November 2018, Elementary Curriculum Updates
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Save the Dates...
The King Arts PTA Pancake Breakfast is this Saturday November, 11th here at King Arts! Come hear performances from the King Arts Jazz Band and Elementary Choirs while enjoying breakfast at this school fundraiser!
Districts 65/202
Art Show & Open Studio
Wednesday, November 14th from 5-7p.m. at ETHS
YEA! Festival

Saturday, May 18th; 10 am-3 pm, Raymond Park
Visual Art--Ms. Vega
1st Grade
First Graders researched prehistoric cave drawings from 38,000 BCE. They faux painted rocks out of cardboard to use as backgrounds for their animal pictures.
3rd Grade
Third graders read Freedom in Congo Square . They looked at actual pictures of Congo Square and painted the old oak trees and the circular brick ground. They were able to learn about drawing trees and landscapes along with the history of Congo Square.
4th Grade
Fourth grade artists made pipe cleaner figures to use as guides for their figure drawings. They practiced drawing figures in many poses. The students looked at artist Keith Haring's paintings for inspiration. The final pose was painted in the students' choice of colors and patterns.
Visual and Media Arts--Ms. Stein
Kindergarten Art
Kindergarteners have been busy making dots of their own after reading the book, "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds. Using a variety of mediums, including oil pastels, crayons, and paint, and processes including drawing, painting and printing with toilet paper rolls, q tips and paint brushes!

2nd Grade Art
Second graders read the book, "Freedom in Congo Square," and were inspired to create paintings/printings while learning about warm and cool colors.They also explored figure drawing and movement. The figures became 3D when mounted on the warm/cool color backgrounds.
Library-- Ms. Jaquess
Illustrator, R Gregory Christie Visits King Arts
On Tuesday November 6th, King Arts welcomed award winning illustrator R. Gregory Christie. Mr Christie presented to students in grades K-5 and held several workshops with our middle school artists. This Library and Fine Art collaboration was the culminating event of a month long study of Mr. Christies award winning books.

Thank you to our PTA and Foundation 65 for funding this memorable event.

Music-- Mr. Smith and Ms. Szczepanski
Kindergarten Sound Exploration
Kindergarten students have begun their musical journey through story, song, and games. After identifying sounds, we have begun exploring our voices with singing versus speaking voice, and the concept of echo.
2nd grade Folk Song Study
Students compared and contrasted three versions of a classic American folk song. After reading "Cat Goes Fiddle-i-Fee" and learning to sing "I Bought Me a Cat," students brainstormed what made them alike and different. They also identified and compared rhythms before performing them on classroom instruments. To end the study, students listened to Aaron Copland 's famous arrangement for orchestra and voice performed by baritone William Warfield.
Band News from Ms. Church
Seventh and eighth grade band students had a great time at the annual Band Day at ETHS, which took place on October 26th. Many King Arts alumni performed in the various ETHS ensembles that performed for our students that day, including the top wind ensemble, jazz band, and full marching band! It was a great day of music and inspiring to our middle school students.

The Jazz Band has been preparing for their debut performance of the year at the King Arts pancake breakfast on Saturday, November 10th. Jazz Band performs at 9:30 a.m. Please come out and show your support!

The Winter Band Concert will take place on Tuesday, December 4th at 7:00 p.m. in the King Arts auditorium.  The Concert, Symphonic, and Jazz Bands will perform. An assembly for students will be the same day at 9:30 a.m.  

Drama-- Ms. Querciagrossa and Ms. Deemar
Kindergarten
Students played many different animals as they explored the story Room on the Broom.
They learned about character and dialogue as they played.
1st grade
Our 1st graders traveled to Wild Island with Elmer Elevator to help save a baby dragon. This wonderful adventure allows the students to learn how to work in small groups and partners to create improvised scenes and explore how they as actors can "become" a character. Ask them which animals Elmer encountered this week and what Elmer used from his backpack.
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2nd graders have played several theatre games to get ourselves familiar with one another and the structure of the room. We did a dramatization based on the book Roller Coaster by Maria Frazee. In this exercise, we used our imaginations and rode on a roller coaster together. We went up and down the hills, upside down, and spun around on a roller coaster. Phew! It was a wild ride

3rd graders started our work together playing some theatre games. We played advanced games that included sound, movement and listening as a whole group. Our work focused on pantomime, movement, and concentration. Finally, we started a dramatization based on the story Worst Witch in the World.

4th graders started with the game Who Started the Motion, a concentration, movement, cooperation and awareness game. In our next session, we made machines in small groups and then we made a whole group machine. Our work
Dance, Ms. Sheehan
Dance--Ms. Sheehan
Kindergarten
Kindergarten dance students have been working on Shapes. We start class with a dancer warm-up using rhymes to start and stop. The balancing exercises to Humpty Dumpty, the lizard and bear walk, and Miss Mary Mack for cross lateral and jumps are a few of our favorites.
1st grade has been working with shape and props. We have used Blue, Yellow and Red sashes to create Primary and secondary colors. This week we read "Yesterday I had the Blues" illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. We used our sashes to add expression of feelings.
Dancing the Blues
Dancing the Greens
Dancing the Yellows
3rd Grade has been working on dance skills. They have warmed-up using rhythm and the 8 sections of the BrainDance. This photo shows partners working together for spine curves=head-tail connections.