5.3.13 PA: Fun Friday Creations
On this rainy Friday, 3rd and 4th graders came up with little ditties that might be the next playground hits. Click on the links to view these masterpieces.
4.15.13 PA: Putting on a Play
Last week, we had a special guest in the PA Suite. Kathy Doerr, president of St. Louis Shakespeare, came to present Bard-In-A-Box, a lovely interactive workshop. Students in grades JK-4 did an acting warm up, put on costumes, and participated in their own play! AK
4.8.13 PA: Spontaneous choreography!
On their own, kindergarteners Henry and Gracie decided that they wanted to do a partner movement for our end of class game. Turns out, they had created a whole dance! Here it is:
4.5.13 PA: Rhythm in Life
When 3rd grade went to Shaw Nature Reserve on Wednesday, they learned that hard work is often best accomplished with rhythm. Whether they were working together to saw a log, using wedges to split a log, or shaving their shingles to make them smooth, rhythm in movement was crucial. They discussed why people made up songs and dances to help their work go by faster–for entertainment, but also to literally make their jobs go more smoothly. Dance and music are everywhere! AK
3.15.13 PA: Trip to City Diner
As 3rd grade continues to explore Missouri in class, they had a chance to actually explore when we went to The Sheldon. After a lovely show on Folk Music, the students got to order drinks at City Diner in Midtown. They also made some new friends! AK
3.8.13 Global Foods Tour
On Monday, the 7th and 8th grade got to visit Global Foods Market in Kirkwood. Senora House, Mrs. Myrick, and Ms. Aparna accompanied the students, as they will be cooking multinational foods for Spanish, Hub, and Performing Arts. The students had a tour of the store, shopped for foods relating to their projects, and had a chance to pick out fun foods for themselves. AK
3-1-13 Third Grade: Singing the Blues
On Wednesday, our visit to the Sheldon Concert Hall was exciting as the presenters invited students up on stage to improv a 12 bar blues set. Some students even chose to take notes on the presentation this week. Teachers and students are learning quite a bit at these presentations. Next Wednesday, the theme is Lewis and Clark and coincides perfectly with the students study in history.
2.25.13 PA: International Dance Research
Fifth and sixth graders were on fire today! The Somalia group found and adapted a traditional dance from their research. They then taught the rest of the class (including me) the steps, the clapping rhythm, and even the song that went with the dance!
All of 5th and 6th have been great with their research, asking good questions, finding what interests them, and working together to come up with fun dance and food ideas.
2.19.2013 This Week in PA
It’s Black History Month! Last week, the 5th and 6th graders created a poster for BHM. In the next few days we will discuss Black History connections to other dance forms we have studied and why Black History is such an important part of ALL history. We will continue to work on our country research and the 7th and 8th grade cooking show. And of course, we will start preparing for our Variety Show less than a month away!
2.6.2013 PA: This is a ….
5th and 6th have been working on a game called “This is a …” where they pass around objects in a circle. Rhythm is evident in this game, and concentration; they have figured out it is more important to focus on what they are giving than on what they are getting. It can be very confusing and silly, especially when you are learning it–and a lot of fun.
