Good Morning,
We have had a wonderful week. We spent Wednesday afternoon cleaning out some of the garden and found the areas where we will be growing pumpkins. Wednesdays will be our garden days (after math). Please make sure your child wears appropriate clothing.
Today we wrote in our weekly news, finished our current events readings, and continued taking notes for our animal reports. During math we worked on adding with accuracy and efficiency. The students were asked to solve problems using 2 distinct models. Ask them about it.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Peace,
Tom
April 29, 2011
April 27, 2011
April 27. 2011
Good Morning,
I hope you are having a nice week. Today we continued looking at counting back or adding up strategies to use when solving equations. We also started our animal research reports and practiced some of the songs for our play.
May will be a very busy month and the students have a multitude of tasks to complete before the end of the year. Below is a quick outline of these items:
*Finish Literature Projects
*Start and finish Animal Reports
*Play
*Finish Changes Unit
*Start and finish Plant study
*PNOA (math) test
*Reading Level Test
*End of year Sight Word test
*Statehouse Trip
*Garden Project
*Pen Pal Trip
Along with these items, we will continue to work on our everyday activities (reading, math, and writing).
Statehouse Visit: We will be headed to the Statehouse on May 23rd. I don't have a set time yet but I believe we will aim to be there for around 10:00. If this is true, we will aim to leave school around 9:15. Our visit will include a tour of the Statehouse and a visit to the Historical Museum. The students will need comfortable shoes to walk in, a bagged lunch (please let Connie know if you would like the school to prepare one), and rain gear (if appropriate). Our day will conclude with a celebration of the winning entries.
I hope you have a great day. Since the sun is shining, we will use our science time to clean up the garden.
Peace,
Tom
I hope you are having a nice week. Today we continued looking at counting back or adding up strategies to use when solving equations. We also started our animal research reports and practiced some of the songs for our play.
May will be a very busy month and the students have a multitude of tasks to complete before the end of the year. Below is a quick outline of these items:
*Finish Literature Projects
*Start and finish Animal Reports
*Play
*Finish Changes Unit
*Start and finish Plant study
*PNOA (math) test
*Reading Level Test
*End of year Sight Word test
*Statehouse Trip
*Garden Project
*Pen Pal Trip
Along with these items, we will continue to work on our everyday activities (reading, math, and writing).
Statehouse Visit: We will be headed to the Statehouse on May 23rd. I don't have a set time yet but I believe we will aim to be there for around 10:00. If this is true, we will aim to leave school around 9:15. Our visit will include a tour of the Statehouse and a visit to the Historical Museum. The students will need comfortable shoes to walk in, a bagged lunch (please let Connie know if you would like the school to prepare one), and rain gear (if appropriate). Our day will conclude with a celebration of the winning entries.
I hope you have a great day. Since the sun is shining, we will use our science time to clean up the garden.
Peace,
Tom
April 25, 2011
April 25, 2011
Welcome back friends! I hope everyone had a nice spring break. It was certainly nice to have some time off. My family and I went to Boston for part of the vacation. We celebrated Earth Day with a whale watch. We were able to watch a Right Whale make several dives. It was awesome!
I would like to thank everyone for the quick responses to the request for drivers for the Montpelier trip. The drivers will be Jen Stella, Eleanor, Lindsay, Susan Hans, and Bear. Jamey Fidel will be joining us in Montpelier. I will send out more information about this trip on Wednesday.
Today we mixed up our station groups. One group will be focusing on fluency. This group will be bringing home some books that are easy to read. They are meant as a warm-up and should be used before he/she starts his/her other homework book. Another group is focusing on some phonetic skills and spelling patterns, and a third group is learning how to write in cursive.
Homework: *Practice your play lines *Work on your 2 math problems *Read Nightly
We will be presenting the play on two different occasions. One time will be on June 3rd during our morning assembly. This will be for the students of the school. The other presentation will be on Tuesday, June 7th at 6:00 p.m. This presentation will be for the families of our class and will include a few other items from the school year.
Have a great week.
Tom
I would like to thank everyone for the quick responses to the request for drivers for the Montpelier trip. The drivers will be Jen Stella, Eleanor, Lindsay, Susan Hans, and Bear. Jamey Fidel will be joining us in Montpelier. I will send out more information about this trip on Wednesday.
Today we mixed up our station groups. One group will be focusing on fluency. This group will be bringing home some books that are easy to read. They are meant as a warm-up and should be used before he/she starts his/her other homework book. Another group is focusing on some phonetic skills and spelling patterns, and a third group is learning how to write in cursive.
Homework: *Practice your play lines *Work on your 2 math problems *Read Nightly
We will be presenting the play on two different occasions. One time will be on June 3rd during our morning assembly. This will be for the students of the school. The other presentation will be on Tuesday, June 7th at 6:00 p.m. This presentation will be for the families of our class and will include a few other items from the school year.
Have a great week.
Tom
April 15, 2011
April 15, 2011
Good Afternoon,
WE WON! Yesterday I received a call from Olivia Gay, from the Secretary of States Office, regarding our entries in the State Symbol Contest. Olivia informed me that our class was chosen the overall winner for the 1st-2nd grade category. Earlier in the week, I had received an e-mail thanking us for entering and asking me to explain that they had a lot of entries and would only be picking one winner and a few runners up. However, after judging our class' entries, they decided there were so many strong entries that they would award the whole class the prize. We will be honored at the State House on May 23rd @ 12:30. There will be cake and a little ceremony. We also won a tour of the State House and a viewing of the Constitution. If enough parents would like to join us on the trip, I would like to take cars instead of paying for a bus. Please let me know if you are interested in chaperoning.
I hope you have a wonderful break. Please encourage your child to read during break.
Peace,
Tom
WE WON! Yesterday I received a call from Olivia Gay, from the Secretary of States Office, regarding our entries in the State Symbol Contest. Olivia informed me that our class was chosen the overall winner for the 1st-2nd grade category. Earlier in the week, I had received an e-mail thanking us for entering and asking me to explain that they had a lot of entries and would only be picking one winner and a few runners up. However, after judging our class' entries, they decided there were so many strong entries that they would award the whole class the prize. We will be honored at the State House on May 23rd @ 12:30. There will be cake and a little ceremony. We also won a tour of the State House and a viewing of the Constitution. If enough parents would like to join us on the trip, I would like to take cars instead of paying for a bus. Please let me know if you are interested in chaperoning.
I hope you have a wonderful break. Please encourage your child to read during break.
Peace,
Tom
April 13, 2011
April 13, 2011
Good Morning,
We had a very fast paced day. We started the day with our meeting. During meeting we played A Cold Wind Blows. After meeting the kids went right to music with Mr. Hill. After music we had a 45 minute literature block. All of the kids worked on their Time For Kids articles or their book project. We finished the today's learning time with a math lesson on +9 and +10 relationships. Then we ate lunch.
Later,
Tom
We had a very fast paced day. We started the day with our meeting. During meeting we played A Cold Wind Blows. After meeting the kids went right to music with Mr. Hill. After music we had a 45 minute literature block. All of the kids worked on their Time For Kids articles or their book project. We finished the today's learning time with a math lesson on +9 and +10 relationships. Then we ate lunch.
Later,
Tom
April 11, 2011
April 11, 2011
Good Morning,
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. It was nice to be outside in the sunshine. Today we looked at the skill of estimation during our morning meeting activity. We looked at strategies such as grouping and chunking clumps of items. We read the book Greater Estimations by Bruce Goldstone. During science the students observed two different plants and graphed their similarities and differences. During stations the class used the graph to write comparing and contrasting sentences about the two plants.
This afternoon we worked on adding even and odd numbers and looked at when a sum is odd and when it is even. The students were asked to solve number problems such as Can you make 24 with one odd and one even number? If they couldn't, they had to explain why.
*There is reading and math homework this week. I am only sending home one math problem. If you would like another one during the week, please let me know. I ask that you continue working on the sight word list that I sent home too.
*Don't forget to send in your placement form.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. It was nice to be outside in the sunshine. Today we looked at the skill of estimation during our morning meeting activity. We looked at strategies such as grouping and chunking clumps of items. We read the book Greater Estimations by Bruce Goldstone. During science the students observed two different plants and graphed their similarities and differences. During stations the class used the graph to write comparing and contrasting sentences about the two plants.
This afternoon we worked on adding even and odd numbers and looked at when a sum is odd and when it is even. The students were asked to solve number problems such as Can you make 24 with one odd and one even number? If they couldn't, they had to explain why.
*There is reading and math homework this week. I am only sending home one math problem. If you would like another one during the week, please let me know. I ask that you continue working on the sight word list that I sent home too.
*Don't forget to send in your placement form.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
April 8, 2011
April 8, 2011
Good Afternoon,
Great News! Our class is now officially sponsored by Halls, Tylenol, and Kleenex. They heard about the week gone by and felt in was in their best interest to get on board. In all seriousness, we have survived a rather difficult week (health wise). I am hoping the kids get a chance to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.
Yesterday we ended our day by going for a walk. The weather was beautiful, the sun was bright, and we needed some fresh air. Mrs. Belknap's class joined us for our afternoon treat. Today the kids wrote in their Weekly News, practiced our play, and continued their investigation of odd and even numbers. I also used the day to catch a lot of the kids up on missed work from the week.
I hope you have a great weekend. I am taking my kids to see Grease at Harwood tomorrow afternoon. Maybe I will see a few of you there.
Enjoy,
Tom
Great News! Our class is now officially sponsored by Halls, Tylenol, and Kleenex. They heard about the week gone by and felt in was in their best interest to get on board. In all seriousness, we have survived a rather difficult week (health wise). I am hoping the kids get a chance to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.
Yesterday we ended our day by going for a walk. The weather was beautiful, the sun was bright, and we needed some fresh air. Mrs. Belknap's class joined us for our afternoon treat. Today the kids wrote in their Weekly News, practiced our play, and continued their investigation of odd and even numbers. I also used the day to catch a lot of the kids up on missed work from the week.
I hope you have a great weekend. I am taking my kids to see Grease at Harwood tomorrow afternoon. Maybe I will see a few of you there.
Enjoy,
Tom
April 6, 2011
April 6, 2011
Good Morning,
I am writing from my den because my youngest daughter has now caught the fever bug. Yesterday we had 9 kids out of our classroom. I am hoping everyone is feeling better. Unfortunately, I feel the only cure is rest. Of the seven kids that were there many were still coughing. Your child may benefit from a bag of cough drops being left at school.
I will be in school tomorrow but may be out Friday (depending on Abby's health). My wife and I are still trying to alternate days.
*Remember book orders are due by Friday.
Math Problem: I made a mistake with the bonus word problem this week. I read it rather quickly and didn't realize how much there was to the problem. The walnut problem is very difficult and requires fraction conversions that are more difficult than I thought. Even though the problem is optional, I feel it will cause frustration for many. So, please discard the problem.
Have a great day.
Peace,
Tom
I am writing from my den because my youngest daughter has now caught the fever bug. Yesterday we had 9 kids out of our classroom. I am hoping everyone is feeling better. Unfortunately, I feel the only cure is rest. Of the seven kids that were there many were still coughing. Your child may benefit from a bag of cough drops being left at school.
I will be in school tomorrow but may be out Friday (depending on Abby's health). My wife and I are still trying to alternate days.
*Remember book orders are due by Friday.
Math Problem: I made a mistake with the bonus word problem this week. I read it rather quickly and didn't realize how much there was to the problem. The walnut problem is very difficult and requires fraction conversions that are more difficult than I thought. Even though the problem is optional, I feel it will cause frustration for many. So, please discard the problem.
Have a great day.
Peace,
Tom
April 4, 2011
April 4, 2011
Good Afternoon,
We had four more kids out sick today. I am trying to get fresh air in the room when the kids leave for specials. However, it has been so cold and some kids have complained about the coolness of the room. If possible, please send in a "school" sweater or sweatshirt. This way it can be left here and used as needed.
Homework notes:
* There are 2 math problems in your child's bag. Everyone must do the problem Lynnie Loves Flies. The second problem is called Wally's Walnut Purchase, and it is optional. The optional problem is much more difficult but is considered a 2nd grade task. The problems will be collected on Friday morning.
* Please have your child fill in his/her reading log neatly. Remember they are due on Friday.
* Your child also has a spelling list of 100 words in their bag. You can see how well he/she did on his/her test. I am hoping each kid can spell 80 of them by the end of the year. Please keep this sheet at home to use for practice. I suggest flash cards.
* IF you wish to order books from the current order, please send in the form by Friday. This will be 1 of the 2 remaining book orders sent out this year. I will send another in early May (For summer choices).
Have a great week!
Peace,
Tom
We had four more kids out sick today. I am trying to get fresh air in the room when the kids leave for specials. However, it has been so cold and some kids have complained about the coolness of the room. If possible, please send in a "school" sweater or sweatshirt. This way it can be left here and used as needed.
Homework notes:
* There are 2 math problems in your child's bag. Everyone must do the problem Lynnie Loves Flies. The second problem is called Wally's Walnut Purchase, and it is optional. The optional problem is much more difficult but is considered a 2nd grade task. The problems will be collected on Friday morning.
* Please have your child fill in his/her reading log neatly. Remember they are due on Friday.
* Your child also has a spelling list of 100 words in their bag. You can see how well he/she did on his/her test. I am hoping each kid can spell 80 of them by the end of the year. Please keep this sheet at home to use for practice. I suggest flash cards.
* IF you wish to order books from the current order, please send in the form by Friday. This will be 1 of the 2 remaining book orders sent out this year. I will send another in early May (For summer choices).
Have a great week!
Peace,
Tom
April 1, 2011
April 1, 2011
Today we did absolutely nothing. Your children entered the room to sounds of me snoring. Once I woke up we played a quick game of Simon Says and then continued with our morning naps. After nap time we watched The whole Friday the 13th Series on the big screen. It was awesome! This afternoon we made milkshakes with pixie sticks, soda, and ice cream (Note 3 pixie sticks in a small shake is way too much sugar). This afternoon we had an awesome lesson in fireworks. The kids handled the lighting process with minimum burns and/or permanent scars. All in all it was a great April Fool's Day!
We did actually do some work today. We worked on our Weekly news and our science unit this morning. The kids teamed up and used the laptops to compare and contrast different living species. This afternoon we continued our work with flags and using them to help us understand fractional parts.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
We did actually do some work today. We worked on our Weekly news and our science unit this morning. The kids teamed up and used the laptops to compare and contrast different living species. This afternoon we continued our work with flags and using them to help us understand fractional parts.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
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