill was known as one of the top flag makers in Baltimore. Major George Armistead wanted something flying over the garrison guarding Baltimore's waterfront that would be seen by the British, even from a distance. Mary was commissioned to make the flag...30 by 42 feet....it required 300 yards of wool, and had 2-foot wide stripes as well as 15 stripes and stars. She had to work on the flag in a nearby brewry as her own home wasn't even large enough. Taking 6 weeks to sew with the help of about 5 other women, Mary Pickersgill completed the flag and was paid $405.90 for her work. The main flag weighed about 50 pounds (23 kg), and it took 11 men to raise it onto a 90-foot (27-meter) flagpole. There was also a smaller storm version that flew during the battle, costing $168.54. 
Technology Classes have been busy, as usual. Kindergarten students are learning names of parts of the computer as well as what they see on the monitor. Mouse control is a biggie for them, so we are doing lots of different activities to "get a grip" on handling the mouse! Everything from tracing letters and numbers to creating pizzas! We have some VERY creative pizza chefs in Kindergarten!
First and Second graders have been refreshing their keyboarding skills using Dance Mat Typing and TTL4. HOME ROW and AWESOME POSTURE! are words they are hearing frequently not only in first grade, but in all grades! 
All classes have been talking about online safety, both at school and at home. This is emphasized continuously throughout the year. The older students are completing activities in Digital Passport to reinforce what we have been discussing as a class. Topics such as not revealing personal information online, cyberbulying, choosing between being an upstander or a bystander, benefits as well as dangers of sharing information online, how to effectively search for information online, and learning about copyright, credit and plagiarism and how to apply these concepts to their own creative work.
