8.25.23 Quarter 1, Week 2 & 3 Spotlight

Art

Grades K - 2, Ms. Brietske (breanna.brietske@greatheartstxschools.org)

Kindergarten
This week in Art class, kinder students will begin learning how to use scissors in the art room! Students will meet a friend named “Scissor Steve” who helps us remember all the scissor art room rules! Students will cut shapes and give Scissor Steve puppets paper “haircuts.” 

1st & 2nd Grade

This week in Art class, 1st and 2nd graders will learn about our sketchbooks. We will explore some sketchbooks from famous classic artists such as Di Vinci and Van Gogh. If your scholar is still missing a sketchbook, please send them to school with a fresh 50 sheet blank sheet sketchbook. Students will mark in their agenda if they are missing a sketchbook. Only 1st and 2nd graders need sketchbooks.

Grades 3 - 5, Mrs. Looney (annie.looney@greatheartstxschools.org)

Hello and welcome back!  Last week 3rd, 4th and 5th grade were busy with drawing challenges in their sketchbooks. We usually begin the first 5 to 10 minutes of class sketching independently with a drawing prompt.  

This week, we will be looking at works of Van Gogh in 3rd; Paul Klee in 4th. 5th will be working on an optical illusion project - exploring how to use line.

(Drawing Challenge: Compass Rose….Try it - it’s Fun!!)

 Music

Grades K - 2, Mrs. Ybarra (kiana.ybarra@greatheartstxschools.org)

After a quiet summer, music has come to fill the K-2 Music Room once again! 

Last week...

Kinder scholars met a new friend, Buzzy the Bumblebee! He shared his favorite song (all about himself), and played his favorite game so much that he's already back on vacation. How did that happen?? Kinders have also enjoyed movement and vocal activities to encourage happy and healthy singing voices.

First Graders began reviewing material from Kindergarten - beat vs. rhythm, tempo, and high and low melody. They have also enjoyed some favorites from Kinder like our Fossils (Carnival of the Animals) dance, A la Rueda de San Miguel song and circle game, and We Are Dancing in the Forest song and game.

Second Graders began reviewing material from 1st Grade - reading & writing practice of la, musical form, and tempo. They have also enjoyed some favorites from 1st Grade like our Fossils (Carnival of the Animals) dance, No Robbers Out Today song and circle game, and Closet Key song and game.

Coming up this week...

🎵 Kindergarten: Kinders will meet a new, slimy friend! Who could it be? This new friend will share a new song, story, and game. Kinders will continue to develop tuneful singing, beat skills and listening skills through kinesthetic, visual, and aural activities. We will also learn more about our first composer of the year, J. S. Bach.

🎼 Dig deeper & soak up the sounds of J. S. Bach!

- Invention in A minor, J. S. Bach

- Toccata and Fugue in D minor, J. S. Bach 

🎵 First Grade: Scholars will develop further understanding of beat and rhythm in an improvisation activity using the folk song, Rain, Rain. 1st Graders will continue to encounter fast/slow and high/low melody in our activities. We will also learn more about our first composer of the year, François Couperin.

🎼 Dig deeper & soak up the sounds of François Couperin!

 - Rondo No. 6 in B-flat Major, Couperin

 - Les Abeilles (The Bees), Couperin

🎵 2nd Grade: Scholars will experience what it's like to be a conductor! We will learn about the conductor's role for a group of musicians, and will practice conducting in 2/4 meter using known folk songs. We will also learn more about our first composer of the year, Domenico Scarlatti.

🎼 Dig deeper & soak up the sounds of Domenico Scarlatti!

- Sonata in G Major, K. 431, Scarlatti

- Sonata in  G Major, K. 427, Scarlatti  

Grades 3 - 5, Ms. Smith (stephanie.smith@greatheartstxschools.org)

Hello Spartan Families!

In Music this week, we will be diving deeper into our first composer of the year.

3rd grade's featured composer is Bach, 

4th grade's featured composer is Couperin,

5th grade's featured composer is Scarlatti,

All grades will be reviewing their music notation and rhythm.

Last week in Music, we brushed up on our Solfege and learned about its origin. We also reviewed the musical alphabet and the takadimi method.

Go Spartans!

Spanish

Grades K - 2, Mrs. Huerta (elidia.huerta@greatheartstxschools.org)

Hello Spartan Families, 

What a great start to the first quarter!  Scholars are enjoying their Spanish classes, as we learn the basics of Spanish. We have started with the calendar routine, the colors, the days of the week, the months, and the seasons.

In kindergarten and first grade, our focus has been on songs, and participation.

In second grade, we have concentrated on vocabulary.  Scholars translate their words and provide beautiful classwork.  For comprehension checks, we have competitive games. Last week in Spanish, students learned to tell what their names are by answering the question, “Como te llamas tu?” Students answer the question using the phrase “Me llamo”. Students drew a self-portrait and labeled it with the answer “Me llamo” and added their name.

Grades 3 - 5, Ms. Castro (e.gonzalezcastro@greatheartstxschools.org)

Hello Spartan Families,

Welcome back! Our students are enjoying their Spanish classes. They are learning basic questions to get to know each other like “Como te llamas?” and answering “Yo me llamo”. The students worked on greeting phrases and learned greetings songs. The students applied vocabulary to the calendar, seasons and weather. This week, they will learn and recognize objects around the classroom. 

Looking forward to a wonderful year!

P. E.

Grades 3 - 5, Coach Manta (mihai.manta@greatheartstxschools.org)

Hello Spartans,

Coming up this week we will explore arm actions while running and will practice dribbling a basketball.