The First 8 Days

Hey Families!

    I hope you all had a great weekend! It has been a super start to the year, establishing routines and expectations. The kidsa re all doing well and I had the sense that they (and I!) needed the long weekend by the time Friday came around.

    Last week we read some books that covered, broadly, making mistakes (Down the Road), what it means to be part of a group (Wolf Watch), and saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new (Country Frog, City Dog). We did some writing about making mistakes as well and the kids got to use a rubric to help guide their work. It was interesting discussing and reading work from the kids that drew a distinction between making mistakes and taking risks. They also did personalized collages and did some writing about their choices. In read-aloud, we are reading Harris and Me, a book about many things. The theme we will be focusing on is around belonging and what that word means, looks like, and feels like. We'll also be doing a spelling assessment to get a look at their spelling needs, the Acadience reading diagnostic as well as the iReady reading diagnostic. 

    In math class we have been doing review and getting settled into the routine of Math Menu. The kids are working hard on getting their math brains back in shape. We also will be rolling out iReady in the coming week or two. This week they will be doing their math diagnostic, giving us some baseline data.

    In the coming week or two, we will be shifting the focus of our literacy time to roll out routines and to start to integrate our first unit of study, Exploration and Contact, which focuses on the first contact between european explorers and the indigenous peoples of the northeast US. We'll touch on some of the other exploration going on during this time, but our focus will be on the explorers of the northeast as a context to set for the treatment of indigenous peoples and the effect colonization had, the 7 Years War and the American Revolution. As an important note, we'll be studying about this time from multiple perspectives. I always make sure the kids know that while they are in no way responsible for the actions of others in the past, that it is important to see events through as many perspectives as you can in order to see the full historical picture. It is complicated. 

    I think that's about it for now. I'll be sure to update you as needed as more school events start popping up. Please be in touch with any questions, concerns or otherwise. 

    Have a great week,

            ~Ben

Picture Day Friday, September 4th

 Hey Families,

Happy first day! 

We just got word that Friday, September 4th, is Picture Day. Be on the lookout for more information about how to order pictures, etc. in the Doty Newsletter.

 Please be in touch if you have questions.

Take care,

~Ben

Beginning of the Year Letter

 Hello Fifth Grade Families!

I hope this finds you all well, enjoying these beautiful summer days. I am excited for a great fifth grade year with your kiddos! We have so much to learn about ourselves, our new friends and the world around us and I am so excited to serve as a guide for our journey together.

As a little back story, this is kind of a wild full circle moment for me. This is the school that helped inform my early years, having attended what was then Worcester Elementary School (until my brother’s fourth grade class researched and changed the school name to Doty Memorial School) here and across the street for pre-K in the Worcester Historical Society building. I also get to be in the same building as my daughter and am going to have front row seats to what this year brings in regards to the future of this building. All this to say, I have biases that are going to be important for me to track and be reminded of, when needed. I am hoping you all can help me if you see or sense these popping up as I don’t want any of them to bleed negatively into the experience your children are having in our class. 

During our first few weeks, we will be focusing on getting to know our new classmates as well as finding our places in our new social landscape. We will be focusing on work around building new connections and helping kids navigate the inevitable feelings of loss as new friendships arise. The current plan Allison and I have is to align in our focuses of study throughout the year to ensure, as best we can, that these kids are getting equitable, albeit different, experiences. We will be doing lots of activities together as well and I am looking forward to seeing what incredible experiences our 36 or so fifth graders have together. 

In regards to meeting the needs of the kids, breakfast and lunch are available to students, daily. The kids are free to snack as they want during the morning and afternoon. To that end, I will try to keep some snacks available for kiddos who may not have any. I also encourage kids to get breakfast and save parts of it for their snack during the day. I encourage your child to bring in a change of clothes that can live here in the room in the event they are needed. Water bottles are always a good idea as well. I have a hot water heater in the room so kids are free to make tea for themselves. I’d appreciate support in purchasing caffeine-free tea for kids to have available to them. They are also free to bring in their own mugs, though I have some in the room for them to use, if needed. 

Allison and I will be sending out a newsletter twice a month at the start of the year, likely less frequent as we move through the year as we settle into our work. These will be sent out through IC. I am updating my Blogger page where you will find additional resources and information. I’ll let you know when it is up and running.

Last, feel free to reach out whenever you need to. I’d only ask that you try to reserve calling me at home for emergencies or urgent matters. Feel free to have your child reach out and write to me as well if they’d like to if that would be helpful to bridge the gap between now and next week.

Email: bweiss@u32.org

School Phone #: 802.223.5656 x138

Home Phone #: 802.223.3677 

I look forward to meeting you all and getting the year started. Again, please reach out with any questions, concerns or otherwise, any time.

Take care,

~Ben