Music Notes

Sincerely,
Joanna Kaul
Program Assistant

Art Room News

Bynow your children should have brought home
most of their art work from the first half of the year. If it hasn’t
made it home yet, you might want to do a backpack check.
First and fourth grade classes have been looking at
the work of the famous French artist Henri Matisse. First
grade classes focused on his “Fauve” period in which he
painted with bright colors. When Matisse grew older his
eyesight began to fail him and he could no longer stand at
his easel to paint. He turned from painting to collage. Like
Matisse, the fourth grade students cut out and pasted
brightly colored shapes onto background paper to make
their collages.
Third grade students are practicing their drawing skills.
They have been working on a series of drawings including a
sailboat and a lizard.
Second grade and multi-age classes have just
completed their first clay projects. Second grade classes
made “Sunny” faces and the multi-age classes learned to
make coil pots, like the Native Americans.

Thanks for Intramural Success!

I would like to thank the following dedicated individuals
who made the Third Grade Intramural Basketball Program a
huge success:
Mr. Kellish Coach
Mrs. SmithCoach
Mrs. IrvineCoach
Mr. PhillipsCoach
Mrs. Patsy HaganSupervisor
Mrs. Amy ConleySupervisor
The basketball program would not have happened
without the hard work and dedication of these people.

Mark G. Evans
Teacher/Coach

Third Grade Happenings in Conley’s Cuties Caring Classroom

In November, the third graders in Mrs. Conley’s class
learned the true meaning of Veterans Day. They wrote
letters to a local veteran, Mr. F. Bennett, who served as a
corpsman with the Navy/Marines and was presented with a
Purple Heartduring his service in Korea. Enthused by the
discussion of Veterans Day, K. Evans brought some of her
Great Great Great Grandfather’s belongings from his service
in the Civil War. Included win the items were his (blue)
collapsible cap, canteen and his own personal journal of his
accounts as a Civil War soldier.
In December, students from Mrs. Hardke’s 7th & 8th
grade classes from Bridge Alternative School located in
East Syracuse visited Mrs. Conley’s class to do a
cooperative holiday project with the third graders. The
students from Bridges earned the money for the supplies
and together with the third graders made beautiful
Christmas decorations for their homes.
In January, Mrs. A. Reed visited Mrs. Conley’s class to
discuss her career as a Marine Geologist

with the United States Antarctic Program. Mrs. Reed has
been traveling to Antarctica conducting research once a
year since 1983. She once stayed for five months. Amy
explained that she studies the history of climate change in
Antarctica by looking at tiny fossils in marine sediment. Did
you know that only 1% of the continent of Antarctica is ice-
free?
The children in Mrs. Conley’s class thoroughly enjoyed
all the visits and learned a great deal about veterans,
Antarctica and cooperation. It’s been a busy and exciting
year in Room 38 since September!

page 3