Musical Ventures For PS4 Scholars

Ms. Kaye and Ms. Mallonga, from Musical Ventures For Kids, play music with 2nd grade students.

Music was in full bloom with a visit from Musical Ventures! Instructors Kaye and Ange Mallonga taught the children the basics of music by introducing concepts such as rhythm, pitch, and dynamics. The students participated in a hands-on exploration of musical instruments such as claves, a violin, a flute, a guitar, and even a trumpet!  Scholars in first and second grade classes learned about rhythm, beat, and tune as they sang and played along with various instruments. To see students participating in a Musical Ventures class, click here!

Special thanks to Ms. Mallonga, a former student-teacher at PS4, for providing this fun-filled musical adventure to our scholars! To learn more about this program, click here.

Instructors Kaye (on piano) and Ange (on violin) expose 2nd grade students to stringed instruments.

2nd Grade Scholars Go To The Farm

Second grade students, from Ms. Lennon's class, choose a pumpkin from Green Acres Farms in Queens.

Have you ever milked a cow!  Scholars in second grade have been learning about their community and recently took a trip to Green Meadows Farm where there enjoyed riding ponies, petting goats and milking cows! On this trip, scholars learned about cows, sheep, chickens, pigs, rabbits, goats, turkeys, calves, alpacas and more. They were able to visit the reptile barn to see turtles. And since it was the Fall season, everyone got a free pumpkin!

For the past few weeks, second grade students have been exploring characteristics of communities, the reasons people live in communities, and different kinds of communities. The unit begins with a review of the concept of family and explores the question, "Why do families live in communities?" Students then investigate common characteristics of a community including location, physical characteristics, history, government, people, and businesses. Students explore two reasons people live in a community and are introduced to the concept of government. Using a variety of resources, including photographs and illustrations from picture books, students then examine different kinds of communities and explore how communities differ in size and geography. Using a Venn Diagram, students identify similarities and differences between two communities. Finally, students begin to create a profile of their local community and what makes their community special.

Angel rides a pony at the farm.

Scholars took the opportunity to pet chickens.

Green Meadows Farm is located in Floral Park, New York (Queens). For more information and to see videos, click here!

2nd Graders Visit The Farm!

2nd grader from Ms. Salce's class rides a pony at the farm.

Students in 2nd grade recently went to Green Meadows Farm in Floral Park, NY!  Once they arrived, they went on a pony ride and then they got a chance to see a mother cow and milk her!   Students had an opportunity to go on tractor trailer ride around the park. They saw different animals, such as the pigs, sheep's, rabbits, turkeys and lamas. They even got a chance to feed the animals!

Along with all the great activities, Green Meadows Farm gave students information about animals, such as how many babies a rabbit can have and how only the male turkey gobbles.   Students also learned how animals help humans!  Did you know that insulin comes from pigs?  Did you know that the skin of a pig can be used on someone who has been several burned?  Did you know that the aorta of the pig can be transplanted to replace the human heart?  Our students learned a lot on their trip to the farm.

Special thanks to Ms. Fatim (School Aid) for providing us with details of the trip and all the great photos!  For more information about Green Meadows Farm, click here and click play the photo collage, below!

This picture collage created with Smilebox

Breakfast In The Classroom

Ms. Jerome hands out breakfast to a student in her 2nd grade class.

Our school now participates in a free and innovative program called Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC)! Breakfast will no longer be served in the cafeteria. Breakfasts are now packed in insulated bags and delivered to classrooms by 8am. Students eat at their desks while the teacher takes attendance, gives a short lesson or reads announcements.  Ms. Jerome, who currently teaches 2nd grade, is already seeing the benefits of this new program.  "Having them eat breakfast in the classroom every morning, gives them time to talk and socialize before I begin a lesson", she says.  "It gives them a surge of energy and allows them to socialize in the beginning of the day so they stay cussed for on learning for the rest of the day".

Breakfast in the Classroom is an initiative by Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) to ensure that a free and complete breakfast is available to all NYC elementary students. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and skipping it has both short and long term effects. It can make a child restless, tired, and inattentive. It can also contribute to tardiness, poor attendance, and overall lower grade performance. By serving Breakfast in the Classroom everyone stands to benefit. Students are ensured a nutritious and healthy breakfast needed to think clearly, concentrate on learning, and perform better in class, and since the allotted time will also be used to take attendance or give announcements no class time is lost.  To see a menu or to read more information about the BIC, click here.

Fifty Nifty United States (VIDEO)

Do you know the names of all 50 states in America?  Under the direction of Mr. Means, PS4 Music Teacher, many students in 2nd grade now know all 50 states because of a song called Fifty Nifty United States!  Two students from Ms. Hodge's class performed the song for the entire school during morning announcements with Ms. White, our principal!  They were also asked to perform for parents during a Pre-K workshop! 

Congratulations to Amanda A. and Eva H. from class 202!  Click here to read the lyrics of the song and take a look at the video below to see their performance!  Special thanks to Mr. Means for his expertise in recording and editing!


Fifty Nifty United States from PS4M on Vimeo.

Charlotte's Web - One Fantastic Culminating Activity (VIDEO)

The second floor of PS4 has been transformed into the setting of a famous book! Students in grade 2 have been reading Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. This is the famous story of a little pig named Wilbur who was born very small. Mr. Arable decides to let his daughter Fern keep Wilbur as a pet. Wilbur meets a bunch of new friends including Charlotte, a beautiful large grey spider. It's up to Charlotte to save Wilbur's life before he will end up on the dinner table at Christmastime!


Congratulations to 2nd grade students and their teachers for their great work on all of the the dioramas that showcased their ReadyGen text; Charlotte's Web. The projects are displayed in the hallway. Ms. Rivers, Assistant Principal for 2nd grade, recognized the hard work and creative abilities that are evident in all of the projects. "I want to thank Ms. Thompson (Literacy Coach) for her special creativity in assembling the project displays in the hallway", she said. "Along with each of our amazing teachers, she made the students feel so proud of their work and the display was a big hit on Parent Teachers Night!".


See the video below to see a clip from the 2006 movie based on the book! Click here to virtually explore Charlotte Web's home and take a look at photos of some of the projects done by our students!

 
Charlotte's Web (2006) from escenas_peliculas2 on Vimeo.

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2nd Grade Student Gardeners

Happy Spring!  The next time you go to the Morris-Jumel Mansion, you'll see many of the daffodils, that our 2nd grade gardeners have planted, now in bloom!  This semester, teaching artist Emily Provance has planned more hands-on gardening and garden-related science activities for our students.  "This semester we've worked out a schedule so that no two classes are in the garden at the same time", Ms. Emily says.  "This will be a nice change, because it means close supervision and more access to hands on gardening for each child".

Take a look at the photographs below, to see some highlights from a recent gardening trip.  Special thanks to photographer Trish Mayo.  To take a photo tour of the mansion, click here!

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PS4 Students Begin Morris-Jumel's Gardening Program

For the past few weeks, Emily Provance (Gardening Educator from the Morris-Jumel Mansion), has met with 2nd grade teachers and launched the third year of the Gardening Program at PS4!  Students visited the mansion and began clearing the weeds near the gate entrance.  With Ms. Emily, students spoke briefly about their in-garden experience, created a storyboard and discussed the history of agriculture in NYC (Native American period and colonial period) when the Morris-Jumel Mansion was part of a working farm!  Graphic organizers were used to help them write how-to pieces: "How To Plant a Bulb."

Special thanks to Carol Ward (Executive Director of Morris-Jumel Mansion) for providing our students with the many great programs available at the mansion.  To help the mansion continue to support the Washington Heights community, click here!  Take a look at the photos below to see some of the great things that Miss Emily has been doing!

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Farmer Beth Visits PS4

Have you ever met a farmer?  Students in Ms. Capozzoli and Ms. Hodge's class have.  Earlier this month, farmer Beth Linskey, from Beth's Farm Kitchen visited class 201 and class 223 to discuss how she makes applesauce.  "It's important that children eat real food", says Farmer Beth.  "I've been farming for more than 30 years and it seems like kids only know processed foods".  Beth, explained where her apples come from, how she makes her applesauce and how she gets it out to her customers.

The Meet Your Farmer program connects regional farmers and Greenmarket staff with New York City students, grades 2-12.  Designed to compliment the Greenmarket School Tours.  Meet Your Farmer classroom visits enable students to engage with the people who grow, raise and produce food in a focused educational setting.   During these visits, farmers discuss what a typical day in their life is like throughout the seasons, talk about the products they grow or raise on their farms and explain the role Greenmarket plays in supporting their efforts to provide their products to New York City residents.

Special thanks to Farmer Beth Linskey for sharing her talents with our students and for teaching them how our food gets from the farm to our kitchen table.  For more information on GrowNYC, who sponsored the program, click here. 

Farmer Beth with class 201.

Students Visit Our Community Greenmarket

Students in second grade have been visiting our local Fort Washington Greenmarket between 167th and 168th Street!  Each class was given Green Bucks to purchase fruits and vegetabes to take home.  Students got to meet local farmers.  "We had such a good time", said Ms. Hodge at the end of the trip, "I even bought some apples from a local farmer".

Ms. Hodge with her class.

The Greenmarket Youth Education Project connects thousands of New York City schoolchildren in grades K-12 with Greenmarkets and our farmers and chefs each year.  These field trips help children gain an understanding of local agriculture and the importance of eating fresh, seasonal foods--for their bodies, their environment and their communities.

Special thanks to Market Manager Luz and Tour Coordinator Samantha Hill for taking good care of students and teachers from PS4.  Click here for more information about greenmarkets!

Students and teachers visit the Greemarket.

Second grade students tasting fresh squash.

Korean Dancers Perform at PS4

Recently, students in 1st and 2nd grade attended a performance in the auditorium by dancers from the Korean Cultural Service of NY!  More than thirty students were given the chance to dance and play instruments on stage.  Every student in the audience even learned how to count to four in Korean; hana, dul, ses, nes!

 "My students really enjoyed the performance", said first grade teacher, Ms. Pasha, "the costumes were so colorful".  A traditional Korean dress is called a hanbok.  It is made in vibrant colors and has simple lines without pockets.  It is worn as semi-formal or formal wear during traditional festivals and celebrations.

Cultural instructor teaches students how to count in Korean.

Special thanks to Andrew, from the Korean Cultural Service of NY and Makalina from Lotus Music & Dance for bringing the beautiful culture of Korea to PS4.

PS4 students play traditional Korean instruments.