Bruno Upper EL Classroom

With 2024 starting, we’re about halfway through the school year- the second quarter ends next week! Educators returned Tuesday for a Professional Development Day. We welcomed students on Wednesday as they returned to start 2024.

The Upper schedule has changed to incorporate the addition of a STEM class and Technology class (4th year only). Library class has changed to check-in/out only. Because of the addition of STEM and Technology classes to Upper, Lower, and Middle, our Specials morning has changed from Wednesdays to Thursdays. On Thursday, students had the opportunity to attend their first STEM class in our new STEM Lab. Mr. Dana worked tirelessly to transform the conference room into our amazing new lab. Ms. Jessica has also worked hard to ensure everything was ordered and ready in the Lab, and she is also taking professional development courses for our STEM curriculum. If you want to see the new STEM Lab and learn more about the curriculum, please attend the Grand Opening. It was a short week, but students picked up where they left off during our work cycle. Next week we will be back to our (new) regular routine!

Reminders:

• On Monday, we will introduce the next Vocabulary unit. It will be due next Tuesday, 1/16.
• Monday is the end of the 2nd Quarter.
  • In their new format, Report Cards will be released Tuesday, 1/16.
• The STEM Grand Opening and Open House is on Thursday, 1/11.
  • Visitors are welcomed 10:00-11:00 AM or 5:00-6:00 PM.
• No School on Monday, 1/15, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the Classroom

The New STEM Lab

It was our last week of 2023, and it was a memorable week. Students had their Winter Concert final rehearsal and performance. Everyone performed fantastically! We then had our Upper Second Annual Holiday Feast Day! We had an extended social morning and heard a story from a professional storyteller (yes, Mr. Zech is a professional storyteller), followed by an extended lunch for our feast. Ms. Susan and Ms. Rachel (our counselor) joined us, and other educators stopped by to visit as well. Thank you to all who sent in delicious food! This year was once again a success, and we look forward to continuing the tradition next year! We ended the week with a pajama, movie, and board game day. Some students chose to watch either The Grinch or The Polar Express, while other students enjoyed a variety of games or simply chatted with friends.

It was a wonderful week to end the 2023 portion of the school year! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! We will see everyone again in 2024!

Holiday Concert Rehearsal

Holiday Feast Day

Last Day of 2023

Students in upper elementary are wrapping up different subjects and activities as the end of 2023 approaches. This week, they continued to practice for the Holiday Performance, had a visit from St. Nicholas, talked about family traditions for this time of the year, and are finishing up their last work plan for 2023! We have a busy week ahead, so please read the weekly email carefully so nothing is overlooked!

Reminders:

• The Vocabulary review unit workbook pages are due Monday, December 11th. There will not be a test for this review unit!
• The Holiday Program will be on Tuesday, December 12th, at 7:00 PM. Students arrive at 6:30 PM. Refer to Ms. Janell’s email for student performance attire.
• The Upper Annual Holiday Feast will be on Thursday, December 14th. If you haven’t signed up for a dish, see the link in the weekly email.
• Upper movie, board game, and pajama day on Friday, December 15th.
• December 15th is a 1:00 PM dismissal, with no aftercare. 
• No school December 18th, 2023 to Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024
• Students return on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024

Work Cycle

Saint Nicholas

Ms. Carmen presented the German tradition of children leaving a shoe outside on the eve of December 6th so St. Nicholas could leave some treats. Upper students left a shoe in the hallway, and St. Nicholas left everyone a treat!

Other Fun Parts of Upper’s Week

During our morning meeting, students had the opportunity to share a dish that was special to their family. Some students had stories to go along with their dishes, and others were dishes that students thought were unique or a special treat for their families. See if you can guess which dish your child might have shared! (Also, some ideas for the Holiday Feast).

This week, students had a variety of activities and opportunities for learning. On Wednesday, the Altamont School Orchestra visited our school for a performance. In addition to their fantastic performance, they demonstrated that each instrument has its sound, and Bruno students had the opportunity to guess its name. Speaking of music and performances, students have also been practicing for perfection for the Holiday Performance with Ms. Janell’s guidance. Please encourage other members of your family and family friends to attend!

In the classroom, students are wrapping up a variety of topics in classes as we prepare for our Winter Break. Most new lessons will slow down until we return in 2024, but students are still expected to work hard during the work cycle.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 9 is due Monday, December 4th, and the test is on Friday, December 8th.
• Vocabulary unit 10 will be due Monday, December 11th
• Coffee Chat with Ms. Susan on Tuesday, December 5th
• The Holiday Program will be on Tuesday, December 12th, at 7:00 PM. Students arrive at 6:30 PM.
• The Upper Annual Holiday Feast will be on Thursday, December 14th.
• Upper movie, board game, and pajama day on Friday, December 15th.
• December 15th is a 1:00 PM dismissal, with no aftercare.
• No school December 18th, 2023 to Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024
• Students return on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024

Work Cycle and Altamont Performance

Outside and Inside Fun

Even though the weather took a frosty turn in the mornings, students were still able to enjoy warmer temperatures on the playground in the afternoons (in this case, warmer refers to above 40 degrees).

This week, students had extra time to work on their work plan. This allowed some students to work on their own paths and for others to catch up. Ms. Janell worked with Upper students to practice their Holiday performance in the gym, and they will continue leading up to their performance on December 12th. Students also voted for their new group leaders, who will manage their group jobs for the next month. This is an important position, as they need to assign each person a job, monitor that the job is being completed, and fill positions for absent students. Students interested in being the group leader give a short speech to the group before voting.

We hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving break and enjoy the time with your families. We look forward to seeing everyone on Monday, November 27th.

Reminders:

• No vocabulary assignment is due over the break!
• Vocabulary unit 9 will be due on Monday, December 4th
• Coffee Chat with Ms. Susan on Tuesday, December 5th
• The Holiday Program will be on Tuesday, December 12th, at 7:00 PM
• During the week of December 11th, we will have our Holiday Feast and Holiday party.
• Early dismissal is on Friday, December 15th, at 1:00 PM. No aftercare.
• Winter break begins December 18th, 2023 and students return Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024
  

Work Cycle

Positive Discipline, Morning Meetings

This week was packed with various fun activities and learning! On Monday and Friday, we had our regular work cycle. Of course, Tuesday was filled with lots of fun. We enjoyed seeing the whole school gather on the track for the parade, an event that had not happened for a long time. In our class, we enjoyed various board games, a movie, a special lunch, and time spent chatting with friends. Students enjoyed the break from our regular routine! On Thursday, we ventured downtown to The Children’s Theater to see Peter Pan. By coincidence, this was also the Spring play, so students could make many connections between the similarities and differences in the storyline, character traits, and artistic presentations of the set and props.

In Geography, students continued to build their marshmallow structures. After testing their small structure in a mock earthquake last week, students expanded their structures. They built their structures higher and broader, trying to keep the best earthquake design strategies in mind. In Science, students put their air-resistant designs to the test in hopes of slowing the effects of gravity to protect their eggs from cracking. The students had some great designs! Afterward, students discussed their design and what worked well or improvements that could have been made. Students in Cultural have been studying the Olmec civilization. They have been working on writing a tabloid article, using facts learned about the civilization to create an interesting fictional story.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 7 is due Monday, 11/6. The test will be this Thursday, 11/9
  • Vocabulary unit 8 will be due Monday, November 13th
• Safeguarding Your Child with Social Media, presented by Shelby County COMPACT on Monday, 11/6
• No school on Friday, November 10th, in observance of Veteran’s Day
• Children’s Choir informational meeting, Tuesday, November 14th at 6:00 PM
• No school November 20th-24th for Thanksgiving Break
• The Holiday Program will be on Tuesday, December 12th, at 5:30 PM
• Early dismissal on Friday, December 15th, at 1:00 PM. No aftercare.
• Winter break begins December 18th, 2023 and students return Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024

Work Cycle

Halloween

Geography

Science

Alabama Children’s Theater

Students were extra busy this week with lessons, class activities, and extracurriculars. In Geography, students have been studying plate tectonics and earthquakes. Students created structures out of toothpicks and marshmallows, and then the structures were tested on a mock earthquake simulation table. Students will reevaluate their designs, make necessary changes, and then test their new designs. Students in Science have been studying gravity, gravitational force, and resistance, and their relation to the solar system. To understand the effects of gravitational force and resistance, students are using ingenuity to protect an egg cracking from gravitational force using air resistance. Their designs will be put to the gravitational force test next week when they’re dropped with an egg inside.

Students in the drama club invited others to view their dress rehearsal of The Hunt for Milo Gatto. Their effort and hard work were demonstrated as they had an excellent dress rehearsal performance. Student performers also did amazingly at Friday evening’s main show. Thank you to Ms. Rachel, Mr. Brendan, and all of the parent volunteers for helping to make the show successful. Traditionally, more than half of Upper students are involved in the play somehow, so we always appreciate and recognize the hard work it takes for a successful show.

Reminders:

• Permission slips and payment for our field trip to the Children’s Theater are due by Tuesday.
• Permission slips to watch movies on Halloween are due by Tuesday.
• The Halloween parade will be on Tuesday on the track, and parents are welcome to attend
• Halloween is a board game and movie day.
• The vocabulary review unit test is Friday, November 3rd
• Vocabulary unit 7 is due Monday, November 6th
• No school Friday, November 10th, in observance of Veteran’s Day
• No school November 20th-24th for Thanksgiving break.
• Information about our holiday feast coming soon.
  

Our Work Cycle

Fourth-year students received a lesson on triangles and angles. They learned how to identify the types of angles (acute, obtuse, and right). They then learned how to use a protractor to draw a triangle with specific angles.

Some fifth and sixth-year students were given a lesson on using our new, updated material hands-on equations. This material helps students work out the value of a variable in an equation.

All students had a group grammar lesson. They were shown how symbolizing a paragraph does not have to be an overwhelming job. In the lesson, students were shown how they could break down a paragraph and symbolize different parts of speech one at a time, which led to being able to quickly identify the parts of speech of other words.

Earthquakes and Structure Engineering

Gravitational Force and Resistance, Designing Process

The Hunt for Milo Gatto, Dress Rehearsal

Who stole the Neil Diamond?

Perfect Weather

The cloudy, misty weather on Sunday didn’t stop the PTO’s annual Fall Festival from being a success! Even though it was too chilly to dunk Mr. Fox and Mr. Zech, there were still many fun activities and delicious food to keep students and families happy and busy! If you did not have the opportunity to see our Upper scarecrow, The Lorax, pictures are below. We drew a random name for a student to take The Lorax home and use as a decoration for their home. Students did an amazing job of designing, cutting, sewing, stuffing, and putting the final details on the Lorax. Well done!

In 5th-year history, students presented their Native American dioramas to their class. Students chose a Native American tribe, researched the tribe, and presented the information and their diorama to their class. They did a fantastic job! Students in Geography are constructing structures that can withstand an earthquake, and in Science students are exploring the effects of gravity by experimenting with an egg.

Reminders

• The Book Fair will be all next week
• The vocabulary review unit is due on Monday, 10/23
  • The review unit test will be on Friday, 11/3
• Early dismissal at 1:00 PM on Thursday and Friday, 10/26 and 10/27, for conferences
  • No aftercare
• Friday, 10/27, The Hunt for Milo Gatto play, 6:30 PM
• Tuesday, 10/31 Halloween parade, board game day, movie, and special lunch
• Thursday, 11/2 field trip to the Children’s Theater
• Friday, 11/10, No School in observance of Veterans Day

Fall Festival and The Lorax

Work Cycle

5th-Year Native American Dioramas

Enjoying the Fall Weather

Educators and staff returned on Monday for a professional development day, while students enjoyed an extra day off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. On Tuesday, we returned together and resumed our normal routine. This week was the end of the 1st quarter, so look for progress reports in your inbox next week. Our literature studies groups have finished the novel their group was reading, so this week we rotated groups. Students started their new novel: Holes, Maniac McGee, or The BFG.

Students used their creative side and talents to help create our Upper Scarecrow for the Fall Festival this Sunday. No spoilers, so you have to come see what students created! Pictures of our scarecrow and the Fall Festival will be posted next week. If you’re unsure if you want to attend, perhaps having the opportunity to dunk Mr. Zech or Mr. Fox in a real dunk tank will persuade you to come! Do you think Ms. Leeann will cheer for them to stay dry or be in line to dunk them?

Reminders:

• Fall Festival, Sunday, 10/15, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
• Vocabulary unit 6 due 10/16
  • Unit 6 test 10/20
• Report Cards released, 10/18
• Book Fair, week of 10/23-10/27
• Early dismissal at 1:00 for Fall Conferences, Thursday, 10/26 and Friday, 10/27
  • No aftercare
• The Hunt for Milo Gatto play, 6:30 PM, Friday, October 27
• Halloween Parade and board game day, Tuesday, 10/31

This week’s Fall-like weather was a perfect lead-way into our Fall break! Students enjoyed plenty of time outside on the playground, gardening, and testing their sundials from Science class. Our Literature groups have finished each of their novels, and we will rotate groups so each group is engaging in a new novel. The group that read Holes, by Louis Sachar, finished ahead of the other groups, allowing them time to do an activity with the book. The group wrote and acted out a trailer to demonstrate their understanding of the book through a creative outlet. Next week, 5th-year History students will present their Native American dioramas.

Reminders:

• No school Monday, 10/9, Professional Development Day
• Friday, 10/13
  • Vocabulary unit 5 test
  • 5th-year History diorama presentations
• Fall Festival, Sunday, 10/15, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
• Report Cards released, 10/18
• Book Fair, week of 10/23-10/27
• Early dismissal at 1:00 for Fall Conferences, Thursday, 10/26 and Friday, 10/27
  • No aftercare
• The Hunt for Milo Gatto play, Friday, October 27
• Halloween Parade, Tuesday, 10/31 

Art and Gardening

Work Cycle and Morning Meeting