Week 1 Reflections

Friday, September 1, 2017

Dear First and Second Grade Families,

We have had a magical first week of school together! It has been so fabulous to start to get to know each other. We played many games to get to know names, sang some songs, shared about ourselves, learned classroom routines and to had fun! At the beginning of the week we enjoyed the beautiful weather and spent time outside exploring what our campus has to do!

This week we also spent a lot of time practicing routines in our classrooms. This involved learning expectations as well as how to function as a group. To do so, our school is focusing on four main expectations or rules:

1. Respect yourself and others
2. Work Hard
3. Help each other
4. Make safe choices

We have had some great conversations this week about the “Big 4” and will continue to do so throughout the year. These are school wide expectations so they are present in allied art areas, recess, lunch as well as all classrooms. Our students have already shown great knowledge of these and have been using them already! Ask your child about the Big 4!

We have talked about our weather chart as well as spent some time painting, making our covers for our science journals. We will be putting those to work more and more as we go through the year. Next week I hope to make some time to go to the brook and into the woods to do some observing.

We have also read some great books during read aloud this week. We have read The First Day Jitters,  Elmer,  Down the Road and Wolf Watch. All of these books are along the theme of getting to know each other and recognize that we are all different and special for our own reasons. We also are asking children to think about how their classroom dynamic may be like the book we read (we are like a pack, making mistakes is okay, etc.) They have started some great conversations about our classroom culture and how we want each other to feel as a part of a community.

Next week we are looking forward to getting into some more literacy jobs, math rotations and exploration of our senses outside. I will also be sending home a sharing schedule to be started the following week (September 11th). When it is your child’s share day, they can share a story (may include photos), a homemade item, or something from nature.

I will be sending this to all of your emails but check out the blog for pictures. They are great! Last, as best you can, please try to help your kiddos get lots of sleep. I know the transition back to school is intense and more sleep for them (and we adults!) is really helpful.

Please reach out with any celebrations, questions or concerns. Have a great three day weekend!

Sincerely,

Ben and Tammy

bweiss@u32.org

223-5429 (s)

223-3677 (h)

Post Production Week

Hey Folks,

It was wonderful to see you all at the play last week and at my house for collecting clay. I'll try to schedule another date for folks who didn't get a chance to get to the house to collect some more clay.

Wedge Party!

Also, if you could send in labeled tools such as hand saws, brace and bit drills, egg beater drills, etc. it would be a huge help as we embark on our wood working training next week. Also, if you have scrap 2x4s laying around, feel free to send them in. We'll need them!

We'll be starting our non fiction writing this week. Along with it, the kids will begin to work on working with their mediums (wood and clay) to display with their writing. We picked out our topics for our projects and let me tell you, this will be one of the greatest celebrations of learning yet! I am so excited to see their hard work pay off! The kids will be working on their projects during free times, Literacy and Writer's Workshop. I always find that this is the best and productive way to spend time at the end of the year to ensure we are the most productive we can be.

Two Friends Reading Together

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)
Chaperones for the Montshire Field Trip (The first three returned):

Emily Leader
Brigitte Beaudoin
Mary Trepanier

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

Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts as we move toward the end of the year!

Best,

Ben

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