"Academic Excellence Through, With, and In the Arts and Technology”          

Mrs. Cissy Whipp’s Dance News

School Notes September 6-September 23:

Kindergarten, Mrs. Frame’s Class: We are learning our dance class procedures and finding safe ways to move to the music in the dance studio. They are working on ways to warm up our muscles. Ask your child about the Peanut Butter Sandwich dance stretch.

1^st Grade, Mrs. Miller’s Class: We have learned several patterns of movement and they can predict patterns.  We have explored non-locomotor movements (those that are done in one place) and are making graphs of our favorite ones. We danced with scarves to enhance our locomotor (travelling) movements.

3^rd Grade Exploratory Dance: We are finishing out unit on Dance Maps. We made maps of the dance room with landmarks, cardinal directions, and pathways. Each map has a map key to explain how to follow it.  We are also learning two folk dances from different countries: “Sasha, Sasha” from Russia and “The Hora” from Israel.  Don’t forget to pay your $10 Art Fee. Dance shoes are optional at the 3^rd grade level.

4^th Grade Dance: Dance shoes are due by September 9.  Please contact me if you need an extension of the deadline. We have begun working on a dance called “Step On the Beat” which explores rhythm patterns and pathways.  We have begun our journals, copying a dance quote and using descriptive words. Don’t forget to pay your $10 Art Fee and the $5 for costumes.

5^th Grade Dance: Dance shoes are due by September 9. We have begun working on a dance to relate to their Social Studies unit on the Native Americans. We call it “Totem Poles” and each child is choosing an animal to symbolize some aspect of their personality which we are incorporating into our dance in the form of a human totem pole. They are also learning some gestures from Plains Indian sign language which we will add to the choreography. The dance should be finished sometime in early October and we would like to perform it during our class time for the other 5^th graders and for you. I will let you know as soon as we have chosen the date. Don’t forget to pay your $10 Art Fee and the $15 for costumes.