The Brook, Literacy and Parent Night

Hey Folks,

It's been a beautiful, sunny week filled with laughter and learning in our room. There's a lot of information here, so please take note!

Nuts and Bolts:

• If you haven't and want to, please send in a spare set of clothes in a labeled bag. We'll keep them in a private place in the room
• The U-32 Cross Country Invitational is this weekend and there are kids races starting at 8:00am.
• Parent Information Night is this Wednesday, September 20th, at 5:30pm to 7:00pm. Christine and I will be doing presentations about our 1/2 program. We'll be free to touch base from 6:30-7:00. Again, please, no conferences! If you;d like to schedule a more formal conference, just let me know. I'm happy to meet any time.
• We'd like to start doing book orders in class. If you are interested in doing the organizing and ordering, let me know. The sad fact is that I don't have time to do it, so without help it is unlikely to happen.

We have been working really hard on our Big 4 and filling in the details on what we see them as

meaning. We have hung the poster in the room and the kids have begun to add their "signatures" around it as our social contract. We reference it daily and we have done some great learning around our expectations for one another and for our friends throughout the building. As a part of this, we are going to do a special project and we need your help. Next week we'll be doing an activity and we're asking the kids to have a set of darker clothes to wear for it. Please try to send them in on Monday.

We've continued our hard work in literacy. We're up to 30 minutes of continuous work time and will be moving up to 45 by the end of next week. We're working on writing and reading to ourselves.

We'll be introducing word work next week, where kids get to work on their sight words. To get a look at literacy in our class, check out the side bar on the blog page.

We traveled down to the brook, using our senses to observe our surroundings. We did a little writing along with our watercolors. Look at the example of the science journal cover as well as some of the

beautiful writing they are working on. We've continued enjoying our butterflies in the room as well. We avoided a close call with one of our caterpillars and had a great chat about the nature of all things living...

It is going to be lovely this weekend, enjoy the outdoors! Be in touch with questions, concerns and celebrations.

Best,

Ben and Tammy

Butterflies and The Big 4

Hey Everyone,

It was such an exciting week. We were lucky enough to see a monarch hatch and as you can see in the pictures, it was quite the event. Lots of excitement! We also go to release a couple of the butterflies that hatched, as well. As we looked for new milkweed for our last couple of caterpillars, we found another, which we donated to the kindergarten. Thank you to Katy, Brian, Anna and Ben for giving us the opportunity to share this amazing experience!

We did some great reading, too. We read a book called To Be A Kid, a book full of pictures and parts of being a kid. The kids wrote about What it means to be a kid to them in their new writing journals for their first writing assignment of the year. We have emphasized doing your best writing and including as many sounds as you can when writing words you don't know how to spell rather than an emphasis on correct spelling. They did a great job! I don't know about you all, but I know that sleepovers after school on a Friday always felt special... The bus note, the planning, English muffin pizzas and the falling asleep way before I wanted to.

We did some great work around "The Big 4", the expectations we are learning about and building with the students in our school. You can see the start of ours in the picture. We have been talking about each one of the rules and adding to them as we go. Ask your child about it.

As part of our butterfly releasing, we got to start our science journals as well. The kids were given a question, "Do you think the butterfly will fly away (instead of being place on a flower)?" They made a prediction and then did some observations. Considering that it is only day 9 and they were doing something totally new, we were so pleased with their effort.

The kids have been getting better and better at their morning routines. Please make sure your child is clear about their breakfast, snack and lunch plans as to avoid tears and confusion for us and the kitchen. By and large the kids have been doing a great job at this, so thanks. Along these lines, also try to be clear about after school plans with your kiddo(s). There is a big effort in our school right now, trying to tighten up this process. We appreciate all of your help and flexibility.


I have sent you all a sharing schedule as well. I've included a reminder in the email about sharing guidelines but please help your children remember the sharing rules:

1. It can be from nature
2. It can be something they made
3. It can be a story, with or without pictures/artifacts (no toys, please)

As a reminder, we will be offering a parent forum here at Rumney on September 20th from 5:30-7:00. Christine and I will be talking about our 1/2 programs for the first two blocks (there will be 3 total, 30 minutes each) and we will be free for the third block (6:30-7:00) for some light checking-in. No impromptu conferences, please! If you'd ever like to set up a time to chat in more detail, I am more than happy to meet before school most any day. Just let me know when.

As always, let us know if you have questions, comments or concerns.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ben and Tammy

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