Small Moment Share & Discovery Table

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Week of December 16th

It has been a very busy week for us!  We finished reading the Red Clover books.  Our winner was The World's Greatest Lion by Ralph Helfer.  It won with 12 votes.  This was a story about a lion named Zamba who was rescued after his parents were killed by another lion, was rescued by a couple living in Africa and ended up living with a man who ran an animal ranch that housed animals that were trained and starred in movies.  Zamba also survived a great flood at the ranch and ended up saving dozens of the animals that lived on the ranch. 

We have published our Small Moment stories!  We shared them with Mrs. KillKelley's class and Miss Niles' 1st Grade classroom.  Miss Niles' class also published Small Moment stories and we got to hear theirs as well.  They did a nice job on these.  We will be putting these in our Portfolio's and sharing them with families at our next conference. 

We had a wonderful walk to Shelburne Village Wine & Coffee.  The class enjoyed the hot chocolate that we had.  What a wonderful treat that the Second graders invited us too!

I want to thank the families that send in everything for our little Holiday celebration.  The class enjoyed everything!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful and restful Holiday break,
Nancy

Weeks of Dec. 2nd and Dec. 9th

So I did not get a chance to post to the blog last Friday or over the weekend so I am posting mid-week for both last week and this week.  I am afraid if I don't do it now, the weekend will come and go again and there will be no post.  It is a crazy time of year and hard to keep up on everything. 

Last week we began reading the Red Clover books.  The Red Clover books are 10 books that are nominated each year by a committee comprised of Vermont teachers, librarians and sponsors. The committee reviews all picture books published in the prior year.  The Red Clover Award promotes the reading and discussion of the best of contemporary picture books in nearly all of Vermont's elementary schools. Each year over 20,000 K-4 students read, or have read to them, the ten nominated books.

The list of nominees is published each March. Here are the book selection criteria:

• The book must have been published in the prior year.
• The award is for the entire book-text and illustrations.
• Both the author and illustrator must be living at the time of the selection.
• Only one title by the same combination of author and illustrator may be chosen in a given year.
• The books must be appropriate, in the aggregate, for a range of children in grades K-4.
• Both fiction and non-fiction are eligible.

We read each of the 10 books and then vote on our favorite.  We then share our votes with the librarians who take other votes and come up with a school winner.  Stay tuned to find out which book won in our classroom next week.  We will read the last book on Monday.  School results will not be in until April or May.  After we read each book, we do an activity related to the story.  Check out some of the activities we worked on last week.  The top 2 are from the book "The Fantastic Jungles of Henry Rousseau" and the bottom 2 are from the book "Looking at Lincoln".  A list of the Red Clover books can be found in the next post.  They are some wonderful books!

On Monday of this week, we had our 2nd Discovery Table share.  Annika in the 2nd grade classroom shared about Sweden.  She told us about the country, and shared some of the holidays and traditions that come from Sweden.  Below is a picture of her share.

Anyone can sign up on our team page and share about a topic of their choice.  The share is done on Monday and the table stays up for the week so students can check it out. 

In math we have started a new unit.  We are talking about number lines.  This week we are learning how to add on number lines.  Next week we will be jumping by 5s and 10s on the number line. 

In writing we are working on Publishing our Small Moment stories.  We will be typing them up, illustrating them and then will share them with the Dragonfly 1st Graders and Mrs. Killkelley's class.  We are looking forward to this next week. 

In Social Studies we have been reading "Flat Stanley" and are preparing our own Flat Stanley's to send to friends and family.  We will be addressing the envelopes tomorrow and they will be mailed out on Friday.  We will be looking forward to what we get back after the holidays and sharing what we receive at school with the team.  It's a great way to learn about where different states and countries are and a some information about them. 

I hope that everyone has a wonderful rest of the week and a great weekend,
Nancy

Red Clover Books 2013-14

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo

 

The World’s Greatest Lion by Ralph Helfer 

 

Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford

 

Lemonade in Winter by Emily Jenkins

 

Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman

 

The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau by Michelle Markel

 

Monsieur Marceau: Actor Without Words by Leda Schubert

 

Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother

Baseball Team by Audrey Vernick

 

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

 

Each Kindness by Jacquline Woodson and Illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Imagination Playground, Discovery Table and Science Project Share

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Week of November 18th

This week we finished up our Science unit on "The Sky changes over time". The students finished up their projects to show their learning and each had an opportunity to share it with the team. Pictures of them sharing with the team are in the slide show.

We had our first Discovery Table this week.  A second grader shared about tennis and had a great presentation.  Anyone on the team can sign up for a week to share about a topic of their choice.  The sign-up is located on our team page on the SCS website. 

On Wednesday we went to the 6/8 Chorus concert rehearsal.  We got to hear two different groups rehearse for their concert that evening.  Students were excited to hear them sing and are looking forward to being involved when they get to that age. 

I reassessed students on their math facts this week and I can't tell you how much improvement I saw with all of the students.  These scores are recorded on their report cards which will go home on Dec. 6th.  I am so proud of the growth they made.  The addition mean of the class went from 10 correct to 16 correct out of 22.  The subtraction mean of the class went from 4 correct to 13 correct.  You should be very proud of your children's hard work!!!

We will be welcoming another student to our classroom after Thanksgiving break.  Everyone is very excited to welcome her to our classroom. 

I hope that everyone has a wonderful and restful break.  I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Nancy

Hands on Nature, Imagination Playground and Science Projects

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PTO Notes for November

PTO NOTES & NEWS FOR NOVEMBER

SUPPORT THE PTO WHEN YOU SHOP ON AMAZON!  Click on the link on the PTO page of the SCS website each time you shop at Amazon and the PTO will receive up to 15% of your purchase!

The PTO wants your input!  Please take our  SURVEY by clicking on the link on the PTO page of the SCS website or click on the link below:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5TSTHSL
The SCHOOL DIRECTORY is finished and has been distributed.  Extra copies can be purchased for $5 from Esther or at the Holiday Fair.  We raised over $1500 in business listings.  Please solicit these LOCAL BUSINESSES that have supported the PTO.

HANNAFORD HELPS SCHOOLS program ends on December 1.  Please remember to bring all of your "schools" receipts to the office or put in the kiosk at Hannaford.

The PTO decided to replace the Flower Power fundraiser with a new local plant fundraiser through Hinesburg company, RED WAGON PLANTS.  More info. on this in the spring.

The PTO FALL GRANT COMMITTEE met and distributed $5000 in grants to teachers and staff!  Some of the great things we've funded are:  New instruments for K-8 music programs, books to support the Common Core, an on-line book subscription, playground equipment for EEE/Kindergarten, and math tools.

The WINTER GEAR DRIVE is still happening.  The need is as great as ever for winter gear for all age children and adults.  Box in front of office.

IMAGINATION PLAYGROUND is at SCS again!  This interactive mobile exhibit on loan from the Green Mountain Children's Museum will be shared by all of our primary classrooms through November.

The CVU ROBOTICS TEAM treated middle school students to demonstrations of various robotics and a 3-D printer!

The 2 Vermont based stars of the documentary WRETCHES & JABBERERS visited with 6th graders culminating their lesson of a Skills4Life Bullying & Harassment unit.

7th graders enjoyed STEPAFRIKA at the Flynn as a powerful conclusion to their world music culture unit.

David Southworth's 7th graders had the opportunity to take control of a CAMERA ON BOARD THE INT'L SPACE STATION and took some great pictures!

Officer Thomas Nash is giving presentations to all middle school students on INTERNET SAFETY.   We will also be sponsoring a parent education night with him on January 29.

Teachers and staff have attended PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT on the topics of suicide prevention and youth stress and anxiety.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
HOLIDAY FAIR:  Sat. 12/7, 9:30a - 1:30p.  Adult and child made crafts and goodies. and games! Great place to do your holiday shopping - fun for the whole family!

HELP WANTED:

• Setting up and decorating for the Holiday Fair:  Friday, 12/6 from 3p - whenever.
• Clean-up and breakdown after Holiday Fair:  Saturday, 12/7

C:  Leslie Borrok (leslie@borrok.com)

 THANK YOU TO:

• Amy Knight for coordinating the Newberry Cup Bake Sale.
• Everyone who donated baked goods or helped at the Newberry Cup.
• Everyone who supported and helped distribute Genevieve Gift Wrap.
• Leslie Borrok and Lisa Merrill for coordinating the directory and Kim Schmitt, Valerie Richardson, Corinne Levinthal and Elaine brand for their tremendous amount of work on the directory.

NEXT PTO MEETING:   TUES. DEC. 10 @ 6P.  Pizza and babysitting provided and we will have a cookie swap - bring 3 dozen of your favorite cookies!

Week of November 11th

I apologize for this late posting.  Last week was a hectic week and I didn't get a chance to post on Friday.  

Last week we added a new student to our classroom.  All of the students were very excited to welcome her.  Some students even came to school with some nice welcome messages.  They were all very sweet.

Last week we had "Hands on Nature".  Our parent volunteers, Lynn and Trish, taught us about cones that are found on evergreen trees.  We learned that these cones come in various sizes, and shapes.  We learned that they carry the seeds for the tree.  We also learned that the pines found on the different evergreens can be very different.  Some pines are small and hard.  Some pines are grouped together in bunches.  We also learned that some of the evergreen trees that cones are found on spruces, pines, firs, and hemlocks.  The children also found out that when the cones get wet they close up to keep the seeds inside.  As always there was a great puppet show filled with information that the class loves to hear!  Pictures will be posted on Monday for you to check out.

In math we continued to look at ways to make tens and then started looking at numbers up to twenty.  We then talked about subtraction number stories and how when we compare two numbers we can use subtraction to find out how many more or how many fewer.  Next week we will continue to focus on numbers greater than 10 and place value and the meanings of the numbers found in these 2-digit numbers.  

This week in Science, we started our final project.  Each student was partnered up with a 2nd grader or two and created a project to show how the sky changes over time.  They had the choice of making a poster, diorama or writing a report.  Next week we will share out our projects with the team.  On Monday you can see students working on these projects in the slide show.  When we come back after the Thanksgiving break we will begin a Social Studies unit on physical geography.  

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  Enjoy your week,

Nancy

Week of November 4th

In math this week we continue to add, subtract, count and compare. In number corner we have begun looking at fractions. Students are already able to break cookies into halves and fourths. Our calendar reflects these fractions with different objects starting with a cookie and then moving on to the sandwich. It makes reference to the number of animals and the amount they each get. We started with a whole cookie and a bear ate the whole cookie. Next we moved onto a cookie split in halves and two dogs each got a half. We are recording observations onto a chart and writing sentences to explain what is happening on our calendar. An example is; 2 dogs each got a half of the cookie. We are also looking at a clock and collecting hours for each day we are in school. Next week we will talk about the clock and how it can represent a half.

 In writing this week we talked about how we can use words we know to make our stories more readable. We also talked about the expectation that the words on our word wall should be spelled correctly and the concepts we are learning in Fundations should be reflected in our writing. The word wall has the trick words from Unit 3 on there as of now and new ones will be added each time we finish a Fundations unit. We will wrap up Unit 4 next week and then those trick words will be added to our Word Wall.

 In Reader's Workshop we are talking about characters and what characters do in stories. We are using this information to help us retell the story. I have also been introducing characters from books at students' levels to get them excited about reading. Some examples are Frog & Toad as well as Biscuit. in Science we will be wrapping up our "Changes in the Sky unit" before Thanksgiving break. We will be working on a final project to show our learning of the unit. Stay tuned to see what your child does.

 Have a wonderful weekend, Nancy

Imagination Playground is Back!!!

On Tuesday we had the opportunity to go and play with the imagination playground.  We have some very creative and inventive students in this class.  They worked together to build various structures and items.  There were cars, houses, forts, beds, balancing structures, etc.  The students had a wonderful time and were very tolerant of one another and worked well together.  Check out some of our amazing items that we made.

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Week of October 28th

The energy in the classroom has been high this week with the kids excited about Halloween.  I hope that everyone had a wonderful and safe Halloween!  We had a nice celebration on Thursday afternoon with yummy treats.  I'd like to thank the parents who sent in our grapes, clementines, juice boxes, cookies, plates and napkins.  The class really enjoyed them!!

We finished up Unit 2 this week with 2 games that were aimed at understanding the value and relationship between a penny, nickel and dime and determining the value of a collection of pennies.  On Thursday we made some fun Halloween Glyphs of vampires based on our answers to some math problems (Check out the picture below.).  On Friday we started Unit 3 and played a game where we made sums of 7 based on the color of 2 sided beans.  Ask your child to explain how it worked. 

The imagination playground is making an appearance again this year.  We will have the opportunity to use it once a week.  This is a great resource for learning to work cooperatively with one another.  Stay tuned for pictures of our great building using the imagination playground. 

Next week in Reader's Workshop we are going to begin talking about characters in our story.  We will continue to work on using our reading strategies but will target characters among our stories. 

In Science we continue to talk about changes in the sky.  We are learning about the phases of the moon and how to describe them as well as the sun and the stars.  We talked about some of the constellations that we have seen in the sky.  A homework option this week is to try and see the moon 4 times this week and record it onto a worksheet.  If you have a chance, please try and help your child locate the moon in the evening (weather permitting). 

Just a reminder to please make sure your child comes to school dressed appropriately for the weather.  We are moving into cooler days and our playground if often very windy and it makes it even colder out there.  I am asking all of the children to make sure that they have a coat on each day when they go out to recess.  I'd like to thank-you in advance for your help in this matter.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Nancy

Week of October 21st

It was really nice to have the chance to meet with all of you this week for conferences.  I am really enjoying working with your children.  Please don't hesitate to call or e-mail if you ever have any questions or concerns.  Reports card will be going home on Friday, December 6th in your child's Friday folder.

This week in math we continued to look at strategies to help us add and subtract 2 different numbers.  We played with spinners and continue to use dominoes to help us with recognizing our addition facts.  We also made a Sea Star quilt and commented on patterns that we saw or things that we noticed.  Check out our photo below:

Next week we will be finishing up Unit 2 and moving on to Unit 3.   Unit 3 encourages student mastery of key number facts and fact strategies for single-digit addition and subtraction.  We will be using the number rack to help see number combinations, find the sum of two numbers, and compare two numbers to find the difference between them.  We will also be developing place-value understanding and solving addition combinations to 20. Finally, we will make use of Unifix cubes to help develop understanding of the difference model of subtraction.

In Reader's Workshop I am continuing to push the use of the various strategies to help figure out tricky words.  Some of the strategies we are using are:  looking at pictures, tapping out words, looking for known words within a word and skipping the word and reading through the sentence and then using meaning to figure the word out.  Once we have an idea of the word we always ask ourselves 3 questions to be sure it is the right word:  Does it look right?, Does it sound right?, and Does it make sense?

In Fundations we are working with digraphs.  Digraphs are 2 or more letters that make one sound.  The digraphs we are learning are:  th, sh, ch, wh and ck.  We are learning them through tapping out words, using them in sentences and through dictation. 

In writing we are working on bringing our stories to "Life".  We talked about unfreezing our characters.  To do this we can make them move in our writing and pictures or we can make them talk.  We also talked about taking small steps.  This means that as writers we don't just want to write, I ate my dinner.  We want to take small steps and stretch out that moment describing what we had, how we felt as we were getting ready to eat and then how we went about eating.

In Science this week we focused on the moon and how it "seems" to change.  We talked about the different phases of the moon, how long the moon cycle is and what it is called when the moon gets bigger and what it is called when the moon gets smaller.  Ask your child what each of these are called?  I also asked students to try and take a look at the moon this weekend and see what stage it is in.

The weather is beginning to get colder. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately when they come to school so that they have the right attire to go outside. The only time we do not go outside for recess is if it is raining or the temperatures are below zero. All other times we are going outside. There were some children who have come in from recess complaining about being cold because they did not bring a jacket to school or it was not heavy enough. Please help your child be prepared. Thank-you in advance for helping out:)

Have a wonderful weekend,
Nancy

Book Orders Due Soon

Just a reminder to turn book orders in by this Wednesday, October 16th.

Thank-you,
Nancy

October Hands on Nature

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Week of October 7th

This week we had Hands on Nature.  We learned about leaves.  We learned about the the parts of a leaf such as the stem (petiole), veins, and lobes.   We learned that some leaves are simple leaves and some are compound leaves.  We found out there are 3 types of veins and tried identifying certain leaves and the type of veins they have.  The 3 types were pinnate, palmate and parallel.  We made leaf rubbings and then went outside to collect leaves we could make pictures out of at home.  The last activity will be a homework option for next week.

In math we have been practicing various strategies to add 2 numbers together.  On Friday we went to the computer lab with Mr. Madden to learn how we should be doing Fastt Math.  He let the students know that it is important to say the whole fact (not just the answer) as they solve them so it will be stored into long-term memory as opposed to short-term memory.  We have also begun to explore fact families.  Fact families are the addition and subtraction equations we write from a collection of 3 numbers such as 3, 4 ,& 7.  The equations would be 3+4=7, 4+3=7, 7-3=4, and 7-4=3.  Doubles would only have 2 equations for their fact families.  An example would be 3+3=6 and 6-3=3.

This week we wrapped up our unit on Community/All About Me.  We learned about how we need to work together, help each other, and be nice to create a community that everyone wants to be a part of.  Next week we will be starting a Science unit on "Changes in the Sky".  We will be learning about the phases of the moon, how our sky changes over time, how seasons cycle through and we will learn about how our sun heats the earth.

In writing this week we made partnerships.  Our partners are there to help us plan out what we want to write.  They are supposed to ask us questions and make suggestions to help us make our writing better. 

Have a wonderful weekend,
Nancy

October PTO Minutes

PTO Minutes– October 8, 2013

Principals Report
▪ UA Curriculum night will take place on October 22nd
▪ Building committee formed to look at upgrades to facility and maintenance of big ticket items. Forum on November 12^th
▪ Great attendance by the SKAT program 86 kids attending per week (separate from after school athletics)
▪ Part 2 has 70+ kids after school, starting to increase programming
▪ Professional development: Math Studio for teachers

Treasurers Report
▪ Genevieve fundraiser is behind estimates: estimated 8k net fundraising vs 13k in 2012
▪ Delayed the budget approval until November to adjust Genevieve fundraising numbers
▪ Discussed team donations: should they go through the school directly and not through PTO
▪ Discussed possible reasons why there was a reduced gift wrap sale this year
▪ Don't forget box tops and Hannaford Helps Schools (end Dec 1)

 Fundraising Update                                                                                                    

▪ Genevieve Gift Wrap – estimated 8k net fundraising vs 13 k in 2012
▪ School Directory Business Listing - has brought in an estimated $1,717.42(plus $750 from Volvo & Health Living still to come in)
▪ Amazon School Rewards Program - we will be placing a link on the school website where people can click on it, order things off of Amazon and SCS will earn money off of every $$ that is spent.  More information to follow shortly.
▪ Donate Online – you can now donate online to the SCS PTO through Paypal https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=83QQ22GDZFRLJ

Fund Spending Update
▪ School Directory - Printing Estimate $1400
▪ Visiting Artist Program - we will not be using Jon Gailmor this year and instead we will be doing a program with the Flynn Theatre and integrating the arts into the classrooms
▪ Fall Grant Committee Meeting – will take place on November 4^th from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm.  Anyone interested in participating in this committee meeting, which awards grants to teachers and staff, is welcome to come.

Mark Your Calendars                                                                                                                 
▪ Walking Wednesdays - every Wednesday in October (meet at 7:30 at Jaime 2 Coats or the Parade Grounds)
▪ Newberry Cup Bake Sale – October 12th
▪ UA Curriculum Night – October 22^nd
▪ Genevieve Gift Wrap Distribution – October 22^nd

Help Wanted                                                                                                  

▪ Flower Gardens (lisawvt@hotmail.com)
▪ PTO Bulletin Boards (sweeneyrs@gmail.com)
▪ Newberry Cup Bake Sale (amybknight@gmail.com)
▪ CY Mentor Program (aliceandy@myfairpoint.net) - Alice Brown is the new coordinator, a great opportunity to help kids that can benefit from an extra adult relationship in their life.  Mentoring takes place once a week during the school day
Sign Up to Volunteer Online - you can sign up to volunteer any time online:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlIV5TlL1TUvdDA0MXhsUDNqbnNuYUFNOS1XU1o2TXc#gid=0

Other Business                                                                                                                               

▪ Parent Education Nights – Amy Buckley, the new SAP Coordinator is working with the Burlington Police to hold a event to discuss cyber bullying and monitoring.  This even will be appropriate for all ages.
▪ Coat Drive – kids and adult’s warm winter gear is still needed.  The drop box is right in front of the Front Office
▪ Parent Survey – a survey will be sent out shortly with questions to parents on how to raise funds, what sort of events people want to see, and where should the money go
▪ After School Programming - Matt Wormser discussed different opportunities for parents to help lead after school programs, 1, 4, 12 week curriculums? Math club, Spanish, cooking, anything! What sort of after school enrichment can you help support?
▪ Facebook – be sure to “like” us on Facebook and keep up to date with everything happening at the school
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelburne-Community-School-PTO/112842845467209

Thank You’s                                                                                                                                     5
▪ Genevieve Gift Wrap - Ginger Williamson and Zynnia Seidita for heading this up and Jennifer Cairns, Dawn Fragola, Lisa Merrill and Jana Cowan for their help getting the sheets reconciled
▪ School Directory – Dawn Fragola and Corinne Levinthal for their help soliciting business listings
▪ PTO Bulletin Board – Rita Daley and Teresa Shuptrine

UA Curriculum Night

SCS Unified Arts Curriculum Night

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Please join us in the cafeteria at 6:30 PM
prior to going to the Unified Art classrooms.

6:30-7:30 PM

All families invited to attend and learn more about our Unified Arts Programs!

Come hear some performing groups (6-8), as well as participate in some structured activities in music, art and physical education. Participation by parents is strongly encouraged!

Art:   The three art rooms will be open with examples of current projects and a few small hands on activities.  Kathleen Caraher, Erika White, and Carin Lilly will be in their rooms to welcome families.

Music:  
K-5: (Diana Burritt and Amy Southworth)
Student demonstrations of classroom curriculum.  Hear student compositions and participate in a variety of movement activities.

6-8: (Kristin Bamberger and Tim Buckingham)
Walk through the music wing to view curricular examples, see the going’s on of our instrumental program and 6-8 music.
7:15-7:30-performances by vocal and instrumental groups.

PE:   K-2-stations demonstrating gross motor and fitness skills   
3-5-participation in a variety of volleyball skill building games.
6-8-Demonstration of the FitnessGram

World Language:   Examples of student work and other classroom activities.

Week of September 30th

On Monday, we came in to the classroom with new table spots.  Hopefully your child shared with you who the new friends are that they are sitting with. 

In math this week we have been working with dominoes.  We are using structure to help us identify how many dots are on the domino.  We played Domino Top Draw which is a lot like the card came war where the children drew dominoes and whoever had the highest number won the dominoes.  They also had to explain how they figured out how many dots were on there dominoes.  We also played a game where we drew dominoes, identified the number on the domino and the corresponding equation that matched it.  Then they had to circle if the number on the domino was greater than, less than or equal to the number on their partner's domino.

In Reader's Workshop we have been quietly reading, we began reading groups this week and the groups picked a name for their group, and we have been practicing our handwriting.

In Writer's Workshop we are continuing with our Small Moment Stories and have been working on stretching out our words when we are spelling them so we can reread our stories.  We also talked about zooming in on a story so that it is not as big as a "watermelon" story but is like a watermelon seed story. 

In Fundations we are practicing tapping words out so that we can read them.  We are also practicing tapping out words to help us spell them. 

Have a wonderful weekend,
Nancy

Working with Ipads

This week we had our first week working with Ellen Matthews on Technology.  Students were introduced to the new cart of ipads that we have at the school.  They used an app called "Scribble Press".  Check out the pictures below:

UA Curriculum Night

Save the date:  October 22, 2013
6:30- 7:30 pm

Unified Arts Curriculum Night

An opportunity to meet the unified arts teachers, visit the classrooms, and learn about each program through student work, and hands on activities.
This evening is for parents and students.
More details to follow.

Week of September 27th

The past couple of weeks in Social Studies we created balloons that have information about ourselves such as our favorite dinner, our favorite subject, if we had could have one wish what would it be, if we could meet a famous person who would it be, our favorite instrument, and something that we are proud of. On Monday we had the opportunity to share what we wrote and show off our decorated balloons. Check out the pictures of us sharing in the slide show. Ask your child about what they shared.

In math we have been working with non-standard units.  We measured objects in the classroom with popsicle sticks and unifix cubes.  We also had a lesson on measuring a jump rope with various student feet.  We talked about why we were getting different answers and how important it is to use an object that is the same length when measuring and how it is important to have no gaps and not overlap when measuring. 

In Reader's Workshop, we have been talking about how readers are like runners.  They practice to get better and they set goals to help them get better.  We are working our way up so that we can sustain quiet reading for the whole Reader's Workshop.  We are doing pretty well with reading for 30-35 minutes.  We are also continuing to work on finding our "Just Right" books. Next week we will begin our reading groups.  Check out the pictures of us reading during Reader's Workshop.

In Writing this week we started our "Small Moment" stories.  We are working on stretching a small moment of time over 3 pages.  We talked about how we need to come up with an idea, find the book we would like to write it in, plan out what we want to say by touching each page and saying what will go on it, then sketching the important parts and finally getting our words down on the paper.

Also I wanted to let families know that we practiced a drill today that was originally known as an intruder drill but we now say "Clear the Hallways and Secure the building" in case questions come up at home.  This is a drill we practice in case there is ever a threat to students/staff members.  If you have any questions, please let me know.  I don't want to post details on-line. 

Have a wonderful weekend,
Nancy

Sharing our Balloons and Reader's Workshop

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Fire Prevention and Shelburne Farms

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Week of September 16th

It was a very busy week.  On Tuesday we got set up for the finger print system in the cafeteria.  On Wednesday it was Fire Prevention Day.  We had two volunteer Firemen, Brian (Mrs. KillKelley's husband and Steve) come in to our team space to talk to us about what to do in case of a Fire.  They talked about how important it is for families to have a place to meet outside in case of fire.  They also talked about how children should throw a pillow out their window if they are unable to get out of their bedrooms in case of fire.  This will ensure that a fireman will know that they are stuck in their bedrooms.  We then had the opportunity to go outside and practice Stop, Drop and Roll and those who wanted to, went into a smokehouse and practiced crawling through being low to the ground.  Check out our photos in the Smilebox.

On Thursday we went to Shelburne Farms with the 2nd grade class.  We broke up into 4 groups and went on a Scavenger hunt through the trails at Shelburne farms.  The groups were very successful on their scavenger hunts. After the scavenger hunt, we all met up in the Farm Barn to check out the animals.  Everyone had a fantastic time and it gave time for the 1st graders to get to know some of the 2nd graders a little better.  I would like to thank Ali Novak for coming along with us.  Check out our photos in the Smilebox.

In math we have been looking at ways to make 10s using our number racks.  We are also working on using structure to help us identifying numbers quickly on the number rack, double ten frames, tallies and popsicle sticks grouped into 10s and 1s. 

In Writer's and Reader's workshop we continue to get our routines set-up so that we can have successful workshops throughout the year. 

Curriculum Night Powerpoint

The Curriculum Night Power Point has been posted to our team page on the School Website.

Parent Workshop

FYI~ Subject: Free parent education workshops this fall Dear Early Childhood Community, Our next workshop is: Nurturing Through Nature: Fostering Young Children’s Development Through Outdoor Play with Lisa Guerrero, M.Ed. Here is a brief synopsis: Frequent, spontaneous play in natural settings is not only fun, it also provides perfect support for all domains of child development: physical, social/emotional, creative, intellectual and spiritual. This workshop will help participants better understand the value of getting kids outside and introduce simple ways adults can create meaningful outdoor experiences for the children in their lives. When: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 Where: South Burlington Community Library (540 Dorset Street) Time: 6:45-8:45pm Please RSVP to aide@childcareresource.org or 863-3367 ext. 31 Amy Ide Growing Kids South Burlington 181 Commerce Street Williston, VT 05495 (802) 863-3367 ext. 31

Week of September 16th

We made it through our first full week of school!  Wednesday was tough with the heat but your children were troopers and we got as much accomplished as we could.  We switched the day around so that we could get through math when it was a little cooler. 

In math this week we have been focused on workplace routines and looking at how numbers are structured using tally marks, popsicle sticks, double ten frames and our number racks.  We talked about how the teen numbers are 1 ten and then some more ones.  For example, 14 is 1 ten plus four more.  We learned to recognize this quickly on double ten frames and number racks by seeing the ten right away and then counting up by 1s from 10.  Your child brought home a number rack that they made in their Friday folders today.  They can practice this skill at home with you.

In reading and writing, we continue to talk about routines and what to expect during this time.  Today some of the children found books to put into their book boxes to start using next week.  Those who did not have time today will do this on Monday morning.  We had a lengthy discussion about how to choose a "Just Right Book" and where they should be looking in our classroom library.  Ask your child how they should find "Just Right Books" at home to read.

In Social Studies this week students have been working on an "All About Me" balloon.  They have answered questions about things like their favorite memory, if they had 1 wish what would they wish for, a picture of their family, what their favorite meal is and lots of other questions.  These will hang in the room when they are finished and they will share them with their classmates. 

In Fundations we continue to work on handwriting with lower case letters.  An expectation this year as 1st graders will be to use upper case letters only when appropriate.  This will not happen immediately, but will be something that we will be working towards throughout the year.  Please encourage your child to do this at home as well. 

I am still looking for a couple of volunteers for our Field Trip at Shelburne Farms.  We will be doing some team building and visiting with the animals at the Farm barn.  Let me know if you can help.

Homework will begin coming home, next Friday, Sept. 19th.  I will talk about how this works at our Curriculum Night this Tuesday, Sept. 17th at 5 pm in Deb KillKelley's classroom.

Just a note that conference sign-ups for October are posted on our website and their is also a link on the blog on the right hand side.


Have a wonderful weekend,
Nancy

Hands on Nature Volunteers Needed

Nancy Nakhleh's classroom could use 1 or 2 more volunteers for the Hands on Nature (HON) program this year.  It is a lot of fun and a great way to be in the classroom with your child!  If you are not familiar with HON here is what it entails. 

 

As a HON volunteer, you will attend monthly workshops led by a Four Winds naturalist-educator. Each workshop looks at nature in your own community – your schoolyard, backyard, or nearby natural area. You will participate in both indoor and outdoor hands-on activities that help you to understand the subject matter and how to present the lesson to children. As a whole group, we’ll discuss teaching techniques and ways of interacting with students so that your in-class workshops are light-hearted, engaging, and effective.

 

Trainings are held the first Thursday of every month from 9 – 11 am in the Town Offices.  In class instruction is on the Tuesday following training from 9 – 10.  Please email Trish Mitchell at mitchowitz@gmail.com  if interested in partcipiating as well as Zynnia Seidta at mountainmuttsvt@comcast.net to get on the group HON email list.

 

 You are helping students learn important science content and skills while developing a sense of place and an understanding of the complexity of nature. It is the dedication of volunteers – your time and energy – that makes this happen. Thank YOU!

PTO September Meeting Minutes

Convene at 6:05

Introductions with many new faces

Biggest meeting yet!

Reviewed/Approved minutes

Principals Report:

-school recognized as a top performer in the state

-Part 2 after school is off to a great start: 71 kids in the census already, a nearly 50% increase

-lots of professional development over the summer

-enrollment stable @763

Budget

-reviewed line items

-budget approval in October

Team Reps Update:

-straightened out curriculum nights

-signed up team reps

Fundraising Update:

-directory sales are up to $1620 already 

-can now donate online through Paypal 

-looking to a new fundraiser for Red Barn potentially

     Ideas: Yankee candle, Equal Exchange, Plant Sale w/Red Wagon, Amazon storefront

-Price Chopper tools for school

-Hannafords helps schools

-Genevieve fundraiser starts 9/10, ends 9/24 use team name not teacher

     -now have photo cards!

     -80% of profits go to the teams

Sally Stevens talked about visiting artist program

-Flynn Artists/integrating the arts

-brought in two artists from the Flynn using a grant

-One hour of planning, 4 hours of in class help

-$3500: $1000 PTO and $2500 grant

-fund using visiting artist program 

Mark your Calendars

Walking Wednesdays on the town green at 7:30 (in front of Jamie Two Coats)

12 Oct: Newberry Cup Bake Sale

22Oct: UA Curriculum night and Genevieve Gift Wrap distribution

Help Wanted

-School directory data input (Leslie@borrok.com)

-Flower garden help (lisawvt@hotmail.com)

-PTO bulletin boards: sweeneyrs@gmail.com

-Newberry Cup Bake Sale: amybknight@gmail.com

-gift wrap distribution on 10/22: campwestwick@gmail.com

-ALSO REMEMBER: you can sign up for helping at any event at any time online.  Access through the PTO website: www.cssu.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=365 

Other Business:

-the cold weather clothes donation box will be out soon.  The sooner you donate the better.  Lots of folks use all of these donations

Thanks yous:

Rita Daley and Teresa Shuptrine for the bulletin board

Valerie Richardson and Teacher's Breakfast helpers! 

First Day Greeters

Everyone who filled out a volunteer form

ELIZABETH BLUEMLE

TUESDAY, SEPT. 10TH 4-6PM 

DOGS ON THE BED 

 

 

It's not  everyday that my best friend and bookstore co-owner comes out with a paperback. Tuesday, September 10th is the day Elizabeth's book, 

Dogs on the Bed will come out. 

 

The book is about what happens when the family dogs decide they all want to sleep on the bed. The engaging rhyme (down right infectious) and humorous illustrations will stay with you long after you finish the book. Dog lovers will immediately recognize their dog's behavior in the story and the art conveys the poutiness of dogs who can't get comfortable, except when their owners have forsaken their beds. 

 

We are celebrating the release with cake, dog treats and other fun surprises. Please feel free to bring your well-behaved dog and get a book for your dog loving friends.  You can also pre-order Elizabeth's fourth book, Tap Tap Boom Boom which comes out March 25th, 2014, and save the date for the launch party!

 

School Library Journal says of the book, "The exuberant, rhyming text delights the ear as the hilarious illustrations engage the eye in this kid- and dog-friendly tale."

 

Booklist says, " The rousing rhymes and frequent refrains provide continuous, peppy entertainment, and the occasional altered rhythms will keep readers and listeners on their toes... A humorous and affectionate ode to the frustrations and joys of having dogs as pets and part of the family."

 

We're also having a contest. Can you correctly spot the numbers of differences between the covers of the paper back and the hard cover.? We'll hold a drawing of all eligible answers and the winner will get a signed copy of Tap Tap Boom Boom. 

 

2nd Week of School

I apologize that my post for last week never got posted.  I typed it up and never hit publish.  I will update this weekly to let you know what is happening.

It was another great week with your children. They are beginning to be comfortable with one another and coming together as a wonderful class!

In math we have been looking at patterns and counting by 2s and 5s.  We also did some problem solving on white boards.  Next week we will be introduced to Rekenreks also known as Number racks. 

During Reading and Writers workshops, we are learning routines of the classroom.  In Reader's workshop the class talked about What is Reading?,  we talked about What do Reader's do?, and we were introduced to how our classroom library is organized.  In Writer's workshop we talked about What is Writing?, What do writers use?, and How do Writers get ideas?.  We also created hearts with a list of ideas that we can use when we get stuck and don't know what to write.  It included important people, important memories and places that we have lived or visited. 

Please make sure to check your child's Friday folder.  There was a note that went home today with information that you need to know about. 

Have a wonderful weekend,
Nancy

Our First Week of School

We have had a wonderful start to the new year.  I am really enjoying getting to know your children.  They are a special and great group!!  I am looking forward to being with them for the next 2 years.  They have been troopers this week with the heat because it has been hot in the school.

Friday folders went home today with our first share theme and schedule.  Please read this over and let me know if you have any questions.  There is also a short note from me, our class schedule and a big envelope from the school with forms to be filled out and a calendar.  If your child has a younger sibling in the school, they will not be bringing home the big envelope, your younger child will. 

Several students have been asking about homework this week.  Homework will begin the week after curriculum night.

This week we have been doing some activities to get to know each other.  We wrote our hopes and dreams for the year, created a self portrait, shared information about ourselves in morning meeting and played some team building games with the 2nd grade class on Firefly.  We even had our first 2 lessons in math where we created a chart with twin popsicles to count by 2s and created a graph with our favorite flavors of popsicles. 

I'd also like to welcome our new Team Para, Colleen Nick!

Just a few housekeeping reminders:
    -please remember to send in a note to let me know if your child's afternoon schedule has changed
    -please remember to send your child with sneakers on P.E. days (Monday and Thursday)
    -check back here each week to see what's happening in our classroom:)

I hope everyone has a wonderful and restful long weekend,
Nancy