Bywood

As the 100th day of school approaches, First grade students are practicing high frequency words and oral reading fluency. They will begin to work on counting money and telling time. Some will learn about weather while others learn to differentiate between solids and liquids. The second graders at Bywood have been hard at work focusing on new and exciting topics over the past few weeks. The students enjoyed attending a performance of the Berenstain Bears at the Performing Arts Center. They have also been working hard at making text- to- text connections and identifying differences between fiction and nonfiction. In math, students are practicing how to collect data and create bar graphs and pictographs. The third grade will be celebrating the different cultures at Bywood. The students and teachers will be discussing the different foods, holidays, languages and other important factors in identifying cultures. Some classes are participating in a cultural food fair to taste test all the different cuisines of local cultures. The fourth grade is moving along with Storytown and is excited and ready for the Theme 3 test and process writing. We are also working hard on exploring Native Americans and their cultures. In fifth grade, the skill we have been focusing on in reading is cause and effect. In grammar, we are working on pronouns and antecendents. In our math classes, we have been practicing simplifying fractions and comparing fractions. One of the ways the Bywood Community helps students to prepare for PSSA Testing is through our Math Term Crossword Puzzles. Every Thursday clues are read and students submit their responses for 2 puzzles hanging in our lobby. At the end of the day the Math Term is reviewed and the winning classes are announced and rewarded with “Math counts” pencils. The B ywood students have also started off the New Year by bowling in physical education class. The students have learned the rules and etiquette of the game while playing with their classmates. Fourth and fifth grade students have begun to prepare for the upcoming Fitness Team Meet in May. In music class, first grade students are actively engaged in rhythm activities focusing on steady beats. Tonal exercises include differentiating between a speaking voice and a singing voice. Second grade students build upon the tonal and rhythm skills introduced in first grade. With prior experience in steady beat, second grade students now read basic notation and are able to chant rhythms in a consistent tempo. Third, Fourth, and Fifth grade students continue exploring the elements of music: rhythm, melody, harmony, tempo, form, dynamics, tone color. Recorder instruction becomes more challenging with student lead drills, improvization, and reading of notation. Fourth grade students are encouraged to join chorus.