Good Afternoon,
Thank you for all of the food for our party. It was fun and a great way to wrap up 2012 at the Waitsfield School. I hope everyone has a wonderful break and enjoys their time with family and friends. I wish all of you a very Happy New Year, and we will see you in January.
*Don't forget the winter sports program starts on January 2nd.
Peace,
Tom
December 21, 2012
December 19, 2012
December 19, 2012
Good Morning,
We have had a great week with lots of normalcy and routine (a reflection of the entire Waitsfield School Community). Yesterday the students conducted a science experiment with salt. They had to explain how music made salt, on a flat surface, dance around. They seemed to enjoy the salt dancing to the song I like to Move It (From Madagascar). Speaking of music, several of the kids have been signing the lyrics to I'm Sexy and I know It. Apparently, this is from one of their dance classes. We have talked about this not being appropriate for 1st and 2nd graders to be singing in school. Any follow up support with this, would be wonderful. Some kids who are not involved in dance have picked up the lyrics too.
New Year's Party (on the 21st):
Below are the items that will be brought in: Please feel free to send something if you didn't have a chance to sign up.
Sue Hans: Veggies
Harmony Kahn: Cider
Sara Arman: Plates, napkins, peanut butter cookies (made with maple syrup and not processed sugar)
Hillary Downing: Oranges
Rachel Rosenbloom: Something Baked
I hope everyone has a great week.
Peace,
Tom
We have had a great week with lots of normalcy and routine (a reflection of the entire Waitsfield School Community). Yesterday the students conducted a science experiment with salt. They had to explain how music made salt, on a flat surface, dance around. They seemed to enjoy the salt dancing to the song I like to Move It (From Madagascar). Speaking of music, several of the kids have been signing the lyrics to I'm Sexy and I know It. Apparently, this is from one of their dance classes. We have talked about this not being appropriate for 1st and 2nd graders to be singing in school. Any follow up support with this, would be wonderful. Some kids who are not involved in dance have picked up the lyrics too.
New Year's Party (on the 21st):
Below are the items that will be brought in: Please feel free to send something if you didn't have a chance to sign up.
Sue Hans: Veggies
Harmony Kahn: Cider
Sara Arman: Plates, napkins, peanut butter cookies (made with maple syrup and not processed sugar)
Hillary Downing: Oranges
Rachel Rosenbloom: Something Baked
I hope everyone has a great week.
Peace,
Tom
December 16, 2012
December 17, 2012
Good Morning,
I hope everyone received my letter, about addressing Friday's tragedy, via e-mail. Please let me know if you didn't.
This Friday, we will spend the afternoon talking about traditions and celebrations around the idea of New Years. It will also involve a discussion about calendars and a children's book entitled My New York. I would also like to have a little "New Year's Eve" celebration. I would like to have a few "healthy" and/or sugar free/very low sugar snacks and drinks provided. We would also need cups and plates. Please let me know by Wednesday if you can provide something. I will post the final list on Wednesday's blog.
Have a great day!
Peace,
Tom
I hope everyone received my letter, about addressing Friday's tragedy, via e-mail. Please let me know if you didn't.
This Friday, we will spend the afternoon talking about traditions and celebrations around the idea of New Years. It will also involve a discussion about calendars and a children's book entitled My New York. I would also like to have a little "New Year's Eve" celebration. I would like to have a few "healthy" and/or sugar free/very low sugar snacks and drinks provided. We would also need cups and plates. Please let me know by Wednesday if you can provide something. I will post the final list on Wednesday's blog.
Have a great day!
Peace,
Tom
December 14, 2012
December 14, 2012
Good Afternoon,
We have had an absolutely fabulous week. Yesterday the students had health class with Mrs. Dillon. They are focusing on food and the nutrients the types of food can provide. In math, the 1st graders have been focusing on "bigger numbers." They have been writing on number strips and have been excited with the idea of working with these numbers. Some even found other uses for their tapes.
 |
| A student demonstrates her number strip beard. |
Today, we wrote in our Weekly News journals. Today's focus was to use the paragraph structure (that we have been focusing on) to write a paragraph or two for you. The kids did a wonderful job with this. I only edited their paragraph structure. I hope you enjoy the entries.
We also worked on a book about rules. This week, recess has required a few extra reminders about being safe and respectful on the playground. I used the opportunity to read a very short book about rules and then asked the students to help with a recess brainstorm. They then came up with appropriate procedures/rules for the playground equipment. Next Friday, we will finish up our work and turn it into a class book.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
December 12, 2012
December 12, 2012
Good Morning,
A very quick day. We had music, French, and reading groups today. Last night, the class was awarded $250 for their window entry. We will split our winnings with Mr. Geenleaf's class. I would like to thank Emma Hans for going up to Timbers and representing our school in receiving the award.
Most of the book orders are in. I am waiting for one more box and will then send them home.
Have a great day.
Peace,
Tom
A very quick day. We had music, French, and reading groups today. Last night, the class was awarded $250 for their window entry. We will split our winnings with Mr. Geenleaf's class. I would like to thank Emma Hans for going up to Timbers and representing our school in receiving the award.
Most of the book orders are in. I am waiting for one more box and will then send them home.
Have a great day.
Peace,
Tom
December 10, 2012
December 10, 2012
Good Afternoon,
We had a wonderful day. The class continued to work on their pen-pal letters. I read the book, Dear Mrs. Larue, Letters from Obedience School. This author in this book used a letter format to write his book.
The students also had PE today. Please remember that we have PE on Mondays and Thursdays. Your child needs to have sneakers on these days. Mr. Drake is sitting kids out of class who do not have the appropriate attire.
GREAT NEWS: I got a call today that our class' entry for the Festival of Lights has been awarded a prize. The award presentation will be tomorrow night from 5-7 o'clock at Timbers. The rotary would love to see the class present to receive the award. Please let me know if you can attend. If you would like to have dinner there, please make a reservation through the rotary and you will receive 50% off your meal.
I hope you have a great day.
Peace,
Tom
We had a wonderful day. The class continued to work on their pen-pal letters. I read the book, Dear Mrs. Larue, Letters from Obedience School. This author in this book used a letter format to write his book.
The students also had PE today. Please remember that we have PE on Mondays and Thursdays. Your child needs to have sneakers on these days. Mr. Drake is sitting kids out of class who do not have the appropriate attire.
GREAT NEWS: I got a call today that our class' entry for the Festival of Lights has been awarded a prize. The award presentation will be tomorrow night from 5-7 o'clock at Timbers. The rotary would love to see the class present to receive the award. Please let me know if you can attend. If you would like to have dinner there, please make a reservation through the rotary and you will receive 50% off your meal.
I hope you have a great day.
Peace,
Tom
December 7, 2012
December 7, 2012
Good Afternoon,
Today was quite a busy day. We started the morning with an assembly about bats. The 6th grade group presented the state wildlife department with a check for $700 to be used to help support bat habitats. After assembly, the students worked in their weekly news, finished their science assessments, finished the decor for the window competition, and read their responses from their pen-pals. We will work on responses to our Waterbury friends next week.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
Today was quite a busy day. We started the morning with an assembly about bats. The 6th grade group presented the state wildlife department with a check for $700 to be used to help support bat habitats. After assembly, the students worked in their weekly news, finished their science assessments, finished the decor for the window competition, and read their responses from their pen-pals. We will work on responses to our Waterbury friends next week.
 |
| Beckett shows off the results of the science experiment that he developed himself. Each child came up with their own experiment and then conduct it using the scientific method. |
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
December 5, 2012
December 5, 2012
Good Morning,
As you know, this year one of our themes is traditions and celebrations. Each year the Valley Rotary sponsors a "Festival of Lights" tradition/contest throughout the Mad River Valley. We have entered this competition each of the last 5 years. This year, Mr. Greenleaf's class will be joining us as we construct our entry. This year's theme is "sparkle." We will have the kids create snowflakes and an image of themselves to demonstrate how each child "sparkles in the snow." Snow is something that is symbolic of the MRV and is something that we all enjoy. In the past, we have used our winnings to purchase new books for the classroom and an i-pad.
Yesterday. the students worked on their magnet assessments. Each child had to create three questions he/she had about magnets. They then had to choose one of the questions to investigate and draw up a plan for investigating it. They will continue their experiments on Friday. I was quite impressed with their work with the scientific process.
I hope you have a great day.
Peace,
Tom
As you know, this year one of our themes is traditions and celebrations. Each year the Valley Rotary sponsors a "Festival of Lights" tradition/contest throughout the Mad River Valley. We have entered this competition each of the last 5 years. This year, Mr. Greenleaf's class will be joining us as we construct our entry. This year's theme is "sparkle." We will have the kids create snowflakes and an image of themselves to demonstrate how each child "sparkles in the snow." Snow is something that is symbolic of the MRV and is something that we all enjoy. In the past, we have used our winnings to purchase new books for the classroom and an i-pad.
Yesterday. the students worked on their magnet assessments. Each child had to create three questions he/she had about magnets. They then had to choose one of the questions to investigate and draw up a plan for investigating it. They will continue their experiments on Friday. I was quite impressed with their work with the scientific process.
I hope you have a great day.
Peace,
Tom
December 3, 2012
December 3, 2012
Good Morning,
I hope you had a great weekend. We spent Saturday getting ready for the holiday season. It was nice to have snow on the ground as we got our tree in Waterbury. This week may be called the 4 Seasons Week because we may see a variety of weather. Please make sure you child dresses appropriately. Boots will most likely be the foot attire for the week. Please make sure your child has a pair of shoes to change into.
This week, the kids who have not finished their narratives will do so. We will also wrap up or magnet unit and start our unit on sound by the end of the week.
Reminder:
*1st graders continue to play the math game from last week. The survey will be sent home on Thursday.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
I hope you had a great weekend. We spent Saturday getting ready for the holiday season. It was nice to have snow on the ground as we got our tree in Waterbury. This week may be called the 4 Seasons Week because we may see a variety of weather. Please make sure you child dresses appropriately. Boots will most likely be the foot attire for the week. Please make sure your child has a pair of shoes to change into.
This week, the kids who have not finished their narratives will do so. We will also wrap up or magnet unit and start our unit on sound by the end of the week.
Reminder:
*1st graders continue to play the math game from last week. The survey will be sent home on Thursday.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
November 30, 2012
November 30, 2012
Good Morning,
Today the students finished up Wednesday's science experiments. They will take the unit test on Tuesday. This will require the kids to create their own question about a magnet and then investigate it. The students also wrote in their weekly news journals. Please look over them during the weekend and send them back on Monday. We finished the morning by reading a book called Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills. It was a great story and talked about a puppy's struggle to write his own story and follows the process of how the puppy found a way to be inspired to write.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
Today the students finished up Wednesday's science experiments. They will take the unit test on Tuesday. This will require the kids to create their own question about a magnet and then investigate it. The students also wrote in their weekly news journals. Please look over them during the weekend and send them back on Monday. We finished the morning by reading a book called Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills. It was a great story and talked about a puppy's struggle to write his own story and follows the process of how the puppy found a way to be inspired to write.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
November 28, 2012
November 28, 2012
Good Afternoon,
Today the students continued with their narrative assessment writes. This requires each student to write a story that has the typical elements of a narrative. The results will be used in guiding next steps for each student's needs and instruction.
This afternoon, the students conducted a series of magnet inquiries. We will finish this up on Friday and take the unit assessment next Tuesday. Our next unit of study will be sound.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
Today the students continued with their narrative assessment writes. This requires each student to write a story that has the typical elements of a narrative. The results will be used in guiding next steps for each student's needs and instruction.
This afternoon, the students conducted a series of magnet inquiries. We will finish this up on Friday and take the unit assessment next Tuesday. Our next unit of study will be sound.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
November 25, 2012
November 26, 2012
Good Morning,
I hope everyone had a nice break and for those who celebrate a wonderful Thanksgiving. I felt like the break came at just the right time and hopefully it allowed for many of the illnesses to pass. This week the students will be assessed on their ability to write a narrative. They will each be asked to create their own story that includes a beginning, middle, and end, as well as a problem and solution.
Notes For the Week:
*Book Orders were due today (Monday). If you need an extra day, please send them in by Tuesday.
*I will be out of school for most or all of the day on Tuesday. I am continuing to have to go through some medical tests and will be at Fletcher Allen. I apologize in advance for having to be out again. I look forward to moving on from this.
*YOUR CHILD"S HOMEWORK BAG, will have reading in it for tonight and Tuesday night. This way the substitute (on Tuesday) will not have to deal with it. If your child has a chapter book, I will write the assignments for both days on the cover.
*There will be new math homework for first graders this week. The game survey will be due a week from Thursday. Please make sure to fill these out. I will post a reminder again next week.
Have a great week,
Peace,
Tom
I hope everyone had a nice break and for those who celebrate a wonderful Thanksgiving. I felt like the break came at just the right time and hopefully it allowed for many of the illnesses to pass. This week the students will be assessed on their ability to write a narrative. They will each be asked to create their own story that includes a beginning, middle, and end, as well as a problem and solution.
Notes For the Week:
*Book Orders were due today (Monday). If you need an extra day, please send them in by Tuesday.
*I will be out of school for most or all of the day on Tuesday. I am continuing to have to go through some medical tests and will be at Fletcher Allen. I apologize in advance for having to be out again. I look forward to moving on from this.
*YOUR CHILD"S HOMEWORK BAG, will have reading in it for tonight and Tuesday night. This way the substitute (on Tuesday) will not have to deal with it. If your child has a chapter book, I will write the assignments for both days on the cover.
*There will be new math homework for first graders this week. The game survey will be due a week from Thursday. Please make sure to fill these out. I will post a reminder again next week.
Have a great week,
Peace,
Tom
November 14, 2012
GoodAfternoon,
Today, Mrs. Hosford cam in to read a third children's book that her daughter has written. The title of this was called Infinity. The children seemed to really enjoyed the book and enjoyed trying to grasp the concept of infinity.
Tomorrow, I will be sending home book order forms along with a coupon. If you order $10 worth of books, you receive a free book (up to $5 value). This will be the last book order I send before the holidays. The orders will be due November 26th.
On Friday, we will be leaving walking to the Valley Player's building to watch the 5th/6th grade play (a portion of it). We will leaving around 1:00.
I need conferences scheduled for Azailea and Bella. Please do so today, so I can wrap up the schedule.
Peace,
Tom
Today, Mrs. Hosford cam in to read a third children's book that her daughter has written. The title of this was called Infinity. The children seemed to really enjoyed the book and enjoyed trying to grasp the concept of infinity.
Tomorrow, I will be sending home book order forms along with a coupon. If you order $10 worth of books, you receive a free book (up to $5 value). This will be the last book order I send before the holidays. The orders will be due November 26th.
On Friday, we will be leaving walking to the Valley Player's building to watch the 5th/6th grade play (a portion of it). We will leaving around 1:00.
I need conferences scheduled for Azailea and Bella. Please do so today, so I can wrap up the schedule.
Peace,
Tom
November 11, 2012
November 12, 2012
Good Morning,
I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. It seemed weird to have the windows open for part of the day on Sunday. It is hard to believe that we have 7 days of school before the Thanksgiving Break. Today, we welcome back Jude to the classroom. He stopped by for a quick lunch visit on Friday and will rejoin the class today.
Teaching is a wonderful job that allows and requires constant reflection. As I wrapped up the first trimester, I took some time to look at what was working in the classroom and what could be changed for maximum efficiency and productivity. When students arrive at school now, they take care of their homework, look at the Morning Message, and then read by themselves or with a partner. I am changing the last part of this routine. When students arrive, they will still do the first two things, and then be asked to work on their sight words. We are currently doing this during our spelling time, but I want to add more to our spelling block. What does this mean for your child? They need to be in school by 7:40, or they will not have the same opportunity as those kids who are on time. They will work on this until 7:55, and then we will start morning meeting. Although this is an academic activity, it is a great one to start the day with because students get to choose how they want to practice their words. It allows them to start the day with a self directed activity. I am excited about this change and truly feel the benefit will be substantial.
NOTES:
*1st Grade Math Homework: In the midst of preparing for my substitute last week, I forgot to send home new math homework. So, I will send a new game home today. I will then send the surveys home next Monday (11/20/12). I am sorry for not having something this past week.
*Parent Conferences: Please make sure to sign up for a conference time. If you are going to be away, please let me know. We can make arrangements for something the week after Thanksgiving. Report Cards will be sent home this Friday.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. It seemed weird to have the windows open for part of the day on Sunday. It is hard to believe that we have 7 days of school before the Thanksgiving Break. Today, we welcome back Jude to the classroom. He stopped by for a quick lunch visit on Friday and will rejoin the class today.
Teaching is a wonderful job that allows and requires constant reflection. As I wrapped up the first trimester, I took some time to look at what was working in the classroom and what could be changed for maximum efficiency and productivity. When students arrive at school now, they take care of their homework, look at the Morning Message, and then read by themselves or with a partner. I am changing the last part of this routine. When students arrive, they will still do the first two things, and then be asked to work on their sight words. We are currently doing this during our spelling time, but I want to add more to our spelling block. What does this mean for your child? They need to be in school by 7:40, or they will not have the same opportunity as those kids who are on time. They will work on this until 7:55, and then we will start morning meeting. Although this is an academic activity, it is a great one to start the day with because students get to choose how they want to practice their words. It allows them to start the day with a self directed activity. I am excited about this change and truly feel the benefit will be substantial.
NOTES:
*1st Grade Math Homework: In the midst of preparing for my substitute last week, I forgot to send home new math homework. So, I will send a new game home today. I will then send the surveys home next Monday (11/20/12). I am sorry for not having something this past week.
*Parent Conferences: Please make sure to sign up for a conference time. If you are going to be away, please let me know. We can make arrangements for something the week after Thanksgiving. Report Cards will be sent home this Friday.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
November 9, 2012
November 9, 2012
Good Afternoon!
We had a fantastic day and the kids demonstrated a tremendous amount of focus as we dealt with the energy and business of ski and skate sale preparations. This morning, I read the kids a book called Balloons Over Broadway. This book was about the person responsible for developing the Macy's
Day Parade, and the use of the character balloons we see today. It was a wonderful book that also focused on the tradition and history of the parade. The students were then asked to create their own balloon for the parade and through a variety of means, created an image of the being the puppeteer of their balloon. This proved to be a very exciting and imaginative project, and the kids worked for over 90 minutes strictly focused on this. It was very excited to see their creations. We will finish these next Friday and also work on a writing piece for the artwork.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
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We had a fantastic day and the kids demonstrated a tremendous amount of focus as we dealt with the energy and business of ski and skate sale preparations. This morning, I read the kids a book called Balloons Over Broadway. This book was about the person responsible for developing the Macy's
Day Parade, and the use of the character balloons we see today. It was a wonderful book that also focused on the tradition and history of the parade. The students were then asked to create their own balloon for the parade and through a variety of means, created an image of the being the puppeteer of their balloon. This proved to be a very exciting and imaginative project, and the kids worked for over 90 minutes strictly focused on this. It was very excited to see their creations. We will finish these next Friday and also work on a writing piece for the artwork.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
November 7, 2012
November 7, 2012
Good Morning,
I hope the last two days went as smoothly as they could. I had the privilege of attending the Literacy For All Conference in Providence, RI. It was a fabulous conference and I walked away with a variety of feelings/thoughts. One, it was nice to see how many of the best practices I was already implementing in the classroom. I also learned a lot of new techniques that could enhance what I am already doing. One such concept is called the Daily Five. I am going to research more about this and look at implementing it as start to develop next year's classroom. I also met a Technology Integration Specialist from Wisconsin. She was absolutely amazing and shared a plethora of information and ideas for the classroom. Dan and I also left with an idea of doing a shared research project with our two classes. We are going to start this in December. It focuses on the idea of Students asking "I Wonder" questions and then reading non-fiction material to answer their inquiry. It also involves using Web 2.0 tools to find answers. We are both very excited about this project.
I hope you have a great week. Don't forget to sign up for the Ski and Skate Sale.
Peace,
Tom
I hope the last two days went as smoothly as they could. I had the privilege of attending the Literacy For All Conference in Providence, RI. It was a fabulous conference and I walked away with a variety of feelings/thoughts. One, it was nice to see how many of the best practices I was already implementing in the classroom. I also learned a lot of new techniques that could enhance what I am already doing. One such concept is called the Daily Five. I am going to research more about this and look at implementing it as start to develop next year's classroom. I also met a Technology Integration Specialist from Wisconsin. She was absolutely amazing and shared a plethora of information and ideas for the classroom. Dan and I also left with an idea of doing a shared research project with our two classes. We are going to start this in December. It focuses on the idea of Students asking "I Wonder" questions and then reading non-fiction material to answer their inquiry. It also involves using Web 2.0 tools to find answers. We are both very excited about this project.
I hope you have a great week. Don't forget to sign up for the Ski and Skate Sale.
Peace,
Tom
November 2, 2012
November 2, 2012
Good Afternoon. We have had a great week and the class, as a whole, handled Halloween week with relative ease. Today we finished the class book that we had started last week. The kids typed their rough drafts and assembled their book pages.
I will be headed to Rhode Island on Sunday morning. Dan Greenleaf and I will be attending a Literacy Conference in Providence. It starts on Sunday afternoon and finishes up on Tuesday evening. I will be back in school on Wednesday. We are pretty fortunate to get into this conference and look forward to diving deeper into some of the reading and writing approaches that we currently use in our classes.
I hope you have a great weekend. I will post again on Wednesday.
Peace,
Tom
I will be headed to Rhode Island on Sunday morning. Dan Greenleaf and I will be attending a Literacy Conference in Providence. It starts on Sunday afternoon and finishes up on Tuesday evening. I will be back in school on Wednesday. We are pretty fortunate to get into this conference and look forward to diving deeper into some of the reading and writing approaches that we currently use in our classes.
I hope you have a great weekend. I will post again on Wednesday.
Peace,
Tom
October 31, 2012
October 31, 2012
Happy Halloween! I will not be sending any homework home this evening. I know how hectic the evening can be for people. In return, I ask that you remember to please not send in any Halloween candy to school with your child.
I am hope you have a safe and joyous evening.
Peace,
Tom
I am hope you have a safe and joyous evening.
Peace,
Tom
October 29, 2012
October 30, 2012
Good Afternoon,
A few things for you to take note of:
*We will not be hiking on Wednesday. I can't guarantee the accessibility of the hike nor do I feel that it will be totally safe. So, we will reschedule for the spring.
*As of right now, school is still on for tomorrow. If there is a change the alert now system will be used.
Today, we continued to look at sentences and talked about upper case letters and ending punctuation. The students also had spelling and math. Today;s specials were gym and library.
I hope you have a safe evening.
Peace,
Tom
A few things for you to take note of:
*We will not be hiking on Wednesday. I can't guarantee the accessibility of the hike nor do I feel that it will be totally safe. So, we will reschedule for the spring.
*As of right now, school is still on for tomorrow. If there is a change the alert now system will be used.
Today, we continued to look at sentences and talked about upper case letters and ending punctuation. The students also had spelling and math. Today;s specials were gym and library.
I hope you have a safe evening.
Peace,
Tom
October 26, 2012
October 26, 2012
Good Afternoon,
We had a wonderful day today. The students wrote in their Weekly News journals. They are in your child's backpack, please respond to them over the weekend. We also read the story, What Do You Say, Dear. The students really enjoyed this book and the sound of laughter was quite loud. Afterwards, we started our own version of the book. The students used water colors to illustrate the book. We hope to finish it next Friday. I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
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We had a wonderful day today. The students wrote in their Weekly News journals. They are in your child's backpack, please respond to them over the weekend. We also read the story, What Do You Say, Dear. The students really enjoyed this book and the sound of laughter was quite loud. Afterwards, we started our own version of the book. The students used water colors to illustrate the book. We hope to finish it next Friday. I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
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October 24, 2012
October 24, 2012
Good Morning,
I am sorry I wasn't in school today. My daughter had a pretty nasty ear infection and was in a bit of pain.
Next Wednesday's Hike: I have a handful of parents that have offered to help chaperone the hike. They are Logan's mom and dad, Rachel's mom, Azailea's mom, and Amy's mom. If anyone else would like to go, please let me know. The plan has changed a little bit. We will hike Stowe Pinnacle and leave school around 8:30. We will start at the upper parking lot and allow groups to hike at their own pace. We will eat lunch while we are there. Each kid should have a back pack to carry his/her lunch and a water bottle. Hats, gloves, maybe even hand-warmers, are strongly suggested. I will keep a close eye on the weather and make a decision during the school day on Tuesday. I am curious about the path of the hurricane that has formed near Jamaica and the threat it poses to hitting the East Coast.
Why are we hiking? It has become a tradition that the students of the Waitsfield School take part int he Hike For Hunger Campaign. Each Fall, I ask the students to bring in food donations for the Food Shelf. Wednesday seemed like a good choice with the anticipated energy and excitement of Halloween. If we need to postpone the hike, I will reschedule it for the Spring. Below is a quick clip about the Hike For Hunger campaign.
Have a great day.
Peace,
Tom
I am sorry I wasn't in school today. My daughter had a pretty nasty ear infection and was in a bit of pain.
Next Wednesday's Hike: I have a handful of parents that have offered to help chaperone the hike. They are Logan's mom and dad, Rachel's mom, Azailea's mom, and Amy's mom. If anyone else would like to go, please let me know. The plan has changed a little bit. We will hike Stowe Pinnacle and leave school around 8:30. We will start at the upper parking lot and allow groups to hike at their own pace. We will eat lunch while we are there. Each kid should have a back pack to carry his/her lunch and a water bottle. Hats, gloves, maybe even hand-warmers, are strongly suggested. I will keep a close eye on the weather and make a decision during the school day on Tuesday. I am curious about the path of the hurricane that has formed near Jamaica and the threat it poses to hitting the East Coast.
Why are we hiking? It has become a tradition that the students of the Waitsfield School take part int he Hike For Hunger Campaign. Each Fall, I ask the students to bring in food donations for the Food Shelf. Wednesday seemed like a good choice with the anticipated energy and excitement of Halloween. If we need to postpone the hike, I will reschedule it for the Spring. Below is a quick clip about the Hike For Hunger campaign.
Peace,
Tom
October 22, 2012
November 22, 2012
Good Afternoon,
It is 3;30 and I realized I forgot to write a blog post today. I apologize for not getting it out sooner today. Today the students finished their persuasive writing pieces, had Writer's Workshop, and had math. Today's specials were gym and library. We will be headed to the Fire Station tomorrow morning for a Fire Safety Presentation.
I will post final details about the hike on Wednesday's blog.
Peace,
Tom
It is 3;30 and I realized I forgot to write a blog post today. I apologize for not getting it out sooner today. Today the students finished their persuasive writing pieces, had Writer's Workshop, and had math. Today's specials were gym and library. We will be headed to the Fire Station tomorrow morning for a Fire Safety Presentation.
I will post final details about the hike on Wednesday's blog.
Peace,
Tom
October 19, 2012
October 19, 2012
Good Afternoon,
Today we spent the morning writing. We wrote in our Weekly News journals, finished our pen-pal letters, and learned how to write a persuasive piece. We are writing persuasive letters to the parents of the Waitsfield School; explaining why they should volunteer for the Ski and Skate Sale. I thought it was a great opportunity to introduce this type of writing.
I have 4 parents signed up to help chaperone the hike. If anyone else is interested, please let me know. There may be a change of hiking venue but the date will stay the same.
Have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
Today we spent the morning writing. We wrote in our Weekly News journals, finished our pen-pal letters, and learned how to write a persuasive piece. We are writing persuasive letters to the parents of the Waitsfield School; explaining why they should volunteer for the Ski and Skate Sale. I thought it was a great opportunity to introduce this type of writing.
I have 4 parents signed up to help chaperone the hike. If anyone else is interested, please let me know. There may be a change of hiking venue but the date will stay the same.
Have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
October 17, 2012
October 17, 2012
Good Morning,
Over the past two days, we have been working on a science experiment with magnets. The challenge was to use two magnets to drag three ball magnets through a race course. Below are a few videos of the attempts. Each team needed to record the time it took on their data sheets, and we will be discussing our observations and findings during our science block this afternoon.
Hike for Hunger. I would like to take the kids for a hike On Wednesday, October 31st. I anticipate this being a very high energy day and think it would be a perfect time to participate in the Hike For Hunger program. I thought we would hike Mt. Abe this year and eat our lunch at the top. We would leave school around 9:30 and return by the end of the day. I would need driver s and people willing to hike. Please let me now if you can attend.
Peace,
Tom
Over the past two days, we have been working on a science experiment with magnets. The challenge was to use two magnets to drag three ball magnets through a race course. Below are a few videos of the attempts. Each team needed to record the time it took on their data sheets, and we will be discussing our observations and findings during our science block this afternoon.
Hike for Hunger. I would like to take the kids for a hike On Wednesday, October 31st. I anticipate this being a very high energy day and think it would be a perfect time to participate in the Hike For Hunger program. I thought we would hike Mt. Abe this year and eat our lunch at the top. We would leave school around 9:30 and return by the end of the day. I would need driver s and people willing to hike. Please let me now if you can attend.
Peace,
Tom
October 15, 2012
October 15, 2012
Good morning! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I found myself enjoying a couple of 5th & 6th grade soccer games and preparing our home for Winter.
Today we had reading groups and wrote in our writing folders. We also read the book Welcome to the Ice House, by Jane Yolen. This book offered beautiful examples of an author using powerful words
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
Today we had reading groups and wrote in our writing folders. We also read the book Welcome to the Ice House, by Jane Yolen. This book offered beautiful examples of an author using powerful words
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
October 12, 2012
October 12, 2012
Good Morning,
Today the students wrote in their weekly news and continued writing their pen-pal letters. We also conducted two more magnet experiments. The focus continued to be making a prediction and drawing a conclusion from the data collected.
I am sorry there are no pictures today. My computer crashed yesterday and Kay is working on fixing it.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
PS: I strongly urge your child to have a "school" sweater or sweatshirt that he/she can leave at school. I tend to keep my room a bit cool. Please make sure his/her name is in it.
Today the students wrote in their weekly news and continued writing their pen-pal letters. We also conducted two more magnet experiments. The focus continued to be making a prediction and drawing a conclusion from the data collected.
I am sorry there are no pictures today. My computer crashed yesterday and Kay is working on fixing it.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
PS: I strongly urge your child to have a "school" sweater or sweatshirt that he/she can leave at school. I tend to keep my room a bit cool. Please make sure his/her name is in it.
October 10, 2012
October 10, 2012
Good Morning Families,
Yesterday was quite a busy and productive day. During our Writer's Workshop, I introduced the kids to the term "Spicy Cheez-It" words. This is the term that I am using to teach the students about descriptive words that enhance author's work. I had the students sample regular Cheez-Its and the spicy ones. We then talked about the difference, and agreed that although they are both snack crackers there is a big difference between the two. I then brought it back to the idea that writing with "Spicy" words makes the story much more interesting to the reader. We will spend the next few weeks reading picture books that demonstrate an author's use of these Spicy Cheez-It words.
Yesterday afternoon, the whole school gathered in the gym for a kickoff to this year's reading challenge. The students then broke up into groups of mixed grades and read picture books for 20 minutes. It was great to see all of our students reading together and a very positive experience.
Notes:
*A new 1st grade math homework game will be sent home today. The survey will be due a week from Friday.
*Please have your child put their name on any homework sheet.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
Yesterday was quite a busy and productive day. During our Writer's Workshop, I introduced the kids to the term "Spicy Cheez-It" words. This is the term that I am using to teach the students about descriptive words that enhance author's work. I had the students sample regular Cheez-Its and the spicy ones. We then talked about the difference, and agreed that although they are both snack crackers there is a big difference between the two. I then brought it back to the idea that writing with "Spicy" words makes the story much more interesting to the reader. We will spend the next few weeks reading picture books that demonstrate an author's use of these Spicy Cheez-It words.
 |
| Leaf Peeping Walk last Friday |
Yesterday afternoon, the whole school gathered in the gym for a kickoff to this year's reading challenge. The students then broke up into groups of mixed grades and read picture books for 20 minutes. It was great to see all of our students reading together and a very positive experience.
Notes:
*A new 1st grade math homework game will be sent home today. The survey will be due a week from Friday.
*Please have your child put their name on any homework sheet.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
October 5, 2012
October 5, 2012
Good Afternoon and Happy Friday! Today we wrote in our Weekly News Journals. Please look in your child's bag for his or hers. Please take time to read it and write back to your child. We will read the comments on Tuesday.
We started to talk about the traditions around "Leaf Peeping" and took a walk as a class to look for leaves that looked beautiful to us. When we got back, I read Read Leaf, Yellow Leaf and Why Do the Leaves Change to the children. We then created our own Fall leaves (video above) using food coloring. The leaves will hang over our classroom library and look absolutely stunning blowing in the breeze.
Please remember that their is no school on Monday. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Peace,
Tom
October 3, 2012
October 3, 2012
Good Morning,
We started our day with some dancing and songs in the gym. Wrenn Compere led us in the activities, and it proved to be a great start up activity. Yesterday, we reread a book called Grandpa Never Lies. We read the book last week, and looked at the author's use of repetitive lines. This time we looked at the way the author used his words to travel through time. The students have know learned about 4 different styles of author's craft that they can use to write stories (letter books, number books, all about books, and through time books).
In science, we continue to investigate magnets and today we will conduct a magnet investigation this afternoon. I feel the students are enjoying the hands on approach to this unit, and have seen a lot of great writing in their science notebooks.
1ST GRADE MATH GAME SURVEY IS DUE ON FRIDAY!
Peace,
Tom
We started our day with some dancing and songs in the gym. Wrenn Compere led us in the activities, and it proved to be a great start up activity. Yesterday, we reread a book called Grandpa Never Lies. We read the book last week, and looked at the author's use of repetitive lines. This time we looked at the way the author used his words to travel through time. The students have know learned about 4 different styles of author's craft that they can use to write stories (letter books, number books, all about books, and through time books).
In science, we continue to investigate magnets and today we will conduct a magnet investigation this afternoon. I feel the students are enjoying the hands on approach to this unit, and have seen a lot of great writing in their science notebooks.
1ST GRADE MATH GAME SURVEY IS DUE ON FRIDAY!
Peace,
Tom
October 1, 2012
October 1, 2012
I hope you had a great weekend. It looks like Friday went pretty smoothly. I had a nice time in North Carolina and was psyched to see my brother before he deployed. I have to say, the three flights to get home seemed a bit much, but I was glad to be back on time.
Parent volunteers start this week. Below is the schedule:
__________________________________________________________________________
Day of the Week The 1st, 3rd, & 5th The 2nd & 4th Time
week of the month week of the month
Monday Hillary Susan Hans 9:45-11:20
Tuesday Eva Michelle 10:00-11:20
Wednesday Harmony Harmony 9:45-11:20
Thursday Chris Michelle 9:45-11:20
________________________________________________________________________
We started our spelling this week. I will use the week to model and practice the different tasks that will happen during spelling time. Today, each child set up their first 5 sight word flash cards.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
Parent volunteers start this week. Below is the schedule:
__________________________________________________________________________
Day of the Week The 1st, 3rd, & 5th The 2nd & 4th Time
week of the month week of the month
Monday Hillary Susan Hans 9:45-11:20
Tuesday Eva Michelle 10:00-11:20
Wednesday Harmony Harmony 9:45-11:20
Thursday Chris Michelle 9:45-11:20
________________________________________________________________________
We started our spelling this week. I will use the week to model and practice the different tasks that will happen during spelling time. Today, each child set up their first 5 sight word flash cards.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tom
September 26, 2012
September 26, 2012
I hope everyone enjoyed the Open House last night. I really enjoy the excitement the kids exhibit when showing you their work. Unfortunately the pictures were formatted incorrectly and I can't download them. It was nice seeing everyone and I hope you enjoyed the event.
Today the students started writing their own books. There was a lot of excitement around this and some of the kids didn't want to stop for recess. Ask your child about his or her book. We also started our science unit on magnets. We kicked of the unit with a 20 minute explore (pictures above and below) and wrapped up the session with a discussion of student's findings. The whole school also participated in a bus safety and bus evacuation drill today.
I hoe you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
.JPG) |
| A variety of ideas going on at the same time. |
Today the students started writing their own books. There was a lot of excitement around this and some of the kids didn't want to stop for recess. Ask your child about his or her book. We also started our science unit on magnets. We kicked of the unit with a 20 minute explore (pictures above and below) and wrapped up the session with a discussion of student's findings. The whole school also participated in a bus safety and bus evacuation drill today.
I hoe you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tom
.JPG) |
| A team of scientists exploring with their magnets. |
September 24, 2012
September 24, 2012
Good Afternoon! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I spent Saturday watching a few soccer games and Sunday putting together two new beds for my daughters. It was a nice treat having such beautiful Fall weather.
Today we had writing, reading groups, academic choice time, and math. During our writing time, we talked about what to do when we are finished a piece (how to edit) of writing. I then wrote a story, and we practiced the skills of re-reading to hear if it makes sense, looking for capitals and punctuation, and spelling.
There is reading homework and a new book log in your child's bag. Please remember that reading should occur every Monday-Thursday. The weekends are optional. First graders also have a new math game today. Remember that you should play it for the next two weeks. The survey will be due October 4th.
OPEN HOUSE: The school's Open House is tomorrow. It will run from 5:30-6:30. This will be a chance for your child to show you their room and what is important to them. I would love to converse about the class as a whole, but I ask that you refrain from asking specifics about your child. I never like to discuss those in a room full of other people.
I hope you all have a wonderful week. Please remember that I will be away on Friday. My brother deploys for Afghanistan, and I want to see him before he leaves.
Peace,
Tom
PS: My wife asked if I was plying favorites with the field trip pictures, because some children were on there multiple times. Some of the pictures were taken by students, and I just dumped them on the blog before I left Friday. I hope you enjoyed them.
Today we had writing, reading groups, academic choice time, and math. During our writing time, we talked about what to do when we are finished a piece (how to edit) of writing. I then wrote a story, and we practiced the skills of re-reading to hear if it makes sense, looking for capitals and punctuation, and spelling.
There is reading homework and a new book log in your child's bag. Please remember that reading should occur every Monday-Thursday. The weekends are optional. First graders also have a new math game today. Remember that you should play it for the next two weeks. The survey will be due October 4th.
OPEN HOUSE: The school's Open House is tomorrow. It will run from 5:30-6:30. This will be a chance for your child to show you their room and what is important to them. I would love to converse about the class as a whole, but I ask that you refrain from asking specifics about your child. I never like to discuss those in a room full of other people.
I hope you all have a wonderful week. Please remember that I will be away on Friday. My brother deploys for Afghanistan, and I want to see him before he leaves.
Peace,
Tom
PS: My wife asked if I was plying favorites with the field trip pictures, because some children were on there multiple times. Some of the pictures were taken by students, and I just dumped them on the blog before I left Friday. I hope you enjoyed them.
September 21, 2012
September 21, 2012
Good Afternoon! Great day at the orchard. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Peace,
Tom
Peace,
Tom
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