Lego Engineering

For the students in grades 1, 2 and 3 at Memorial School Legos become more than just a toy. Students here use these familiar tools to learn about engineering and teamwork. The Lego Engineering curriculum begins in first grade when students are introduced to the engineering process and use this knowledge to construct a wheelbarrow and a motorized car.  Then in second grade they not only continue building with Legos but become computer programmers. They learn how to use Robo Lab, simple programming software, to control the speed and distance of their motorized car. They make predictions, measure distances and draw conclusions. By grade 3 students combine all of their first and second grade knowledge to build mechanical alligators and create complex programs to make their alligators move.

Learning the Piano-5th Grade

The fifth graders of Memorial School are helping each other to learn how to
play the piano keyboard.  Each classroom of fifth graders has a group of
students who take private piano lessons outside of school.  Their skills are
being put to good use as they serve as "teachers" to their classmates.  Each
teacher has a studio of students who get a 10 - 15 minute private lesson
during each music class.  Each teacher receives payment to their personal
5th grade checkbook at the end of class.  Ask your students what they have
learned either as a piano student or teacher!
This technology is possible through the use of the MAC laptops with Garage
Band, and the compatible Music Audio Keystation 49e (provided by a previous
grant from Spaulding).


~Mrs. Wood, Music

Visiting Artist: Robin Brickman

Thanks to the Spaulding Education Fund, Memorial School students enjoyed a very special artistic experience this month!  Memorial School students in grades K-5 honed their imagination and artistic skills under the watchful eye of visiting Artist-in-Residence, Robin Brickman earlier this month.  Ms. Brickman, illustrator of dozens of nature-related children’s and adult books, joined Memorial School Art Teacher Claudette Yutkins in the art room every day for a week.  She met with every class to demonstrate the cut paper illustrations that she is best known for.   Brickman, from western Massachusetts, explained to students how she first paints, then cuts, then sculpts paper into three dimensional figures which are then photographed for illustrations.  Memorial students tried their hand at this intricate and unique art form and the result is a mural “One Night in the Coral Sea” now on display in the main hallway at Memorial.  The program was organized by the PTO Enrichment Committee and fully funded by The Spaulding Education Fund!  Thank you to all who contributed to a memorable week for Memorial students and for the generous donation from the Spaulding Education Fund…it was a week to remember for us all!

Enjoy the short video featuring students in Mr. Gugino's class as they create shells, jellyfish and fish to be a part of the "One Night in the Coral Sea" mural. 

Podcasts By The Sea

From now to the end of the year, students throughout the school will be taking part in our Memorial Podcast program.  Students explore subject areas and interests through collaboration between their classroom, art, music, foreign language, library and technology. The program is designed for students to develop writing skills, improve student fluency, build confidence, motivate quality work and let students share their work with a real-world audience.

Be sure to check out our Podcasts by the Sea page throughout the year!

http://www.memorialel.mersd.org/Pages/meme_tech/podcasts

Upcoming Podcast projects:
Grade 3-Author Studies
Grade 4-Landmark Projects
Grade 2-Exploring the Continents
Grade 5-Poetry
Grade 1-Ocean Animals

~Mrs. Seymour, Technology

Parts of the body en español

Fifth graders learned the parts of the body in Spanish. Students experimented with creating their own "word art" to illustrate the vocabulary words for the parts of the body. Can you figure out what the following words mean based on their artwork?

Students also created their own diagram to practice naming parts of the body. Check out these amazing drawings!:

After the break, we will begin filming patient/doctor dialogues that deal with the various symptoms of a "mysterious illness". Check back in January for the results!


Señora Sears

Kandinsky collages

Grade 1

Color Study Collage
In the style of Wassily Kandinsky

Students in first grade created torn paper collages in the style of Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky. Color, pattern, art history as well as developing fine motor skills were explored while using Kandinsky as inspiration. Tearing paper and controlling the direction in which the paper would rip was not as easy as it looked but the students worked hard to create the abstract oval shapes in the different sizes shown. The results look like the famous Kandinsky painting, Colour Study: Squares with Concentric Circles.
~Mrs. Yutkins, Art

 

Ballroom Dancing

The fifth grade completed their ballroom dancing instruction last week. With a grant from the Spaulding Education Fund, we were able to bring back Miss Tina to teach our 5th graders the tango, the cha cha, the merengue, swing, and a polka mixer. Some of these dances will be performed at the Holiday Concert on December 20th. We are also in the process of trying to bring the fifth graders from Manchester and Essex together to dance, as the Essex students completed the same program.

Mr. Lamothe, P.E.