January 19, 2012
Date to Remember
The SCS Kindergarten Concert for 2012 will be Wednesday, February 8th at 9:00 am. Mark your calendars for a fun event.
Classroom Work Update
Here is a breakdown of what your children have been learning recently:
Fundations: Uppercase letter formation and multisyllabic word work
Reader's Workshop: Guided Reading Groups have begun and the kids are working in groups based on reading levels. They are also continuing to work on independent and partner reading skills work incorporating use of taught reading strategies.
Writer's Workshop: Personal Narratives, sentence structure, adding details to writing pieces
Math: numeral writing 11-20, addition concepts, money (penny and nickel), many new math games for workplace use
Assessments in all academic areas are complete once again. I love checking in on the kids. Their progress at this time of year is impressive and it's always fun to form new work groups to get everyone to the next level!
Fundations: Uppercase letter formation and multisyllabic word work
Reader's Workshop: Guided Reading Groups have begun and the kids are working in groups based on reading levels. They are also continuing to work on independent and partner reading skills work incorporating use of taught reading strategies.
Writer's Workshop: Personal Narratives, sentence structure, adding details to writing pieces
Math: numeral writing 11-20, addition concepts, money (penny and nickel), many new math games for workplace use
Assessments in all academic areas are complete once again. I love checking in on the kids. Their progress at this time of year is impressive and it's always fun to form new work groups to get everyone to the next level!
Items Needed
Next week I will be on a mission to collect new items to make the dramatic play area of our classroom into a restaurant. If you have any of the following items at home and would like to donate them, please send them in. I am looking for the following:
aprons,oven mitts, table clothes, fake flowers and plastic vases, menus from different local restaurants, trays, place mats, etc. If you can think of anything else fun it would be appreciated. This will be a literacy and math center as well. I will be teaching the kids how to make lists by taking food and orders. They will learn how to identify coins as well as bill values. The cash register will be in full swing I am sure.
The Doctor's office in our classroom has been a blast for all of the kids to play in. They loved all of the unique items sent in. I will put the items aside for later use unless I hear back from you. I know many of the items families may need back. Please email me to make arrangements for getting them home.
A big thank you once again for helping to make our classroom such a fun place to be!
aprons,oven mitts, table clothes, fake flowers and plastic vases, menus from different local restaurants, trays, place mats, etc. If you can think of anything else fun it would be appreciated. This will be a literacy and math center as well. I will be teaching the kids how to make lists by taking food and orders. They will learn how to identify coins as well as bill values. The cash register will be in full swing I am sure.
The Doctor's office in our classroom has been a blast for all of the kids to play in. They loved all of the unique items sent in. I will put the items aside for later use unless I hear back from you. I know many of the items families may need back. Please email me to make arrangements for getting them home.
A big thank you once again for helping to make our classroom such a fun place to be!
January 10, 2012
1,2 Buckle My Shoe
The kids have begun reading groups and are learning the first steps to becoming active readers. Today, we used this prereading activity to talk about keeping track of where they are in their reading. We call it 1-1 match and as the kids are reading at home, please cue them to use their fingers to track the text they are reading and to get their mouth ready for the next word. Please encourage your child to read 1,2 Buckle My shoe to you at home using the rebus pictures and the real text.
January 6, 2012
A Big Thank You
I want to thank you all for the generous holiday gifts. I know that I've told you before but I want to reiterate how much of a gift you already give me every day by sharing your wonderful children with me. Have a great, snowy weekend:)
A Peek at Work Time
As the kids were working today, I took a couple of photos so that you could see how dedicated they are to work time. Picture Perfect!
January 5, 2012
Active Readers
The kids are on the move and ready to continue learning how to be active readers and writers. The past two days we have reviewed the workshop processes and their brains are once again ready to continue learning to better themselves. Here are a few photos from today as they were "Reading Around the Room".
Winter Clothing
Snow is finally here is Shelburne. Please remember to have the kids wear boots, hats, mittens, and snow pants to school every day until further notice. They must also have an extra pair of shoes to change into to wear in the building. Thanks for your help!
January 3, 2012
Happy New Year
Hi everyone! I hope all is well with you and your family in the beginning of this new year. I can't wait to see the kids again tomorrow! Happy New Year!
December 20, 2011
Extra Change of Clothing
Please be sure that your child has a full set of extra clothing in a labeled zip-lock bag here at school. The nurse does not currently have extra clothing to loan out. I encourage the kids to keep this set of clothing in the bottom shelf of their mailbox area.
December 16, 2011
December PTO Notes
PTO NOTES & NEWS FOR DECEMBER 2011
The PTO gave out $3618.78 for our FALL GRANTS. Grants included: Flat screen TV's for the office to better monitor the doors, new e-readers and e-books for the library, new books for the library, recess equipment, sheet music for the chorus programs, and a portable induction cooktop for FEED in-class cooking activities.
We voted to spend $500 to help fund a speaker in March who will work with students, teachers and parents doing a BULLYING WORKSHOP.
WANTED: There is a 2 YEAR SCHOOL BOARD OPENING. This will replace Mary Catherine Jones who is not running for re-election. If interested you would need to file and have 30 signatures by January 30. You can get forms from the town clerk and can call Mary Catherine Jones (985-9882) if you have any questions.
Winton teacher, Lisa Phelps and middle school counselor, Rachel Petraska, organized a FACULTY FOOD DRIVE that provided Thanksgiving meals to over 20 Shelburne families.
HOLIDAY COAT DRIVE is still going. They are still in need of coats and any winter gear - boots, hats, gloves, etc.
The PTO HOLIDAY FAIR was a great success as always! There was some talk of making it shorter next year (currently it goes from 9:30-1:30). Let us know if you have any thoughts on that.
At the Holiday Fair the PTO did silent Auctions of a family membership to The Edge and a donated book which brought in $785 that will go to the Angel Fund.
The SKAT LEGO ROBOTICS class traveled to Dartmouth College in November to participate in a LEGO Robotics tournament.
VISITING TEACHER FROM CHINA, Tao ye has been working with K-8 classes sharing lessons on Chinese culture, language, calligraphy, art and even eye massage.
Thanks to the Teaching from Space Office at Johnson Space Center, Allan Miller has real ANTARCTIC METEORITES & MOON ROCKS that he has been sharing with students in all K-8 classes.
On November 28 when we all had off, SCS faculty participated in a PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Day which included work on: curriculum mapping, defining goals for the School Action Plan, sharing curriculum work done over the summer and a meeting of the configuration committee.
On December 9 a team of 6 middle school teachers and our math and literacy coordinators attended a ONE DAY WORKSHOP ON BRAIN RESEARCH at Dartmouth College. They explored what recent neurophysiology discoveries mean in terms of designing our best classroom instruction.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Friday, 12/16 - Middle school dance
Thursday, 1/5 @7:30p - Jazz/Pop and Show Choir Concert
Friday, 1/6 - Red Barn fundraiser begins
Thursday, 1/12 @ 7p - School budget forum
Thursday, 1/19 @ 7p - 4/5 Chorus concert
Friday, 1/20 @6p - PTO International Potluck Dinner
Monday, 1/30 @ 6:30p - Youth Risk Behavior Survey dialogue with Margo Austin
THANK YOUS TO:
Sharon Harkness, Wendy Hallock, Leslie Borrok and Courtney Tharpe for coordinating the wonderful Holiday Fair!
Kate Danforth for running the coat drive
Jan Thabault for organizing the holiday baskets
Everyone who helped on the grants committee
Everyone who helped and shopped at the Holiday Fair.
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, January 12, 2012, 6:00pm
As always babysitting and pizza provided!
The PTO gave out $3618.78 for our FALL GRANTS. Grants included: Flat screen TV's for the office to better monitor the doors, new e-readers and e-books for the library, new books for the library, recess equipment, sheet music for the chorus programs, and a portable induction cooktop for FEED in-class cooking activities.
We voted to spend $500 to help fund a speaker in March who will work with students, teachers and parents doing a BULLYING WORKSHOP.
WANTED: There is a 2 YEAR SCHOOL BOARD OPENING. This will replace Mary Catherine Jones who is not running for re-election. If interested you would need to file and have 30 signatures by January 30. You can get forms from the town clerk and can call Mary Catherine Jones (985-9882) if you have any questions.
Winton teacher, Lisa Phelps and middle school counselor, Rachel Petraska, organized a FACULTY FOOD DRIVE that provided Thanksgiving meals to over 20 Shelburne families.
HOLIDAY COAT DRIVE is still going. They are still in need of coats and any winter gear - boots, hats, gloves, etc.
The PTO HOLIDAY FAIR was a great success as always! There was some talk of making it shorter next year (currently it goes from 9:30-1:30). Let us know if you have any thoughts on that.
At the Holiday Fair the PTO did silent Auctions of a family membership to The Edge and a donated book which brought in $785 that will go to the Angel Fund.
The SKAT LEGO ROBOTICS class traveled to Dartmouth College in November to participate in a LEGO Robotics tournament.
VISITING TEACHER FROM CHINA, Tao ye has been working with K-8 classes sharing lessons on Chinese culture, language, calligraphy, art and even eye massage.
Thanks to the Teaching from Space Office at Johnson Space Center, Allan Miller has real ANTARCTIC METEORITES & MOON ROCKS that he has been sharing with students in all K-8 classes.
On November 28 when we all had off, SCS faculty participated in a PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Day which included work on: curriculum mapping, defining goals for the School Action Plan, sharing curriculum work done over the summer and a meeting of the configuration committee.
On December 9 a team of 6 middle school teachers and our math and literacy coordinators attended a ONE DAY WORKSHOP ON BRAIN RESEARCH at Dartmouth College. They explored what recent neurophysiology discoveries mean in terms of designing our best classroom instruction.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Friday, 12/16 - Middle school dance
Thursday, 1/5 @7:30p - Jazz/Pop and Show Choir Concert
Friday, 1/6 - Red Barn fundraiser begins
Thursday, 1/12 @ 7p - School budget forum
Thursday, 1/19 @ 7p - 4/5 Chorus concert
Friday, 1/20 @6p - PTO International Potluck Dinner
Monday, 1/30 @ 6:30p - Youth Risk Behavior Survey dialogue with Margo Austin
THANK YOUS TO:
Sharon Harkness, Wendy Hallock, Leslie Borrok and Courtney Tharpe for coordinating the wonderful Holiday Fair!
Kate Danforth for running the coat drive
Jan Thabault for organizing the holiday baskets
Everyone who helped on the grants committee
Everyone who helped and shopped at the Holiday Fair.
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, January 12, 2012, 6:00pm
As always babysitting and pizza provided!
December 15, 2011
Story Bit: The Little Engine that Could
This week we read the story of The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper. The children were introduced to the words dingy, bellowed, and persevere. A large part of our discussions about the book were around the topic of perseverance.
Chinese Numbers
Today we had the privilege of having a visiting teacher from China come to our classroom to teach us Chinese characters and pronunciations for numbers 1-10. She showed a slideshow of her home town. Thank you Tao!
December 12, 2011
Moon Rocks
This morning the kids had a special surprise presentation from Mr. Allan Miller, our SCS 6-8 Principal. He brought in some rocks that came from the Moon to show our inspiring scientists. He has connections to NASA and the rocks are on loan to SCS for a little while. How cool! The discussion that followed in the classroom raised some very important questions that our class jotted down. We will invite Mr. Miller back in to answer some more of their questions. I am very proud of their observations and wonders! Great scientific minds already!
December 8, 2011
Charles' News: Welcome Baby Elias
The Journey team would like to announce that Charles has became a proud Daddy once again late last night. Little Elias is happy and healthy. How exciting!
December 7, 2011
Last Week's Out of This World Words
I forgot to post these for last week's story bit retellings. The vocabulary words for Stelluluna were: empathy, gasped, sultry.
Next week there will be three more that I will not forget to post;)
Next week there will be three more that I will not forget to post;)
Classroom Update
Here is the breakdown of what we are doing right now in all academic areas:
Reading Workshop: Partner Reading, Building stamina for independent reading, Learning How to Choose Just Right Books, Assessments to prepare for upcoming Guided Reading Groups
Writing Workshop: Personal Narratives, sentence structure
Phonics: These are the last few weeks of lowercase letter review: v,w this week. The kids are also learning how to write more letters that they hear in larger words.
Math: Growing patterns, counting and comparing sets, adding and subtracting, money (the penny)
Theme: Family Traditions and Other Cultures (Next week we will have a visiting teacher from China come to our team on Thursday and Friday:))
Reading Workshop: Partner Reading, Building stamina for independent reading, Learning How to Choose Just Right Books, Assessments to prepare for upcoming Guided Reading Groups
Writing Workshop: Personal Narratives, sentence structure
Phonics: These are the last few weeks of lowercase letter review: v,w this week. The kids are also learning how to write more letters that they hear in larger words.
Math: Growing patterns, counting and comparing sets, adding and subtracting, money (the penny)
Theme: Family Traditions and Other Cultures (Next week we will have a visiting teacher from China come to our team on Thursday and Friday:))
Craft Fair Thank You
Thank you so much for the many people who helped make our table at the craft fair a huge success. By purchasing items and volunteering, it showed the kids what a caring community is about. We are trying to decide the best way to use this money for the kids. Thank you so much again!
November 30, 2011
A Little Culture
Here is a copy of an email that we received at school today about an upcoming event at the Champlain Valley Exposition this weekend! Wish I could take the kids on a field trip as it would be fun to do with our December theme work!
The Vermont International Festival will be held at the Champlain Valley Exposition, Route 15/Pearl Street, Essex Junction, Vermont. The Champlain Valley Expo has unlimited free parking, is on the CCTA bus line and is handicapped-accessible.
Friday to Sunday, December 2-4, 2011
Festival Hours
Friday, December 2 5 pm to 8 pm
Saturday, December 3 10 am to 6 pm
Sunday, December 4 10 am to 5 pm
Meet over 40 vendors offering reasonably-priced and unique handcrafts from around the world
Sample delicious and affordable ethnic cuisine
Enjoy multi-cultural music and dance
Discover the world at exhibits by the Japan-America Society of Vermont, UVM Asian Studies Outreach Program and many others
Meet new neighbors who have joined our community at the "New Americans, New Neighbors" Pavilion, a special feature presented by the Vermont Performing Arts League.
The Vermont International Festival will be held at the Champlain Valley Exposition, Route 15/Pearl Street, Essex Junction, Vermont. The Champlain Valley Expo has unlimited free parking, is on the CCTA bus line and is handicapped-accessible.
Friday to Sunday, December 2-4, 2011
Festival Hours
Friday, December 2 5 pm to 8 pm
Saturday, December 3 10 am to 6 pm
Sunday, December 4 10 am to 5 pm
Meet over 40 vendors offering reasonably-priced and unique handcrafts from around the world
Sample delicious and affordable ethnic cuisine
Enjoy multi-cultural music and dance
Discover the world at exhibits by the Japan-America Society of Vermont, UVM Asian Studies Outreach Program and many others
Meet new neighbors who have joined our community at the "New Americans, New Neighbors" Pavilion, a special feature presented by the Vermont Performing Arts League.
November 29, 2011
Family Traditions and Celebrations
The children took home a very important green sheet of paper explaining our December theme work. Please be sure to keep this paper as it gives your child's special share date. Thanks and I look forward to hearing about all of the different family traditions within our classroom community.
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