There are fun things to come in Library this October.  In Kindergarten through 2^nd we have gone over proper book care and the responsibilities that entails. We have also gone over the parts of a book.  In Kindergarten through 2^nd we have learned the difference between fiction and nonfiction books.  In 3^rd grade the students have been learning about how to distinguish between the fiction and nonfiction books based on the call number. In 4^th grade we have been learning about the Dewey Decimal System and how to locate a book in the library based on the 10 classifications.  In 5^th and 6^th we have been reviewing the Dewey Decimal System.  In 2^nd through 4^th grade we have started some digital citizenship lessons where they have been learning about being safe and responsible online.  Throughout October, the 2^nd through 6^th grade students will continue to learn about digital citizenship and Kindergarten through 1^st grade will be introduced to it. 

Something exciting to look forward to in the beginning of November is Book Fair! This will be November 2^nd through the 6^th, I will be sending out more information about this fun upcoming event in mid-October. 

Any questions I can be contacted through email at: sengle@southerntioga.org

Thank you,

Stacey Engle

Guidance Classes

Guidance classes start in the 3rd grade at Warren L. Miller School. Guidance class is a time where students work on Character Education and building self-knowledge. The first two Guidance classes, of all grade levels, are a time to discuss all classroom expectations and get to know one another. We are on our third week of school and after reviewing expectations in class, we are ready for classroom units to begin. The 3rd grades will be focusing on Respecting People, The Environment and Traditions. The 4th grades are going to work on the topic of Cooperation and the 5th and 6th grades are going to participate in a mini-lesson on Assertion Skills/Peer Pressure.
The 6th grade Safety Monitors are also out and about in our school, making sure that we are a school that is Safe. Respectful and Responsible. The safety monitors can also be seen helping out at our school store, which operates every other Friday, of each month, from 8:00-8:30 in the Guidance classroom.

Where is the artwork?

I wanted to explain why there is no artwork shoved in your child's backpack when they come home from school and you know that they have had art class that day.
One of the best things about being a practicing artist is the visual record of your thoughts, energy, personality, style, interests, etc.  Looking back through the work I have made and kept reminds me of who I was at one time and definitely tells me how I am different now.  So a habit that I try to instill with students is reflecting on their own work and making choices about it!
So, we keep portfolios in art class.  And each year we have an annual art show in the spring!  It is your child's responsibility to look through their portfolio and find their best piece and finish it if needed.  Having the authority to make decisions about what will represent them and their efforts is one of the most empowering things they experience throughout the year.  They are the artist, and they choose their masterpiece!
Keeping a portfolio also allows us to collect work over time and notice changes or growth.  Each year I ask the students to do a "Baseline" drawing as their very first and very last artworks to go in their portfolio.  It is always amazing to see the differences over the period of a year, or perhaps, the prominence of a particular style or way of drawing something. 

First graders focus on self-portraits as their baseline drawing and we do artworks that include many of their preferences or likes. 
Second grade studies animals.  We discuss how animals are shown in various cultures and with different habitats of the world. 
Third grade studies landscapes.  This allows for understanding spatial concepts.
Fourth grade studies abstract art.  We also discuss imagination, science fiction and fantasy art.
Fifth grade studies figures and observational drawing.

Sixth grade does a portrait baseline, and we have typically looked art from ancient to modern through a timeline and at the way people as a culture have depicted themselves.

Here are some examples of how the baseline drawings look "before" and "after" at each grade level:



1st grade self-portraits

 

2nd Grade Animals

 

3rd Grade Landscapes

 

4th Grade Abstract

 

5th Grade Figure Drawing

 

 

6th grade Portraits

 

 

 

 

 

Physical Education News

Welcome back to another exciting school year. We are off to a great start. Kindergarten students are learning how to move safely in the gym. We will also be practicing body and space awareness activities and kindergarten students will learn about locomotor movements (walking, jogging, skipping, etc) and manipulative skills (bean bags, hula hoops, jump ropes, etc) throughout the school year. Students in grades 1 and 2 have been reviewing locomotor movements and practicing manipulative skills as well as performing some parachute games. Students in grades 3-6 have started the year of with some cooperative games and will be reviewing playground games soon. We will also focus on the difference between individual and team sports and discussing the similarities and differences of each. Your student is reminded to wear sneakers and active clothing on the day they have PE. We are looking forward to a healthy and active school year!

🎶 Music Notes 🎶

We’re excited for another great year of music at the WLM Music Department! Students from all grades are starting the year discussing and practicing the words to “The Star-Spangled Banner), which we sing every morning before the Pledge of Allegiance. We will be recording a new version of our own of the Miller Singers performing this song in the next month!

Students in fifth grade are very excited to be starting band instruments! Band is open to anyone in fifth and sixth grade, and those students will be taking lessons and performing in Winter and Spring Concerts later in the year.

The Miller Singers (our travelling choir) and the Miller Strummers (our guitar/ukelele club) will be starting up in late September. These groups are also open to fifth and sixth graders, and more information will be sent home soon about them! Stay tuned for details!

Welcome to Library!

In library class I will be seeing Kindergarten through 6^th grade students within a 6 day cycle.  While in library the students are expected to follow the School Wide Positive Behavior Matrix of being safe, responsible, and respectful. This includes returning books on time and in good condition.  We have already started learning proper book care and the responsibilities that pertain to the library.  In every class I will have library lessons that I expect each student to participate in.  In class the students will be learning and reviewing a variety of skills.  Library will be looking a little different this year with the addition of digital citizenship becoming a part of our curriculum.  Digital citizenship focuses on the responsibilities students have online.  I look forward to having each student in class and helping them learn some fun new things this year!

5th Grade BAND!!!!

It's time for school again, and for fifth graders, there is a new opportunity in the music department - BAND! Students in fifth grade get the opportunity to start learning a band instrument, and I'd love for as many fifth graders as possible to give this a try!

As you may have already discovered, my goal as a music teacher is to give kids many different musical experiences so that they can find the aspect of music that connects with them. I think that learning instruments is something that is beneficial to ALL kids, and I highly encourage kids to learn several instruments as they get the opportunity. I have talked, and will continue to talk, in other blog posts about the many reasons why this is important, but for this one, I'd like to explain how things work here at WLM, and especially for fifth graders and their parents, how this will affect them.

In music class we've been singing and playing instruments since kindergarten. We've used many percussion instruments. In third grade we started using recorders as our first wind instrument. In fifth and sixth grade, we transition from "kids" instruments to "adult" instruments. 

I recommend that students choose one of 5 of the basic band instruments, and in fifth grade we start lessons on these - TROMBONE, TRUMPET, ALTO SAXOPHONE, FLUTE, and CLARINET. While there are other instruments in the band and orchestra available as students get older, these 5 instruments, while common in many types of music, are also a good starting place to move into other more advanced instruments such as oboe, french horn, tuba, euphonium, and many others.

Many students ask about percussion, guitar, and piano as instruments they are interested in, and I love all three of those instruments! We do what we can to encourage and teach all 3 of these instruments, but they are all very different from wind instruments, and the fundamentals of how to play them don't work to include them in beginning band. However, all students will be learning more advanced percussion technique in music class (building off of what we've done in younger grades), and getting to perform on different percussion instruments. Some of these students will have an opportunity to play some percussion in band (in addition to their wind instrument, if they choose). We offer a GUITAR CLUB to anyone who is interestedand has a guitar - I'll be sending home more information in September about this group starting up. Unfortunately, I don't have a piano lab, so I can't offer a piano club, but several students take piano lessons (there are several teachers in town, and I'd be glad to offer you some names if you are interested!), and we give these students opportunities to perform in our recital in March, as well as accompanying the chorus when they are able.

I know students who have started out playing trumpet, and sticking with that as a hobby and creative outlet their entire lives! I also know students who started on alto saxophone, and ended up playing percussion as their "band instrument" in high school, but were still able to utilize the musical skills they learned on saxophone to make them a better musician. This is why I recommend that all students TRY one of the basic 5 instruments (trombone, trumpet, alto saxophone, clarinet, flute). If you purchase a good quality (new or used) instrument, the instrument will last a lifetime, literally. Robert M. Sides has good quality instruments and several different payment options which they will explain to you when they are here, but there are other places to purchase instruments. Just be careful when purchasing online or from something other than a music store - sometimes when a deal seems too good to be true, it is! There are many "off-brand" instruments that are very cheap, but don't work properly, will be impossible to repair, and will result in student frustration. Getting a good instrument is worth it!

Finally, if a student really wants to play an instrument, but money inhibits an instrument purchase, please talk to me! There are occasionally instruments donated to the school, and we can sometimes help with scholarship instruments to use.

If you have any further questions about band at WLM, don't hesitate to ask! I hope to see you at the meeting on September 1st, but I'm also in the lobby every morning from 8-8:20, and you can reach me anytime via email at jruth@southerntioga.org