Dear Parents,
Below is a peek into last week’s goings-on in the school. There are so many things to say, but here are just a few to share. It is a joy to greet and teach your children each day!
From the DVWS Faculty
1st Grade
Block: Qualities of Number. Students are discovering the truth of numbers in nature- the rose and the apple are 5, the honeycomb is 6 and the clover is 3- or 4 if you are lucky!
Math Skills: Reinforcement of number sense through body geography and movement- step counting and jumping rhythms.
Language Arts Skills: Developing and continuing phonetic awareness. The students are collecting items and sorting them by beginning sound and letter.
Spanish: Hansel and Gretel story, and numbers from 1-20.
Movement: Seasonal cooperative games.
Handwork: Learning how to cast on stitches.
Music: Learning soft breath for excellent flute playing skills!
Extra Lesson: Left to right tracking. Awareness of feet and hands.
Other Highlights:
The class baked bread in the shapes of letters, and continued its weekly contemplative nature walk.
2nd Grade
Block: Math: Addition and subtraction in the vertical. Number bonds. Introduction of larger numbers, all in the context of Native American and saint stories and legends.
Math Skills: Repetition of math facts up to 12. Review and continuation of place value.
Language Arts Skills: Consonant blends and vowel usage and exceptions.
Spanish: Stone Soup, numbers 1-100, and preparation for Dia de los Muertos/ Day of the Dead.
Movement: Seasonal cooperative games.
Handwork: Finishing knitted lions.
Music: Singing in “call and response” style; pentatonic flute playing.
Extra Lesson: Bilateral integration through movement. Point and Periphery painting exercise.
3rd and 4th Grade
Block: Math: Review of long division and measurement.
Math Skills: Assembling and using scales- finding balance. Times tables reinforcement. Ongoing visual and mental math- thinking on your feet in time and visualizing an equation.
Language Arts Skills: Reading for content and comprehension. Preparing a first book report.
Spanish: Joseph and His Brothers, fall season, Dia de los Muertos/ Day of the Dead.
Movement: Introduction of skill-based and boundary games.
Handwork: Starting to crochet a flute case. (see photo)
Music: Singing in quodlibet (Latin for “as it pleases”) in preparation for singing in rounds, and playing diatonic “c” flute.
5th and 6th Grade
Block: Astronomy. Movement of the Sun. Students observe where the sun rises and sets each day.
Math Skills: Metric Measurement.
Language Arts Skills: Spelling review. Noun and adjective classification.
Spanish: The Adventurers! Dia de los Muertos/ Day of the Dead.
Movement: 5th - pentathlon introduction and endurance training.
5th and 6th - endurance training through mile-long runs, and kickball.
Handwork: 5th- knitting swatches before beginning to knit socks. 6th- hand sewing and embroidering handwork bag.
Music: Singing in parts; recorder playing in parts.
Orchestra: Working with rhythm and more difficult time signatures.
Extra Lesson: Upper and lower body movement differentiation. Spatial planning through form drawing.
7th and 8th Grade
Math Skills: Group 1-Pre-algebra introduction. Group 2- Algebra 1
Block: Organic Chemistry. Experimenting in the kitchen with sugars, starches and proteins.
Spanish: South American culture and geography, and Dia de los Muertos/ Day of the Dead.
Movement: Building endurance running a mile; archery.
Handwork: Machine sewing and pattern planning.
Music: Choral music reading and recorder ensemble in parts.
Orchestra: Syncopated rhythm and sight reading.
Early Childhood
Exploring fall's beauty in nature
on hikes and in play.
Making lanterns for Martinmas.
Autumn songs and rhymes.
