Hello Fantastic Families!
We have been having a great couple of weeks here in class. I was out two days this week (Tuesday and Wednesday) to do some special work in Montpelier with the Vermont Agency of Education. I was chosen as one of the elementary teachers to represent our Supervisory Union (SU) in creating the Vermont Education Quality review process. Our SU and two others are participating in streamlining and adding to this process. It was great to see our education system at the macro level and I look forward to having folks from other schools observe the wonderful work that is happening in our, and all the other, schools in our SU. Although I appreciated the opportunity to do this work, it was hard to be away from school. This kind of work, interesting as it is, further reinforces my feelings about why I chose teaching as my profession; The classroom, thanks in no small part to your children, is where I feel most at home.
As far as the assessment schedule, we did a writing prompt and the first and second graders will be doing their second installment of the Easy CBM (math assessment) in the coming weeks. The kids are becoming more and more accustomed to being regularly asked to "show what you know". We've done lots of work around making sure that we try to keep the process of assessment as low-key as possible, especially for the younger kids. Because of the emphasis and focus we are putting on academics, we always have to be careful about the developing picture that kids have of themselves. We have to do our best to make sure that these assessments don't lead them to think poorly of their academic abilities and as a consequence, themselves. We use words like "growth mindset", I don't get it, yet" and "grit" to help with fending off these feelings.
In Writer's Workshop the kids will be finishing up their small moment stories and they will be bringing them home. They have been working hard on editing and making sure that their writing is the best that they can make it. I am so proud of the progress they continue to make. We will be doing some more letter writing in the coming weeks.
We are doing a Secret Snowflake activity in our class. As I am sensitive to the many responsibilities of families during this time of year, I choose not to go down the shopping route for this activity. Instead, the kids make things for one another daily and make sure they get their creations before the end of the day. It's a great way to celebrate our friends in class, especially as the emotions and excitement start to rise. We will be doing a Solstice Celebration (even though the actual solstice is a couple days prior) on the 23rd at 2:50. We do some candle lighting and then some snacking. I encourage you all to be there because the kids say some pretty amazing things. I'll need help with some healthy drinks and snacks to have afterwards.
I hope you all got a chance to sign up for Winter Wellness Fridays, starting after the holiday break. the kids always look forward to these days and they are a great way to enjoy our beautiful winters. Make sure you send in the green forms indicating your child's choice of activity. If you need a new slip, get in touch with the front office here at school. They can send home a new copy.
Stay warm this weekend, and be sure to be in touch with any question, comments or concerns.
Best,
~B
Friday, December 9, 2016
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Post Conferences and Pre-Thanksgiving
Hey All,
It was wonderful meeting with all of you for conferences over the past few weeks. I really appreciated the time to sit and discuss your child's progress and goals for the rest of the year. If ever you'd like to talk more or if you have anything to discuss anytime, let me know. I am always happy to meet and talk about any questions, concerns or celebrations.
We had some great discussion about the election where we talked about how the process of picking a president works and how that led to Donald Trump became president. We gave them a helpful anecdote, which they immediately understood. We talked about having them imagine losing a game that they really wanted to win. It can feels disappointing, discouraging and frustrating. That said, your job as someone who loses is to congratulate your opponent and then ask yourself this question: what do I need to do to give myself the greatest chance at winning the next time (if that is, in fact, important to you)? Does it mean working harder? Yup. Does it mean practicing more? Yup. Does it mean that you will win next time for sure? Nope. It only means that you did everything you could do to make the outcome the one you want, and that you can always feel good about working hard and getting better at something. You'll always have that.
We have been working hard on some small moment writing stories, which will lead to a wring prompt and assessment in the weeks to come. The kids are working on applying their spelling skills as well as stretching out their story to add more and more details to make it fun to read for the reader. The kids are making great progress!
I am meeting with reading groups and I have loved seeing them continue to grow as readers. Make sure that your children are doing lots of reading at home. If you'd like strategy sheets that show the reading strategies we use in class or the sight word lists that help kids read more and more fluently. You can check out my class blog reading page to find out more. I have some of this posted there.
We will be starting our science unit on sound after Thanksgiving break. If you could, send in some toilet paper rolls when you get the chance. They will be used in our unit when we do some building. I really appreciated Emily and Hannah coming in and doing a great 4 Winds lesson on bugs and metamorphosis. The kids (and Chris and I) learned lots!
After Thanksgiving Break our "Lunch Bunch" will be changing. This new group will meet in a quiet space outside of the lunchroom to eat while practicing social skills. Your child may or may not be involved in this.
As the weather changes, the kids will need clothes at school that meet these new needs. Please be sure your kids are coming in with appropriate clothing (snow next week!).
I think that's about it for the update. Let me know if you need anything else!
~B
It was wonderful meeting with all of you for conferences over the past few weeks. I really appreciated the time to sit and discuss your child's progress and goals for the rest of the year. If ever you'd like to talk more or if you have anything to discuss anytime, let me know. I am always happy to meet and talk about any questions, concerns or celebrations.
We had some great discussion about the election where we talked about how the process of picking a president works and how that led to Donald Trump became president. We gave them a helpful anecdote, which they immediately understood. We talked about having them imagine losing a game that they really wanted to win. It can feels disappointing, discouraging and frustrating. That said, your job as someone who loses is to congratulate your opponent and then ask yourself this question: what do I need to do to give myself the greatest chance at winning the next time (if that is, in fact, important to you)? Does it mean working harder? Yup. Does it mean practicing more? Yup. Does it mean that you will win next time for sure? Nope. It only means that you did everything you could do to make the outcome the one you want, and that you can always feel good about working hard and getting better at something. You'll always have that.
We have been working hard on some small moment writing stories, which will lead to a wring prompt and assessment in the weeks to come. The kids are working on applying their spelling skills as well as stretching out their story to add more and more details to make it fun to read for the reader. The kids are making great progress!
I am meeting with reading groups and I have loved seeing them continue to grow as readers. Make sure that your children are doing lots of reading at home. If you'd like strategy sheets that show the reading strategies we use in class or the sight word lists that help kids read more and more fluently. You can check out my class blog reading page to find out more. I have some of this posted there.
We will be starting our science unit on sound after Thanksgiving break. If you could, send in some toilet paper rolls when you get the chance. They will be used in our unit when we do some building. I really appreciated Emily and Hannah coming in and doing a great 4 Winds lesson on bugs and metamorphosis. The kids (and Chris and I) learned lots!
After Thanksgiving Break our "Lunch Bunch" will be changing. This new group will meet in a quiet space outside of the lunchroom to eat while practicing social skills. Your child may or may not be involved in this.
As the weather changes, the kids will need clothes at school that meet these new needs. Please be sure your kids are coming in with appropriate clothing (snow next week!).
I think that's about it for the update. Let me know if you need anything else!
~B
Friday, October 21, 2016
Movie Night and Conference Sign-Ups
Hey All,
I hope you are all ready for the temperatures to start feeling mighty fall-like. As a reminder, please be sure to send in your children with the appropriate seasonal clothing. We sometimes still go to recess on the misty mountain! Also, our AMAZING PTO is hosting a movie night tonight. I encourage you all to stop in and watch the movie, Hotel Transylvania. It should be a great time. Give a thanks and show some support for this amazing group of committed Rumney parents!
Thanks to all of you who have signed up for conferences. I am looking forward to meeting with you all to look at some of their work, talk about your hopes and dreams for the year and hear some observations from the classroom. It should go without saying that if you'd ever like to meet and discuss anything, any time, to let me know. I can carve out time most mornings to sit and chat.
Here is the conference link:
http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference/
In Writer's Workshop we are finishing up our ABC book drafts about themselves and we will be working on final products next week. We will then be working on some small moment writing which is essentially a personal narrative that will take readers through a special moment that our first and second grade writers will write about. It will have them use transition words as well as other writing conventions and show a beginning, problem/event and ending.
Today we read a book about kind words for friends, Jamaica and Brianna. The kids all did a great job talking about it and realizing that we might say something that we didn't mean as being unkind, but it sometimes just so We will be starting a longer read-aloud book next week, as per the request of the majority of kids in class. We have been reading a lot of short stories and practicing making movies in our minds while listening to them. We will now be working on that skill in a longer book.
We will also be starting our study of how things stay the same and how things change. An example that we look at is how animals stay the same and change from when they are babies to adults, for instance. They always have such a good time with this, as they are masters of same and different.
I think that's it for now. I hope you all have a great weekend!
~B
I hope you are all ready for the temperatures to start feeling mighty fall-like. As a reminder, please be sure to send in your children with the appropriate seasonal clothing. We sometimes still go to recess on the misty mountain! Also, our AMAZING PTO is hosting a movie night tonight. I encourage you all to stop in and watch the movie, Hotel Transylvania. It should be a great time. Give a thanks and show some support for this amazing group of committed Rumney parents!
Thanks to all of you who have signed up for conferences. I am looking forward to meeting with you all to look at some of their work, talk about your hopes and dreams for the year and hear some observations from the classroom. It should go without saying that if you'd ever like to meet and discuss anything, any time, to let me know. I can carve out time most mornings to sit and chat.
Here is the conference link:
http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference/
In Writer's Workshop we are finishing up our ABC book drafts about themselves and we will be working on final products next week. We will then be working on some small moment writing which is essentially a personal narrative that will take readers through a special moment that our first and second grade writers will write about. It will have them use transition words as well as other writing conventions and show a beginning, problem/event and ending.
Today we read a book about kind words for friends, Jamaica and Brianna. The kids all did a great job talking about it and realizing that we might say something that we didn't mean as being unkind, but it sometimes just so We will be starting a longer read-aloud book next week, as per the request of the majority of kids in class. We have been reading a lot of short stories and practicing making movies in our minds while listening to them. We will now be working on that skill in a longer book.
We will also be starting our study of how things stay the same and how things change. An example that we look at is how animals stay the same and change from when they are babies to adults, for instance. They always have such a good time with this, as they are masters of same and different.
I think that's it for now. I hope you all have a great weekend!
~B
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Chili Cook-off and Our Great Week
Hello Folks,
We have had a great week in our class. I have all of our reading groups together and we all got to spend some time together this week. The kids are excited to be reading books with their peers and me in small groups instead of individually or on assessments. They all have individual skills they are working on, I hope you talk to your child about what they are reading with me and the skills they are working on. I look forward to chatting with you all about it at conferences.
Speaking of conferences... Here is the link to the conference sign up times:
http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference/
I have a couple of mornings per week and then the scheduled conference day (November 11th). I can't do after school meetings as part of regular scheduling but I can make exceptions, if needed.
In first grade math we have done a ton of work on the use of dot cluster cards, how to organize the order of building number sentences with rods (5+0=5, 4+1=5, 3+2=5, 2+3=5, 1+4=5, 0+5=5, for instance. By organizing the way they build the rods it helps them organize these numbers and their relationships in their heads.
In Writer's Workshop the kids are working on their "All About Me" books and their handwriting books. They are enjoying working on both. I also just did a brief show what you know about their handwriting in a reading response about The Minpins, the read-aloud book we just finished.
Wednesday, October 19th is picture re-take day. Talk to the front office with any questions about it.
Be in touch with any questions, concerns or celebrations.
That's about it for now, I hope you all had a great weekend!
~B
We have had a great week in our class. I have all of our reading groups together and we all got to spend some time together this week. The kids are excited to be reading books with their peers and me in small groups instead of individually or on assessments. They all have individual skills they are working on, I hope you talk to your child about what they are reading with me and the skills they are working on. I look forward to chatting with you all about it at conferences.
Speaking of conferences... Here is the link to the conference sign up times:
http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference/
I have a couple of mornings per week and then the scheduled conference day (November 11th). I can't do after school meetings as part of regular scheduling but I can make exceptions, if needed.
In first grade math we have done a ton of work on the use of dot cluster cards, how to organize the order of building number sentences with rods (5+0=5, 4+1=5, 3+2=5, 2+3=5, 1+4=5, 0+5=5, for instance. By organizing the way they build the rods it helps them organize these numbers and their relationships in their heads.
In Writer's Workshop the kids are working on their "All About Me" books and their handwriting books. They are enjoying working on both. I also just did a brief show what you know about their handwriting in a reading response about The Minpins, the read-aloud book we just finished.
Wednesday, October 19th is picture re-take day. Talk to the front office with any questions about it.
Be in touch with any questions, concerns or celebrations.
That's about it for now, I hope you all had a great weekend!
~B
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Post Hike Week Update
Hello Wonderful Families!
I hope you all heard lots of great stories about the hike last week. I was sorry to miss it but I know the kids had a great time.
Sorry about the possibly perceived preachy/lecturey tone of what is going to follow, but recent events in class call for me to ask you for some assistance.
I talked about this some time ago is a previous blog post but many of you are new to my class so I'll reiterate a point I'd like to ask you to support. It is election season. The general public has some big feelings about the candidates one way or the other. I can't do anything about this. However, recently, kids have been coming in using some pretty hurtful language about candidates running for president, leading to some hurt feelings. It is my belief, and one that is emphasized at our school, that because we disagree doesn't make someone bad or good. It means we have something to learn from one another. This connects directly to our young ones, as they are always trying to see the world in black and white. They are too young and not ready to understand the immense amount of grey involved in the world, in this case presidential politics and policy. I ask you to please make sure that if you are choosing to discuss politics with your child that you make it clear that because you disagree with someone's views that it doesn't make them a bad person. People can disagree and still be friends.
On a another note, I have had kids coming in and asking about clowns at school. In case you haven't heard, there are people dressing as clowns and doing some pranks and scaring of people. It is one of those viral things that will pass with time. In the meantime, however, I would appreciate some filtering of this kind of information to kids. One student came in talking about his parent's Facebook messages about the clowns and it affected some kids in class. It scared them. Your help is appreciated in being the person discerning what information is appropriate for your child to know about.
Back to the other work at hand...
We have all been working hard in class and we have finished all of our reading assessments. The kids are going to be put in groups to start working on specific skills next week. Some groups will be primarily working on word-solving strategies, some working on reading fluency to build their reading rate, others will be working on comprehension. There is a lot to learn!
In Writer's Workshop we are working on books that are called "All About Me" ABC books. It has been a real blast reading about how kids see and describe themselves. They are concentrating on their handwriting as well as thinking about the words that best describe them. They are going to be looking at ways that they are same and different to other things as well. We will be using Venn Diagrams as one of the tools to do this work.
We have continued to work on our weather chart and next week will be charting the shortening of the days. We will work on our observation skills as well at our observation table. We will also be having a station where we can carry out an investigation, next week we will be weighing.
We are reading the Minpins in read-aloud. Ask your child about the story, it is a Roald Dahl classic. We are working on making a movie in our minds when a book is read to us. We stop and ask the kids what they are seeing in their movies in their heads and it has been a great exercise for them all.
I am having such a blast this year, and your children are to thank for it. It is a most wonderful group, indeed!
Have a wonderful weekend,
~B
I hope you all heard lots of great stories about the hike last week. I was sorry to miss it but I know the kids had a great time.
Sorry about the possibly perceived preachy/lecturey tone of what is going to follow, but recent events in class call for me to ask you for some assistance.
I talked about this some time ago is a previous blog post but many of you are new to my class so I'll reiterate a point I'd like to ask you to support. It is election season. The general public has some big feelings about the candidates one way or the other. I can't do anything about this. However, recently, kids have been coming in using some pretty hurtful language about candidates running for president, leading to some hurt feelings. It is my belief, and one that is emphasized at our school, that because we disagree doesn't make someone bad or good. It means we have something to learn from one another. This connects directly to our young ones, as they are always trying to see the world in black and white. They are too young and not ready to understand the immense amount of grey involved in the world, in this case presidential politics and policy. I ask you to please make sure that if you are choosing to discuss politics with your child that you make it clear that because you disagree with someone's views that it doesn't make them a bad person. People can disagree and still be friends.
On a another note, I have had kids coming in and asking about clowns at school. In case you haven't heard, there are people dressing as clowns and doing some pranks and scaring of people. It is one of those viral things that will pass with time. In the meantime, however, I would appreciate some filtering of this kind of information to kids. One student came in talking about his parent's Facebook messages about the clowns and it affected some kids in class. It scared them. Your help is appreciated in being the person discerning what information is appropriate for your child to know about.
Back to the other work at hand...
We have all been working hard in class and we have finished all of our reading assessments. The kids are going to be put in groups to start working on specific skills next week. Some groups will be primarily working on word-solving strategies, some working on reading fluency to build their reading rate, others will be working on comprehension. There is a lot to learn!
In Writer's Workshop we are working on books that are called "All About Me" ABC books. It has been a real blast reading about how kids see and describe themselves. They are concentrating on their handwriting as well as thinking about the words that best describe them. They are going to be looking at ways that they are same and different to other things as well. We will be using Venn Diagrams as one of the tools to do this work.
We have continued to work on our weather chart and next week will be charting the shortening of the days. We will work on our observation skills as well at our observation table. We will also be having a station where we can carry out an investigation, next week we will be weighing.
We are reading the Minpins in read-aloud. Ask your child about the story, it is a Roald Dahl classic. We are working on making a movie in our minds when a book is read to us. We stop and ask the kids what they are seeing in their movies in their heads and it has been a great exercise for them all.
I am having such a blast this year, and your children are to thank for it. It is a most wonderful group, indeed!
Have a wonderful weekend,
~B
Post Hike Week Update
Hello Wonderful Families!
I hope you all heard lots of great stories about the hike last week. I was sorry to miss it but I know the kids had a great time.
Sorry about the possibly perceived preachy/lecturey tone of what is going to follow, but recent events in class call for me to ask you for some assistance.
I talked about this some time ago is a previous blog post but many of you are new to my class so I'll reiterate a point I'd like to ask you to support. It is election season. The general public has some big feelings about the candidates one way or the other. I can't do anything about this. However, recently, kids have been coming in using some pretty hurtful language about candidates running for president, leading to some hurt feelings. It is my belief, and one that is emphasized at our school, that because we disagree doesn't make someone bad or good. It means we have something to learn from one another. This connects directly to our young ones, as they are always trying to see the world in black and white. They are too young and not ready to understand the immense amount of grey involved in the world, in this case presidential politics and policy. I ask you to please make sure that if you are choosing to discuss politics with your child that you make it clear that because you disagree with someone's views that it doesn't make them a bad person. People can disagree and still be friends.
On a another note, I have had kids coming in and asking about clowns at school. In case you haven't heard, there are people dressing as clowns and doing some pranks and scaring of people. It is one of those viral things that will pass with time. In the meantime, however, I would appreciate some filtering of this kind of information to kids. One student came in talking about his parent's Facebook messages about the clowns and it affected some kids in class. It scared them. Your help is appreciated in being the person discerning what information is appropriate for your child to know about.
Back to the other work at hand...
We have all been working hard in class and we have finished all of our reading assessments. The kids are going to be put in groups to start working on specific skills next week. Some groups will be primarily working on word-solving strategies, some working on reading fluency to build their reading rate, others will be working on comprehension. There is a lot to learn!
In Writer's Workshop we are working on books that are called "All About Me" ABC books. It has been a real blast reading about how kids see and describe themselves. They are concentrating on their handwriting as well as thinking about the words that best describe them. They are going to be looking at ways that they are same and different to other things as well. We will be using Venn Diagrams as one of the tools to do this work.
We have continued to work on our weather chart and next week will be charting the shortening of the days. We will work on our observation skills as well at our observation table. We will also be having a station where we can carry out an investigation, next week we will be weighing.
We are reading the Minpins in read-aloud. Ask your child about the story, it is a Roald Dahl classic. We are working on making a movie in our minds when a book is read to us. We stop and ask the kids what they are seeing in their movies in their heads and it has been a great exercise for them all.
I am having such a blast this year, and your children are to thank for it. It is a most wonderful group, indeed!
Have a wonderful weekend,
~B
I hope you all heard lots of great stories about the hike last week. I was sorry to miss it but I know the kids had a great time.
Sorry about the possibly perceived preachy/lecturey tone of what is going to follow, but recent events in class call for me to ask you for some assistance.
I talked about this some time ago is a previous blog post but many of you are new to my class so I'll reiterate a point I'd like to ask you to support. It is election season. The general public has some big feelings about the candidates one way or the other. I can't do anything about this. However, recently, kids have been coming in using some pretty hurtful language about candidates running for president, leading to some hurt feelings. It is my belief, and one that is emphasized at our school, that because we disagree doesn't make someone bad or good. It means we have something to learn from one another. This connects directly to our young ones, as they are always trying to see the world in black and white. They are too young and not ready to understand the immense amount of grey involved in the world, in this case presidential politics and policy. I ask you to please make sure that if you are choosing to discuss politics with your child that you make it clear that because you disagree with someone's views that it doesn't make them a bad person. People can disagree and still be friends.
On a another note, I have had kids coming in and asking about clowns at school. In case you haven't heard, there are people dressing as clowns and doing some pranks and scaring of people. It is one of those viral things that will pass with time. In the meantime, however, I would appreciate some filtering of this kind of information to kids. One student came in talking about his parent's Facebook messages about the clowns and it affected some kids in class. It scared them. Your help is appreciated in being the person discerning what information is appropriate for your child to know about.
Back to the other work at hand...
We have all been working hard in class and we have finished all of our reading assessments. The kids are going to be put in groups to start working on specific skills next week. Some groups will be primarily working on word-solving strategies, some working on reading fluency to build their reading rate, others will be working on comprehension. There is a lot to learn!
In Writer's Workshop we are working on books that are called "All About Me" ABC books. It has been a real blast reading about how kids see and describe themselves. They are concentrating on their handwriting as well as thinking about the words that best describe them. They are going to be looking at ways that they are same and different to other things as well. We will be using Venn Diagrams as one of the tools to do this work.
We have continued to work on our weather chart and next week will be charting the shortening of the days. We will work on our observation skills as well at our observation table. We will also be having a station where we can carry out an investigation, next week we will be weighing.
We are reading the Minpins in read-aloud. Ask your child about the story, it is a Roald Dahl classic. We are working on making a movie in our minds when a book is read to us. We stop and ask the kids what they are seeing in their movies in their heads and it has been a great exercise for them all.
I am having such a blast this year, and your children are to thank for it. It is a most wonderful group, indeed!
Have a wonderful weekend,
~B
Friday, September 23, 2016
Last week of summer, first week of fall!
Hey Fantastic Families!
I hope the last two weeks of summer have treated you well and it was wonderful seeing you all at Open House this week. It's not the best time to get information from me so if you'd like to continue any discussion anytime, let me know. I am available for before school meetings most any day of the week, should I get adequate heads-up. I'm always glad to sit and touch base.
In literacy, we have started partner reading and are working to get the hang of it. It can be tempting to chat about things other than books when sitting with a friend! We will also be introducing listening to reading on the computer as well. We use a program called Tumblebooks, should you want to investigate it. We will also be starting reading groups on a regular basis once we are finished our reading assessments, next week.
In Writer's Workshop we have begun our discussions about sentences and what they are. The kids are really getting the hang of noticing when a sentence does not make sense, which is the first step. You have to know that it doesn't sound right before you know it isn't written correctly. We are also continuing our hard work on our handwriting. It is our goal in the 1/2 this week to make sure that the kids are really solid on these foundational skills before embarking on formal writing pieces.
We will begin our study about light and sound waves in the coming weeks as well in science. We will also be starting to rotate through some science centers in the morning that involve the weather, investigating a physical science question and an observation station. The kids have been practicing reading a thermometer and graphing the weather each day. They are making some great progress!
I think that's about it for now. Again, never hesitate to get in touch about celebration, questions or concerns.
Enjoy the start of autumn,
~B
I hope the last two weeks of summer have treated you well and it was wonderful seeing you all at Open House this week. It's not the best time to get information from me so if you'd like to continue any discussion anytime, let me know. I am available for before school meetings most any day of the week, should I get adequate heads-up. I'm always glad to sit and touch base.
In literacy, we have started partner reading and are working to get the hang of it. It can be tempting to chat about things other than books when sitting with a friend! We will also be introducing listening to reading on the computer as well. We use a program called Tumblebooks, should you want to investigate it. We will also be starting reading groups on a regular basis once we are finished our reading assessments, next week.
In Writer's Workshop we have begun our discussions about sentences and what they are. The kids are really getting the hang of noticing when a sentence does not make sense, which is the first step. You have to know that it doesn't sound right before you know it isn't written correctly. We are also continuing our hard work on our handwriting. It is our goal in the 1/2 this week to make sure that the kids are really solid on these foundational skills before embarking on formal writing pieces.
We will begin our study about light and sound waves in the coming weeks as well in science. We will also be starting to rotate through some science centers in the morning that involve the weather, investigating a physical science question and an observation station. The kids have been practicing reading a thermometer and graphing the weather each day. They are making some great progress!
I think that's about it for now. Again, never hesitate to get in touch about celebration, questions or concerns.
Enjoy the start of autumn,
~B
Friday, September 9, 2016
Week 2 News
Happy Friday, everyone! We have continued to have a wonderful time in our class getting to know one another, getting familiar with our surroundings and schedule, and building great work habits. The kids and I are having a ball!
In literacy we have introduced two of our choices, reading-to-self and writing. We have been able to build up to 15 minutes of each and are working on transitions between choices. We are working our stamina up to 1 total hour. Next week we will be practicing partner reading.
We are about to kick off our annual fall assessments, so please try your best to make sure that your kids are rested and ready to go. We do a phonological assessment (for some students), a reading assessments, math assessments, an upper and lower case letter name/sound assessment and a spelling assessment. We make sure to spread these out so as not to tire the kids out and to avoid losing as much instructional time as possible. We will be able to talk about any of this information at any time after it is done, should you want to, as well as at parent/teacher conferences.
In Writer's workshop we are continuing our work on handwriting as well as responding to a choice of books that we have done for read-aloud. The kids are enjoying doing this work and are working hard at it. We will discussing and practicing sentence writing next week as well. The goal is to see kids making the connection between the work they are doing in their handwriting and their independent writing. I will be starting to differentiate during this time to work with smaller groups on more discreet skills that are germane to their current skills. Right now I am getting a read on their needs and ho best to meet them.
We will begin morning science tables next week. My plan is to have them rotate through three science tables, one per week and then resetting the activities after the third week. We will have a weather station, observation station and a inquiry/investigation table. They will do these jobs 2-3x per week. We will be learning how to do these stations one at a time and then splitting up the groups and rotating weekly.
Next week we will continue our work in building our class atmosphere, talking about Rumney CARES as well as activities that build our cohesion as a group and classroom expectations. I always find that giving the class a couple of weeks before getting into this work is helpful, as we need to know one another a bit before entering this work, as trust and knowledge of one another, albeit just a small bit, helps. Even without this work, the kids have been doing a great job. Chris and I have been so pleased with how these kids treat one another.
As always, be in touch with any celebrations, questions or concerns.
Enjoy your weekend!
~B
In literacy we have introduced two of our choices, reading-to-self and writing. We have been able to build up to 15 minutes of each and are working on transitions between choices. We are working our stamina up to 1 total hour. Next week we will be practicing partner reading.
We are about to kick off our annual fall assessments, so please try your best to make sure that your kids are rested and ready to go. We do a phonological assessment (for some students), a reading assessments, math assessments, an upper and lower case letter name/sound assessment and a spelling assessment. We make sure to spread these out so as not to tire the kids out and to avoid losing as much instructional time as possible. We will be able to talk about any of this information at any time after it is done, should you want to, as well as at parent/teacher conferences.
In Writer's workshop we are continuing our work on handwriting as well as responding to a choice of books that we have done for read-aloud. The kids are enjoying doing this work and are working hard at it. We will discussing and practicing sentence writing next week as well. The goal is to see kids making the connection between the work they are doing in their handwriting and their independent writing. I will be starting to differentiate during this time to work with smaller groups on more discreet skills that are germane to their current skills. Right now I am getting a read on their needs and ho best to meet them.
We will begin morning science tables next week. My plan is to have them rotate through three science tables, one per week and then resetting the activities after the third week. We will have a weather station, observation station and a inquiry/investigation table. They will do these jobs 2-3x per week. We will be learning how to do these stations one at a time and then splitting up the groups and rotating weekly.
Next week we will continue our work in building our class atmosphere, talking about Rumney CARES as well as activities that build our cohesion as a group and classroom expectations. I always find that giving the class a couple of weeks before getting into this work is helpful, as we need to know one another a bit before entering this work, as trust and knowledge of one another, albeit just a small bit, helps. Even without this work, the kids have been doing a great job. Chris and I have been so pleased with how these kids treat one another.
As always, be in touch with any celebrations, questions or concerns.
Enjoy your weekend!
~B
Friday, September 2, 2016
Week One News!
Hello, Everyone!
I hope you and your child have had many rich discussions about their first week in school. From my perspective, it has been such a wonderful, calm start to the year.
We are easing into our literacy block, revisiting expectations as well as practicing. We use a modified "Daily 5" model. You can find more information about the Daily 5 here:
https://www.thedailycafe.com/daily-5
We have been practicing read-to self time and the kids are doing a great job. We have discussed the concept of "good fit" books and where to find them in the room as well as how to know if they are indeed a "good fit". We will be introducing more and more components of the literacy structure over the next few weeks.
Rumney CARES is an important part of our school philosophy and we have begin to talk about the different components. We have introduced greetings and games during morning meeting and throughout the day to build the cohesion in the group. The kids are learning the names of their classmates and laughing together. This feels like a great place to start.
We will also be starting science stations in the morning. The kids will be beginner meteorologists, observers and experimenters. I look forward to slowly rolling these out and having kids practice these skills. Also, I will be bringing in clay from my house for the kids to start exploring. The cool part about this clay is that we can form it, let it dry and fire it. When it is fired, it turns orange due to the ferric nature of the clay on my property. If you are a potter at home, I welcome you to get some and try it out!
I teach first grade math and the kids have been settling into our schedule and working hard on counting, stretching their brain, and doing some work with dot cluster cards. We will be launching into using cuisenaire rods and place value/adding 1 in the coming weeks. I love watching their math skills emerge!
As always, folks, please get in touch with me about celebrations, questions or concerns. I always enjoy talking to you all! I also invite you to check out the new Rumney Website. Don't forget to do your Rumney Family Handbook scavenger hunt!
Thanks for a great week, and I look forward to many more!
~B
I hope you and your child have had many rich discussions about their first week in school. From my perspective, it has been such a wonderful, calm start to the year.
We are easing into our literacy block, revisiting expectations as well as practicing. We use a modified "Daily 5" model. You can find more information about the Daily 5 here:
https://www.thedailycafe.com/daily-5
We have been practicing read-to self time and the kids are doing a great job. We have discussed the concept of "good fit" books and where to find them in the room as well as how to know if they are indeed a "good fit". We will be introducing more and more components of the literacy structure over the next few weeks.
Rumney CARES is an important part of our school philosophy and we have begin to talk about the different components. We have introduced greetings and games during morning meeting and throughout the day to build the cohesion in the group. The kids are learning the names of their classmates and laughing together. This feels like a great place to start.
We will also be starting science stations in the morning. The kids will be beginner meteorologists, observers and experimenters. I look forward to slowly rolling these out and having kids practice these skills. Also, I will be bringing in clay from my house for the kids to start exploring. The cool part about this clay is that we can form it, let it dry and fire it. When it is fired, it turns orange due to the ferric nature of the clay on my property. If you are a potter at home, I welcome you to get some and try it out!
I teach first grade math and the kids have been settling into our schedule and working hard on counting, stretching their brain, and doing some work with dot cluster cards. We will be launching into using cuisenaire rods and place value/adding 1 in the coming weeks. I love watching their math skills emerge!
As always, folks, please get in touch with me about celebrations, questions or concerns. I always enjoy talking to you all! I also invite you to check out the new Rumney Website. Don't forget to do your Rumney Family Handbook scavenger hunt!
Thanks for a great week, and I look forward to many more!
~B
Monday, August 22, 2016
Hello Wonderful Middlesex Families!
I am really looking forward to our upcoming school year! We have lots to learn about the world around us and ourselves and I can't wait to start our journey together. We have a beautiful number of students in our classrooms and this gives me the ability to better serve their important and varied needs.
I am looking forward to re-introducing studio art time and getting kids working on various projects that are art and construction related, tied to planning and journaling and seeing them develop their core academic subjects as well.
Our first day of school is next Monday, the 29th, and the kids will have a full week of school. If you haven't yet, now may be a good time to get back on the school schedule to try to alleviate as much back-to-school drag as possible. I will be providing ample time for kids to rest in the afternoons in the first couple of weeks, recognizing that this transition back can be tiring, especially for our younger students. Please make sure you have solid lunch and snack plans for your child so they know what to do. If you feel like they are foggy about it, write me a note or drop an email to let me know their plans. Any afterschool plans need to go through the front office.
On the first day, please make sure your child brings in a spare set of clothes fit for any season and anything they'd like to share about their summer. We'll be doing some of that on the first couple of days as we ease into the year.
The students will be getting folders on their first day with LOTS of important information. Make sure to look at everything, fill out the paperwork as quickly as possible and get it back to school. Since picture day is September 1st, it is really important to get that information back to school. Otherwise, picture make-up day is going to be mighty busy!
I will be updating our schedule and other parts of the blog as the week goes on, so if you see something dated or not functioning, wait a bit or drop me an email at bweiss@u32.org. I'll try to help you out in any way I can!
I'll be writing more over the next week or so and I'll notify you via email about blog updates for anything you need to know.
Be in touch any time and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Warmly,
Ben
I am really looking forward to our upcoming school year! We have lots to learn about the world around us and ourselves and I can't wait to start our journey together. We have a beautiful number of students in our classrooms and this gives me the ability to better serve their important and varied needs.
I am looking forward to re-introducing studio art time and getting kids working on various projects that are art and construction related, tied to planning and journaling and seeing them develop their core academic subjects as well.
Our first day of school is next Monday, the 29th, and the kids will have a full week of school. If you haven't yet, now may be a good time to get back on the school schedule to try to alleviate as much back-to-school drag as possible. I will be providing ample time for kids to rest in the afternoons in the first couple of weeks, recognizing that this transition back can be tiring, especially for our younger students. Please make sure you have solid lunch and snack plans for your child so they know what to do. If you feel like they are foggy about it, write me a note or drop an email to let me know their plans. Any afterschool plans need to go through the front office.
On the first day, please make sure your child brings in a spare set of clothes fit for any season and anything they'd like to share about their summer. We'll be doing some of that on the first couple of days as we ease into the year.
The students will be getting folders on their first day with LOTS of important information. Make sure to look at everything, fill out the paperwork as quickly as possible and get it back to school. Since picture day is September 1st, it is really important to get that information back to school. Otherwise, picture make-up day is going to be mighty busy!
I will be updating our schedule and other parts of the blog as the week goes on, so if you see something dated or not functioning, wait a bit or drop me an email at bweiss@u32.org. I'll try to help you out in any way I can!
I'll be writing more over the next week or so and I'll notify you via email about blog updates for anything you need to know.
Be in touch any time and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Warmly,
Ben
Friday, June 3, 2016
The End of the Year is Approaching!
Hey Wonderful Families,
I hope this letter finds you well. The kids are having a great end to the last days of school what with the play, projects, and end of the year field trips.
The kids are finishing up their wonderful writing pieces and covers. They should be so pleased with their final results. I can't wait for you to see them, sometime next week. These writing pieces are a great representation of the progress they have made on their writing skills this year.
As far as field trips, we have a couple coming up:
1. Shady Rill
2. Field Day at Wrightsville
I hope this letter finds you well. The kids are having a great end to the last days of school what with the play, projects, and end of the year field trips.
The kids are finishing up their wonderful writing pieces and covers. They should be so pleased with their final results. I can't wait for you to see them, sometime next week. These writing pieces are a great representation of the progress they have made on their writing skills this year.
As far as field trips, we have a couple coming up:
1. Shady Rill
- Leaving at 11, walking down. Taking a bus back, returning at 3:15
- Bring a lunch or order one from school (you did this on the permission slip)
- Scheduled date:6-9, Rain date: 6-14
2. Field Day at Wrightsville
- Leaving at 9:30, returning at 3:20, all by bus
- Lunch is coordinated by class, you should have received a yellow slip indicating what we're asking you to provide. Some of you are not being asked to send in anything.
- Kids signed up for a hot dog, hamburger, or veggie burger. We encouraged kids to sign up for one, even if they usually get cold lunch to ensure that there is enough for everyone.
- Scheduled date: 6-10, Rain date:6-13
We are finishing up our end of year assessments and the kids have been doing a great job with our crazy schedule and being pulled out of things to complete them.
If you need any information, have any questions or need new permission slips, let me know.
Have a great weekend!
~B
Friday, May 20, 2016
Plays, Pond, and Plenty More!
Hey All,
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying our beautiful spring weather. The kids are certainly feeling the wonderful weather as well! I hope that you all get a chance to make it to our amazing Spring Fair at Rumney tomorrow, 10-2. Our fantastic PTO has put together a great collection of activities and opportunities for people to help support our wonderful school. A huge thanks to them for making our school a better place!
We went to the frog pond and the kids did some great observations on what they saw. There are some kids in our room who see things I never would have! We then drew pictures of our habitats at our houses. We barely started to then talk about Venn-Diagrams and how they are useful tools in comparing things and started to use that tool to compare these two habitats. They made lots of great observations.
The stage for the plays has made the annual entrance into our room and the kids had a great time exploring it. We talked about the expectations around it and we all appear to be on the same page. As for the plays, they are next Thursday, the 26th. We will have two showings, one at 10:45 and one at 2:15. After the 2:15 performance we usually do a cast party. If you'd like to volunteer to send something in, it would be appreciated. Let me know what you are thinking via email so that I can make sure we aren't too loaded with any one thing. Please make sure that all food sent in are gluten, egg, nut, and dairy free.
In Writer's Workshop the kids have been working on their information writing. We are working on revisions and making sure that we are filling our books with lots of facts. Their final products are shaping up to be a great representation of their amazing progress in writing. I can't wait for you all to see their finished products. They will also do some form of a visual products as well for the animal they studied.
Ms. T and I have decided to bring our classes down to the Shady Rill picnic area toward the end of the year. We have blocked out June 9th and 14th as possible days that work. We are open to as many chaperones as possible and will be walking down from school around 11:00. We'll have a picnic lunch and then enjoy the afternoon by playing in the brook and playing large and small group games.
Please be in touch if you have any questions about this busy time of year.
Enjoy the fair!
~B
Dates to Remember
Thursday May 26th -- Ben's class plays 10:45 and 2:15 showtimes
Friday May 27th -- Book Buddies Field Trip at U-32
Monday May 30 -- NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)
Friday June 3rd -- Mrs. Fox's class plays 2pm
*NEW* June 9th (14th raindate) 1/2 River Day at Shady Rill
Wednesday June 15th -- The Last Day of School (1/2 Day)
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying our beautiful spring weather. The kids are certainly feeling the wonderful weather as well! I hope that you all get a chance to make it to our amazing Spring Fair at Rumney tomorrow, 10-2. Our fantastic PTO has put together a great collection of activities and opportunities for people to help support our wonderful school. A huge thanks to them for making our school a better place!
We went to the frog pond and the kids did some great observations on what they saw. There are some kids in our room who see things I never would have! We then drew pictures of our habitats at our houses. We barely started to then talk about Venn-Diagrams and how they are useful tools in comparing things and started to use that tool to compare these two habitats. They made lots of great observations.
The stage for the plays has made the annual entrance into our room and the kids had a great time exploring it. We talked about the expectations around it and we all appear to be on the same page. As for the plays, they are next Thursday, the 26th. We will have two showings, one at 10:45 and one at 2:15. After the 2:15 performance we usually do a cast party. If you'd like to volunteer to send something in, it would be appreciated. Let me know what you are thinking via email so that I can make sure we aren't too loaded with any one thing. Please make sure that all food sent in are gluten, egg, nut, and dairy free.
In Writer's Workshop the kids have been working on their information writing. We are working on revisions and making sure that we are filling our books with lots of facts. Their final products are shaping up to be a great representation of their amazing progress in writing. I can't wait for you all to see their finished products. They will also do some form of a visual products as well for the animal they studied.
Ms. T and I have decided to bring our classes down to the Shady Rill picnic area toward the end of the year. We have blocked out June 9th and 14th as possible days that work. We are open to as many chaperones as possible and will be walking down from school around 11:00. We'll have a picnic lunch and then enjoy the afternoon by playing in the brook and playing large and small group games.
Please be in touch if you have any questions about this busy time of year.
Enjoy the fair!
~B
Dates to Remember
Thursday May 26th -- Ben's class plays 10:45 and 2:15 showtimes
Friday May 27th -- Book Buddies Field Trip at U-32
Monday May 30 -- NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)
Friday June 3rd -- Mrs. Fox's class plays 2pm
*NEW* June 9th (14th raindate) 1/2 River Day at Shady Rill
Wednesday June 15th -- The Last Day of School (1/2 Day)
Friday, May 6, 2016
Green Up!
Hey Folks,
First and foremost, I'd like to extend my thanks to our amazing PTO. The PTO helps to put on amazing programs for our students here at school and helps it become a more rich and vibrant place to learn and work. Thank you all for your support, I know I couldn't do my job without it.
Also... It was a great a end to our week! We got to write some cards, do some Greening Up outside, and had a great 4 Winds activity on nests. The kids got to end their work with smiles on their faces, which is a great goal to have at this end of the year, when emotions and energy run so hot.
The kids have continued their amazing work on their information writing pieces. They are assembling their books to have the correct number of pages and we have started to talk about the editing process to ensure that the work that goes into their books is their best work. We talked about how it is a great gift to look at your first and second grade work years down the road and how it brings you back...
In literacy, we are looking toward the end of the year. The kids are making their last pushes and gains toward making the end of grade benchmarks for spelling, reading and writing. No matter how your child fares on these assessments, please remember that they are only 7 and 8 years old, after all. Development in academic and social areas happens in a varied way. Grades and seasons are not black and white indicators of where children should be in their learning progression. Learning and skill acquisition happens on a broad spectrum, and I have been happy with all of their progress.
In Science, we are reading a big book about tadpoles and we are planning on doing some near-Rumney field trips to the frog pond and practicing how to observe, draw, and label what they see. We will also be trying to do some work on erosion to cap it all off. Time is fleeting...
We have started working on our plays and poems as well. The kids are seriously excited about this work. If you'd like a script for home to practice, please let me know. We will be working on our sets and props over the next couple of weeks.
As always, be in touch with anything on your mind.
Enjoy your well-deserved Mother's Day!
~B
Dates to Remember
Friday May 13th -- Field Trip to see "Henry and Mudge" at the Flynn Theater
Thursday May 19th -- All School Meeting 2:30 (Primary Singers performing!)
Thursday May 26th -- Ben's class plays
Friday May 27th -- Book Buddies Field Trip at U-32
Monday May 30 -- NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)
Friday June 3rd -- Mrs. Fox's class plays 2pm
Wednesday June 15th -- The Last Day of School (1/2 Day)
First and foremost, I'd like to extend my thanks to our amazing PTO. The PTO helps to put on amazing programs for our students here at school and helps it become a more rich and vibrant place to learn and work. Thank you all for your support, I know I couldn't do my job without it.
Also... It was a great a end to our week! We got to write some cards, do some Greening Up outside, and had a great 4 Winds activity on nests. The kids got to end their work with smiles on their faces, which is a great goal to have at this end of the year, when emotions and energy run so hot.
The kids have continued their amazing work on their information writing pieces. They are assembling their books to have the correct number of pages and we have started to talk about the editing process to ensure that the work that goes into their books is their best work. We talked about how it is a great gift to look at your first and second grade work years down the road and how it brings you back...
In literacy, we are looking toward the end of the year. The kids are making their last pushes and gains toward making the end of grade benchmarks for spelling, reading and writing. No matter how your child fares on these assessments, please remember that they are only 7 and 8 years old, after all. Development in academic and social areas happens in a varied way. Grades and seasons are not black and white indicators of where children should be in their learning progression. Learning and skill acquisition happens on a broad spectrum, and I have been happy with all of their progress.
In Science, we are reading a big book about tadpoles and we are planning on doing some near-Rumney field trips to the frog pond and practicing how to observe, draw, and label what they see. We will also be trying to do some work on erosion to cap it all off. Time is fleeting...
We have started working on our plays and poems as well. The kids are seriously excited about this work. If you'd like a script for home to practice, please let me know. We will be working on our sets and props over the next couple of weeks.
As always, be in touch with anything on your mind.
Enjoy your well-deserved Mother's Day!
~B
Dates to Remember
Friday May 13th -- Field Trip to see "Henry and Mudge" at the Flynn Theater
Thursday May 19th -- All School Meeting 2:30 (Primary Singers performing!)
Thursday May 26th -- Ben's class plays
Friday May 27th -- Book Buddies Field Trip at U-32
Monday May 30 -- NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)
Friday June 3rd -- Mrs. Fox's class plays 2pm
Wednesday June 15th -- The Last Day of School (1/2 Day)
Friday, April 29, 2016
Post Break Push!
Hey Lovely Families,
It has been a great week back from vacation. The kids appear to have grown quite a bit over just the past few days! We are geared up for the final push and we have lots to do!
We are currently working on our class plays, which the kids got scripts for. They all know which parts they are doing and are totally excited about it. A few kids have also chosen to recite some poetry instead of/including being in a play. I am really looking forward to seeing them display their wide range of abilities. Ask your child about what they are choosing to do.
In Writer's Workshop the kids are continuing their work on their information pieces. They will be creating visuals to go along with their writing as well, which we will be working on in the next few few weeks. Some kids are going the extra mile and are also working on doing an independent project. There are some really motivated learners in this group!
We had a great assembly this week with the Drumsticks group coming to perform. The kids were motivated drummers after the performance, and it was fun to revisit again to talk about and practice the different parts they learned. Also, our trip to Henry and Mudge is coming up. If you haven't heard from me, it means that you were not picked to be a chaperone. No offense intended, and I wish we could take more but we already had 4 teachers going which means we only had 3 parent tickets. Sorry!
In science we are going to do some work on habitats in the coming weeks. We will look at the vernal pool that is in the woods, the woods in general, and also will be looking at the stream across the road. We will be discussing the different features of these habitats and how they support different kinds of organisms and animals. Ahh, the outdoor classroom!
Again, as always, be in touch with comments, questions, or concerns.
Enjoy the weekend,
~B
Dates to Remember
Friday May 13th -- Field Trip to see "Henry and Mudge" at the Flynn Theater
Thursday May 19th -- All School Meeting 2:30 (Primary Singers performing!)
Thursday May 26th -- Ben's class plays
Friday May 27th -- Book Buddies Field Trip at U-32
Monday May 30 -- NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)
Friday June 3rd -- Mrs. Fox's class plays 2pm
Wednesday June 15th -- The Last Day of School (1/2 Day)
It has been a great week back from vacation. The kids appear to have grown quite a bit over just the past few days! We are geared up for the final push and we have lots to do!
We are currently working on our class plays, which the kids got scripts for. They all know which parts they are doing and are totally excited about it. A few kids have also chosen to recite some poetry instead of/including being in a play. I am really looking forward to seeing them display their wide range of abilities. Ask your child about what they are choosing to do.
In Writer's Workshop the kids are continuing their work on their information pieces. They will be creating visuals to go along with their writing as well, which we will be working on in the next few few weeks. Some kids are going the extra mile and are also working on doing an independent project. There are some really motivated learners in this group!
We had a great assembly this week with the Drumsticks group coming to perform. The kids were motivated drummers after the performance, and it was fun to revisit again to talk about and practice the different parts they learned. Also, our trip to Henry and Mudge is coming up. If you haven't heard from me, it means that you were not picked to be a chaperone. No offense intended, and I wish we could take more but we already had 4 teachers going which means we only had 3 parent tickets. Sorry!
In science we are going to do some work on habitats in the coming weeks. We will look at the vernal pool that is in the woods, the woods in general, and also will be looking at the stream across the road. We will be discussing the different features of these habitats and how they support different kinds of organisms and animals. Ahh, the outdoor classroom!
Again, as always, be in touch with comments, questions, or concerns.
Enjoy the weekend,
~B
Dates to Remember
Friday May 13th -- Field Trip to see "Henry and Mudge" at the Flynn Theater
Thursday May 19th -- All School Meeting 2:30 (Primary Singers performing!)
Thursday May 26th -- Ben's class plays
Friday May 27th -- Book Buddies Field Trip at U-32
Monday May 30 -- NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)
Friday June 3rd -- Mrs. Fox's class plays 2pm
Wednesday June 15th -- The Last Day of School (1/2 Day)
Friday, April 8, 2016
Willy Wonka and the Regular Goings-Ons
Hello Wonderful Families,
It has been such a great pleasure getting to talk to all about the progress and future goals for your children, and I really appreciate your insight and openness. If ever any of you need anything, be sure to let me know.
We had the pleasure of watching Willy Wonka yesterday and the kids were thoroughly amazed with their performance. The Rumney Theater program never ceases to amaze! Congratulations to all of the actors and stage helpers. There are shows on Friday night at 7, Saturday afternoon at 2 and Saturday evening at 7. Also, check out mychamplainvalley.com to see our Cool School segment. I think Mr. Rosen has a future in television!
We have started to work on next writing genre, information writing, and the kids have done a great job mapping out their ideas. They chose their topics yesterday which were animals from specific habitats. Ask your child what they are going to writing about. We are learning about the structure of these types of writing pieces as well as focusing on writing and spelling conventions.
We will be wrapping up our reading, spelling and sight word assessments after vacation, starting in mid May. Be sure to keep on reading over vacation! We want to make sure that we don't slip right before the finish line.
We are also sending home placement forms for next year. I spoke to many of you about this at conferences, and we take your input into strong consideration. We try our best to make sure all of the kids get what they need during this process and because the kids will be getting mixed up to accommodate the new 1/2 classroom, your input is appreciated.
I hope you all have a great weekend, and think spring!
~B
It has been such a great pleasure getting to talk to all about the progress and future goals for your children, and I really appreciate your insight and openness. If ever any of you need anything, be sure to let me know.
We had the pleasure of watching Willy Wonka yesterday and the kids were thoroughly amazed with their performance. The Rumney Theater program never ceases to amaze! Congratulations to all of the actors and stage helpers. There are shows on Friday night at 7, Saturday afternoon at 2 and Saturday evening at 7. Also, check out mychamplainvalley.com to see our Cool School segment. I think Mr. Rosen has a future in television!
We have started to work on next writing genre, information writing, and the kids have done a great job mapping out their ideas. They chose their topics yesterday which were animals from specific habitats. Ask your child what they are going to writing about. We are learning about the structure of these types of writing pieces as well as focusing on writing and spelling conventions.
We will be wrapping up our reading, spelling and sight word assessments after vacation, starting in mid May. Be sure to keep on reading over vacation! We want to make sure that we don't slip right before the finish line.
We are also sending home placement forms for next year. I spoke to many of you about this at conferences, and we take your input into strong consideration. We try our best to make sure all of the kids get what they need during this process and because the kids will be getting mixed up to accommodate the new 1/2 classroom, your input is appreciated.
I hope you all have a great weekend, and think spring!
~B
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Conferences, Projects and More!
Hey all,
I hope this warm weather has found you doing well. There has been a lot of sickness going around, so please be sure that your children are getting lots of rest and not getting too stretched out. The kids have been doing a fabulous job here in school, getting through the last long stretch of school in the year (can you believe it?).
We have been working hard on our land form projects and finished today, Thursday. I hope you get a chance to see them at conferences or when they come home. Speaking of which, since they are big, they will not be staying at school. I can hold onto them until the end of the day Tuesday at which time they will get recycled. I'll make sure the kids know, but please try to get a plan together to get them home by the end of the day on Tuesday. The kids will be presenting them on Monday morning during morning meeting time.
In Writer's Workshop we are going to be starting to work on some informational texts on animals in one of the habitats, related to our study on land forms. We will be focusing our work not only on the content and organization of these kinds of writing pieces but the grammar usage specific to their grade level. You can see the writing rubrics in the writing section of this blog.
Willy Wonka is being shown by our amazing Rumney theater production team. Please consider bringing your family to check it out. They never disappoint! Also, thank you to all of the parent volunteers who have helped out with boiling. The kids at Rumney get a great experience that helps them connect to the land under their feet. Not many public schools, elementary schools especially, provide their students with this kind of opportunity.
Again, if you need, here is a link to the conferences:
http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference/
Again, I am looking forward to meeting with all of you!
~B
I hope this warm weather has found you doing well. There has been a lot of sickness going around, so please be sure that your children are getting lots of rest and not getting too stretched out. The kids have been doing a fabulous job here in school, getting through the last long stretch of school in the year (can you believe it?).
We have been working hard on our land form projects and finished today, Thursday. I hope you get a chance to see them at conferences or when they come home. Speaking of which, since they are big, they will not be staying at school. I can hold onto them until the end of the day Tuesday at which time they will get recycled. I'll make sure the kids know, but please try to get a plan together to get them home by the end of the day on Tuesday. The kids will be presenting them on Monday morning during morning meeting time.
In Writer's Workshop we are going to be starting to work on some informational texts on animals in one of the habitats, related to our study on land forms. We will be focusing our work not only on the content and organization of these kinds of writing pieces but the grammar usage specific to their grade level. You can see the writing rubrics in the writing section of this blog.
Willy Wonka is being shown by our amazing Rumney theater production team. Please consider bringing your family to check it out. They never disappoint! Also, thank you to all of the parent volunteers who have helped out with boiling. The kids at Rumney get a great experience that helps them connect to the land under their feet. Not many public schools, elementary schools especially, provide their students with this kind of opportunity.
Again, if you need, here is a link to the conferences:
http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference/
Again, I am looking forward to meeting with all of you!
~B
Friday, March 18, 2016
Mid March Madness!
Hey All,
Well, it looks like winter still has some fight in her! On that note, please be sure to continue to send in winter clothes with your children daily, until we give the all clear here at school. When kids don't have their outdoor gear, we see an up-tick in resistance to going outside as well as playing in the way they usually do due to the lack of appropriate clothing. Water-resistant wear (pants especially) can be a big help, especially as we get more snow and the ground continues to be wet. Thanks for your support on this.
Thanks for sending in permission slips for our trip to the Flynn in May. I know it is a long way off, but we wanted to make sure people had plenty of time to make plans and think about chaperoning. The kids are already looking forward to it, as many are reading Henry and Mudge books right now.
I am going to be boiling tomorrow down at the Rumney Sugar house. Feel free to come on down and say a quick hello when you go to the amazing Pie Breakfast! It would be lovely to see anyone who'd like to. If you can't make the breakfast, consider a donation to the Rumney PTO instead, who make so many amazing things happen in our school.
We are doing some great work in science, where kids are working on a definition book of different kinds of major land forms and designing and building a landscape or poster that shows the different features as well. They are excited about this work and are doing a great job!
It has been a real pleasure to be reading and writing with your children at literacy time. It has been so wonderful to see how their writing and reading are progressing. I am looking forward to seeing you all at conferences on April 1st, or sometime around it. In Writer's Workshop, the kids are working on their land form books and writing about their favorite land form that they have been to. I look forward to finishing up both of those next week.
Conferences: I have set up times at http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference/
Be sure to sign up for a time and if you can't find one that works for you, please be in touch.
Enjoy the pie and be sure to stop into the sugar house for a short visit on Saturday!
~B
Well, it looks like winter still has some fight in her! On that note, please be sure to continue to send in winter clothes with your children daily, until we give the all clear here at school. When kids don't have their outdoor gear, we see an up-tick in resistance to going outside as well as playing in the way they usually do due to the lack of appropriate clothing. Water-resistant wear (pants especially) can be a big help, especially as we get more snow and the ground continues to be wet. Thanks for your support on this.
Thanks for sending in permission slips for our trip to the Flynn in May. I know it is a long way off, but we wanted to make sure people had plenty of time to make plans and think about chaperoning. The kids are already looking forward to it, as many are reading Henry and Mudge books right now.
I am going to be boiling tomorrow down at the Rumney Sugar house. Feel free to come on down and say a quick hello when you go to the amazing Pie Breakfast! It would be lovely to see anyone who'd like to. If you can't make the breakfast, consider a donation to the Rumney PTO instead, who make so many amazing things happen in our school.
We are doing some great work in science, where kids are working on a definition book of different kinds of major land forms and designing and building a landscape or poster that shows the different features as well. They are excited about this work and are doing a great job!
It has been a real pleasure to be reading and writing with your children at literacy time. It has been so wonderful to see how their writing and reading are progressing. I am looking forward to seeing you all at conferences on April 1st, or sometime around it. In Writer's Workshop, the kids are working on their land form books and writing about their favorite land form that they have been to. I look forward to finishing up both of those next week.
Conferences: I have set up times at http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference/
Be sure to sign up for a time and if you can't find one that works for you, please be in touch.
Enjoy the pie and be sure to stop into the sugar house for a short visit on Saturday!
~B
Thursday, March 10, 2016
If at first you don't succeed...
Hey all,
A couple of things.
One, we will have a morning performance practice as well, starting at 10:00, if the afternoon doesn't work for you. It won't be exactly the same, probably because of some pauses and some last corrections, but it is an alternative for folks who may not be able to make the afternoon show. I don't know if other parents will be there, but I thought I'd throw out the offer.
The other is a video clip I showed the kids today. For context, it takes place in Japan and it is at an all-school performance. I talked to the kids about how in other countries, struggling and supporting one another is something that is encouraged and accepted, as shown by the video. While recognizing the cultural differences (such as encouraging the student to keep going, despite the fact he/she was crying), I think the message and lesson is a powerful one.
Drive safe on those sloppy roads!
~B
A couple of things.
One, we will have a morning performance practice as well, starting at 10:00, if the afternoon doesn't work for you. It won't be exactly the same, probably because of some pauses and some last corrections, but it is an alternative for folks who may not be able to make the afternoon show. I don't know if other parents will be there, but I thought I'd throw out the offer.
The other is a video clip I showed the kids today. For context, it takes place in Japan and it is at an all-school performance. I talked to the kids about how in other countries, struggling and supporting one another is something that is encouraged and accepted, as shown by the video. While recognizing the cultural differences (such as encouraging the student to keep going, despite the fact he/she was crying), I think the message and lesson is a powerful one.
Drive safe on those sloppy roads!
~B
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
The Circus is Coming to Town!
Hello Families!
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying our fine spring weather! The kids got a chance to go down to the sugar house and help collect sap and stack wood. The sap is really running hard! Mrs. Theresa's class went down today and collected sap and Mrs. Costello's class did as well. The buckets were filling fast!
As you might have heard, the circus is here at Rumney for our amazing residency. For our act, we will be dressing up as dogs. Please do not buy a costume, but rather help your kiddo figure out what color dog they are going to be. Please, no pink, blue, red, etc. dogs! The performance will be Friday at 2:15. Our class should be on sometime in that first 15 minutes.
Also, we had a short discussion in class about the upcoming election. Many kids are asking me about who I am voting for, which is not information I give out to students. Adult opinions are based on ideas and concepts that (hopefully) don't fit on a bumper sticker, and instead deal with social and global issues that are far beyond what is developmentally appropriate for 6,7 and 8 year olds. What we see here at school during these times is that children emulate the polarized view we have unfortunately become accustomed to. Today we had to talk a little about how people were saying hurtful things to people who were supporting one candidate or another. "Oh, my dad says he's crazy,", or "My mom says she's a liar," were two from today. The political process is confusing for young kids, who largely see this whole thing as an American Idol popularity contest. Your assistance in helping kids understand that supporting a candidate doesn't make someone inherently a bad person is a helpful message. Thanks for your support on this.
In science we are working on identifying different types of land forms and are working toward building models, maps, and drawings of them. The kids are working on making definitions for the different land forms and will be incorporating them into their projects. Our next step will be tying together different kinds of animals into their ecosystems.
Writer's Workshop work is coming along great as well. We are writing about a land form that they have been to and writing about it. It has been great to see the variety of land forms the kids have been to. You may be surprised that some of your children have been to the ice caps at the North and South pole!
As always, folks, please be in touch with any updates from home. I'm always happy to hear from you.
Enjoy early Spring!
~B
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying our fine spring weather! The kids got a chance to go down to the sugar house and help collect sap and stack wood. The sap is really running hard! Mrs. Theresa's class went down today and collected sap and Mrs. Costello's class did as well. The buckets were filling fast!
As you might have heard, the circus is here at Rumney for our amazing residency. For our act, we will be dressing up as dogs. Please do not buy a costume, but rather help your kiddo figure out what color dog they are going to be. Please, no pink, blue, red, etc. dogs! The performance will be Friday at 2:15. Our class should be on sometime in that first 15 minutes.
Also, we had a short discussion in class about the upcoming election. Many kids are asking me about who I am voting for, which is not information I give out to students. Adult opinions are based on ideas and concepts that (hopefully) don't fit on a bumper sticker, and instead deal with social and global issues that are far beyond what is developmentally appropriate for 6,7 and 8 year olds. What we see here at school during these times is that children emulate the polarized view we have unfortunately become accustomed to. Today we had to talk a little about how people were saying hurtful things to people who were supporting one candidate or another. "Oh, my dad says he's crazy,", or "My mom says she's a liar," were two from today. The political process is confusing for young kids, who largely see this whole thing as an American Idol popularity contest. Your assistance in helping kids understand that supporting a candidate doesn't make someone inherently a bad person is a helpful message. Thanks for your support on this.
In science we are working on identifying different types of land forms and are working toward building models, maps, and drawings of them. The kids are working on making definitions for the different land forms and will be incorporating them into their projects. Our next step will be tying together different kinds of animals into their ecosystems.
Writer's Workshop work is coming along great as well. We are writing about a land form that they have been to and writing about it. It has been great to see the variety of land forms the kids have been to. You may be surprised that some of your children have been to the ice caps at the North and South pole!
As always, folks, please be in touch with any updates from home. I'm always happy to hear from you.
Enjoy early Spring!
~B
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Getting ready for winter to begin!
Hey all,
We'll be starting to build some of our land forms this week before putting together big models for the kids to display their knowledge. They'll be writing, reading and creating to build our content knowledge about this subject.
Here are the NGSS here that we will be covering:
http://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/ngss/files/2%20combined%20topics%206.11.13.pdf
This will be it before break, folks. It has been a great stretch since I have been back. I have you and your kids to thank. So, thank you. Have a wonderful time with your families, and I look forward to seeing your children's bright sunny faces when we get back from break.
Best,
~B
This was a great way to (almost!) end last week! We have lots of thanks to give to our AMAZING PTO for their amazing efforts to make our school the best place it can be for our kids. Through their hard work, we get to have amazing residency programs for our kids and many other great learning opportunities! Thanks so much from this appreciative staff member!
Kids are working steadily on their writing at Writer's Workshop. This week we did a handwriting check-in and I'll be look over them this weekend. Next week we'll do a refresher course as well as having handwriting sheets to practice. We also have started an opinion writing prompt piece for us to check in and see how the kids are doing with their organization, handwriting, and use of complex language.
We'll finish our read aloud this week, the epic tale of Moomintroll, the first moomin to live through a winter. We'll begin our new read-aloud after break. The kids are so much fun to read to! I am looking forward to our many discussions about the next book we read.
In science, we have started to learn about land forms. We used the Smartboard as an introduction to the unit and the kids enjoyed it a lot.
Check it out here:
http://www.learningliftoff.com/1st-grade-science-activity-spot-landforms/#.VsSbFPkrLIU
We'll be starting to build some of our land forms this week before putting together big models for the kids to display their knowledge. They'll be writing, reading and creating to build our content knowledge about this subject.
Here are the NGSS here that we will be covering:
http://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/ngss/files/2%20combined%20topics%206.11.13.pdf
This will be it before break, folks. It has been a great stretch since I have been back. I have you and your kids to thank. So, thank you. Have a wonderful time with your families, and I look forward to seeing your children's bright sunny faces when we get back from break.
Best,
~B
Thursday, February 4, 2016
February, or March? The weather is confusing me!
Sorry for the long break, folks. Life has become infinitely more complicated... Thanks for understanding. It has been messy outside, so thank you ahead of time for sending your children in with the appropriate clothing for outdoor recess. We try to get them outside as often as possible.
Well, we have really settled down into our old routines and are working hard in class. The kids are all finding their strides and settling in. Today was one of the best literacy times we have had this year. The kids were focused and worked super hard.They are continuing to work on their sight words, writing and reading. Check in with your child to see what they are reading and writing about, as well as which sight words they are working on reading and spelling. Watching them continue to grow is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.
In Writer's Workshop we have been working on our opinion writing pieces. Yesterday we started to write about some bus topics, which continue to be a hot topic. More to come about the buses below... Next week, the kids are going to do a writing prompt to show what they know about this kind of writing. They will have three options to choose from and the use of the graphic organizer that we are using in class to help them in their work. It will not be timed to help alleviate stress and anxiety. We are only interested in seeing their best work! We will be looking at spelling conventions, organization, handwriting, and content when looking at their writing.
Next week in science, we will be starting our unit on the landscape around us and how it changes. We will be discussing and looking at different kinds of land forms and how the weather changes them. I always look forward to the melting snow in this unit when the river runs behind the school toward the parking lot and makes its own path!
We have been talking a lot about the bus in our class, as this continues to be a time in the day that is often challenging, scary, and unpredictable. We have been doing writing around this problem, talking about this problem, and encouraging people to solve these problems on their won by using Rumney CARES. That said, if your child comes home with bus issues, please get in touch with Mr. Rosen or I. We are committed to making our buses good places for our kids and it will happen faster with your help. The school has started making steps by assigning seats, but it is only a start.
I hope you got to look at your child's report card. Please be in touch if you want to meet and discuss it or if you have any questions. I am always happy to meet and talk about anything.
I think that's about it for now. Please be in touch if anything comes up.
Warmly,
~B
Well, we have really settled down into our old routines and are working hard in class. The kids are all finding their strides and settling in. Today was one of the best literacy times we have had this year. The kids were focused and worked super hard.They are continuing to work on their sight words, writing and reading. Check in with your child to see what they are reading and writing about, as well as which sight words they are working on reading and spelling. Watching them continue to grow is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.
In Writer's Workshop we have been working on our opinion writing pieces. Yesterday we started to write about some bus topics, which continue to be a hot topic. More to come about the buses below... Next week, the kids are going to do a writing prompt to show what they know about this kind of writing. They will have three options to choose from and the use of the graphic organizer that we are using in class to help them in their work. It will not be timed to help alleviate stress and anxiety. We are only interested in seeing their best work! We will be looking at spelling conventions, organization, handwriting, and content when looking at their writing.
Next week in science, we will be starting our unit on the landscape around us and how it changes. We will be discussing and looking at different kinds of land forms and how the weather changes them. I always look forward to the melting snow in this unit when the river runs behind the school toward the parking lot and makes its own path!
We have been talking a lot about the bus in our class, as this continues to be a time in the day that is often challenging, scary, and unpredictable. We have been doing writing around this problem, talking about this problem, and encouraging people to solve these problems on their won by using Rumney CARES. That said, if your child comes home with bus issues, please get in touch with Mr. Rosen or I. We are committed to making our buses good places for our kids and it will happen faster with your help. The school has started making steps by assigning seats, but it is only a start.
I hope you got to look at your child's report card. Please be in touch if you want to meet and discuss it or if you have any questions. I am always happy to meet and talk about anything.
I think that's about it for now. Please be in touch if anything comes up.
Warmly,
~B
Sunday, January 10, 2016
First Week Back!
Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and have had a great start to the new year. Things in the room are off to a fine start.
We have anew friend in our class, and I welcome you to welcome her when you some in and see a new face. The kids are such a welcoming and open bunch and are a great job opening up their hearts and room. It always is so telling when you see kids respond to changes in this sort of way.
In literacy, we had a good week of reviewing expectations for our times. We have made new table groups and we will be reviewing how best to use our time next week in a structured and sequential way. Kids who demonstrate that they can use their time well will be given more independence sooner. Some kids will need more practice, other kids a lot less. The goal is to give kids what they need, which is one of our Rumney sayings ("At Rumney you get what you need"). I've found that some kids need some more practice on how best to use their independent work time, and this will give them that opportunity.
We have started to read Moomintroll Midwinter for our read-aloud. It is full of great descriptive language and playful characters. The kids are enjoying the story, given that it takes place in the winter, too!
We will also begin writing our first persuasive writing pieces this week. The kids are all going to be working from a template to help organize their thoughts. We'll be writing one together as well as discussing the purpose of this kind of writing.
I will be conducting reading assessments on Monday as well as the following week. I am looking forward to seeing the summative data on how the kids are progressing in their reading and what that means for their instruction as we move toward the end of the year.
We started Winter Wellness Fridays last week and it was a big hit! The kids all did a great job in our skating group. If you have plans for your child that involves being picked up from our activities, please give Sorsha a big heads-up. It helps cut down on confusion and kids being worried. Thanks for the help on this!
Again, it's really good to be back and it has been great seeing all of your children's smiling faces. As always, be in touch if you need anything.
Best,
~B
We have anew friend in our class, and I welcome you to welcome her when you some in and see a new face. The kids are such a welcoming and open bunch and are a great job opening up their hearts and room. It always is so telling when you see kids respond to changes in this sort of way.
In literacy, we had a good week of reviewing expectations for our times. We have made new table groups and we will be reviewing how best to use our time next week in a structured and sequential way. Kids who demonstrate that they can use their time well will be given more independence sooner. Some kids will need more practice, other kids a lot less. The goal is to give kids what they need, which is one of our Rumney sayings ("At Rumney you get what you need"). I've found that some kids need some more practice on how best to use their independent work time, and this will give them that opportunity.
We have started to read Moomintroll Midwinter for our read-aloud. It is full of great descriptive language and playful characters. The kids are enjoying the story, given that it takes place in the winter, too!
We will also begin writing our first persuasive writing pieces this week. The kids are all going to be working from a template to help organize their thoughts. We'll be writing one together as well as discussing the purpose of this kind of writing.
I will be conducting reading assessments on Monday as well as the following week. I am looking forward to seeing the summative data on how the kids are progressing in their reading and what that means for their instruction as we move toward the end of the year.
We started Winter Wellness Fridays last week and it was a big hit! The kids all did a great job in our skating group. If you have plans for your child that involves being picked up from our activities, please give Sorsha a big heads-up. It helps cut down on confusion and kids being worried. Thanks for the help on this!
Again, it's really good to be back and it has been great seeing all of your children's smiling faces. As always, be in touch if you need anything.
Best,
~B
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