More evidence to support reading.....!

         All these studies support the benefits of reading. As the holidays approach, please consider giving books as gifts. Talk to your daughters about what they are currently reading. In class, we have started Lois Lowry's Number the Stars. Ask your daughter what she thinks about this wonderful novel set in World War II Denmark.

Art_Adinkra Stamps

The girls have all designed a symbol to honor a personal loss in the style of Adinkra stamps. The Ashanti people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast in Africa use the stamps to print on fabric that they wear as a funerary custom that comes from a story of two kings long ago. Each stamp has a story and a meaning that honors the qualities of the people who passed away.

The girls told stories of their own personal losses and designed stamps with similar criteria: strong positive and negative shapes, thick black lines, abstract, unique, and fits in a square. They carved the stamp out of linoleum squares and will print them in an array on cloth next.

Typing Club

This letter will be coming home with your daughter. 

This week, the 4th and 5th graders were introduced to TypingClub.  Although we will not be working on typing skills during Computer Science classes, students are encouraged to practice at home.

TypingClub is an educational program that will help students learn to type quickly and accurately on a standard computer keyboard. The program is fully web-based, so students can use it to practice keyboarding anywhere an internet connection can be found.

To log in to TypingClub account, go to the following login URL:

https://brynmawrschool.typingclub.com

Click on “using your Google account”

Use the credentials on the label at the top of this page.

If you would like to help at home, the most important thing for your child to focus on while practicing is to avoid looking at the keyboard while typing.

I am very excited to share TypingClub with you and to work toward developing your child's keyboarding skills. Together, we can help perfect a skill set that will be indispensable to your child in the future.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

All the best,

Alisha Caruso

carusoa@brynmawrschool.org

Happy Spirit Day!!! Go Bryn Mawr!

  

Here's what we're reading this week:

From the Library

Fourth graders started off the year with some thought-provoking books.

First up was The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool. Ask your daughter about the illustrations. How did they help tell the story?




We then read The Secret Keeper by Kate Coombs. Ask your daughter what Kalli does with the secrets given to her by the people of Maldinga.

Last week we read Nasreddine by Odile Weulersse. How many ways did they go to market? Which was the most ridiculous? We will continue to read stories from around the world. Meanwhile, girls in grades 3-5 are taking on the Bottom Shelf Challenge. Girls have chosen or will soon choose a book from the lonely neglected books on the bottom shelves of the fiction and non-fiction sections. They have until the end of the month to finish these bottom shelf books. We are finding really great books on the bottom shelves!

What's App in Computer Science

This year is 4th grade's first year using Chromebooks!  So far, the students have learned how to use their Google Bryn Mawr School account in Google Classroom, NewsELA, and Spelling City.  Your daughter can sign into all of these at home (web based or via the app) using her Bryn Mawr credentials.  Each student has a label with this information. 

If you are searching for resources, we suggest Common Sense Media .  "Common Sense is the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. We empower parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives."

Also, be on the look out for more information about our typing program, TypingClub.com, coming soon!

Musicianship and Beyond!

The girls recently worked in groups to create their own arrangement of a melody we learned together in class. All of the girls can play the melody on the barred instruments, and know how to accompany the melody with a variety of different drone patterns.  (Drones are repeated accompaniment patterns that are played on the 1st and 5th scale degree.)

The girls arranged the melody and the accompaniment in their own way. They had to decide which instruments to use and who will play them, what type of drone to use, and how to begin and end their piece. There were so many creative ideas!

After sharing and analyzing each group's piece, the girls listed some of their learnings from this project.  Some major life lessons here!

Some reasons why we ask the girls to read for 20 minutes a night:

Stay tuned for what we are currently reading.......