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