A sneak peak at PNA’s Winter Concert, |
June, Penny, and Pittaq are "Getting to know you. Getting to feel free & easy!" Third Graders work on their choreography. Students are realizing how much rehearsal and energy REALLY go into a show! Alexandra sings "We'll have a real good time, YES SIR!" It's a Hard Knock Life for the 4th Graders who are learning to dance. Jacoby and Aidan are "precisely, my cup of tea!" | Katie Strock | Performing Arts Teacher I think that it is funny that in my eighth year as the music/drama specialist at PNA, I’m finally doing a winter concert that is really connected to my passion…the BROADWAY MUSICAL! We are only two months away and the students are hard at work learning songs and choreography for their numbers. They are just as excited about this concert as I am! I have been so impressed with their effort and enthusiasm. If you were to ask some of the students what the BIG thing about theatre they learned last year it would be MOVE WITH PURPOSE! Whether performing in a play or giving a speech, when you move and why you move can really help your words have a deeper and greater impact on your audience. Let’s face it, if you walk onto the stage like you don’t want to be there…neither will your audience. Command the stage and you will hold your audiences interest. This year, the big lesson is STRONG and SHARP! When performing (especially in musical theatre) the simplest move can WOW an audience if it is done with energy! Think about choreographer Bob Fosse (Cabaret, Chicago) He could make a twirl of a finger look like the most complicated move. And when twenty people are all doing the same move, at the same time it looks very impressive. When putting together a concert or play, you can expect to rehearse five times a week for at least three to four hours each rehearsal. Students understand that the time in music class is precious! The past few weeks we have been busy learning lyrics, melodies and choreography. 8th grader, Debra, really likes this year’s concert theme and it’s traditional style. “The Broadway songs have a deeper meaning because the material demands more energy and effort. You really have to think about the music because it tells a story.” Whether it’s acting in a play or performing in a dance, the performing arts are a great way to create a well-rounded education. Here are five things that music help your student:
But really when all is said and done, and the concert is over, my goal for these students is to go home that night with a sense of accomplishment. I want them to say, I DID THAT…and SURVIVED! And the next time they take to the stage they will be a little less nervous! It’s all about self-confidence! I am looking forward to seeing you all on Friday December 1st at 6:00 in the gym for PNA’s Winter Concert, PNA: ON BROADWAY! You are going to LOVE your kids in this show! |
The Spanish Phrase of the Week is back!
The Spanish Phrase of the Week is back! Each week students will learn a new high-frequency, usable, idiomatic phrase or saying in Spanish that they will be encouraged to use throughout the week. The phrase is first presented in the Monday morning announcements by Señor Santos, and students are encouraged to use the phrase in their various classes and activities throughout the week.
This week's Phrase is: "¿De veras?"
(DEH VEH-rahss) - meaning "Really?" (literally, "of truth?")
Let Sr. Santos hear you use it next week and earn extra fiesta minutos!
Already forgot last week's PoW? ¿De veras? Don't worry, así pasa. (That's the way it goes sometimes).
This week's Phrase is: "¿De veras?"
(DEH VEH-rahss) - meaning "Really?" (literally, "of truth?")
Let Sr. Santos hear you use it next week and earn extra fiesta minutos!
Already forgot last week's PoW? ¿De veras? Don't worry, así pasa. (That's the way it goes sometimes).
Art Around Town:
Here's a couple of fun things happening in Anchorage's creative community. Give them a try, and enjoy!
And From Miss Molly...Junior Nordic sign-ups start October 1st. The Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage teaches cross-country skiing to kids ages 6 to 14. Each group meets 3 times per week at Russian Jack, Hillside, or Kinkaid. Join for fun, skills, and new friends! Scholarships available. www.anchoragenordicski.com |
Talk with your feet. Play with your heart...Soccer at PNA
by Molly Liston | P.E. Teacher
Soccer has finally made it’s way into the PNA gym! The excitement is high and the kids are ready for the chance to kick their way into the first unit of the year (pun intended). The first unit is important because it immediately follows the first few weeks of school that will set the tone for the rest of the year. The kids have already practiced and learned what it looks like to be a good teammate, how to act when they win or lose, how important it is to follow the rules and what to expect in gym class. What better sport to transfer those newly acquired skills into than Soccer?
Soccer is a wonderful sport that develops agility, stamina, speed, and also teaches children the importance of teamwork. It can definitely play an important part of a child’s physical and social development. The students learn some of the key aspects of soccer before delving into the game as a whole. All they want to do is scrimmage, but it ends up being a big jumble if they don’t work on their skills and learn the positions first. We’ve all seen those little kids running around in a big group while chasing the ball right? Luckily these kids pick up the concept of positions quickly which was validated when a parent passing through this week mentioned how well the 1st graders maintain their positions. Playing with a soccer team develops a child’s ability to cooperate and interact with other children. To win a soccer game, the whole team must communicate and work together. Defensive positions must support the midfield and offensive positions during attacks on the opponent's’ goal. Offensive positions must return to their own goal to help the defensive positions when they are under pressure from the team. To move the ball up the field, players pass the ball, which requires communication. These types of cooperative activities develop a child’s social abilities drastically. | Players in soccer need to be fit and agile. Most games require children to sprint after the ball and jog up and down the field, which are activities that build endurance and speed. Dribbling and shooting the ball develops agility and coordination. The increase in spacial awareness for the kids has been dramatic of the past few years and soccer has a big hand in that. All in all, soccer is a wonderful sport and the kids here at PNA seem to really be enjoying it. One thing that I ask the students is to keep an open mind if they don’t like the sport that we are playing. There are certainly some kids that don’t enjoy soccer (I was one of those kids), but they are doing a great job of at least trying to better their skills and understand that cross training might help them increase their skills in a sport that they enjoy more than soccer. Come see us play soccer next week if you have the time! |
The Show Must Go On...BUT IT WON'T BE THE SAME WITHOUT YOU! Our PNA students have many opportunities to build self-confidence through productions and assemblies held throughout the school year, and as part of their performing arts classes, here are the VERY important dates to put on your calendar:
| The Spanish Phrase of the Week is Back! Each week students will learn a new high-frequency, usable, idiomatic phrase or saying in Spanish that they will be encouraged to use throughout the week. The phrase is first presented in the Monday morning announcements by Señor Santos, and students are encouraged to use the phrase in their various classes and activities throughout the week. This week's Phrase is: "Asi Pasa" (ah-SEE PAH-sah) meaning (roughly) "That's the way it goes" Kids: Let Sr. Santos hear you use it next week and earn extra fiesta minutos! |
Specialists News: The Arts
9/7/2017
We Are All Great Artists!
By Brenda Jaeger | Artist/Teacher
The Art Program at PNA continues to develop with a new curriculum and environment. The freshly painted walls of the classroom reflect a color wheel of permanent rose, new gamboge, and cobalt blue. The gallery wall is repainted a middle-value gray that shows the hues of the students’ art to its best advantage. We are all working on the floor, from the Beginners to the 8th grade. This allows us better to tackle large-format images.
The Art Program has started with self-portraits, so that we review our past knowledge of drawing portraits and develop work more in depth. In the 5th through 8th grades, Night Watch by Rembrandt Van Rijn was introduced and discussed. Leonardo da Vinci’s portraits also were reviewed as the students drew themselves. We will be discussing more art history, with artists such as Pieter Breughel the Elder, Rosa Bonheur, Diego Rivera, and Velasquez, as we develop our themes of narrative in painting this semester with the 5th through 8th grades. We are challenging ourselves by setting a goal to paint multiple figures in an image, just as the early Masters included many people in their images. The students have worked since their first art classes at PNA to develop their artistic vision and to draw with courage. It is the process of art that is the most important, rather than the end product. In time, as each young artist works on his or her art, students achieve the work they are planning to do.
Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, Faith Ringgold, Romare Bearden, Eishiro Abe, Shoji Hamada, Mary Cassatt, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, and Edouard Manet are just a few of the artists to be discussed in the art classes. Traditional Alaska Native art, and traditional art globally will be discussed. Recently, I took a mask carving class in which we observed Perry Eaton make a traditional Alutiiq mask. Our students demonstrate the courage needed to be an artist, and to do one’s work well. As Martin Luther King, Jr., said, ”Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Bird and fish mounts are also being drawn in our classes. We are using them for subject matter and as inspiration for backgrounds. The students are learning to draw the shapes of mallard and merganser ducks, a great-horned owl, a northern hawk owl, a yellow Irish Lord, and sculpin through direct observation. So far we have worked with charcoal, chalk pastel, oil pastel, and acrylic paint. We will be working in wood carving with the 3rd through 8th grades in November.
The reflection, or critique, is an important part of the class. We often discuss the work after we have completed it. Bloom’s Taxonomy is used for the higher-level critical thinking processes, and students learn to use these different levels of thinking. We work to understand the subtleties of language in order to express ourselves better verbally. Our framework is built with the elements and principles of design. We work hard, and do as much as possible in our class time. Music, language, movement/dance, poetry, math, and science are some of our interdisciplinary connections. Responsive Classroom and an emphasis on caring for others are part of our daily classroom work. We laugh together as we immerse ourselves in the process of art.
From Ms. Katie...
"Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start!" And the Beginners are off to a great start! For the first few weeks of school these inquisitive new musicians have explored a variety of instruments and been singing their hearts out!!! Explore Days in the music room are a great way for PNA's smallest performers to discover new and exciting sounds and find the joy only music can give! |
AND...
If you recognized that opening line from the Sound of Music song
"Do-Re-Mi", then you must be a fan of show tunes! Want to hear more? Mark your calendar for PNA's Winter Concert,
"PNA: ON BROADWAY!"
Friday, December 1st at 6:00pm in the gym. Enjoy an evening of Broadway's best performed by the amazing students of PNA!!!
If you recognized that opening line from the Sound of Music song
"Do-Re-Mi", then you must be a fan of show tunes! Want to hear more? Mark your calendar for PNA's Winter Concert,
"PNA: ON BROADWAY!"
Friday, December 1st at 6:00pm in the gym. Enjoy an evening of Broadway's best performed by the amazing students of PNA!!!
Specialist & Enrichment Teachers
Spanish
Michele Whaley (LS)
Art
Allura Hibbens (PS)
Laura Bruni (LS)
Peter Johnson (MS)
Performing Arts
Music
Allura Hibbens (PS)
Physical Education
Wendy Spencer
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