December 19, 2016

Good Afternoon,

  I had to adjust our tweak or schedule a little bit as our school's Compass Cup activities have been schedules for Wednesday afternoon.  Ms. Jane and I want to finish our current science unit, and used this afternoon to do that.  Some kids will need a little more time to finish tomorrow afternoon.  Your kids will have book of choice tonight, a reading group assignment  tomorrow, and then book of choice on Wednesday.  I will not send books home over vacation but the town library is always an option.

REMINDER:  Secret Pal starts tomorrow.  The card is due tomorrow.  The snack and drink is due Wednesday, and the gift/book is due Thursday.  If you are leaving for vacation prior to Friday, please send in any items for this exchange prior to leaving.

Have a great week.

Peace,
Tommy

December 16, 2016

Good Morning,
  Well the delay seemed to make the kids happy and some seem to capitalize on the extra sleep.  We used our shortened morning time to finish our book for Ms. Jane.  As a reminder, we will be having our Secret Pal Party and her going away party on Thursday.  So far I Clara's and Kane's families bringing in an item.  If anyone else could provide drinks, nut free food, or plates/cups, please let me know.

  As a reminder, Secret Pals start next week.  Your child should bring their card in on Tuesday.  The snack should be brought in on Wednesday and the gift/book on Thursday.  Remember to label each item and sign it "From Your Secret Pal."

Notes:

*Your child has their Weekly News and books of choice in their backpack.  Please take a look and have them read this weekend.

*There will be a ski/mountain safety assembly next week.  It was postponed today.

*Scholastic book orders will be in next week.  I just got an email that they had been shipped.

Have a great weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

December 9, 2016

Good Afternoon,

  For those who looked at Tuesday's post, you will have noticed that the entry looked a bit different.  We, as teachers of the Waitsfield School, are required to keep a blog of our professional goals and reflections.  This past Tuesday, I thought I was posting ot my professional blog and instead posted to the classroom blog.  So, for those who looked, you got to read about my thoughts on the first two units of the new science program.

  This morning we had reading groups and the students worked on their gift for Mrs. Jane.  Mrs. Jane will end her time in our classroom on 12/22.  We will have a special celebration on the morning of the 22nd.  I am hoping that people might bring in some nut free breakfast type food/drinks for the occasion.  If you can send something in, please let me know.

We shop at the same store! 

SECRET PAL:  It has been a few years since I have done this with a class, but this class is so awesome that I thought I would try it this year.  If you would like your child to take part in the Class' Secret Pal exchange, please email me at tyoung@wwsu.org.  Here are the details:  The event will take place the week of 12/20/16.  Over the course of three days, your child will have to bring in three different items that are wrapped up and labeled with their Secret Pal's name on it.  There will be a box in the classroom for kids to place the items into upon arrival each morning.

12/20/16:  Your child will make a card or picture that wishes their Secret Pal a Happy _______.  It should be what your family celebrates (Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, New Year).  This way your child is celebrating their family's beliefs and passing their good wishes onto their Secret Pal.  Your child should put some time into this and make it their "best work."  I can provide any paper that might be needed for this, just let me know.

12/21/16:  Your child should bring in a nut free snack and drink for their Secret Pal.  This can be wrapped and labeled in a bag (if that easier).

12/22/16:  Your child should bring in a wrapped gift/book for your Secret Pal.  It should be less than a $5 value.  Again have it wrapped and labeled.

If your child signs up, it is important that they follow through with this and bring each item each morning.  Please let me  know if your child is interested by Tuesday of next week. I will make up a list and send home a note with your child's Secret Pal on Wednesday.

Notes:
*Each student has their Weekly News Journal in their backpack.  Please take a moment to read and respond over the weekend.

*Please make sure your child has indoor shoes on the days they wear boots to school.

*Book orders will be here by the 19th of December (the latest).

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Tommy

December 6, 2016

1. What progress have you made towards these goals thus far? I am into my 2nd unit of study with a goal of finishing before December break. Depending on the length of the ski season, I may or may not get through all of the units this year.

2. What challenges, if any, are you finding in moving forward on these goals? I am not finding the implementation challenging but rather the depth of the content. I feel the program makes big academic jumps throughout unit, lacks in content connections for the students, and is very language heavy (which is challenging at this age).

3. Are there any revisions to these goals you might suggest -- or new goals that you find yourself focusing on in your work? I am already starting to think on how I would improve these units in the future. I think with the Animal Adaptations unit I will focus on how they as students and local animals change and adapt throughout the seasons.

4. What, if any, improved experiences for students are you seeing as a result of your work on these goals?  Please be specific. The students like the large block science time. I am glad that I decided to allow for an afternoon of science and it has allowed for deeper explorations and discussions because of the time allotment.

December 2, 2016

Good Afternoon,
  As you know, Jane concluded her solo week yesterday.  I know she knocked it out of the park and the kids truly enjoy her teaching and approach.  I used the week to conduct a variety of Language Arts assessments.  I asked Jane to conclude her week with a blog entry of her own.  Below are her thoughts from the week.

Have a great weekend!
Tommy

We had a great week this week. This we worked on including hope and wonder as well as sensory detail in our writing by writing about that we are for breakfast and a moment before we went on a trip when we wondered about what it would be like or hoped would happen on the trip. They did an amazing job! In science we continued to experiment with Scratch Jr. and worked on writing code that would make two characters interact with each other. We acted it out first and then experimented with writing code in the app. This first week back from break was filled with excitement and over flowing with enthusiasm for our learning.

Thank you for allowing me to learn alongside your children I greatly appreciate it.
Jane

November 28, 2016

Good Afternoon,
  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  It was certainly nice to have some time with friends and family, eat some good food, and watch a little football.  This week, I will be out of the room from Monday-Thursday as Jane leads her solo teaching week.  I will be in the building and conducting language arts assessments during the week.  If you need to address anything this week please email both Jane and I.  Jane's email is jpiselli@antioch.edu.

  This week The kids will continue their focus on writing narratives, investigating coding in science, and continue meeting in their reading groups.

NOTES:
*New book orders are being sent home today.  They are due by Thursday of this week.  It will be the last order before December break.

I hope you all have a great week.

Peace,
Tommy

November 18, 2016

Good Afternoon,

  We spent most of this week wrapping up a variety of assignments that kids have been working on.  The students completed their study of animal adaptations and hopefully you all saw the shoe that your child brought home on Thursday. Take time to ask them about the features they created and why they added them to the shoe.  Our next unit of study will have a technology focus and the concept of coding will be evident throughout.  Here is a brief synopsis:  "Students explore the sequential nature of computer programs through hands-on activities, both with and without a computer. They examine key aspects of storytelling and devise how to transition a narrative from page to screen. Students discover the design problem through a story about Angelina, Mylo, and Suzi, who wish they could find a way to create a story with characters who move and interact with each other. Combining fundamental principles of computer science with story-building skills, students develop animations that showcase characters, settings, actions, and events from short stories of their own creation."

  Have you ever heard of a move called a Jane Yolen?  This week the use of Jane Yolens was abound int he students writing.  We continued our focus on narratives and looked at how the author, Jane Yolen, used writing moves in her story Owl Moon.  Jane does a wonderful job of hitting the reader's senses, using comparisons, and allowing the reader to crete vivid pictures in their mind.  We described these moves as Jane Yolens and the class has taken off with them.

  Next week is a two day week.  We will change our schedule a bit.  Monday will have a typical start but after math class we will have a science lesson.  The same will go for Tuesday.  Monday afternoons will be focused on a writing lesson.  Tuesday afternoon will be a school wide celebration of obtaining our PBIS school wide goal.  Tuesday will also be our Thanksgiving feast.

Notes:

*Your child has weekend reading and their Weekly News journal in their backpacks.

*The week after vacation will be Ms. Jane's solo teaching week (Monday-Thursday).  I will be in the building and using the time to conduct assessments with each child.  I know Jane will do a great job with the week.

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

Peace,
Tommy

November 14, 2016

Good Morning,
  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  The news here is that the PTA was able to fund their entire budget through the proceeds of the Ski and Skate Sale.  I want to thank all of you that were able to participate in making this event both happen and to be successful.  The children truly benefit from teh profits of this sale.

Below is a video from last week.  I had trouble with i-movie on Friday and needed to work on it over the weekend.  I hope you enjoy.

Peace,
Tommy

November 11, 2016

Good Morning,
  What a week to be in 1st and 2nd grade.  The week started with the students gearing up for election day. The students all made posters that said, "Tell Me Why You Vote."  We used real campaign signs to learn how to make signs that would catch the reader's attention.  The students then used the signs on election day to elicit feedback and opinions from Waitsfield voters.  later on in the week, the students used the information to write a persuasive piece on why a person should vote.

Each year children, from around the state, are asked to read a collection of Red Clover books. The Red Clover Award is then voted on by every k-4 student in the state and one book is chosen the winner.  This week I read the story Granddaddy's Turn, A Journey to the Ballot Box to the class.  This is a very powerful story based on one family's experience with their first time voting.

On Wednesday, the students worked on designing a shoe that would help a traveler move around in the extreme environment that they had studied.  The students had to use the Engineering Design Process to develop their shoe.  The students will finish their shoe next week.

Notes:

*There is no homework for the weekend.  Please contribute to the ski and skate sale and enjoy your family.

Peace,
Tommy

November 4, 2016

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

Today the class walked to the Waitsfield Municipal  Building to cast their vote for Vermont's next governor.  Jen, the town clerk, chatted with the kids about how the voting would work, had them each fill out a ballot, and then showed them how to tally the votes.  Before they could vote, the student had to state their full name to properly id themselves and to have their name checked off the list.  When all of the votes were tallied up, we ended up with a 7-7 tie.  I found this amazing being that this is the projection of the race itself  We will conclude this part of the civics study by talking with voters next week.  Stay Tuned!

I hope you found our conference time useful and productive.  This was the first time that they weren't tied to a report card but rather connected to goal setting.  I would love to hear your feedback on the process.  Feel free to send suggestions, ideas, and/or thoughts via email. 

Notes:

*Winter Sports Forms were due today.   I hope everyone got theirs in.

*Weekly News Journals are in your child's homework bag along with a book of choice.

That is all for now.  I hope you have a great weekend.  I am excited to watch my daughter and her team compete for a State Championship on Saturday.  

Peace,

Tommy

October 31, 2016

Good Afternoon,

   Happy Halloween!  There is no homework tonight.  I want the kids to be able to just enjoy the evening.  As a reminder, I ask that kids don;t bring in candy for snack or in their packed lunches.

  I am looking forward to meeting with everyone at conferences this week.  As a reminder, it is expected that your child attends the conference with you.  Below is a copy of the schedule.  As you can see the conferences are scheduled back to back so please be on time.  I can;t extend your conference if you are late.

Wednesday:
4:10  Caroline
4:30  n/a
4:50  Navin
5:10  Hannah
5:30  Logan
5:50  Zach
6:10  Graycen

Thursday:
2:30  Adelaide
2:50  Brynley
3:10  Clara
3:30  Wyatt
3:50  Waylon
4:10  Sam
4:30  Kane

Have a safe Halloween.

Tommy

October 28, 2016

 Good Morning,

   Another week is officially in the books.  It seems like October was nothing but a flash.  Here is the scoop from this week.  In writing, the students continued to focus on the editing process and finding ways to make their story interesting.  A few students have really gotten into the use of exaggeration. One story talked about a zip line that was "as tall as a sky scraper."  On Wednesday, the students continued focusing on adaptations.  This week they were asked to design clothing for a traveler that was heading to the extreme environment that they studied.  The class worked on this for over

 90 minutes with out wanting to stop.  They were challenged to think about how animals and plants adapted and to use those type of adaptations to create items for their traveler.  We will finish this project next Wednesday and then hang up the final pieces in the hallway outside the classroom.

 Election Update:  We will be heading to the new town hall on Friday to vote.  I have worked with the town clerk to set up some activities around the vote itself.  On Wednesday, the class will use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the 2 candidates.  I can;t wait to see the results of our class vote.  If you pick up next week's issue of Seven Days, our class will be mentioned in an article about the election.

Golden Bucket Victory Photo

  Yesterday we completed a project that we have been working on, from time to time, over the past few weeks.  The students all created a miniature version of themselves.  I then had them put their name on a piece of blank paper and had them lay their papers across the tables.  We then had a discussion about adjectives/describing words.  The students were then given 10 minutes to walk around the room and write a describing word about each student (on each students paper).  When the ten minutes was up, each child had a list of kind words about themselves.  The students then chose four of the words they wanted and attached them to their "Mini Me."  These will be displayed around the room.  What was truly wonderful was the fact that so many of the kids wanted to keep the list of kind words.  It really made a lot of them smile to read such kind things about themselves.

  Yesterday, we learned that we won the coveted Golden  Bucket.  The class has really taken on Joe's challenge of cleaning up after ourselves, respecting our space, and Joe and Roy's work.  Needless to say the kids were psyched and there is already talk of a 3 Peat next month.  That's right, Back to Back Baby!!

NOTES:

*Halloween:  UNFORTUNATELY Halloween is on a Monday this year.  I am already lowering Tuesday's expectations by a bit.  However, I want to ask that the kids not wear their costumes during the day on Monday.  I would like to keep it as much of a normal day as I can.  That being said, if someone want to bring in a treat for the class, feel free to do so.  We will enjoy it right after lunchtime.  FYI: If I ever become president, I will mandate that Halloween is the last Saturday in October!!.

*Weekly News and Reading:  Your child has their Weekly News journal and a book or two to read over the weekend.  Remember, these are books that you can read to them too.  What ever works for your family works for me.

*BOOTS:  Boot season has come upon us.  Please remember to pack your child a pair of shoes on the days they wear boots.  Wearing boots all day is "clunky" for them and also causes other problems. We spend a lot of time on the floor and sitting on wet carpet is not fun for anyone.  Please feel free to leave a pair of shoes int he room if desired.

*THANK YOU!!  I want to thank all of you for getting the conference forms back to me.  I appreciate the quick turnaround an look forward to using them in my conference prep.  I look forward to seeing all of you next week.

That is all for now.  I hope you have a great weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

October 21, 2016

Good Afternoon,

  I was trying to figure out how I wanted to wrap up a rather emotional and reflective week.  On Monday, during our Morning Meeting, a couple of kids had questions about funerals and memorial services and why we have them.  I was glad that the kids felt that they could ask and the fact that they would ask in front of the whole class.  It ended up being a great conversation and resulted in a better understanding of the whole grieving process.  I decided to read one of my favorite children's books to the class during read a loud.  I felt it was appropriate to read about "unconditional love" at a 1st and 2nd grade level.  I have included a video reading of the book for you to listen to (if you desire).



This week the students were introduced to writing checklists.  These checklists are specific for each grade and focus on the genre of narrative writing.  Mrs. Jane and I have been using these with the

kids as we edit their work.  I also taught the students how to reflect upon a completed checklist to create a writing goal for themselves.  The conversation during writing instruction has been around building writing muscles and ways in which a writer can become stronger.

Once again, we spent Wednesday afternoon immersed in science.  This week the students were introduced to the term environment (meaning physical surroundings/area in which an organism lives). As a class we watched a presentation and video about the Pacific Ocean.  The students focused on what is found in that environment and learned about how an octopus and great white shark adapt in their environment.  The class was then divided into teams of four or five and given a new extreme environment of their own.  They had to use a media presentation to learn about elements in that environment and organisms that can sustain life there.  The lesson wrapped up with the students documenting their learning and explaining how certain animal's adaptations (from their extreme environment) help the animal survive.  Make sure to check in with your child about their environment.

A student shared her new puppy with the class.

The students listened to a presentation from the High Fives Foundation

Yesterday, Phil Scott joined our class via Google Hangout.  I was able to project Phil on our Smart board and then used my laptop as the camera.  Mr. Scott was great with the kids and answered the same two questions that we asked Sue Minter's campaign.  Logan asked him about auto racing and Phil was more than happy to talk about his love for racing.  Now that we have heard from both campaigns, I will contact the town clerk about holding our mock election.  I am also looking at incorporating a few other things during election day itself.  More details to come on this.

NOTES:
*WE NEED YOUR HELP!  I am working with Nora, our art teacher, on a recycled art project.  The goal is for the kids to work on a project this spring.  However, we need to start collecting items now.  The project will involve students using plastic bottle caps.  These can be from soda bottles, water bottles, ice tea bottles, orange juice bottles, or any other bottle.  Please start saving them and sending them in.  I will have a collection box here at school.  We will need a large amount of these, so please spread the word.

*Your child has their Weekly News journal in their homework bags.

Have a great weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

October 14, 2016

Good Afternoon,

  Needless to say, this week (in our classroom) can be described with a variety of words but I think draining and emotional sum it up best.  We also had a variety of fun and exciting things going on that I don't want overlook, so please take time to read this rather lengthy blog post.

  Tuesday started with 4 or 5 of the students discussing the accident during snack time.  The gist of the conversation centered around the fact that Waylon;s cousin died in the accident.  I took time to discuss with the whole class that indeed this was true.  We did not discuss the details and no details were brought up by the students.  We did have a good discussion about death and what that meant.  We all agreed that it meant to stop living and that seemed to meet each student's needs.  Waylon also visited the class on Wednesday.  He was abel to express that his need is that we don;t talk about the accident with him.  He would like school to be a place where he can just be the student he was prior to the accident.  At the same time, I reminded the students that if anyone needed to talk to an adult about this, that they should let Kaite, Kaiya, or I know and we will help them.  Today Waylon returned to the class and you should all feel very proud of the empathy your children showed and the kind kids they truly are.

  On Wednesday, the class explored how and why three different types of bird beaks are shaped or adapted the way they are.  The students used spoons, tweezers, and clothespins to try and grab onto different objects (that represented food).  We then discussed why a pelican, a hummingbird, and a wood pecker have the beaks that they do.

  Wednesday also had Kathy Haskell coming in to read during our read a loud time.  Kathi chose to share the book Zachary's Ball by Matt Tavares. Zachary's father catches a foul ball at Fenway Park and gives it to him, something really amazing happens — Zachary finds himself on the pitcher's mound, wearing a Red Sox uniform and playing against New York!  The students have really enjoyed our guest readers.  If anyone else would like to come in and read, please let me know.

  On Thursday, the students met a friend of mine from India named Ajay.  Ajay is a wonderful human being who works with students in India and teaches them how to live sustainably.  He is also a yoga instructor and led daily classes during my visit.  I asked if he would be willing to lead a few yoga sessions with my class, via Skype.  We had some technical difficulties, with his computer, and ended up doing introductions and a song this week.  Our next session will involve a yoga class.  Ajay was very excited to meet our wonderful class.

NOTES:
*Picture retake will take place on October 19th.  The pictures were sent home today.  Please look for them in your child's homework bag.

*WE NEED YOUR HELP!  I am working with Nora, our art teacher, on a recycled art project.  The goal is for the kids to work on a project this spring.  However, we need to start collecting items now.  The project will involve students using plastic bottle caps.  These can be from soda bottles, water bottles, ice tea bottles, orange juice bottles, or any other bottle.  Please start saving them and sending them in.  I will have a collection box here at school.  We will need a large amount of these, so please spread the word.

*Your child has free choice reading books for the weekend as well as their Weekly News.  Please take time to respond to their letter to you.

That is all for now.  I hope you all have a great weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

October 8, 2016

Good Evening,

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend.  This week we finished our work with the artists in residence and also had a visit form Sue Minter's campaign.  David Goodman, Sue's husband, visited our classroom on Tuesday.  He talked to the kids about why Sue wants to be governor and what she would do for kids.  We are hoping to have Phill Scott's campaign in sometime in the next few weeks (they are working on it).  In science, the students continued to look at how animals adapt, and explored the ideas of adaptation through the 4 categories that we identified last week.

Posing for a picture with David Goodman (of the Minter Campaign)

The PLAYOFFS have started!  Yes the baseball playoffs have started and it has become a focus in our classroom.  Well, sort of . . .  On Thursday, the students worked individually or in teams to pick their teams for this year's baseball playoffs.  Although some of the students don;t even know who the teams are, they seemed to be psyched.  I will use this competition to create a few graphing lessons for the class.  We will see who ends up becoming the champion of the class.

It was certainly a quick week that had me out of the class.room for a conference on Wednesday and a meeting on Thursday.  Please know that I am very selective about attending conferences, during the school year, because I don't like being away from my class.  However, from time to time there are presentations that I feel are worth attending.  On Wednesday I attended a conference on Social Emotional Engagement.  Below is a quick description of the presentation that I attended.  Social Emotional Engagement represents the “fuel for learning” in the classroom setting. School communities with knowledge of a social and emotional scope and sequence of skills and how to facilitate student growth in these domains can create a school climate that is focused on the success of every student. The outcomes of the Social Emotional Engagement – Knowledge and Skills (SEE-KS) program are focused on fostering social emotional engagement, presenting information in multiple ways, and promoting student participation. SEE-KS can be used for collaboration across teaching staff as a sustainable means to increase student initiations, independence, and emotional investment in classroom lessons. Research in the neuroscience of social emotional engagement fosters our ability to support children with social, emotional and communication challenges while supporting a universal design for learning for all.  If you would like to read more about this, check out the following presentation.  I was out of the building on Thursday afternoon so that I could attend the district leadership committee meeting (that I am a member of). This year, my schedule is set up so that the class has a majority of their specials, while I am out.  This way I only miss a half hour of teaching time.  I was very pleased that this worked out this way!

NOTES:
*The parent volunteers will start this week.  Please check the volunteer schedule (located on the right side of the blog page) to see the schedule.

*Due to the short week, I will not publish a video.  Look for a new one next week.

*Since we did not have school on Friday, your child did not write in their Weekly News Journals.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

October 3, 2016

Good Afternoon,

  Holy October Batman!  I can't believe we are already switching the classroom calendar to October and talking about all of the events that occur during this month.  I hope each of you had a wonderful weekend.  I had a nice but rather quick visit in Mane.  The car ride home on Saturday evening sure seemed LONG!

  Today we focused on writing with detail.  I started by having the kids look at some sea shells that I had collected over the summer.  I asked them to use magnifying glasses and to describe what they saw.  Words like curvy, spirally, rough, and shiny were quickly exclaimed.  I then tied this into how writers take small moments and use a "magnifying glass" to go in to detail with their writing.  We created a poster (for them to use throughout the writing unit) of things that kids can think about when attempting to explode their moment with details.  The students then worked with partners and on their own to try this technique out.

  Matt Cox came in to read a book to the class today.  The name of the book was Matt's Mitt by Hillary Knight.  This tall tale tells the story of a fantastic ballplayer.  Matt has a mitt that can catch balls even if his hand isn’t inside of it.  It was a great read as we enter the 1st week of the baseball playoffs.  This was one of Matt's favorite childhood books.  We have read a loud time on Mondays through Wednesday from 12:15 to 12:30 and from 8:15-8:30 on Thursdays and Fridays.  If anyone would ever like to come in and read one of their favorite stories, please reach out and I will schedule it.  The kids really enjoyed today's experience.

  We had several kids complaining about how tired they were today.  I know Monday's can be tough but please check in with your child about how they are feeling.  Mondays and Tuesdays are our biggest academic days (the least amount of specials classes) and having the kids at their best and rested is optimal.

Notes:
*If you are reading the blog via email videos won't always appear.  I am inserting a video about the blog, below.  Please make sure to check it out at the blog site, if need be.



*We will be having artist in residency with Palo Coleman tomorrow.  We will work with him from 12:15-1:15.

*A representative from Sue Minter's campaign (her husband, David Goodman) will be visiting our class from 1:15-1:45 tomorrow.  Secretary Minter would love to join our class but her schedule doesn't allow it at this time.  Mr. Goodman will fill us in about Sue's reasons for wanting to be governor and what she will do for the kids of Vermont.  Phill Scott is arranging a time to come in during the month of October.

*Remember, no school on Friday.

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

Peace,
Tommy

September 30, 2016

Good Evening,

  I am writing this on Thursday evening because I will not be at school tomorrow.  As I had said earlier in the week, I will be headed to Maine to watch my daughter and her team race.  Our Artist in Residency program offered some scheduling challenges this week and it caused us to have to move some things around.  I was only able to meet with the reading groups once this week and will only have Monday of next week to meet too.  Next Tuesday (during our reading time) we will have another scheduled time with our artist. I am hoping the following week will allow us to settle into our regular schedule.

  On Wednesday, we were able to start our new science unit.  We talked about the idea of animals adapting and used the book, Fur and Feathers by Janet Halfmann.  If you would like to learn more about this book or explore more with your child, check out this site.  We looked at four different type of classifications of animal adaptations: camouflage, locomotion, food, and protection.  The students were asked to draw examples of animals that represented each category.  Below is a quick video of the book.



 NOTES:

*If you look to the right of this page, you will see a link for the volunteer schedule.  I will ask the volunteers to start coming in a week from Tuesday or October 11th.  Please let me know if you ahve any questions.

*Artist in Residency time on Tuesday may involve some painting and building. Please plan accordingly as far as attire.

*Several kids are complaining that they are hungry during the day.  I always allow kids to get extra snack if needed.  Please check with your child to see if packing an extra snack is necessary.

*PLEASE, PLEASE make sure your child brings back their reading book each day.  Some of the students will be bringing home a book that is being used in reading group and will be needed the next day.  If they don;t have their book, it makes it really hard to have them participate with the group work.  I truly appreciate your help and support with this.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

September 26, 2016

Good Afternoon,

  The talk of soccer games, hikes, and playing outside sure made it sound like everyone had a great weekend.  Today we started formalized reading instruction.  Like everything else, it will move at a slower pace as we establish norms and routines.  Tonight, each child has a book or part of a book to read as well as a book of choice.

  I will be out of the classroom on Tuesday and Friday of this week.  Tomorrow I have a meeting at the Agency of Education.  A year and a half ago I was appointed, by the governor, to be a member of the Vermont Standards Board of Professional Educators.  We meet 10 times a year.  Mrs. Jane will be filling in for me.  On Friday, I am taking a personal day to head to Maine.  My daughter has a race on Saturday and my wife and I are driving up Friday.

OPEN HOUSE:  Tomorrow will be the Waitsfield School's Open House.  It wills tart at 5:30 and run until 6:30.  Open house is a chance for your child to show you their classroom and things they are excited about.  It truly is their evening and I have set it up so that they can be your classroom tour guides.  I look forward to seeing everyone and enjoying the evening.  I ask that you refrain from asking about any specific academic levels or performances (of your child).  I wouldn't be comfortable talking about your child's ability in front of other parents.

NOTES:

*Please make sure your child has a sweatshirt or jacket on these cooler days.  I often have a window open and the classroom does stay cool.

*Please send back reading books each day.  Even if you don;t get to the homework, I need the books back.

That is all for now.  Have a great week!

Peace,
Tommy

September 23, 2016

Good Afternoon,

 This week could be summed up as a "dress rehearsal" week.  This was the week that students demonstrated their knowledge and ability to perform all of the procedures, expectations, and classroom norms that we have established.  Next week we will start formal reading, spelling, and science instruction.  Our first science unit will focus on animal adaptations and the students will examine how animals change to survive in their own habitats.  If you would like to learn more about this new district wide program, please click here.

  WE WON!  Each month Joe Robinson gives out an award for the class that demonstrates an ability to keep their classroom the cleanest.  Specifically, which room picks up papers off the floor and keeps food in the trash (and off the floors).  I have asked the students to think about the work that Joe and Roy do, over the summer, to prepare the school for the coming year.  With this in mind, I have challenged them to respect that work and do their best to leave the room the way it started. Congratulations on the win and there is already a talk of a winning streak!

Notes:

*I hope everyone had a chance to read through the homework notes and watch the video.  If anything is not clear or you have questions, please let me know.

*Scarecrow Contest.  The Valley Chamber is sponsoring a scarecrow contest.  Mr. Van Dine's and our class will be teaming up to create an exhibit for this competition.  We are hoping to build our scarecrow on Friday. Please dress accordingly.

*Your child will have their Weekly News journals in their backpacks.  Please take time to read them and respond.  We will read your responses at Monday's Morning Meeting.

That is all for now.  Have a great weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

September 19, 2016

Good Morning,

  I hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weekend.  We have a good amount of September birthdays in my family and had one birthday celebration yesterday.  It is always nice to get family together and enjoy the company of each other.

  Today are schedule had a little bit of an unexpected change.  Our artist in residency program started this morning.  Each classroom will get one day with the artist as the entire student population works on building a "play hive" for the recreation path.  Today the kids were using saws, drills, and paint to get the structure underway.  I wasn't aware that the kids were going to be painting today and unfortunately some kids did get some paint on their clothing.  I do promise you that they had a great time with it.   This morning, I used part of our meeting time to read your responses (to your child) in the Weekly News journal.  The kids usually have great smiles on their faces when I read your comments to them. The journals will be sent home again on Friday.

NOTES:

*Your child will have a book or two to read each night this week.  Please make sure to send them back each day.

*SNEAKERS on PE DAYS!  Please make sure your child has sneakers on the days that we have PE.

That is all for now.  Have a great week.

Peace,
Tommy

September 16, 2016

Good Afternoon,

Secretary Condos with our class.

  I hope you have all had a great week.  We have certainly been busy in the classroom and have had a variety of things going on this week.  Today we introduced the last two "station" choices that kids will be able to choose from during our reading block.  Next week we will continue to model and practice these stations and then move into formal reading instruction the following week.  We read a few books on elections this week and then were visited by Secretary Condos this morning.  Secretary Condos talked to the class about elections, ballots, and why it is important to vote.  As he said, "EVERY VOTE COUNTS!"

  Our classroom library received an upgrade over the past two weeks.  We now have an additional 250 titles that are available for the students.  In order to get students motivated about reading, I like to have a wide range of book genres.  It is great to see the students so excited about books.

Notes:

*Please, please make sure your child has sneakers on PE days.  The class is trying to earn points form Ms. Ally and if the whole class doesn't have sneakers, the class looses points.  Please make sure your child is prepared for class and is helping the class earn their points.

*Your child has a Weekly News Journal in their homework bag.  Please take time to look at it over the weekend and then respond back.  There is a note inside the cover that explains the journal itself.  I use this journal to work on a variety of writing techniques and to also give you a chance to see how your child's writing is progressing.  I edit parts of it with them but do't edit everything.  I tend to pick a couple of focus points and not overwhelm them with too many edits.  Please send the journal back on Monday.

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

Peace,
Tommy

September 12, 2016

Good Morning,

  I hope you all had a great weekend.  I was in the Valley for my youngest daughter's soccer game and my oldest was in Long Island running with the Harwood team.  I love watching kids compete and I find watching my own children to be very rewarding.

  Today we read the book Duck For President by Doreen Cronin.  This book allowed me to talk about the idea of elections and why we have them.  Surprisingly, the students had a hard time defining what an election was.  This book was a great way to kick off our study of elections and the Vermont governor's race.  This Friday, Secretary Condos will be visiting to talk about elections in Vermont and his role as Secretary of State.  I am also in the process of scheduling a visit from Phill Scott and am waiting to hear back from Sue Minter's campaign.  I have asked both candidates if they would talk about why they want to be governor and what they would do for Vermont kids.  The goal is to teach kids that they should be informed about candidates before voting.  I will not be sharing my views and/or who I will be voting for with the students.  I feel very strongly that a teacher needs to stay neutral on issues such as politics and not sway their students one way or another.

NOTES:

*School pictures will be on Friday.  We are scheduled for 8:00 am.

*Homework Bags:  Please have your child bring their book and bag back each day.  I ask that you developed some kind of routine that allows your child to take ownership of this responsibility.

*I want to see if my blog post are getting to everyone.  Could you please send me a quick email that let's me know you are getting the blog posts.  My email is tyoung@wwsu.org

That is all for now.  Have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy

September 9, 2016

Good Afternoon,

  Week two has come and gone like a flash.  This week the students used their Hopes and Dreams (their goal) to help create classroom expectations.  I asked the students to think about what they would need n place that would allow them to work toward and/or accomplish their Hopes and Dreams.  The students came up with about 20 different rules that they thought needed to be in place. We then had a discussion about trying to remember all the rules they wanted.  I thought that it would be too many to remember.  A few of the students suggested that we combined them.  So we looked for ones that were similar and were able to come up with 5 expectations. I then asked the students to give me examples of the rules in action (i.e. helping a friend pick up their spilled lunch).

  Yesterday we started creating our caterpillar habitats.  The students worked with Mrs. Jane and defined the term habitat and discussed what a caterpillars habitat would need. They also compared the habitat of a caterpillars to their own.  WE ARE NOW ON THE HUNT FOR CATERPILLARS.  If you find any around your home, please send them in.

  Math class started this week. As a reminder, the 2nd graders will all go to Mr. Hubbard and the 1st graders will be with me.

Notes:

*This year I will be teaching the students about elections.  I will be focusing on the Vermont Governor's race.  Jim Condos, the Secretary of State, will be visiting our classroom on Friday.  He will be coming in to talk about his role with elections and why they are important.

*Students may want to pack an extra snack.  Many of the students are finding that they want more food during the day.  I have been allowing students to eat an extra snack throughout the day (if needed).

*I do allow for kids to drink from water bottles throughout the day.  I encourage each kid to bring one in.  Please make sure their name is on it.

*Barb Morrison is a para educator who works in our classroom.  Her daughter Kelsey is a 22 year old looking for some babysitting jobs.  She has watched my own daughters and I can vouch for her abilities.  If you need a good sitter, who can drive, give her a call at 595-5108

That is all for now.  I hope you have a great weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

September 2, 2016

Good Afternoon,

  We have had a wonderful first week of school.  The students have been introduced to and have explored the use of many of the classroom tools that we will use this year.  We have spent a great amount of time modeling and practicing classroom and school expectations.  The first week always includes a lot of game play.  This allows me to establish social norms and expectations that game play presents.  On Wednesday, we made use of the new recreation path and walked the 1/2 mile portion. What a great addition and valuable space for our students.

  Yesterday, I talked with the students about my Hopes and Dreams for them for the coming year.  We then talked about reasons why we are in school and used this conversation to have each student create their own Hope and Dream.  The students then illustrated their own thought and created a sentence that captured their words.  These are hung up in the back of the classroom.  The Hopes and Dreams will be used as part of the rules creation project next week.

  This week the students were able to go to all of their specials with the exception of health and guidance.  I asked each specialist teacher to come to our classroom and talk to the students about their particular class.  The goal was to have each specialist explain to the students about how they enter each space (i.e library, gym, french room, etc.).  By doing this, I can now remind the students of the expectations prior to the specials class.

NOTES:
*  Please finish filling out the paperwork that was sent home on the 1st day.

*  Almost everyone has been awesome about bringing their homework bag and book back each day.  For the first few weeks, the students will be bringing home free choice books each evening.  These may not be books that they can read bit rather books that they would like read to them. This is a great opportunity for you to establish a homework routine where your child will know they have to read each night and then bring the book back the next day.

I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

August 29, 2016: First Day of School

Good Afternoon,

  We had a great start to the year.  The morning started with a quick assembly in the gym.  The students were entertained by the sounds of Olivia White, a former Waitsfield Elementary School alum.  Ms. Korb spoke to the students about growing and using the resources at their disposal to develop into the best student they can be.



  As a class, we spent a lot of the day getting to know each other, learning basic expectations how we handle ourselves in the hallway, lunchroom, and at recess.  The students explored the use of pencils, erasers, and crayons through a practice called Guided Discovery.  Mrs. Jane read the book The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Drywalt.  The day ended with the students going to PE class.

Notes:

*Your child has a plastic bag with forms to fill out.  Please send the items back tomorrow.  The plastic bag should come back each day.  I will use the bag to put any notes or homework that your child might have.  This way you don't have to search their backpacks for things.

*Inside the plastic bag is a form to fill out if you would like your child to get a subscription to the magazine Highlights.

I hope your child had a fun first day.  I look forward to a great year.

Peace,
Tommy

Last Day Of School!

As promised, below are the videos from our social studies projects.  I want to thank all of you for a successful year and I hope you have seen the growth and development in your child that I have.  I hope you have a wonderful summer and I will see all of you in August.

Peace,
Tommy

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June 3, 2016

Good Morning,
  We have had a busy week of wrapping up projects, writing, and testing.  The students have been wonderful during this time and I am pleased with their overall work and accomplishments.  We have been taking an extra recess time in the morning.  This has been great because so many of the kids need a chance to release some of their energy and chance to "reset" before we move into more academic times.

 The students will be presenting their Social Studies projects on Thursday.  We will start the presentation at 8:00.  The presentations should last about 12 minutes in total.  If you can't make it, I will be able to share out their videos.

NOTES:

*The students want to have a party on the last day of school.  I am thinking we could have a breakfast at around 9:30 and have some end of the year activities.  By having a breakfast, we can have healthy snacks and not overload on sugar.  I will provide Cheerios.  If anyone would like to send in something, please let me know.

*The last day of school schedule is as follows:

7:40 Arrival
8:00 Awards Assembly
9:30 Breakfast
11:15 Lunch
12:00 Dismissal

Have a great weekend.

Tommy

May 23, 2016

Good Morning,
  I hope you all had a great weekend.  It was certainly nice to have some sunny and arm weather.  This week I will be wrapping up our social studies unit.  I will also be testing each kids reading ability, sight word recognition, and comprehension skills.  This work will happen in place of reading groups.  This means your child will have a Book of Choice each night this week.

  Anna Van Dine, the daughter of Mr. Van Dine, is a senior at Harwood.  She is also one of my daughter's dance teachers.  Tis summer she would like to work as a nanny or babysitter.  I told her that I would put her information on my blog.  If you are in need of an incredible person to be with your kids please reach out.  Anna's info:  "My email is annavan33@gmail.com, I have a profile on Care.com if people want to see more info about me, I’m going to NYU next year, I’m available all summer, I’ve had experience with all ages."

I hope you all have a great week.

Peace,

Tommy

May 20, 2016

Good Morning,
  I hope all is well on the home fronts!  The students were quite excited about their performance last night.  We had a discussion about it during our Morning Meeting.  All but one student felt it went well.  The one student who didn't feel okay about it expressed his having to deal with stage fright.  It was great that the student was willing to share his thoughts and feelings with the class.

  Today the students had math and art class.  The excitement around the Bridge Street Art Fair is the talk of the class.  I hope you all have an opportunity to attend this wonderful event.  Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend.  Julianne has a track meet tomorrow and we have my mother in law's retirement party that evening.

 NOTES:

*I will have a sub on Thursday,  I will be in and out of the classroom but testing each students reading ability.  Katie D. will be the substitute.

*Each town will be deciding if there should be a district consolidation on Tuesday, June 7th.  Please don't forget to get out and VOTE! If you would like any information on the issue at hand, please contact Kaiya.

*I am not sending home any homework this weekend.  Please enjoy the events and beautiful weather that the weekend will offer.

Peace,
Tommy

May 16, 2018

Good Morning,

  I hope all is well with everyone.  We are rapidly approaching the end of the year and yet we still have much to do.  The students continue to write persuasive pieces.  Our focus lately has been on adding introductions to their pieces and continued attention to editing.  Our Social Studies projects are moving along.  The composting group has already collected over 35 pounds of paper towels.  The books for Peru group is steadily collecting change.  Please send in any coins that you can spare.  The group working on the Visitor's Guide is on the final stage.  This Wednesday and the following Wednesday will be used to collect photos of the different locations.  We will be leaving the building for this part of the project.  I will be sending an email (to those kids involved) with specifics.  Please be on the lookout for that.

This Thursday will be our spring concert presented by Mr. Hill and his music and band classes. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend this event.  Unfortunately our school and my daughters' school have a performance on the same night.  I will be attending their event.  My daughters and I appreciate your understanding with this.  Students are asked to bring in a food or monetary donation for the food shelf on Thursday.

NOTES:

*We will have a bus safety drill on Wednesday at 2:00.  This is required of the whole school.

*We will have a concert rehearsal on afternoon on Thursday.  Your child will not have homework this night.

*On Thursday, June 9th our class will be presenting their Social Studies projects to the class.  We will do this from 7:50-8:30 a.m.  If you can;t attend, I will be sending home the links to their videos as well.

Have a great week.
Peace,
Tommy

May 6, 2016

Good Afternoon,
  Today the students had art class.  They were very excited because they earned the Golden Ticket for the focus and kindness during the class.  They couldn't wait to tell me once they got back to our room.

  This afternoon a BIG decision needed to be made.  The sun was finally shining and the kids (and I ) were drawn to the light like a moth to a flame.  So, I made a deal with the class.  If they wrote a GREAT weekly news entry, I would take them for a walk to the VG for popsicles.  They seemed excited about the prospect and quickly got to work.  Some even chose to work outside.

I hope you all have a good weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

May 2, 2016

Good Morning,
  I hope you all had a great weekend.  As I had mentioned last week, I was out of the building this morning.  This afternoon the students had a language arts block and PE.

  It is hard to believe we are already into May. During this month, I will be testing a variety of language arts and math skills to assess how each child progressed this year.  It is all one to one testing and it will be done throughout the day.  I will not use students lunch or recess time to conduct the assessments.

Notes:

*A new homework log is in your child's bag.

*I know springtime has many of the students participating in a variety of activities.  Please make sure to set aside a time to read each day.  It is important that this remains a routine and that your children see that reading is a priority.

Peace,
Mr. Young

April 29, 2016

Good Morning,
  This week our writing has focused on writing reviews.  The students thought about their favorite restaurant and their favorite meal at that place.  We spent some time reading a variety of reviews and looked at powerful words and strong writing that were within each review.  The students spent a good amount of time working on introducing their topic.

 Our social studies projects are in full swing.  Two of the groups have created videos (see below) to talk about their projects and to inform others how they can help.  The videos were used as part of a presentation for each classroom.  It would be great if you could share out the videos. this blog post, or send an email so that others could get involved (especially the books for Peru project).

Notes:

*I will be out of the classroom on Monday morning.  We are refinancing our house and the appraiser needs to be there at 8:30.

*I will also be out of the classroom on Wednesday for my monthly meeting at the agency of education.

*Your child has reading and a Weekly News entry in their homework bag.

I hope you all have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy

April 25, 2016

Good Morning,
  I hope you had a great week with your children.  I spent the week teaching a 4th grade math class in the city of Lawrence, MA.  This was my third year being selected for this and it is a very rewarding experience in many ways.

  This week we will wrap up our science unit and shift our focus to the Making A Difference projects that the students are working on.  Today the students tested their towers and decided if revision were needed.  The earthquake and wind tests certainly had the room moving and shaking.

I hope you have a great week.

Peace,
Tommy

 

April 15, 2016

Good Afternoon,
  "Mr. Young, that was EPIC!"  These were the words of one of the students as we left the Flynn theater yesterday.  It was an amazing show and it ended with a theater full of kids dancing and jumping up and down.  A very positive feel with great energy.

Today the students finished the first version of their paper towers.  It was great to see their thoughts come to reality.

I hope you all have a great break.

Peace,
Tommy

April 11, 2016

Good Afternoon,

  I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I spent the weekend watching a variety of AAU basketball games in the Lyndon area.  It was a lot of fun to watch because of the growth and improvement I ma seeing with different players at each level.  It made me think about our classroom and the growth and independence that so many of the students are exhibiting with their academics.  I hope you are seeing this growth and excitement with your own child.

On Wednesday, the students will choose a site visit to attend as they learn more about pottery from a variety of artists from the area.  Today the students signed up for their top 3 choices.  Please remember to send them with appropriate outdoor clothing for Wednesday's trips.

On Thursday, we will head to the Flynn.  Our plans have changed a bit.  We will leave school around 10:10ish and head to Burlington. Once we are there, the students will eat lunch (at the Flynn).  Then we will attend the performance and head home.  The kids will need a cold lunch.  If a student needs the school to provide a cold lunch, they will sign up tomorrow at school.  Please make sure they know if this is needed.

Have a great week.

Peace,
Tommy

April 8, 2016

Good Morning,

  Today the students started planning their final structure for our engineering unit.  Their task is to build a structure that is less than 16 inches high, can hold weight at the top, and can withstand wind and earthquakes.  As the students planned, they were challenged to think about their learning (from the unit) and what concepts could be brought into their design.  They will have to build towers only using newspaper and tape.

  We will be headed to the Flynn on Thursday.  Looking ahead at the weather, we have decided to eat at school before we leave.  That means we will be eating lunch at 10:05 and departing at 10:45.  Your child will need a cold lunch from home.  The school will provide bagged lunches if your child orders one.  I will place those orders on Monday.  Please let your child know if they need to order one.

  We continued working on our Making A Difference Units on Wednesday.  These projects may require that the kids leave the building with their group leader.  The leaders are Mrs. Babic (our counselor, Mr. Mongeon (our librarian), Ms. Korb (principal) or myself.  Please let me know if you rather your child not ride in a car driven by their leader.

  I hope you have a great week.
Tommy

April 4, 2016

Good Morning,

  I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  This morning we welcomed a new student to our classroom. His name is Graycen Van  Solkema and he is coming from the Sharon Elementary School.   He enjoys Legos and the Red Sox and will fir right in with many of the students who enjoy these things too.

  This morning's science class had the students creating structures with 20 toothpicks and 12 gum drops.  They were asked to use their newly learned concepts of engineering to create a structure that can bear weight.  Tomorrow we will test the strength of their structures.  As a reminder form last week's post, I can use any newspapers that you might have at home.

Notes:

*Our artist in residency starts next week.  Our scheduled times are Wednesday 4/6 at 10:30, Wednesday 4/13 at 12:30, Thursday 4/14 at 9:10 and Friday 4/15 at 10:30.

*Our Flynn Trip is next Thursday, April 14th.  Kids will need a cold lunch that day.  On Monday, April 11th, I will send home a form for kids to order a bagged lunch from school (if they desire).

Have a great week.
Tommy

April 1, 2016

Good  Morning,
  Lots of stuff going on here at the Waitsfield School.  This afternoon, we will brave the weather, and head over to the Valley Players to watch our 5th and 6th graders perform the Lorax.  They have dedicated a good chunk of time to this and are ready to perform it Live!  Needless to say, we didn't have any reading or writing this afternoon and your child doesn't have their Weekly News.

  I have changed directions on our engineering unit.  We are going to start building out towers next week but will be using newspaper instead.  If anyone can pick up a few extra 7 days  or any other free paper or if you have older papers, please send them in.

  We will be headed to the Flynn Theater on Thursday, April 14th.  It doesn't look like the dance troupe will be able to visit beforehand.  They are not getting into Vermont until the the afternoon of the 13th.  Our schedule will be a little weather dependent that day.  If it is nice out, we will leave at 10:00 and head to Burlington.  Once there we will eat in the park across the street from the Flynn and then head to the 12:00 show.  If the weather is less than desirable, we will eat at school and then head up.  Unfortunately that will mean the kids are eating at 10:15 a.m.

The school's artist in residency program will start up next week too.  Here is a description of the residency (In Kaiya's Words).  This year’s artist residency again taps into the skills of our local potters and take full advantage of the new kiln the PTA has helped the school purchase. We will once again have Leslie Montalto join students to guide them in learning techniques with clay and creating bowls. The residency will include a day of field trips, on Friday 4/15, where students have an opportunity to choose a sight/activity to join.

We will combine this residency with a focus on hunger issues in Vermont, celebrating the creation of our bowls with an ice cream social (fill your empty bowl with icecream) to be held on May 19th, in conjunction with our spring concert.

  I hope you all have a great weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

March 29, 2016

Good Morning,
  We have limped through this week.  We have had 5-6 students out each day this week.  The students continued writing opinion pieces.  They are learning to state their opinion and give details to support it.  Our writing time sounds more like a beginners course to "trial law."

  In science the students explored the difference in strength between a square and a triangle.  The concept of a "stable base" was discussed and reinforced with a hands on activity.  The students built a square and a triangle using oaktag.  They were then challenged to find a way to allow the square to become more stable.  The idea being that by adding a diagonal line to the square would create a more solid base (by creating two triangles).

  I have been taking a mindfulness course and have been implementing the practice throughout the day.  The students seem to enjoy this and I find that they are using the strategies to calm themselves throughout the day.  You may hear your child talking about their anchor spot and how it helps them focus.

NOTES:

*There is reading homework for tonight.

*Weekly News are in the homework bags.

*No school on Monday.

March 21, 2016

Good Morning,
  I hope you had a great weekend.  I want to start by thanking all of you for your understanding regarding my absence on Thursday and your flexibility with scheduling conferences.  Last year both of my brothers chose to leave the Marine Corps.  Combined they had 38 years of service.  My brother Jimmy and his family moved back to Vermont last summer.  I am very close with my siblings and their service had limited the time we got to spend together (over the years).  This concert meant a lot to both my brother Jimmy and I and it will be something that we will both always remember doing together.  Again, I thank you for your part in allowing this to happen.

This morning the students finished their Watts' Towers.  The students worked to create their own version and dabbled with the idea that triangles offer the most sturdy structure to build with.

This afternoon the students worked on reading,comprehension, fluency, and sight words.  The students also had PE.  There was no French class today.

I hope you have a great week.

Peace,

Tommy