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
September 29, 2014
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
September 15, 2014
September 15, 2014
Good Morning,
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Mine was full of my kids activities, a little bit of running and three family birthday celebrations. It certainly made for a busy but enjoyable weekend.
During today's Morning Meeting, we took time to read the parent responses that each student received in their Weekly News. It is always nice to see the reactions of the students as their parent responses are read aloud. I want to thank everyone for sending the journal back today.
I continue to assess math, spelling, and writing skills. I will test each child's reading ability by the end of the month. All of this information will help me develop a plan for your child that maximizes their instructional time and makes it both meaningful and purposeful for them.
This week, we will continue to practice and introduce aspects of the Daily 5. So far we have introduced, molded, practiced the choices of Reading To Self and Working on Writing. I will introduce them to Reading With Someone on Wednesday.
Thursday will mark the start of our science curriculum. There will be a film crew here to film the lesson. The first 5 lessons will focus on writing like a scientist and how to record observations. The students will be using science notebooks, throughout the year, as a means to record their science learning and thinking. Here is a link to give you a bit more background on science notebooks: http://www.sciencenotebooks.org/site_contents.php.
Notes:
*We will be having an evacuation drill on Thursday. This drill is required by law and is a drill where the students practice leaving the building and walking to the Fire Station. Ms. Korb will be leading an assembly about it on Thursday morning.
*I am out of the building on Friday afternoon.
*Keep sending in the empty paper towel and toilet tissue rolls. I appreciate how many have already been sent in.
*If you haven't read last Friday's post, please do so. If you didn't sign up for a hard copy of the blog but now realize you would like one, plea let me know.
That is all for now. Have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Mine was full of my kids activities, a little bit of running and three family birthday celebrations. It certainly made for a busy but enjoyable weekend.
During today's Morning Meeting, we took time to read the parent responses that each student received in their Weekly News. It is always nice to see the reactions of the students as their parent responses are read aloud. I want to thank everyone for sending the journal back today.
I continue to assess math, spelling, and writing skills. I will test each child's reading ability by the end of the month. All of this information will help me develop a plan for your child that maximizes their instructional time and makes it both meaningful and purposeful for them.
This week, we will continue to practice and introduce aspects of the Daily 5. So far we have introduced, molded, practiced the choices of Reading To Self and Working on Writing. I will introduce them to Reading With Someone on Wednesday.
Thursday will mark the start of our science curriculum. There will be a film crew here to film the lesson. The first 5 lessons will focus on writing like a scientist and how to record observations. The students will be using science notebooks, throughout the year, as a means to record their science learning and thinking. Here is a link to give you a bit more background on science notebooks: http://www.sciencenotebooks.org/site_contents.php.
Notes:
*We will be having an evacuation drill on Thursday. This drill is required by law and is a drill where the students practice leaving the building and walking to the Fire Station. Ms. Korb will be leading an assembly about it on Thursday morning.
*I am out of the building on Friday afternoon.
*Keep sending in the empty paper towel and toilet tissue rolls. I appreciate how many have already been sent in.
*If you haven't read last Friday's post, please do so. If you didn't sign up for a hard copy of the blog but now realize you would like one, plea let me know.
That is all for now. Have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy
September 12, 2014
September 12, 2014
Good Morning,
We have had a great week of school and it was nice to get a full 5 days in. This week, the students all wrote a paragraph about themselves. These writes will be part of a bulletin board in the room and will also be part of a special project that involves the use of our "official" class photo.
It was a great Stuffed Animal Day and the students were full of enthusiasm. The animals even made it into the class picture. Below is a picture from today.
This week's video focused mostly on the students' specials during the week. I wasn't able to get to Library but will try next week. I hope you enjoy the video.
Notes:
*Your child has a Weekly News Log in their backpack (these will come home every Friday). Please take a look at the note inside the front cover of it. You should take a moment to respond to your child You don't have to write on the lines (meaning writing with big letters). We will read the responses during our Meeting on Monday. The purpose of the Weekly News is to give you a chance to see your child's writing, spelling, and hand writing, and to hear from them about their week. I hope you enjoy reading their entries.
*We will start science next Thursday. Their will be a film crew in the classroom to film the lesson. This is part of the Science Project that you all received information about.
*I will be out of the classroom on Friday afternoon. I have a meeting in Montpelier.
*Please check out the note (below) from Katie Babic.
Have A Great Weekend!
Peace,
Mr. Young
We have had a great week of school and it was nice to get a full 5 days in. This week, the students all wrote a paragraph about themselves. These writes will be part of a bulletin board in the room and will also be part of a special project that involves the use of our "official" class photo.
It was a great Stuffed Animal Day and the students were full of enthusiasm. The animals even made it into the class picture. Below is a picture from today.
This week's video focused mostly on the students' specials during the week. I wasn't able to get to Library but will try next week. I hope you enjoy the video.
Notes:
*Your child has a Weekly News Log in their backpack (these will come home every Friday). Please take a look at the note inside the front cover of it. You should take a moment to respond to your child You don't have to write on the lines (meaning writing with big letters). We will read the responses during our Meeting on Monday. The purpose of the Weekly News is to give you a chance to see your child's writing, spelling, and hand writing, and to hear from them about their week. I hope you enjoy reading their entries.
*We will start science next Thursday. Their will be a film crew in the classroom to film the lesson. This is part of the Science Project that you all received information about.
*I will be out of the classroom on Friday afternoon. I have a meeting in Montpelier.
*Please check out the note (below) from Katie Babic.
Have A Great Weekend!
Peace,
Mr. Young
ROCK’IN GUIDANCE TIME
Welcome back to another wonderful school
year! For those of you who are new to our community or I have yet to meet, my
name is Katie Babic and I am the Waitsfield School Counselor. As I discussed
and clarified with your child(ren) last week during our initial class, I am not
the school nurse, however my role can be very similar. As the school counselor
I have many roles here at W.E.S. Some of these roles include being a classroom
teacher, a counselor for both individuals and small groups, and also a resource
for teachers and parents, amongst other things! If you have any questions or
concerns regarding your child please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be
reached best during my working hours, Tuesday -Thursday at kbabic@wwsu.org.
However, my purpose is not to discuss my
overall role as your school counselor, but to open a line of communication to
inform you of the work I will be doing with your child during our 12 weeks of
guidance. My overarching theme in the 1st and 2nd grade guidance class this
year is Empathy. To kick things off last week, I introduced the word to your
child(ren), through a quick activity and video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_1Rt1R4xbM.
Over the course of our time together this theme will be reinforced as we
discuss topics such as getting along with others, being compassionate and kind,
working on solving problems peacefully and being mindful of ourselves and our
environment. Again, if you have any question pertaining to the curriculum
or your child(ren) please do not hesitate to reach out or check out my website
for further resources http://kbabic.blogspot.com/.
I look forward to working and growing with your child!
Best,
Katie Babic
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