Tomorrow Reminder

Hey Folks,

A friendly reminder that you are all invited to my house from 10:00am to 12:00 tomorrow, Friday to collect clay out of the brook behind my house. We'll probably do some playing on the lawn before heading down in case you get there a bit later. The forecast is not totally friendly, so dress appropriately.

If you get to the house and we are nowhere to be found, walk out the the barn out back and hang a right, heading to the back corner of the field. Look for the orange tractor and listen for kids playing in the water. Because the water may be a bit high, the tractor may be elsewhere where we can find the clay easier. Just look for the tractor at the edge of the field and we'll be close(ish) by.

If you can, bring digging materials and buckets to store clay. I have some stuff but not enough for everyone.

Directions:

Route 12 North from Montpelier
Welcome to Worcester sign on your right in the field after you travel by the ledges
Black mailbox on the left as you crest the next rise in the road, #187
Driveway is 100 yards long, full of potholes (sorry) and lined with white pines. You can't mistake it for another.

Route 12 South from Minister Brook Road
Take a right out of Minister Brook Road
Drive past LBJ's on your left
Go past red barn on your right with a collapsed barn shortly after. Slow down
After about 300 yards, look for a black mailbox on your right, #187
Driveway is 100 yards long, full of potholes (sorry) and lined with white pines. You can't mistake it for another.

My Address:
187 Worcester Village Road
Worcester, Vermont
05682

Other Important Dates:

May 26th: (Blue permission slip): First Graders go to U-32 for Book Buddies from (9:15-11:15)

May 30th: (Yellow permission slip): All first and second graders to The Montshire Museum (full day)

June 20th: Last day of school (1/2 day of school, 12:30)

I'll see some of you tomorrow!

Best,

Ben

Updates and Dates Galore!

Hey Folks,

We've been hard at work at school and as we make our transition back from April break, we are becoming more and more aware of the approach of the end of the year. I can't believe it is so close!

Update:

Due to an unforeseen change at school, our plays will be Friday, May 12th, not the 5th as I had written in the prior blog post.

Again, you are welcome to swing by my house on Saturday, May 6th from 10:00 to about 12:00 to harvest clay out of the brook behind my house for some class projects. I suggest going to the Post Office Cafe in Worcester Village beforehand. There is a lovely gal named Rhianna working the counter who will undoubtedly take good care of your caffeine, sweet and savory needs.

Other Important Upcoming Dates:

May 26th: (Blue permission slip): First Graders go to U-32 for Book Buddies from (9:15-11:15)

May 30th: (Yellow permission slip): All first and second graders to The Montshire Museum (full day)

June 20th: Last day of school (1/2 day of school, 12:30)

We will begin our work on non-fiction writing this week. The kids will work on a lot of different kinds of non-fiction writing based on the projects that they will be starting as well. This will be a great way to incorporate their learning for the year.

We are wrapping up out latest read-aloud book, Runt, and it has been a great read. The kids have enjoyed learning more about the dynamics of being a wolf (and other wild animals) in nature and how we share many of the same traits (we take care of our families, we work together, etc.).

If you have any questions, please get in touch! I always appreciate touching base.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Best,

~B

Final Week Before Break

Hello Wonderful Families,

I am looking forward to finishing up conference next week and have deeply enjoyed and appreciated the conferences I have had thus far.

A few nuts and bolts details:

• Our class plays will be performed on May 5th at 10:30 (usually mostly kids from other classes) and at 2:00 (usually more family and special friends). We usually do a cast party after the afternoon plays. Feel free to let me know if you can send in some refreshments. Costumes should be simple, if at all. PLEASE, do not put yourself out for these costumes. The plays are about 2 minutes each.
• On the Morning of May 6th I invite you all to come to my house for a stroll-about to dig some clay out of the riverbed behind my house for our end of year projects. I'm thinking of about a 10:00-12:00 timeline. Please let me know if you have any thoughts.
• I sent home placement forms to second grade families. Please be sure to let me know if you didn't get one. If you could get them back to school by the end of next week, that would be great.

These friends found a sunny place to do their literacy work

During literacy we have been really gearing up for the home stretch. Kids are regularly wanting to check in about their sight words, I am meeting with lots of kids about their reading and they are producing some fantastic independent writing pieces. Robbers, puppies, and Monster Shark Evolution are some of the many topics being explored.

In Writer's Workshop we have almost wrapped up or Convince Me writing pieces and will do a show what you know before break. We will then do some information writing as we move toward the end of the year. 

In math we are talking about fractions as well as brushing up on our math facts and math addition strategies. We are using a number of different materials (blocks and pattern blocks, for instance) to demonstrate that the number one is relative to what you are talking about. We call this idea one-ness. For instance, one cookie is different from one cake. However, they both can represent one and can be broken into halves. Those halves are different sizes. It's a complicated, but important concept for these kiddos to wrestle with and they are doing a great job.

As always, be in touch about anything that's on your mind. I'm always here to make this the best place for you all and your kiddos.

Happy last weekend of sugaring?

~B

Last Week, Crazy Week!

Hey Everyone,

We have had a great week last week, despite the weather interruption. I really appreciated how we were given the opportunity to plan ahead for the days by getting phone calls ahead of time as well as the responsiveness to the evolving weather to keep all of us safe.

We were going to start new book groups this week but because of me not being in on Monday and the two days off, I decided to just wait until next week. The kids are all working so hard on their reading strategies as well as the volume of reading they are doing.

We are going to be continuing our work on some persuasive writing as well. The kids have almost all finished choosing their topics and are practicing using the graphic organizer that we will use in our final writing prompt next week.

We will be starting our end of year projects after April break. We will be doing work around woodworking and working with clay as mediums. We will be keeping a work log and planing journal to keep track of our work. The kids will also be tying their work to a specific topic (animals, events, etc.). These personal learning projects are always a great way to end the year.

In any case, make sure to sign up for conferences and be in touch if you'd like to discuss anything else beforehand, any time. 

Have a great week,

Ben

Long Time, No See!

Hey All,

It has been a long time! Sorry about that. As you might imagine, the past few weeks of school have been busy for me. It's no excuse, but it is the reason some things have had to slide. I endeavor to get back on track in the coming weeks.

We have been getting better and better at making our literacy choices in the morning and following through with their plans. They are producing more and more in regards to volume and detail. A couple of students wrote an amazing story and presented it to the class this week. They did the great work of trying to make sure everyone who wanted to, be involved. I and some of the other kids were a group of villains and ,yes, we got what we deserved. Chris and I talked about how this was a genuine, organic, team-building experience. It wasn't something we organized or manufactured, it came from caring, fun-loving and thoughtful friends. It put life into our hearts that we really needed, and appreciated. This is the beauty of my job: The gifts we exchange, every day, that we don't even know we give.

We have started to work on our persuasive writing which will, as always, culminate in some sort of writing prompt to gauge how well they absorbed the information, purpose and format of this kind of writing piece. We played a game called "Convince Me" and have had a lot of fun challenging the kids to convince me of a number of topics (best pet, best sandwich, etc.) On top of that, kids continue to do a great job working on their writing during literacy time.

I have continued my work with kiddos on their reading in class. This is typically a time when kids make huge gains in their reading. As always read, read, read at home. If you ever want any guidance on things that would be helpful to work on, don't hesitate to reach out and ask. You can also practice sight words. All of the links needed for a start are on the class webpage.

You can sign up for conferences on the link below. As always, if none of the times work for your family, let me know. We can always figure something else out.

Here is the parent link:

 http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference.

Last, a few of you have reached out to me to talk about the recent events here at school, which I have appreciated. By sitting and talking/answering questions, I feel more comfortable knowing that we are all communicating openly, honestly and building toward a place of common understanding. If you'd like to sit down and get whatever clarity I am able to provide, let me know. I'll be happy to pencil you in!

Have a great weekend and don't forget to spring forward!

Best, 

Ben

Post Holiday Update!

Hey Everyone,

I hope you all had a restful and healthy break. Even though the plague moved through our house, it was fast moving and largely predictable, which we all appreciated! The kids have all had a great week, despite the fact that it was a full one after vacation. There are some pretty wiped out kiddos but we have really made an effort to make sure we keep our expectations reasonable and our patience high. Our rules for the day (and every day) are to be kind, work hard and have fun. They are doing a wonderful job on these!

We have begun a class myth, which is shaping up really well. The kids are really engaged in the story that they are writing. We will then be writing some either as partners or individually. The kids are going to get the choice on how they will be crafting their stories. We will be putting them all together to make our own class book of myths, including the one that we all wrote together. Here is a preview:

Slowly, the ice and snow started to pile up and take form. It was no longer a pile! It was now a Snow Goddess! Her hair was flowing with ice and snow and she had a long flowing dress, made of snow. Her skin was icy cold.

"Who are you and what are you?" asked the Cloud God. 

We have begun our mid year reading assessments. The kids have all done a great job so far. I finished about half of the class this past Wednesday and will finish the rest next week. Be sure to be in touch if you'd like to ask any questions about them or if you need any clarifying information. I'll include their progress in their report cards, which will be sent home late January/early February. The reading assessments we do are one data point, but one that is largely standardized throughout our district. The data we get from this assessment are some of the most important we get, and I am always excited to see confirming information about my students' progress as well as new questions to be explored. We will also be doing our mid-year spelling assessments next week. The information we get back from these will also be included in your child's report card.

We have renewed our work on Rumney CARES as well as our tiered behavioral intervention system as well. We'll be getting new posters in our room that show the steps we go through to help students practice their best behavior and will be practicing them as the weeks go along.

We will be starting Winter Wellness next Friday afternoon. Please make sure that your child comes in with all of the necessary gear to participate. If you have questions about what this things are, be in touch with Lauren Caswell, our amazing PE teacher and organizer of this great opportunity for our kids, at lcaswell@u32.org or by calling the school to talk to her directly.

I think that's about it for now. Let me know if you have any further celebrations, question or concerns.

Think snow!

~B

STAR 360, Writing Assessments, Winter Wellness and Secret Snowflake

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