Art - Mrs. Rozycki and Mrs. Bank

Projects vary by classroom. Ask your artist what fun work they are doing in the art room!

PAC has been learning about printmaking with heart stamps, primary colors and making collages. They also had fun creating groundhogs for Groundhog Day.

EAC has been learning about middle ground and background in art through painting and stamping with tempera. They also learned about positive and negative spaces with hearts.

Coming up, they will be learning about primary colors and how they can be used to create all other colors.

Kindergarten continues to learn about the elements of art and created 3D shapes with modeling clay, and pinch pots with clay. They have been introduced to symmetry and created butterfly prints out of tempera paint. They also learned a little about artist Alma Thomas and her vibrant colorful style of art, Cubism art and Picasso, and abstract artist Kandinsky.

First grade learned about the use of expression in art by creating “happy hearts” inspired by the work of American artist Chris Uphues. They also learned to blend washable markers to create vibrant backgrounds and created clay luminary lanterns. They continued to work on paper weaving using colors they chose to represent themselves as well as their parents and grandparents.

Second grade is learning about foreground, middle ground and background as well as what a horizon line is and how they all form a landscape. They are creating an artic landscape, Abraham Lincoln portraits, and “Duck” architecture. They learned about positive and negative spaces in art and created some of their own using hearts.

Third grade continues learning about Australian Aboriginal style art and are creating paintings inspired by their ancient use of dots, colors, and patterns. They are also learning about facial proportion as students will be drawing self-portraits incorporating their culture. Animal pinch pots were a favorite this month as well.

Fourth grade is currently glazing their kiln fired coil pots as well as beginning to create a Virginia landscape painting of one of the five regions that they learned about in social studies. Artists also created coil pots and Virginia oil pastel landscapes.

Fifth grade is learning about gargoyles and are creating their own unique faces out of kiln fire clay. They are also learning about globalization and brainstormed ways that they as individuals might make a difference and help an area of need in our world. They are making paper collages representing how they can help. They also painted gorgeous winter landscapes, and just finished creating Basquiat inspired dinosaur art for Black History month.

Sixth grade has begun practicing painting techniques and have begun drafts of creating a one-point perspective landscape painting. Artists studied Japanese woodblock artist Hokusai and created a tempera version of his work, “The Great Wave off Kanazawa”, and completed their study of 3D buildings in the form of cityscape snow globes.

We are very proud of our Island Creek artists who recently had work displayed at the Kingstowne Library for the month of February – congratulations! It was exciting to see aspiring artists for career day as well.

We are need of helpers for hanging artwork for the upcoming “Authors and Artists” night coming up on March 30. Please reach out to Mrs. Rozycki @email if interested in helping. We will be putting up artwork the whole month of March.

Ongoing needs in the art room…. Please consider donating tissues, Clorox or baby wipes, and glue sticks. We would be most appreciative – thank you!!!

Music - Ms. Laird and Ms. Tien

Our students enjoyed exploring the major musical contributions of African Americans during the month of February. In March, our Island Creek musicians can look forward to playing instruments; this means the return of recorder study to 3^rd grade students after a two year pandemic break! Time for some “Hot cross buns!”

Physical Education - Ms. Barber and Mr. Magagnoli

In PE our dance unit was tons of fun! Students in Pre-school through 3rd grade learned a dance routine and memorized it to perform for teachers in the school. Students in grades 4,5,6 created their own routines and some students performed their routine in front of their classmates during our performance days! It was wonderful to see their courage and awesome dance moves on display. We are very proud of all of their efforts to create wonderful routines. 

Our next unit in PE is volleyball! The students are learning the set, bump, and underhand serve. The students are having fun using the beach balls and working cooperatively with partners or groups to practice their skills.

Band and Strings - Mrs. Hicks and Ms. Creque

Middle school next year: We hope all 6^th grade Band and Strings students are going to sign up for 7^th grade band and orchestra next year. When signing up for band or orchestra class, all 6^th grade students should sign up for Intermediate Band/Orchestra and all percussion students should sign up for Percussion Class. If you have any questions, you can email Mr. Clifford, Hayfield Middle School Band Director at @email or Mrs. Shelfo, Hayfield Middle School Orchestra Director at @email.

**SAVE THE DATE FOR CONCERTS**

The Spring BAND Concert will be held here at Island Creek Elementary on Wednesday, May 24^th @ 6:30pm!

The Spring STRINGS concert will be held at Island Creek on Thursday, June 1^st, at 6:30 pm!

Band News

Classes continue to go well and has been exciting to see all the band members make progress on their instrument!

Hayfield Area Honor Band: Those band students who have decided to participate, please make sure you are aware of the rehearsal dates and concert date. Rehearsal dates are Monday, March 6, 13, 20 and 27. The concert date is Thursday, March 30 at 7pm in the Hayfield Secondary School Auditorium. More information will be sent home prior to concert. Please make sure you have paid your $10 t-shirt fee.

Solo and Ensemble Festival: Those students that have decided to participate in the Solo and Ensemble Festival, Saturday, April 29 will be given their music very soon, if they have not already received it. Please make sure your child is practicing regularly on their solo and if it is a duet or trio, practicing with the other students who are in their ensemble. I will send home specific times of the performances once I get them.

Student Teacher: This year I am excited to announce that I will have a student teacher, Mr. Zach Sellers from George Mason University shadowing and participating with the band classes from March 13 to May 5. He is a trombone player and I know he will have a fun time and a wonderful experience.

Band Classes at Island Creek

All the beginners continue to review all the new notes they have been taught thus far. We are also working on tone and more advanced rhythms. The beginners are also learning new music from the skills we have learned from the method book, that we will prepare for our Spring Concert. Please make sure your child continues to practice throughout the week.

Advanced band members are starting to learn major scales and various key signatures. We are reading and rehearsing concert music to help us prepare for the Spring band concert.  We are learning how to apply different techniques to make the music comes “alive” more. We also continue to apply various skills to learn how-to sight-read music.

Karate Belt/Ring of Colors: All band students are offered the opportunity to participate in this activity. Each student was given a list of pieces that represent a specific bead color and are awarded the colored bead when they play me the piece. They can always record me their pieces if they want to move ahead or play from home. This activity is not required but is encouraged. This activity is not a competition, but more of a personal achievement. A lot of the pieces that represent colors that overlap with weekly assignments.

Band Schoology: Students should be looking at the Band Schoology if they are absent from class or just to look at what I have posted. I have posted Assignment Sheets of what took place in class for students to see what they have missed. I have also put recordings of concert music for all band members to play along with and to listen to. There is also useful information on how to work more on reading notes on the staff.

Strings News

Solo and Ensemble Festival: For 5^th and 6^th grade students who have decided to participate in the Solo and Ensemble Festival, on Friday, April 28 will be given their music very soon.  Please make sure your child is practicing regularly on their solo and if it is a duet or trio, practicing with the other students who are in their ensemble. I will send home specific times of the performances once I get them.

4^th grade:  We are continuing to work on reading musical notation, including a weekly Note Reading Challenge!   Please check out Schoology for some helpful instructional videos to help your child as they navigate the lovely new sounds they are making, as well as some resources for reading music.  Students will begin receiving concert music this week!

5^th and 6^th grade:  We are continuing to work on spring concert music!  Please encourage your child to practice regularly so they can learn the music along with the rest of the class so they don’t fall behind.  Have them check out Schoology for the recordings of their pieces so they can play along with the other instruments when they practice. 

Band/Strings Homework

Students are sent home each week with a list of assignments they should be improving upon in their at-home practice.  We expect students to show that they have worked on the material at home so they can be a contributing member to the Band or Strings team!  Please encourage your child to practice 10-15 minutes each day on the assignments that are given.