News from Seward's Specialists

News from Science: Karen Utter

E1 Students Learning about Air

E1 is learning about Air and Weather. So far we have learned that air is a gas and is all around us. We’ve been introduced to the terms: air resistance, compressed air and air pressure. We’ve learned that air takes up space and that it is stronger than all of us when it’s in a space it can’t escape from. 

 

E2 has started learning about Motion and Force.  We learned that a force is a push or pull and that the scientific word for creating motion is “applying a force.” We discussed speed, direction and gravity. We are doing “controlled experiments” using a pendulum with a penny as the weight or bob on the end. 

 

 

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News from Health: Jody Volk

Jody Volk

Kindergarten classes do small movement activities with me in the classroom. Between movements we read stories and do work relating to the topic. So far we have learned about being a healthy me, breathing, feelings, peacefulness and yoga with Meddy Teddy. We have done some coloring work, play dough work and writing and matching work.

E1 Is in a movement unit. We always start with a warm up and end with a cool down. Some games they have played so far are Pizza, Pizza, Ships Across The Ocean, Birthday Tag, Spin The Pin Tag and Last Person Standing. We are focusing on playing fair, being safe and getting exercise.

E2 is currently bike riding with me! We spent 2 class periods learning the techniques and safety etiquette of bike riding from the Walk! BIke! Fun! Curriculum and they get 3 classes outside on the bikes. Please see the sign up link if you can help out: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MFavO65LYlxMxnLxufskOjrLQi5RSHB97Ekwxo5IbXw/edit

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Hello from the music room!

Kirsten Vezina

Children’s House is having a blast singing and dancing to the beat in music class!  We’re currently focusing on echoing and our four voices: whisper, speaking, singing, and calling.  Students are also enjoying playing rhythm sticks with the woodpecker song.  In the next few weeks, students will start to focus on tempo (the speed of the beat).  We will have a specific focus on presto (fast) and largo (slow). 

E1 is focusing on a rhythm.  We are just finishing up playing drums, rhythm sticks, and shakers.  Students are also enjoying our current dance, ‘Pizza, Pizza, Daddy-O’  Next week, we are learning ‘Pass the Pumpkin’, a singing game that includes taking turns on the xylophones, rain sticks, and gongs.

E2 students are focused on learning the notes on the musical staff.  We are playing a singing game called ‘Chicken on a Fencepost’.  Students are also playing boomwhackers during class as we learn the notes on the staff.  Over the next few classes, we are continuing to learn the notes on the musical staff through games like a musical spelling bee & continuing to learn new singing games.