November 29, 2010

Good Morning,
  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  It was nice to spend time with family and friends, and to get our house ready for both the holiday and winter season.  We now begin a very quick but busy and productive stretch before the December break.

*I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with each of you during our parent conferences.  I hope you found them informing and meaningful.  I feel like our conferences are a continuation of ongoing dialogue that occurs all semester long (through the blog, e-mails, and 1:1 conversations).  I feel this is the key reason why the conferences seems so "easy" and enjoyable.  If there is anything that I can do to strengthen the ongoing communication piece, please let me know.  If you have any other questions/concerns from our conference, please feel free to contact me anytime.

*Today I will be sending home a form in regards to Secret Pal.  I will run it much like I did last year (see specific details outlined on the form in your child's homework bag).  If you would like your child to participate, please fill it out and return it to me by Wednesday.  If I don't receive the form back, I will assume your child is not participating.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this.

*This Friday will mark the kickoff of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) project that a few parents have been working on. The goal of this project is to provide an experience that enhances STEM instruction while broadening student understanding of the field of engineering.  This project has both in-school and after-school foci. There will be 4 guest speakers/ presentations:

Friday, December 3 7:50 – 8 a.m.	KICK OFF  - Kogut, Korb, Stover Presentation – morning assembly, exciting 3-minute slide show to music depicting engineering applications and 5-minute introduction to the project. Guest speakers and schedule announced.  Afterschool program announced for following Thursday.
Thurs, December 9 Upper Unit (3-6)  12:25-1:00   (GYM) 1:00-1:30 Q&A small group focus (scheduled in individual classrooms) Lower Unit (K-2) 1:30-2:00  (Taylor’s classroom)	Presentation #1      Guests:  Alisha Chaney, Electrical-Computer Engineering (senior) Norwich University IEEE Student Chapter President Civilian Honor Committee ;    Doug Bowman (junior) Content: ·       Perspective of a young engineer: e.g., Why am I becoming an engineer? When and how did I decide to become an engineer? What kind of engineer am I?  What do these types of engineers do?  What do I want to be when I graduate?  What have I learned at Norwich? Slide of my Norwich teams’ work.  What can WES students do if they are interested in becoming engineers to help solve world problems? ·       Promote LEGO League afterschool program
Thurs,  Dec.  16 Upper Unit (3-6)  12:25-1:00   (GYM) 1:00-1:30 Q&A small group focus (scheduled in individual classrooms) Lower Unit (K-2) 1:30-2:00  (Taylor’s classroom)	Presentation #2  Guests:  Garrett Bywaters, Systems Engineer and Jim Stover, Engineering and Product development Northern Power Systems (wind turbine manufacturer) Content: ·       Why I became an engineer. ·       Earth Science - Natural resources (oil vs. wind), weather systems (what makes wind?) ·       Physical Science: electricity and magnetism, forces and motion, wind as force; energy production process, turbines ·       Engineering skills used by Northern ·       Product: Turbine blade demo and “Wind for Schools” demo ·       Q&A
Thurs,  Jan. 6 Upper Unit (3-6)  12:25-1:00   (GYM) 1:00-1:30 Q&A small group focus (scheduled in individual classrooms) Lower Unit (K-2) 1:30-2:00  (Taylor’s classroom)	Presentation #3 (or 2, TBD) (Slides to be drafted by Melinda) Guest: Bob Kogut and Brandon Paulson O’Gara Group/Diffraction Content: ·       Why I/we became engineers ·       Physical science – what is a light wave, color, UV, etc. (see WWSU GEs – Stover has copy) ·       Life science - human eye capability vs. animal vs. computer ·       Engineering used with light waves, optical engineering ·       Product: Night vision goggles and beacons = safety ·       Q&A

*If Wednesday's weather is decent, we will be in the garden with Jeremy Gulley (1:30-2:15).  Please make sure your child dresses appropriately.


*There is math and reading homework this week.  


That is all for now.  I hope you have a great week.  I will post again on Wednesday.  


Peace,
Tom

November 22, 2010

Today we continued writing about our Thanksgiving traditions, finished a magnet observation/discovery, and started writing about things that we are thankful for.  During math, the students continued working with addition and subtraction number stories.  We are working toward gaining an understanding of the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction.

Below is the conference schedule.  As you can see, I am lined right up.  Please be on time, and I will promise to do the same.

Conference Schedule
11/22/10
2:30  Sawyer
3:00 Kelci
3:30 Ayla
4:00  Greta
4:30  Julia
5:00  Winter
5:30  Molly
6:00  Jacob
6:30  Bryn


11/23/10
2:30 Abby
3:00  Piper
3:30  Anda
4:00  Angela
4:30  Charlotte
5:00  Marieke
5:30  Liza


I will be sending home reading homework that will need to be done during the break.  Please make sure your child fills out his/her log and returns it on Monday.


I hope you have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.
Peace,
Tom

November 17, 2010

Today we continued to explore the world of attractions, that is magnetic attractions.  Students had time this morning to explore magnet strengths.  They were asked to use magnets to try and pull chains of paperclips.  This afternoon we learned about the poles of magnets and how the opposite poles attract.  Later this week we will relate discussions and experiments with a magnet's field to explain the north and south pole of the Earth.

This afternoon we spent more time with solving number strings.  This is where students are solving four and five digit addend problems by using their knowledge of combinations of 10, doubles facts, and doubles facts +/- 1.

There will be an assembly this Friday morning.  I will be leaving school early on Friday.  I have to take my daughters to get their flu shots.

I will write again on Friday.
Tom

November 15, 2010

Good Morning,
  I hope you all enjoyed the weekend.  Yesterday was family picture day in our household.  I have to say I am glad that is over!  Last Friday, we once again joined the Harwood students in the orchard.  We played several games incorporating facts about the trees and the tree names.

  Today we continued our study of magnets.  The kids were experimenting with them and discovering some interesting facts.  One student was using a magnet to chase another magnet around the table.  I saw a few others noticing what a magnet does to a compass.  We will get into the science of these observations later in the week.

  Report cards will go home on Friday.  The report card grades will look a little different this year.  Your student will be graded on the second grade standards.  What this means is a lot of kids are being asked to do higher level work that is already exceeding the standard.  If this is the case, your child will receive a 4 because they are exceeding the second grade requirements.  I can explain this in more detail during our conference.

  I haven't heard of any conference changes, so I assume we are all set with our scheduled times.  As you may have noticed from the schedule, I am back to back for each time.  Please make sure to be here on time.  I would like your child to attend the first part of the conference.  I will repost the conference schedule on Friday's blog.

  I hope you have a great week.

Peace,
Tom

November 12, 2010

SKI AND SKATE SALE!!  SEE YOU THERE.  I will write on Monday.  Have a good weekend.
Tom

November 10, 2011

Don't you wish instead of snow days, we could have "sun" days.  Wouldn't it be nice to be outside enjoying the beautiful day?  Anyway, this morning we had our meeting.  During meeting Greta, Marieke, Jacob, and Ayla shared with the group.  Ms. Korb led the class in a game of Four Corners.  After music, we had stations where the kids read, continued their pen pal responses, and worked on their literature circle jobs.  We then had spelling and lunch.

This Friday we will be going to the orchard in the afternoon.  We will once again be meeting with the Harwood outreach group.  We will have math in the morning to accommodate the schedule change.  Please make sure your child dresses for the orchard.  Rain boots would be a good idea.

Yesterday we started our unit on magnets.  The students worked in teams and tested the idea of magnetism.

I hope you have a great day.
Peace,
Tom

November 9, 2010

A snow day in early November?  No one was more shocked than me.  Our family was dressed and ready to go when we got the news.  Please remember that the Thanksgiving Lunch forms were due today.  I would let Connie know if you haven't turned in your form.  The book orders were due as well.  I will be sending those out this weekend.  If you would still like to order, please send them in this week.

FYI:
*Tomorrow is a half day
*There will be no math homework this week (due to the short week)
*I am out on Friday morning.  Julianne has her two week check in on her hearing aid.

**CONGRATULATIONS TO AYLA!  She was the first one to join the 100 Book Club.  Her next goal is the 200 Club.  We are on the verge of having others join her in Club 100.

That is all for now.  I will write again tomorrow.
Peace,
Tom

November 5, 2010

Happy Friday!  This week we read the book Blueberries for Sal.  In honor of Sal, the state of Maine, and the town Machias, we made blueberry muffins this morning.  The students really seemed to enjoy the process and getting the opportunity to cook in school.

We all spent today working on our writes about the annual blueberry festival in Machias, Maine, writing in our Weekly News journals, and finishing up our unit on rectangles and symmetry.

Below is the parent conference schedule (Everyone should have received his/her note yesterday.  If your time doesn't work, feel free to call someone else on the list and try to switch with them,  However, please make sure to let me know and all changes should be made by Monday of next week.

*Remember book order forms are due by Monday.

Have a great weekend.

Peace,
Mr. Young

Conference Schedule
11/22/10
2:30  Sawyer
3:00 Kelci
3:30 Ayla
4:00  Greta
4:30  Julia
5:00  Winter
5:30  Molly
6:00  Jacob
6:30  Bryn
*6:30 is the last possible time on this day

11/23/10
2:30 Abby
3:00  Piper
3:30  Anda
4:00  Angela
4:30  Charlotte
5:00  Marieke
5:30  Liza
*5:30 is the last possible time on this day

*I can't go any later on either day because my kids have their conferences on this day too.  I am hoping to get a later time for each of theirs.  However, Waterbury hasn't put together a schedule yet.

November 3, 2010

Today we read Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.  After reading the book we talked about blueberries and how important they are to the state of Maine.  We then learned about the town of Machias and through the use of the web learned all about their Blueberry Festival traditions.  We wrote a summary together focusing on the use of adjectives and elaboration.

Tomorrow your child will be bringing their parent conference form home.  Everyone has been given a slot.  Please make every effort to make the scheduled time.  After the Thanksgiving break, my basketball season goes into full swing.  I will have very limited time to reschedule any missed conferences.  If there is a major conflict with your time, please let me know a.s.a.p.

Dates:
*There is an assembly this Friday morning.  Mrs. Baker's Class will be hosting.
11/8/10  Book Order Forms Due
11/10/10  Early Release Day
11/10/10  Photo Retake Day
11/11/10  PTA Meeting
11/19/10  Thanksgiving Lunch (If you are planning on attending, please return your form by 11/8/10.

Have a great day.
Peace,
Tom

November 1, 2010

 Can you believe it is already November?  I am always amazed how quickly the school year goes.  I hope everyone had an enjoyable Halloween.  The students seemed to enjoy their evening of trick or treating.

  Today the students worked on their October Calendar Challenge.  At the end of each month, the students look at the month's calendar and answer questions based on dates and events.  This is a great way to work on calendar skills and gain an understanding of how elapsed time on a calendar works.  During stations the students started their new Literature Circle assignment, were tested on last week's sight words, and met with me for reading group.  During math we looked at the concept of symmetry using pattern blocks and small mirrors.

FYI:

*There will math and reading homework this week.  Please make sure your child fills out his/her reading log nightly.

*I am sending home a few book order forms.  If you wish to order from them, please fill the form out and return it by next Monday.  This will be the last order before the December break.

That is all for now.  I hope you have a wonderful week.

Peace,

Tom