ART CLASS
Albert Einstein said " Logic will get you from A to B, but IMAGINATION will take you everywhere". Royal couples; what should they wear? We "re-imagined" the images of kings and queens tucked away in favorite books and movies, then adapted miscellaneous scrap materials to finish fifth and sixth grade sculptures as you can see. Artists call this kind of work "mixed media", but we just call it fun.
Students continued to explore textures with a relief print technique much like Albrecht Durer used for his fantastic rhino during the Renaissance, and fourth graders devoted several classes to "found art". Their challenge was to work with papers most people over look or throw away. Newspapers stained with blotches of dye from previous assignments, small boxes, and scraps of cardboard became houses. The many brightly colored striped pages that the photo copier repair man almost threw away became weavings. Students likewise "found" the potential in very small photos clipped from magazines. Even when two people chose the same orange flowers, for example, one painting became an interior view, while the other featured a flower as an enormous sun.
Most recently, Kindergarten students enjoyed the lively designs in paintings by Henri Matisse. The pottery designs one week, and the interior designs that followed, made vibrant still life paintings when combined. Finally, every class contributed to their spring program with circles inspired by African and Aboriginal art. What a productive wrap up to our winter! The ROOTS of unusual materials and designs produced the BLOOMS of sculpture, collage, paintings,and ethnic art.
Albert Einstein said " Logic will get you from A to B, but IMAGINATION will take you everywhere". Royal couples; what should they wear? We "re-imagined" the images of kings and queens tucked away in favorite books and movies, then adapted miscellaneous scrap materials to finish fifth and sixth grade sculptures as you can see. Artists call this kind of work "mixed media", but we just call it fun.
Students continued to explore textures with a relief print technique much like Albrecht Durer used for his fantastic rhino during the Renaissance, and fourth graders devoted several classes to "found art". Their challenge was to work with papers most people over look or throw away. Newspapers stained with blotches of dye from previous assignments, small boxes, and scraps of cardboard became houses. The many brightly colored striped pages that the photo copier repair man almost threw away became weavings. Students likewise "found" the potential in very small photos clipped from magazines. Even when two people chose the same orange flowers, for example, one painting became an interior view, while the other featured a flower as an enormous sun.
Most recently, Kindergarten students enjoyed the lively designs in paintings by Henri Matisse. The pottery designs one week, and the interior designs that followed, made vibrant still life paintings when combined. Finally, every class contributed to their spring program with circles inspired by African and Aboriginal art. What a productive wrap up to our winter! The ROOTS of unusual materials and designs produced the BLOOMS of sculpture, collage, paintings,and ethnic art.
Music
Happy Winter! Our musical rehearsals have been super! The students have a lot to say about it:
Two songs make me feel happy and joyful......Hannah Clough
Everything is cool, awesome, rad....Caleb Morse
I like the songs Each Special Gift and A Place in the Choir...Hayley Mullins
I like being in the musical because I get to be a dog...Victoria
My favorite sport is singing...Oz
I think everyone in the play is doing an awesome job.....Madison
It's interesting....Allyson
I think that being in the play is awesome...Katie Mulligan
And , I wish to end with Maggie's comment: COME ! IT'S A GREAT PLAY ABOUT ACCEPTING OTHERS!
Have a Musical Day, Ginger Armstrong
PE
During the first quarter, K-6 were working on their dribbling, passing and shooting skills for soccer. They learned the rules of the game and ended up playing full field games where the students developed teamwork skills. The 3-6 graders then moved on to flag football where they learned the proper technique of throwing and catching a football. The K-2 graders played some exciting games of Capture the Football outside and have been working really hard on their throwing and kicking skills when PE class is inside. Grades 3-6 will look to wrap up their flag football unit in a couple weeks with some full field games, while the K-2 students will continue their throwing unit with several exciting games!
Pat Allen
Guidance
Mark Pride, School Counselor, Albert Bridge, 2013-2014.
We are in the sprint to the finish line once again as another school year winds down. Always hard to believe how quickly it comes upon us. For many of us the end of the school year is more a marker than January 1st as our children complete another year and we scratch our heads in wonder at how they are growing up so quickly.
At the end of the school year we spend some time in K-4th grade learning some skills for personal safety. There is a school wide bike safety assembly and in class we do a brief reminder of the importance of seat belts. The focus, though, is primarily on two safety situations. The first: A child is at home alone, or away on a trip and gets separated from the adults-at the beach, the mall, an amusement park. How do I get help, who can I trust, what if the electricity goes out when I am home alone or I am riding bikes with my friend and she falls and gets hurt? We try to teach skills that will enable a child to know how, where, and from whom to get help and be safe. The second: A child is approached by an adult who tries to get personal information, tries to persuade the child to go some place with the adult, or to engage in an inappropriate act of touching. A bit of this talks about an unknown adult. However, the fact is adults who approach a child this way are usually known to the child and the family and thought of as a trustworthy person. So, we talk about the parts of our bodies that are covered by our bathing suits as no trespassing zones and the importance of three steps- NO!!-GO!!-TELL!!
I encourage you to review these steps with your child, set your own boundaries, rules, and expectations in these areas and keep checking in. It is VERY hard for children to open up if something has happened. They are scared, feel guilty, don't think they will be believed, and most likely been threatened with terrible consequences if they do tell. Brownsville, as wonderful community as it is, does not have an immunity to such tragedies. While we can be over protective of our children, we must find the balance between enough freedom to mature and boundaries that keep our children safe from such predators-in the real world and the world of Cyber-Space.
In the upper grades we will finish our year with a career unit in fifth grade, a fun way to look at what the future may hold. The sixth grade will spend their time thinking more about the new world of middle school, particularly the exciting, challenging, new social climate into which they will be moving.
The close of the school year also brings my time at Albert Bridge to a close. Time to remove the "semi" in front of the word retirement! I consider it a blessing to have landed here for these four years with your children in this community and I thank you, again, for the privilege of investing in the lives of your children.
Blessings,
Mark Pride, Albert Bridge, Guidance
Mark Pride, School Counselor, Albert Bridge, 2013-2014.
We are in the sprint to the finish line once again as another school year winds down. Always hard to believe how quickly it comes upon us. For many of us the end of the school year is more a marker than January 1st as our children complete another year and we scratch our heads in wonder at how they are growing up so quickly.
At the end of the school year we spend some time in K-4th grade learning some skills for personal safety. There is a school wide bike safety assembly and in class we do a brief reminder of the importance of seat belts. The focus, though, is primarily on two safety situations. The first: A child is at home alone, or away on a trip and gets separated from the adults-at the beach, the mall, an amusement park. How do I get help, who can I trust, what if the electricity goes out when I am home alone or I am riding bikes with my friend and she falls and gets hurt? We try to teach skills that will enable a child to know how, where, and from whom to get help and be safe. The second: A child is approached by an adult who tries to get personal information, tries to persuade the child to go some place with the adult, or to engage in an inappropriate act of touching. A bit of this talks about an unknown adult. However, the fact is adults who approach a child this way are usually known to the child and the family and thought of as a trustworthy person. So, we talk about the parts of our bodies that are covered by our bathing suits as no trespassing zones and the importance of three steps- NO!!-GO!!-TELL!!
I encourage you to review these steps with your child, set your own boundaries, rules, and expectations in these areas and keep checking in. It is VERY hard for children to open up if something has happened. They are scared, feel guilty, don't think they will be believed, and most likely been threatened with terrible consequences if they do tell. Brownsville, as wonderful community as it is, does not have an immunity to such tragedies. While we can be over protective of our children, we must find the balance between enough freedom to mature and boundaries that keep our children safe from such predators-in the real world and the world of Cyber-Space.
In the upper grades we will finish our year with a career unit in fifth grade, a fun way to look at what the future may hold. The sixth grade will spend their time thinking more about the new world of middle school, particularly the exciting, challenging, new social climate into which they will be moving.
The close of the school year also brings my time at Albert Bridge to a close. Time to remove the "semi" in front of the word retirement! I consider it a blessing to have landed here for these four years with your children in this community and I thank you, again, for the privilege of investing in the lives of your children.
Blessings,
Mark Pride, Albert Bridge, Guidance
Spanish at Albert Bridge Invierno-Primavera 2014
¡Saludos! Greetings to All!
My name is Jennifer Roby, also known as "Señora." This is my fourth year teaching Spanish at ABS.
Please read on for a description of what each grade is working on--classes meet once a week for 40 minutes.
Kindergarten
We begin each class with songs of greeting. The children are using their new Spanish names and enjoy practicing their counting (1-10) and identifying colors. Lately we have been reading a fun book about a baby llama and his mom who live in the Andes mountains.
Grade 1
Most recently we have been learning about animals of the farm and forest. The children just completed their mitten project (based on the children's book The Mitten, illustrated by Jan Brett.)
Grade 2
We have just begun a unit on astronomy and will attempt to create an original story using TPRS, a teaching method which involves story telling and illustration.
Grade 3, 4
Grade 3, 4 students are working on the "Question Song," which we sing to the tune of "Jingle Bells." Next we will focus on the verb "ser," (to be) and adjectives.
Grade 5
We have completed one video in which the children introduced themselves in Spanish and English. The video is part of an exchange with a school in Zamora, Ecuador. The exchange is facilitated through the Peace Corps. Next we turn to the verb "estar," (to be).
Grade 6
We continue to review of alphabet and spelling aloud in Spanish. We have exchanged pen pal letters with students in El Rosario, Honduras twice so far. We will begin a unit on TPRS (story telling) in January--stay tuned!
Thank you for your interest and support! As always, please contact me with any questions or suggestions. I look forward to hearing from you.
¡Gracias a todos!
Señora Roby