Good Afternoon,
Today the students wrote a letter (to a parent) on why they should get a puppy or kitten. It was the last practice write before tomorrow's assessment on persuasive writing. Remember, we will be watching Charlotte's Web tomorrow and then writing an opinion piece about the play or movie.
I hope you all have a wonderful break and a fantastic finish to 2014. I wish each and every one of you a joyous and rewarding 2015.
Peace,
Tommy
December 22, 2014
December 19, 2014
December 19, 2014
Good Afternoon,
I hope you have all had a nice week. I have found myself battling a nasty cold and some neck (muscle) issues that have definitely made it a physically challenging week.
Yesterday the students conducted an experiment that had them exploring the concept of friction. The film crew was once again here to capture their learning and discoveries. Ask your child about their test.
We were also treated to a play called Freddie the Frog and the Jungle Jazz. It was a wonderful play and taught us about understanding the differences of others.
Just a reminder that next week is a two day week. Monday will be a normal day in the classroom and will follow the typical Monday routine. Tuesday, will be a little different, in the sense that we will be watching the movie Charlotte's Web and then writing a persuasive piece about the play or the movie.
Notes:
* Please send in a lll overdue library books on Tuesday. That way the kids can take out more books to have over the break.
* Your child has reading homework and Weekly News in their Backpacks.
I hope you all have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
I hope you have all had a nice week. I have found myself battling a nasty cold and some neck (muscle) issues that have definitely made it a physically challenging week.
Yesterday the students conducted an experiment that had them exploring the concept of friction. The film crew was once again here to capture their learning and discoveries. Ask your child about their test.
We were also treated to a play called Freddie the Frog and the Jungle Jazz. It was a wonderful play and taught us about understanding the differences of others.
Just a reminder that next week is a two day week. Monday will be a normal day in the classroom and will follow the typical Monday routine. Tuesday, will be a little different, in the sense that we will be watching the movie Charlotte's Web and then writing a persuasive piece about the play or the movie.
Notes:
* Please send in a lll overdue library books on Tuesday. That way the kids can take out more books to have over the break.
* Your child has reading homework and Weekly News in their Backpacks.
I hope you all have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
December 15, 2014
December 16, 2014
Good Afternoon,
I hope you all had a great weekend. I spent the weekend in D.C. talking to a group of teachers about math and the results of the project that we worked on all of last year. It is very exciting to see that teachers from all around the country are downloading and using the lessons that we created.
This morning we had an assembly led by the school's leadership committee (5th and 6th graders). They have asked the school to focus on random acts of kindness and have challenged us to fill our rock bin (because of the acts) before break. Students and teachers will be looking for and engaging in random acts of kindness throughout the day. The following video was presented to the students. I find this video to be very powerful and it fostered a great discussion back in our classroom.
<br />
I hope you all have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
I hope you all had a great weekend. I spent the weekend in D.C. talking to a group of teachers about math and the results of the project that we worked on all of last year. It is very exciting to see that teachers from all around the country are downloading and using the lessons that we created.
This morning we had an assembly led by the school's leadership committee (5th and 6th graders). They have asked the school to focus on random acts of kindness and have challenged us to fill our rock bin (because of the acts) before break. Students and teachers will be looking for and engaging in random acts of kindness throughout the day. The following video was presented to the students. I find this video to be very powerful and it fostered a great discussion back in our classroom.
<br />
I hope you all have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
December 8, 2014
December 8th 2014
Good Morning,
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. My family and I participated in a race yesterday. It was a 5k in Burlington and it was COLD but fun.
Today we continued talking about persuasive writing. We listened to a book called Cinder Edna. Cinder Edna was also at the ball with Cinderella but with a little bit different spin to her evening. As a class, we wrote a letter to Ms. Korb to prove that the prince really loved Cinder Edna.
Notes:
*Wednesday is an Early Release Day.
*Thursday's science lesson (on friction) will be filmed as part of the Science project that I am working on. There is an assembly on Thursday morning. It will focus on random acts of kindness, These types of acts will be the school's focus as we round out the month of December.
*I will be out of school on Friday. Your child will have reading and a weekly news journal in their homework bags on that day.
I hope you all have a great week.
Tommy
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. My family and I participated in a race yesterday. It was a 5k in Burlington and it was COLD but fun.
Today we continued talking about persuasive writing. We listened to a book called Cinder Edna. Cinder Edna was also at the ball with Cinderella but with a little bit different spin to her evening. As a class, we wrote a letter to Ms. Korb to prove that the prince really loved Cinder Edna.
Notes:
*Wednesday is an Early Release Day.
*Thursday's science lesson (on friction) will be filmed as part of the Science project that I am working on. There is an assembly on Thursday morning. It will focus on random acts of kindness, These types of acts will be the school's focus as we round out the month of December.
*I will be out of school on Friday. Your child will have reading and a weekly news journal in their homework bags on that day.
I hope you all have a great week.
Tommy
December 5, 2014
December 5, 2014
Good Morning,
We had a wonderful trip to Spruce Peak and the students seemed to enjoy the show. The show was filled with a lot of humor and an extremely funny pig. I was also very pleased and proud of the students' behavior both on the bus and in the theater.
This week, we started talking about points of view and persuasive writing. We have read several different books about traditional tales but told through a different perspective (i.e. The Wolf from the Three Little Pigs). During the next two weeks, I will be working with the kids on writing persuasive pieces. On December 23, we will watch the movie Charlotte's Web. They will then have to decide which was more interesting, the play or the movie, and then write a piece that convinces the reader why they should watch one over the other.
This week in science, the students went through an experiment that we had already conducted and identified the steps int he scientific method. The students then created an anchor chart that can be used when creating their own investigations.
In math, the first graders have been working on story problems involving addition and subtraction. The focus has been on counting on and counting back. They also worked on balancing equations and deciding if an equation was true or false. The second graders have been working on subtraction with regrouping.
I am still waiting for Flynn money from a few students. PLEASE send it in to Kathi or I on Monday.
I hope you all have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
We had a wonderful trip to Spruce Peak and the students seemed to enjoy the show. The show was filled with a lot of humor and an extremely funny pig. I was also very pleased and proud of the students' behavior both on the bus and in the theater.
This week, we started talking about points of view and persuasive writing. We have read several different books about traditional tales but told through a different perspective (i.e. The Wolf from the Three Little Pigs). During the next two weeks, I will be working with the kids on writing persuasive pieces. On December 23, we will watch the movie Charlotte's Web. They will then have to decide which was more interesting, the play or the movie, and then write a piece that convinces the reader why they should watch one over the other.
This week in science, the students went through an experiment that we had already conducted and identified the steps int he scientific method. The students then created an anchor chart that can be used when creating their own investigations.
In math, the first graders have been working on story problems involving addition and subtraction. The focus has been on counting on and counting back. They also worked on balancing equations and deciding if an equation was true or false. The second graders have been working on subtraction with regrouping.
I am still waiting for Flynn money from a few students. PLEASE send it in to Kathi or I on Monday.
I hope you all have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
December 1, 2014
December 1, 2014
Good Afternoon,
I hope everyone had a restful break and are all feeling healthy. There are certainly a lot of little coughs and sniffles floating around but hopefully we can all make it through the next three weeks.
Tomorrow is our Flynn performance. However, the Flynn performance will be at Spruce Peak in Stowe. We will be seeing Charlotte's Web. We will leave around 10:45 and arrive back to school around 2:00. We will eat lunch before we leave and have our snack upon our return.
I have only received the $3 (for the performance) from 6 students. They are Emma, Soren, Saul, Lucy, Matthew, and Lydia. I would ask that everyone else please bring it in tomorrow. It would be nice to have the money all in before we left for the performance. Again, checks can be made out to Waitsfield Elementary School.
I hope you all have a wonderful week.
Peace,
Tommy
I hope everyone had a restful break and are all feeling healthy. There are certainly a lot of little coughs and sniffles floating around but hopefully we can all make it through the next three weeks.
Tomorrow is our Flynn performance. However, the Flynn performance will be at Spruce Peak in Stowe. We will be seeing Charlotte's Web. We will leave around 10:45 and arrive back to school around 2:00. We will eat lunch before we leave and have our snack upon our return.
I have only received the $3 (for the performance) from 6 students. They are Emma, Soren, Saul, Lucy, Matthew, and Lydia. I would ask that everyone else please bring it in tomorrow. It would be nice to have the money all in before we left for the performance. Again, checks can be made out to Waitsfield Elementary School.
I hope you all have a wonderful week.
Peace,
Tommy
November 21, 2014
November 21, 2014
Good Morning,
This week we had been working on stories that focus on small moments. The students are learning to pick a specific moment and then explode it by writing in detail about the event. In science, the students have investigated who force can effect an object, created testable questions, and write conclusions about their results. The first graders (in math) have been focusing on solving story problems, and the subtraction concept. The second graders have focused on using number grids to solve unknown equations and story problems.
Our Flynn trip is fast approaching. Each student will need to bring in $3.00 for the trip. Checks can be made out to Waitsfield Elementary School. I would like to collect this money before the Thanksgiving Break. Please let Kaiya or I know if the $3.00 presents a challenge. We will not need chaperones for this trip. We have a limited number of seats and the Flynn has it organized to a "T."
Conferences: Please make sure that your child comes to the conference (for the first 5 minutes). They are welcome to hang out in the classroom or the gym afterwards. I am skiing that you also bring the report card to the conference. I will use it to talk with your child.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
This week we had been working on stories that focus on small moments. The students are learning to pick a specific moment and then explode it by writing in detail about the event. In science, the students have investigated who force can effect an object, created testable questions, and write conclusions about their results. The first graders (in math) have been focusing on solving story problems, and the subtraction concept. The second graders have focused on using number grids to solve unknown equations and story problems.
Our Flynn trip is fast approaching. Each student will need to bring in $3.00 for the trip. Checks can be made out to Waitsfield Elementary School. I would like to collect this money before the Thanksgiving Break. Please let Kaiya or I know if the $3.00 presents a challenge. We will not need chaperones for this trip. We have a limited number of seats and the Flynn has it organized to a "T."
Conferences: Please make sure that your child comes to the conference (for the first 5 minutes). They are welcome to hang out in the classroom or the gym afterwards. I am skiing that you also bring the report card to the conference. I will use it to talk with your child.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
November 17, 2014
November 17, 2014
Good Morning,
I want to thank all of you that were able to support the Ski and Skate sale over the past weekend. This is truly a remarkable event and the proceeds allow us to enhance your child's school experience in many ways. This event would not be the success that it is without the many volunteers and supporters from our community.
If you haven't signed up for a parent conference time, please do so today. If you have more than one child in our school, you may not want to schedule them back to back. This way you don't loose time during the transition from one room to another. My conferences tend to be one right after another and I will be prompt. If you are late, please understand that you will only get the remaining time for your slot because it could effect more than jeu the conference behind you. I WOULD like your child to attend the first 5-6 minutes of the conference.
Report cards will be sent home on Friday. Please bring them to the conference with you.
Have a great week!
Peace,
Tommy
I want to thank all of you that were able to support the Ski and Skate sale over the past weekend. This is truly a remarkable event and the proceeds allow us to enhance your child's school experience in many ways. This event would not be the success that it is without the many volunteers and supporters from our community.
If you haven't signed up for a parent conference time, please do so today. If you have more than one child in our school, you may not want to schedule them back to back. This way you don't loose time during the transition from one room to another. My conferences tend to be one right after another and I will be prompt. If you are late, please understand that you will only get the remaining time for your slot because it could effect more than jeu the conference behind you. I WOULD like your child to attend the first 5-6 minutes of the conference.
Report cards will be sent home on Friday. Please bring them to the conference with you.
Have a great week!
Peace,
Tommy
November 14, 2014
October 14, 2014
Good Afternoon,
We had a slight change in our afternoon schedule today. The students will not be bringing home Weekly News or Reading Bags over the weekend. We spent the afternoon writing procedural pieces about our favorite Thanksgiving food. The students used temporal words to describe how to make their favorite choice.
This morning, we called our friends in Iowa and conducted a video chat. We shared our thoughts on the Global Read A Loud and talked about what our favorite books were. We ended a call with a whole group (Iowa and Vermont) dance. I think we wowed them with our moves!
Here is this week's video.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
We had a slight change in our afternoon schedule today. The students will not be bringing home Weekly News or Reading Bags over the weekend. We spent the afternoon writing procedural pieces about our favorite Thanksgiving food. The students used temporal words to describe how to make their favorite choice.
This morning, we called our friends in Iowa and conducted a video chat. We shared our thoughts on the Global Read A Loud and talked about what our favorite books were. We ended a call with a whole group (Iowa and Vermont) dance. I think we wowed them with our moves!
Here is this week's video.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
November 10, 2014
November 10, 2014
Good Afternoon,
Today was quite a packed day. The students started the day by working on their sight words. We then moved into Morning Meeting and shared the parent responses from their Weekly News Journals. Math was up next. The first graders worked on games that asked them to focus on complements of 10 or 20. The second graders looked at numbers in story problems. The class then moved into spelling. One group worked on recognizing initial and endings sounds as well as medial short vowel sounds. Another group worked on the short e, er, ir, and ur, and the -tion ending. The third group worked on y making the long e sound at the end of the word, er, ur, and ir sounds, and the chunk -ture. A final student was working on vocabulary words. In science, the students watched a video that featured a car with square wheels. They watched as it sped down the road. They were then asked the question; Do certain types of shapes roll easier than others? The students then started conducting an experiment that allowed them to test ideas that would help them answer the question. We will finish this experiment tomorrow. During the afternoon, the students had reading groups and their Daily 5 activities. The students ended the day with PE.
Notes:
*I will be leaving at 1:00 on Monday. I have a district math meeting.
*Please make sure that your child is arriving at school by 7:40. It is important for them to be arriving on time and to have the same advantage as every other student. As I have stated before, students start in with their sight words right at 7:40. Being 5 minutes late each day puts them at a 25 minute disadvantage to every other child.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
Today was quite a packed day. The students started the day by working on their sight words. We then moved into Morning Meeting and shared the parent responses from their Weekly News Journals. Math was up next. The first graders worked on games that asked them to focus on complements of 10 or 20. The second graders looked at numbers in story problems. The class then moved into spelling. One group worked on recognizing initial and endings sounds as well as medial short vowel sounds. Another group worked on the short e, er, ir, and ur, and the -tion ending. The third group worked on y making the long e sound at the end of the word, er, ur, and ir sounds, and the chunk -ture. A final student was working on vocabulary words. In science, the students watched a video that featured a car with square wheels. They watched as it sped down the road. They were then asked the question; Do certain types of shapes roll easier than others? The students then started conducting an experiment that allowed them to test ideas that would help them answer the question. We will finish this experiment tomorrow. During the afternoon, the students had reading groups and their Daily 5 activities. The students ended the day with PE.
Notes:
*I will be leaving at 1:00 on Monday. I have a district math meeting.
*Please make sure that your child is arriving at school by 7:40. It is important for them to be arriving on time and to have the same advantage as every other student. As I have stated before, students start in with their sight words right at 7:40. Being 5 minutes late each day puts them at a 25 minute disadvantage to every other child.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
November 7, 2014
November 7, 2014
Good Morning,
This week, I started reading some of the Choose Your Own Adventure books for our read-a-loud time. The students seem to enjoy the opportunity to choose where we will go next in the book. We also read Going Places, by Peter Reynolds. This is another selection from the Global Read-A-Loud author study. The students are excited to start designing their own "going place" vehicle.
In science, we looked at the effects that force has on the rate of speed. We used different amounts of force as we timed ourselves going down the slide. The students were asked to make predictions, record data, and then use the data to determine if their prediction was correct or not.
In math, the 2nd graders have been working on the concept of expanded notation and who to write numbers in that form. They have also been focusing on math fact fluency through games like Beat the Calculator. The first graders finished up their unit on geometry and the ability to classify, compose and decompose shapes from other shapes. They also started their next unit on problem solving. Their continues to be a focus on complements of 10, 20 and 100 (depending on your child's ability).
In writing, the students started writing to their pen pals at Thatcher Brook Primary School. We will be writing to Mrs. Kulis' 1st and 2nd graders. At the end of the year, we will join them on a "meet and greet" field trip.
Notes:
*Your child has reading homework over the weekend.
*Please read and fill out the Weekly News Journal and return it on Monday.
*If you haven't done so, please return your child's Winter Adventure Program form.
*Don't forget to sign up for volunteering at the Ski and Skate Sale.
Have a great weekend!
Peace,
Tommy
This week, I started reading some of the Choose Your Own Adventure books for our read-a-loud time. The students seem to enjoy the opportunity to choose where we will go next in the book. We also read Going Places, by Peter Reynolds. This is another selection from the Global Read-A-Loud author study. The students are excited to start designing their own "going place" vehicle.
In science, we looked at the effects that force has on the rate of speed. We used different amounts of force as we timed ourselves going down the slide. The students were asked to make predictions, record data, and then use the data to determine if their prediction was correct or not.
In math, the 2nd graders have been working on the concept of expanded notation and who to write numbers in that form. They have also been focusing on math fact fluency through games like Beat the Calculator. The first graders finished up their unit on geometry and the ability to classify, compose and decompose shapes from other shapes. They also started their next unit on problem solving. Their continues to be a focus on complements of 10, 20 and 100 (depending on your child's ability).
In writing, the students started writing to their pen pals at Thatcher Brook Primary School. We will be writing to Mrs. Kulis' 1st and 2nd graders. At the end of the year, we will join them on a "meet and greet" field trip.
Notes:
*Your child has reading homework over the weekend.
*Please read and fill out the Weekly News Journal and return it on Monday.
*If you haven't done so, please return your child's Winter Adventure Program form.
*Don't forget to sign up for volunteering at the Ski and Skate Sale.
Have a great weekend!
Peace,
Tommy
November 3, 2014
November 3, 2014
Good Afternoon,
We are off to a good start for the week. Today the student's continued a science investigation from last Thursday. At the end of the lesson, the students were describing their observations as part of a while group discussion. Many of them concluded that the heavier the ball was the harder it was to move with a breath of air.
We also had writing time this morning. I continued to edit with some students and a few more published their books. They are excited to be published authors. This afternoon, we had Daily 5 and PE.
Notes:
*There is a half day on Wednesday.
*As the ground starts to get muddier/snowier please make sure that your child has a pair of boots for outside play. They are welcome to leave an extra pair of indoor shoes here at school. Just remind them that they are to leave them at school.
I hope you all have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
We are off to a good start for the week. Today the student's continued a science investigation from last Thursday. At the end of the lesson, the students were describing their observations as part of a while group discussion. Many of them concluded that the heavier the ball was the harder it was to move with a breath of air.
We also had writing time this morning. I continued to edit with some students and a few more published their books. They are excited to be published authors. This afternoon, we had Daily 5 and PE.
Notes:
*There is a half day on Wednesday.
*As the ground starts to get muddier/snowier please make sure that your child has a pair of boots for outside play. They are welcome to leave an extra pair of indoor shoes here at school. Just remind them that they are to leave them at school.
I hope you all have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
October 31, 2014
October 31, 2014
Good Morning,
I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Yesterday we talked about the concept of inertia and started an exploration where we tried to move balls (a variety of sizes) with straws. The students started to record their observations and were also asked to explain why the ball slowed down and eventually stopped. I used this video to start the lesson. We watched the first 3 1/2 minutes. We will finish the exploration on Monday.
We also completed our video project that was inspired from the book The North Star. This is one of the titles from our Global Read A Loud. We also shared this video with our friends in Iowa. Take a look to find out who inspires your child (http://voice.adobe.com/v/G3_wY8v2MR6).
Here is this weeks video:
Notes:
*Wednesday is an Early Release Day. The students are dismissed just before noon.
*Your child has their Weekly News and Weekend Reading in their backpack. Please make sure that it comes back on Monday.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Yesterday we talked about the concept of inertia and started an exploration where we tried to move balls (a variety of sizes) with straws. The students started to record their observations and were also asked to explain why the ball slowed down and eventually stopped. I used this video to start the lesson. We watched the first 3 1/2 minutes. We will finish the exploration on Monday.
We also completed our video project that was inspired from the book The North Star. This is one of the titles from our Global Read A Loud. We also shared this video with our friends in Iowa. Take a look to find out who inspires your child (http://voice.adobe.com/v/G3_wY8v2MR6).
Here is this weeks video:
Notes:
*Wednesday is an Early Release Day. The students are dismissed just before noon.
*Your child has their Weekly News and Weekend Reading in their backpack. Please make sure that it comes back on Monday.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
October 27, 2014
October 27, 2014
Good Morning,
We dove right into science this morning. We had been discussing the idea of force and working with the terms push and pull. Today the student's started a lesson where they were asked to use some of the equipment on the playground and then identify which force was needed to crete motion. We will finish the discussion part of the lesson tomorrow.
This week's Global Read A Loud book is Sky Color. We will read the book tomorrow and then work on a book related project on Thursday. We are also going to video chat with our friends in Iowa on Thursday. They are going to share about their airplane project from the book I'm Here and we are going to share our paintings from the book Ish.
Notes:
*There is an assembly tomorrow. The High 5s Foundation will be here to talk about winter/mountain safety. The assemble starts at 7:50.
That is all for now.. Have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
We dove right into science this morning. We had been discussing the idea of force and working with the terms push and pull. Today the student's started a lesson where they were asked to use some of the equipment on the playground and then identify which force was needed to crete motion. We will finish the discussion part of the lesson tomorrow.
This week's Global Read A Loud book is Sky Color. We will read the book tomorrow and then work on a book related project on Thursday. We are also going to video chat with our friends in Iowa on Thursday. They are going to share about their airplane project from the book I'm Here and we are going to share our paintings from the book Ish.
Notes:
*There is an assembly tomorrow. The High 5s Foundation will be here to talk about winter/mountain safety. The assemble starts at 7:50.
That is all for now.. Have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
October 24, 2014
October 24, 2014
Good Morning,
We have had a great week! It was nice to once again have a full unit erupted week of learning. We have started our Force and Motion Unit. The first day the students explored a variety of supplies and tried to make objects move along, tracks, tubes, and ramps. Yesterday, the students did an observation walk and looked for the forces of pushing and pulling being used.
In math, the 1st and 2nd graders have both started geometry units. The first graders have been learning shape vocabulary and characteristics of rectangles, circles, triangles, hexagons, and rhombi. They had also been using pattern blocks to compose and decompose shapes. The second graders have been focusing on rectangles as well.
This week's book for the Global Read A Loud was Ish. Ish is a story about a boy who looses his belief in his artistic abilities. He was an avid painter and felt he should stop because he didn't feel his work was good enough. His younger sister challenges him on this belief and the child eventually starts painting all kinds of Ish-paintings. The students all created their own Ish-Painting. You can find them in the hallway by our classroom door.
Here is this week's movie:
Notes:
*Your child has their Weekly News in their backpack. Please take a look and respond.
*If you look at our classroom schedule, you will see that we don't have Daily 5 (reading groups) on this day. I use Thursday afternoons to work on a variety of literature projects. Since we don't meet, the kids reading homework will always be book of choices on that night. This means they won't have new books or assignments from their reading group book(s).
We do have reading on Friday's. I will start sending the homework bags home on the weekends. This way your child will have books they can read over the weekend. PLEASE, make sure all of the books and the bag come back on Monday. I truly appreciate your help in keeping your children organized with this.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
We have had a great week! It was nice to once again have a full unit erupted week of learning. We have started our Force and Motion Unit. The first day the students explored a variety of supplies and tried to make objects move along, tracks, tubes, and ramps. Yesterday, the students did an observation walk and looked for the forces of pushing and pulling being used.
In math, the 1st and 2nd graders have both started geometry units. The first graders have been learning shape vocabulary and characteristics of rectangles, circles, triangles, hexagons, and rhombi. They had also been using pattern blocks to compose and decompose shapes. The second graders have been focusing on rectangles as well.
This week's book for the Global Read A Loud was Ish. Ish is a story about a boy who looses his belief in his artistic abilities. He was an avid painter and felt he should stop because he didn't feel his work was good enough. His younger sister challenges him on this belief and the child eventually starts painting all kinds of Ish-paintings. The students all created their own Ish-Painting. You can find them in the hallway by our classroom door.
Here is this week's movie:
Notes:
*Your child has their Weekly News in their backpack. Please take a look and respond.
*If you look at our classroom schedule, you will see that we don't have Daily 5 (reading groups) on this day. I use Thursday afternoons to work on a variety of literature projects. Since we don't meet, the kids reading homework will always be book of choices on that night. This means they won't have new books or assignments from their reading group book(s).
We do have reading on Friday's. I will start sending the homework bags home on the weekends. This way your child will have books they can read over the weekend. PLEASE, make sure all of the books and the bag come back on Monday. I truly appreciate your help in keeping your children organized with this.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
October 19, 2014
October 20, 2014
Good Morning,
I hope you all had a great weekend. Although it was soggy, my family and I still found ways to entertain ourselves and enjoy the outdoors and the "waning days of Fall." This week we will start our Forces and Motion Unit. Today, your children will start with an exploration of some of the materials that we will be suing throughout the unit and start to develop ideas and concepts that we will focus on throughout our study.
The students will also finish up their rewrites, of the story Uptown by Brian Collier. Our book is called "In Town." Each child has chosen a location/business from our town and is writing about what can happen at that location.
Spelling and reading groups will be in full swing this week. There are 4 different spelling groups that go on during spelling time. Each of these groups are not by grade level but rather by spelling needs (gained through assessment). There will not be weekly lists to remember. Instead the students will spend the week emerged in spelling activities and practice that reinforces a specific concept. The students also spend 50 minutes a week working on spelling sight words. These two approaches create a well rounded spelling approach that will meet the needs of each of your children.
I am sorry there hasn't been a new weekly video during the past two weeks. Between being out on the last two Fridays and the short week last week, I didn't have a chance to make one. I will create a new video this week.
I hope you all have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
I hope you all had a great weekend. Although it was soggy, my family and I still found ways to entertain ourselves and enjoy the outdoors and the "waning days of Fall." This week we will start our Forces and Motion Unit. Today, your children will start with an exploration of some of the materials that we will be suing throughout the unit and start to develop ideas and concepts that we will focus on throughout our study.
The students will also finish up their rewrites, of the story Uptown by Brian Collier. Our book is called "In Town." Each child has chosen a location/business from our town and is writing about what can happen at that location.
Spelling and reading groups will be in full swing this week. There are 4 different spelling groups that go on during spelling time. Each of these groups are not by grade level but rather by spelling needs (gained through assessment). There will not be weekly lists to remember. Instead the students will spend the week emerged in spelling activities and practice that reinforces a specific concept. The students also spend 50 minutes a week working on spelling sight words. These two approaches create a well rounded spelling approach that will meet the needs of each of your children.
I am sorry there hasn't been a new weekly video during the past two weeks. Between being out on the last two Fridays and the short week last week, I didn't have a chance to make one. I will create a new video this week.
I hope you all have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
October 17, 2014
October 17, 2014
Good Morning,
Yesterday we spoke with our friends in Nevada, Iowa. We shared with each other the activities that we had done with the story, The North Star. My class had identified someone that inspires them and then wrote about it. The focus has been on writing solid paragraphs with a focus sentence, supporting details, and a closing comment. We also read the 2nd book in our Global Rad A Loud called I'm Here.
Your child has their Weekly News in their bags. Please make sure to read it and respond to your child. We will read them on Monday.
I am out at a meeting all day. This is the District Math meeting that was cancelled a few weeks back. I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Mr. Young
Yesterday we spoke with our friends in Nevada, Iowa. We shared with each other the activities that we had done with the story, The North Star. My class had identified someone that inspires them and then wrote about it. The focus has been on writing solid paragraphs with a focus sentence, supporting details, and a closing comment. We also read the 2nd book in our Global Rad A Loud called I'm Here.
Your child has their Weekly News in their bags. Please make sure to read it and respond to your child. We will read them on Monday.
I am out at a meeting all day. This is the District Math meeting that was cancelled a few weeks back. I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Mr. Young
October 7, 2014
October 7, 2014
Good Morning,
I hope everyone had a great weekend. Since I was not in school yesterday, I thought I would post today. This week will mark the start of reading groups and spelling groups. As we start reading groups, your child may be bringing home two books. For 1st graders, one will be a book that I want them to read and the other will be a choice book. I tend to leave the books, from their groups, in their bag for the week. Please help your child keep track of these and return them each day. Second graders may have two books as well.
NOTES:
*We no longer need any more paper towel rolls sent in. I appreciate everyone's response and effort in sending them in.
*Please, send your child's reading bag, with the books in them, back each day.
*I am out for a meeting on Friday. I will be in DC for the weekend. The focus is on science and developing lessons that push toward the NGSS.
Have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
I hope everyone had a great weekend. Since I was not in school yesterday, I thought I would post today. This week will mark the start of reading groups and spelling groups. As we start reading groups, your child may be bringing home two books. For 1st graders, one will be a book that I want them to read and the other will be a choice book. I tend to leave the books, from their groups, in their bag for the week. Please help your child keep track of these and return them each day. Second graders may have two books as well.
NOTES:
*We no longer need any more paper towel rolls sent in. I appreciate everyone's response and effort in sending them in.
*Please, send your child's reading bag, with the books in them, back each day.
*I am out for a meeting on Friday. I will be in DC for the weekend. The focus is on science and developing lessons that push toward the NGSS.
Have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
October 3, 2014
October 3, 2014
Good Afternoon,
This week, we continued to work on using our science notebooks. We will start our Force and Motion unit next week. During writer's workshop, we looked at repetitive line books and read a few, including one of my favorite books Grandpa Never Lies.
Next week will mark the start of Reading groups, spelling groups, and all 5 of the Daily 5 routines will be in place.
Here is this week's video:
Notes:
*A reminder that I am out Monday and Friday next week.
*PLEASE make sure to send back your child's homework bag each day.
*Each student has their Weekly News Journal in their backpack. Please read the entry, respond, and send it back Monday.
Have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
This week, we continued to work on using our science notebooks. We will start our Force and Motion unit next week. During writer's workshop, we looked at repetitive line books and read a few, including one of my favorite books Grandpa Never Lies.
Next week will mark the start of Reading groups, spelling groups, and all 5 of the Daily 5 routines will be in place.
Here is this week's video:
Notes:
*A reminder that I am out Monday and Friday next week.
*PLEASE make sure to send back your child's homework bag each day.
*Each student has their Weekly News Journal in their backpack. Please read the entry, respond, and send it back Monday.
Have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
September 29, 2014
September 29, 2014
Good Afternoon,
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I don't think we could have asked for a more perfect weekend of weather and colorful foliage. Friday's hike was a huge success and the students all seemed to have enjoyed their time in the woods. Today, I finished up the 1st grade math assessments and all but one of the 1st grade reading assessments. I have one more 1st grade and 1 more 2nd grade reading assessment to complete.
This afternoon, the students all shopped for new books for their Read to Self Bags, had a chance to read with each other, and either worked on writing or listened to books on the computers.
Notes:
*The first grade math meeting will be tomorrow night at 6:00. This is for the 1st a grader students in my classroom as well as Mr. Hubbard's classroom.
*Don't forget to sign up as a volunteer for the Ski and Skate Sale.
I hope you all have a wonderful week.
Peace,
Tommy
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I don't think we could have asked for a more perfect weekend of weather and colorful foliage. Friday's hike was a huge success and the students all seemed to have enjoyed their time in the woods. Today, I finished up the 1st grade math assessments and all but one of the 1st grade reading assessments. I have one more 1st grade and 1 more 2nd grade reading assessment to complete.
This afternoon, the students all shopped for new books for their Read to Self Bags, had a chance to read with each other, and either worked on writing or listened to books on the computers.
Notes:
*The first grade math meeting will be tomorrow night at 6:00. This is for the 1st a grader students in my classroom as well as Mr. Hubbard's classroom.
*Don't forget to sign up as a volunteer for the Ski and Skate Sale.
I hope you all have a wonderful week.
Peace,
Tommy
September 25, 2014
September 26, 2014
Good Morning,
This week we continued focusing on writing
like scientists and making detailed observations. The students used hand
lenses and colored pencils to record their observations of flowers that we had
grown in our school garden. Each science class ended with a "science
circle." This is a format where the kids use proof from their
notebooks to take part in a whole class conversation about their learning.
We have also introduced four of our five
Daily 5 routines. Yesterday, I introduced the routine of Listening to
Reading. This is a time where kids can listen to a story being read to
them and then have to answer questions about the book. I use the online
source of RAZ Kids for this. RAZ-Kids is an interactive reading tool for
our students to practice reading fluency and comprehension. The students
have a log in and a password to get into their reading account. I am able
to monitor the students' progress and change their reading level. These
levels are all individually based on each child's reading level and are
adjusted to reflect their abilities. The students can listen to a story
and then take a comprehension quiz.
Today also marks the 1st PBIS All
School celebration for the year. The students of the
school have been working hard to earn rocks (rewards for positive
behavior). We truly are fortunate to be able to take our students on
a hike, through the woods of Vermont, and bask in the beauty of the
foliage.
Here is this weeks video:
Notes:
*Since we left school at 11:30 today,
the students did not have an opportunity to write in their Weekly News
Journals. We will write in them again next week.
*I am out of the building on Wednesday. Mr.
Greenleaf and I are part of the District's Math Leadership Team and have a
meeting all day.
*I will also be out of the room on Monday, October
6th and Friday, October 10th. I am taking a personal day on the 6th.
This year, my wife asked me to train for and run a half marathon
with her for her birthday. The race is in NH (because I found the
flattest race possible!) and is on the 5th. We will be traveling
back on the 6th. On October 10th, I will be in DC for a
meeting regarding the Next Generation Science Standards and the work the
class and I are doing with those this year.
*The classroom volunteers will start October 20th.
Below is the schedule:
Mondays:
Abby Scharges: Math 8:30-9:45,
Marya Dungan: Daily 5 12:30-1:40
Tuesdays:
Abby Scharges: Math 8:30-9:45
Beth
Stern: Daily 5 12:15-1:40
Wednesdays:
Abby
Scharges: Math 8:30-9:45
Natasha Brandenberg: Math 8:30-9:45 (Every Other Week)
Thursdays:
Abby Scharges: Math 8:30-9:45
Fridays:
Abby Scharges: Math 8:30-9:45
Leslie Badger: Daily 5 12:45-1:45
Andrea Cox: Writing 1:45-2:15
The following parents will be typing stories from
home:
*Erika
Graham *Sharon
Parks *Carla Ryley
*Barclay Rappeport *Sarah Ibson
Have a great weekend!
Peace,
Tommy
September 22, 2014
September 22, 2014
Good Morning,
I hope you had a w wonderful weekend. Today we had our 2nd science class. The students observed flowers today and recorded their observations in their science notebooks. They are learning to use diagrams, labels, and I notice statements to record their observations. Today's activity involved a lot of teamwork and small and large group discussion.
During our Literacy Block, I introduced the students to the activity of Read to Someone. This is a component of the Daily 5 and is valuable in that it allows the students to read a loud to a peer and also has the listener working on their comprehension skills. I have included a You Tube link that models this introduction (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkCqhzkp9s0).
During writing time, we discussed the idea of one topic books and read a few non fiction books that were examples of this type of writing. This week, the students will start working on their own single focus books.
Notes:
* We will have an all school hike on Friday afternoon. We will leave school at 11:30 and head to Sugarbush. We will eat lunch on the hillside, then hike, and return to school at 2:00. The lunch program will be offering ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Please email or call Kathi and let her know your child's desired choice (if a lunch needs to be provided) by Thursday.
*Open House is tomorrow evening. I look forward to seeing each of you and hope you take this opportunity to have your child show you their school and what is most important to them. As always, I will be there to talk about general classroom happenings but I ask that you refrain from asking specific academic questions about your child. I would not want to speak about their individual performance in front of other peers and parents.
I hope you all have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
I hope you had a w wonderful weekend. Today we had our 2nd science class. The students observed flowers today and recorded their observations in their science notebooks. They are learning to use diagrams, labels, and I notice statements to record their observations. Today's activity involved a lot of teamwork and small and large group discussion.
During our Literacy Block, I introduced the students to the activity of Read to Someone. This is a component of the Daily 5 and is valuable in that it allows the students to read a loud to a peer and also has the listener working on their comprehension skills. I have included a You Tube link that models this introduction (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkCqhzkp9s0).
During writing time, we discussed the idea of one topic books and read a few non fiction books that were examples of this type of writing. This week, the students will start working on their own single focus books.
Notes:
* We will have an all school hike on Friday afternoon. We will leave school at 11:30 and head to Sugarbush. We will eat lunch on the hillside, then hike, and return to school at 2:00. The lunch program will be offering ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Please email or call Kathi and let her know your child's desired choice (if a lunch needs to be provided) by Thursday.
*Open House is tomorrow evening. I look forward to seeing each of you and hope you take this opportunity to have your child show you their school and what is most important to them. As always, I will be there to talk about general classroom happenings but I ask that you refrain from asking specific academic questions about your child. I would not want to speak about their individual performance in front of other peers and parents.
I hope you all have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
September 19, 2014
September 18, 2014
This week we started our 1st science unit. The first 5 lessons will focus on writing like scientist and who to document our learning. Yesterday, a film crew was in the room filming the 1st lesson. The students did a great job handling the extra attention.
Mr. Mongeon read the story the Dot by Peter Reynolds. "With a simple, witty story and free-spirited illustrations, Peter H. Reynolds entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark - and follow where it takes us. Her teacher smiled. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you." Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can’t draw - she’s no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. "There!" she says. That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds’s delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us."
This book is written by the author that we will be studying during our participation in the Global Read Aloud. Starting October 6th, we will red one of Peter's books, each week, for a six week period. We will connect with a 1st and 2nd grade class in Nevada, Iowa. The idea will be to share ideas and thoughts about the books we are reading. I am also going to try and connect with some classrooms around the globe (during this project). I am excited to be part of this project and feel that "global collaboration is necessary to show students that
they are part of something bigger than them. That the world needs to be
protected and that we need to care for all people. You can show them pictures
of kids in other countries but why not have them speak to each other? Then the
caring can begin."
To find our more about the global read aloud project, visit: http://www.globalreadaloud.com.
I hope you all have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
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