December 17, 2018

Good Afternoon,
  I hope you all had a great weekend.  Today the students continued writing their final narrative pieces.  These pieces will be scored, using a district wide writing rubric, and be used as a major part of your child's writing grade for the semester.  MY hope is that these are finished before the end of the day on Friday.  I am also conducting reading tests during our reading block this week.  This will allow me to reassess progression by all and refocus my instruction as we head into January.  I am also hoping to finish these by the end of the week.  Your child will have book of choice books in their homework bag this week.

SECRET PAL:  Please remember that Secret Pal starts tomorrow.  Here is the breakdown, one more time.  Please read through it carefully.

On Tuesday, December 18th, the kids will have to make a Happy Holidays or Happy New Year's card for their Secret Pal. Please put some time into this and do your best work. I can provide any paper or art materials.

On Wednesday, December 19th, the kids will have to make a snack for their Secret Pal. The snack should consist of a food and drink item.

On the Thursday, December 20th, the kids will have to bring in a wrapped gift for their Secret Pal (less than $10).

**ALL ITEMS SHOULD BE LABLED AS FOLLOWS:
TO: SECRET PAL’S NAME
FROM: YOUR SECRET PAL

The goal is to give hints of who you are but to keep your identity a secret. On the last day each kid will try and guess who their Secret Pal was. I hope everyone has fun with it.

NOTES:
*Please send in your page for Ms. Fornaby's Book.

*Wednesday afternoon will be an all school "Gifts For Giving" gathering.

*Friday will be our Secret Pal Gift Exchange Party. We will do this after Art class. If you would like to donate a food item, please click on this link to sign up.

December 14, 2018

Good Afternoon,
  I hope this post finds all of you well and surviving the madness of December.  I know how crazy this month can get, and the added stresses and mixed emotions that come with such a busy time.  I hope each of you finds a way to stop, reflect, and enjoy the positive things in each of our lives.

  Today your child will be bringing home a green folder.  Inside that folder is the schedule for the Secret Pal activities and the name of the child that your child has for the three days of fun.  I have also included a piece fo marbled card-stock that your child can use for a card (if needed).  Please don't forget the item each day and make sure they are labeled.  Feel free to send in any items early and I can store them.

  This morning we took a walk outside for out mindfulness time.  We ended up at the VG where I had planned on buying each of the kids hot chocolate.  However, when I went to pay, they told us to not worry about it.  A very nice gesture on their part.

This week I talked to the kids about the celebration of Hannukah.  We read a book about why there is 9 candles and the importance of the symbolic burning of the candle.  I asked a 6th grader to come in and present to us about Hannukah and her own family's traditions with the holiday.  The kids then made their own menorahs and today worked on writing about their learning. 

NOTES:
*Please finish the story book pages for Ms. Fornaby's book over the weekend. 
*Secret Pal card is due by Tuesday morning.  We will give them out at morning meeting.

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

PICTURES FROM OUR TEAM PROJECT WITH MS> BELKNAP"S CLASS

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great week. As my 2 weeks of solo teaching come to a close, I am feeling so grateful for the students in this class and all of you. I couldn’t have asked for a more welcoming or supportive school community for my student teaching experience.

This week was packed full of learning and fun. On Wednesday we finished working on the literature project we began last Friday. Each student had drawn a picture to show something they would do to make the world a better place. The final step for this project was to add color to the drawings with watercolors. The paint really helped to liven up the pieces and they look absolutely beautiful! Next week they will be hung on the bulletin board outside of the classroom, so I encourage you to come take a look!

I continue to be so impressed by the writing abilities of your children. This week we continued our work on crafting personal narratives. On Thursday, each student had the opportunity to share a favorite moment from one of their stories. We are working on using strong words and detail to help the reader to see, hear, or feel something. Many students shared a comparison statement, like “the hot chocolate was as hot as the inside of an oven,” or “she was as hungry as a pig!” I just love the creativity that is showing through students’ writing!

Some of you may have caught word about the golden spinner. For each ticket students earn for being safe, kind, engaged, or responsible, they have their name added to the golden spinner. Later this month, names will be chosen from the spinner and those students will choose a special prize. Every student in the class has already had their name entered once, and some as many as NINE times! It has definitely been a great motivator for students to keep the school’s core values in mind.

It has been an absolute pleasure to be part of this classroom community, and to get to know all of you. Have a fantastic weekend, and I will see you around WES!

Best,

Sarah

December 4, 2018

Good Morning,
  Here is a post that Sarah sent me last week.  I just forgot to post it. As a reminder, today is the last day for book orders.-Tommy

Hello Everyone! I hope everyone had a great week. The snow didn’t stop us from having a productive week in 1st and 2nd grade. On Wednesday we wrapped up our science unit on light and sound. In this final lesson, students worked in groups to design a device that they could use to communicate over a short distance. They were challenged to use only a bandana, water bottle, flashlight, masking tape, and mirror. Their creations were truly impressive! I love how creative young students can be, and seeing their imagination in action is really something special.

For our literature project this week, we read Malala’s Magic Pencil, a true story written by education advocate Malala Yousafzai about her childhood. We talked about how Malala wished to use a “magic pencil” to draw things that would make the world a better place. I challenged students to think about something they would do to make the world a better place. By “better” we mean how it can be safer, kinder, or more beautiful. Students then turned their ideas into drawings. First they drew with pencil on watercolor paper. Their next step was to trace their picture with a metallic marker, to mimic the illustrations from the story. The final step will be to paint with watercolors in order to give the pictures some pizzazz. I can’t wait to see the final products!

Students getting some fresh air on mindfulness walk today.

Working together as a team during science.

November 26, 2018

Good Morning,

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I find that I love the holidays that are with family and don’t require the stress of gifts but rather the focus of traditions. I hope you all enjoyed your child’s Thanksgiving writing about traditions and things that each child was thankful for. It will be a very quick stretch between now and the December break. This stretch is packed with learning, school-wide events and the family traditions and celebrations that come with this time of year.

Ms. Fornaby will be solo teaching in the classroom for the next two weeks. This is a requirement for her to get her teaching license. Ms. Fornaby and I have spent a lot of time (throughout this semester) getting her ready for this time. I want you to know that the kids are in great hands. Sarah is one of the most talented student teachers that I have ever had. She has amazing classroom management skills and a calm demeanor both of which the students enjoy and thrive with. I can still be reached by email and please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

NOTES:

*Feel free to have your child bring a pair of sneakers to leave in the classroom during the winter months. I think it is easier for you to not have to worry about packing them each day. We sit on the floor a lot in our classroom and it means dry bottoms if no one is wearing boots on the carpet.

*Please label all of your child’s winter gear with their name. Stuff gets left behind, dropped, and/or forgotten about and I know it can be both frustrating and expensive to have to keep replacing kids items. A name on an item can help us return it to the rightful owner.

*We go outside for recess almost everyday. Your child will go out wearing whatever it is they brought for winter items. Please make sure they have gloves and a hat. Also, they need boots or they will be required to stand on the blacktop area during recess. Thanks for your help with all of these winter essentials.

That is all for now. Have a great week.

Peace,

Tommy

November 12, 2018

Good Afternoon,

Video conferencing with our Florida friends

  I want to start by thanking all of you who were able to contribute (in some form) to the success of the Ski and Skate sale.  It always amazes me how many community members pitch in to create one of the most remarkable fundraisers I have ever seen.  The vibe is always good and the benefits for the students are amazing.

  My students, your children, have been on fire as of late. They have been publishing stories left and right and really getting into writing with detail.  We have started to have final illustrated books finished and they have been put in our classroom library for all to share and enjoy.

Kai's note for a veteran

  On Friday, we talked with our 1st grade friends in Florida.  They shared with us all about their fall festival and the HUGE Veterans' Day celebration that their whole school had.  We talked about our Ski and Skate sale tradition and shared some other facts too.  On Friday afternoon, I talked with the class about Veterans' Day and why we have it.  The kids then wrote letters to Veterans and I posted them on Facebook to be shared with veterans using social media.  At the end of this post are the rest of the letters.

This Thursday is our Thanksgiving luncheon.  If you wish to be part of it, please RSVP to Kathy.  She needs to turn in a count to Cheryl so that we have enough food.  If you are able to attend that is wonderful and I have a favor to ask.  If you see a kid whose family can't step away from work, I ask that you ask them to join your family for the luncheon.  I know it will go a long way in making sure no one feels sad.  I appreciate your efforts with this and in helping our school family celebrate as a whole.

A note from Ms. Fornaby:

Ms. Fornaby leading science

I have been so impressed watching the 1st and 2nd graders work as engineers and scientists during our unit on light and sound! Last week's lesson left us with a problem: a group of kids got lost on a hike. They will have to find a way to communicate with the other group they came with, using only the supplies in their backpacks. While we haven't come up with any solutions yet, the class has a feeling that light and/or sound will be involved (they're right!).
The focus of our 2nd lesson was on sound. We talked about the process of hearing sound, which travels in waves through the air. Students learned that our ears catch sounds and then send a message to our brain, which then recognizes the sound. The rest of the lesson was spend at sound stations. Students explored ways to make sound with materials like plastic cups, rubber bands, and metal water bottles. Students also met with me (Ms. Fornaby) for one station, to discover tuning forks. They learned that when struck against another surface, the fork will vibrate and make a dinging noise. We also put the forks in contact with water and observed the water rippling and spraying inside the cups. This was definitely a highlight of the lesson! Next week will learn about light.

Judy working with some young writers

You may have heard your child talking about Judy.  Judy is a community member who use to work for the state in accrediting preschool programs.  She comes in during writing times and helps kids edit their work.  She also does a read a loud while she is hear on Mondays.  The kids really seem to enjoy her presence and the work she is doing with them.  

That is all for now.  Have a wonderful week!

Peace,

Tommy

October 29, 2018

Good Evening,
  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  We certainly saw the variety that Vermont weather can offer over the two days.  Saturday, I spent the day in Thetford watching high school runners compete for the State Titles.  As I stood there in my three layers of clothing, watching runners in a tank tops and shorts, I realized just how driven kids can be.  It was truly inspiring. 

 I truly enjoyed our conferences last week and was psyched to meet with almost all of you.  I feel the goal conferences are very valuable and allow for student ownership and also gives you a connection to a goal they are working on in school.  Your input was greatly appreciated.  I hope you found the time useful and beneficial.  Please let me know if you have any suggestions, or follow up questions.

Last week we started, a science unit on light and sound. This is a unit that Ms. Fornaby will be leading the class through over the next few weeks. Here are her thoughts on the 1st week as well as her read a louds from last week. On Wednesday afternoon we started our first science unit, which is on Light and Sound. We spent this first lesson learning about what an engineer is and that they create products to solve certain problems. We discussed examples of things created by engineers, like cars, bridges, and tractors. We then read story about a hiking trip that ended with one group getting lost. Together we identified the problem, and the students recorded it with pictures and notes in their science journals. Next week we will begin to think of solutions to this problem using light and sound,

and will practice thinking like engineers. This week during read aloud we read two books. The first was Tacky and the Winter Games by Helen Lester. As a kid I was a big fan of these books and knew I had to share them with the class. This book from the Tacky series is about a delightfully off-beat penguin who takes part in a winter games competition. We loved this book! Everyone laughed when Tacky ate the baton because he mistook it for a hotdog. I’ve already seen several kids take the book home for a night to read again, and I can’t wait to share more Tacky books with the class.On Tuesday we read Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty. I chose to read this book as a subtle hint at the science unit that we would begin the next day. This is the story of a young girl named Rosie who loves to create and build. Using her big imagination and materials found at her house, she creates silly things like helium pants and a hat that fights off snakes with cheddar cheese spray. While Rosie’s creations do not always work as she had hoped, we discussed the importance of trying our best and learning from our mistakes.  We have not completed our Social Studies unit on traditions and celebrations.  That focus will be strung throughout the year.  

Last Friday, we had a fireman from the Waitsfield and Fayston fire department come in and talk to the class about fire safety, having an evacuation plan at home, and general precautions.  The students even got to see him all dressed up in his gear.  

I have to say this class has been doing some pretty spectacular things and people are noticing.  They received three separate compliments from teachers last week.  Their hard work, focus, and respect for each other shines brightly.  Keep up the great work!

NOTES:

*I am not in the building on Tuesday, October 30th.  I will be at my monthly state meeting.  Sarah will be in charge.  

*We will have an all school celebration/pumpkin carving event on Wednesday afternoon.  We did this last year and the kids really enjoyed it.  It is always great when the younger and older kids get to work together and collaborate.

That is all for now.  Have a great week.

Peace,

Tommy

Tuesday, October 23

Good Morning,
  I hope you are all well.  I am sorry about the lack of posts last week, I just lost track of time.  The kids have been writing up a storm.  They have all worked hard on editing creating a small moment story, adding detail to their work, coming up with good beginnings and endings, and have learned how to use a checklist to edit their story.  Some of the first stories will be published this week. 


  I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our conferences over the next two days.  This will give us a chance to talk about the start of the year and some goals that you, your child, and I have for the 1st semester.  Please remember to have your child come with you during the conference. 

 Halloween!  Once again Halloween falls during the school week.  I tend not to do a Halloween party at school (mostly because of what the evening events entail) but will have some Halloween related activities during the day.  CANDY REQUEST- Please make sure your child doesn't have handfuls of candy in their bags, when they come to school.  Due to allergies, we can't have kid seating it on the bus or handing it out to others.  Thank you for your support with this.

Last Friday, we read the book The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Adam Rex.  This is a Red Clover selection this year and a fantastic "historical documentation" of how the classic game cam to be.  After we read the story we went to the gym and played a version.  Check out the videos below.
 

I hope you all have a great week.

Peace,
Tommy

October 12, 2018

Wow!  Cool!  That is so awesome!  These were the phrases I heard as students worked with Lucie during our residency time this week.  Picture a room full of 1st and 2nd graders totally engaged and excited about the possibilities that were going through their head.  Imagine kids excitement when they were creating circuits with themselves, fruit, and vegetables and lighting up flashing lights and glowing tubes.  This was all part of your child's experience on Wednesday and Thursday. 

The residency has messed with our schedule a bit and for that reason, we will not have reading instruction on Friday, Monday or Tuesday.  Your child will not have their homework bags over the weekend (I wanted them to have a free weekend) but will have books of choice on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

October 9, 2018

Greetings and Salutations!  I hope you all had an wonderful weekend.  I was in Washington DC for 5 days and it is definitely still summer down there.  It was a bit of a relief stepping off the plane and feeling that cool crisp Vermont fall air.  

Today the students continued working on their small moment stories.  Everyone has sketched out their stories across 5 pages and are in the process of using their sketches to write.  They are also learning how to elaborate on their stories based on their pictures.

And now a note from Ms. Fornaby:

Each day during read aloud I am impressed by the students’ ability to transition back into academics after the high energy of recess and lunch. It has helped to make these 15 minutes enjoyable and productive. This past week, we read 3 books: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, and Grandma Calls Me Beautiful by Barbara M. Joosse.

Where the Wild Things Are follows the story of a young boy named Max who is having a bad night at home. After getting sent to bed without supper, he imagines that he arrives by boat to an unfamiliar land. There, he meets a group of “wild things,” who make him their king! We enjoyed looking at the pictures of the wild things as they danced and sang through the forest.

The next book, The Day the Crayons Quit was recommended to me by Mr. Mongeon. When a boy named Duncan goes to color a picture, he finds an empty crayon box and a stack of letters addressed to him. Each letter is written to Duncan from a different color crayon. Each crayon has written to explain their reasons for quitting. Between the bright illustrations and the humorous letters from the crayons, this seemed to be a class favorite!
Our final read aloud book for the week was Grandma Calls Me Beautiful by Barbara M. Joosse. I read this book as part of our social studies unit on families. The story is about a little girl living in Hawaii, and her relationship with her Grandmother. The little girl, named Beautiful, asks the story of when she was born and how she got her name. The grandmother goes on to tell her what makes her beautiful and special. Later in the afternoon, Tom read a story about a grandfather to the class. The students then drew pictures of their grandparents, and next we will be talking about the role that grandparents play in our lives.

I had the privilege of attending a conference put on by the NEA Foundation over the weekend.  One of the events was a series of speakers who shared their stories about education and the promise of public education.  One of the speakers really impacted my thinking.  She reminded me the importance of seeing each child as an individual and finding what's right for that individuals needs and learning.  If you have a minute, I would HIGHLY recommend that you listen to her story.  Go to the 104:50 mark of this video link and listen.  

Tomorrow will mark the start of our artist and residency program.  This year's artist is Lucie delaBruere (view her slide show here).  The focus will be on STEAM (Science, technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) through the use of circuits, coding and storytelling.  Our times are as follows:

10/10 12:55-1:40

10/11 10:50-11:25

10/15 10:40-11:25

10/16 10:40-11:25

Feel free to stop in and check out their residency experience.  

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

Peace,

Tommy & Sarah

October 1, 2018

A student collecting data from a coin activity.

Greetings from the four foot and under club!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  We were in the great state of Maine for most of it and it was just a beautiful weekend to be near the ocean.  Today the students started their fist writing unit.  We will be focusing on writing narratives (small moment stories).  We looked at the book Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.  I explained to the kids how we can learn from master writers and Jane is certainly one of them.  Take a listen to the first page (click the Owl Moon link).  Listen to how she gets at your senses and uses such detail.  The students then identified a story they could write and started thinking about the starts of their stories.  They will continue to work on these tomorrow.  Today also marked the 1st day of our reading groups.  Three of the groups have group books to read at home.  The other group has a chapter book to read from.

Students practicing their dance routine in gym class.

That is all for now.  I hope you all have a great week.  Remember, no school on Friday and there will not be a blog entry.

Peace,
Tommy

September 28, 2018

Mr. Mongeon working with a student using Adobe Spark

The final week of September, are you kidding me?  It feels like we just started school last week.  We have had a very busy week in the world of small chairs and big pencils.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, we are working with a 1st grade class in Tampa, Florida.  We wanted to see how our schools were similar and different.  We decided to make an audio book of our school.  Mr. Mongeon came in and help us create our final product using Adobe Spark.  The students used i-Pads to capture a variety of pictures from the school.  The ideas cam from a class brainstorm and discussion on Tuesday.  Yesterday, we sent our final version to Ms. Valdez's class.  They were so inspired by our use of Spark that they created their own version and sent it back.  To access our version click here.  If you want to access the school tour from Florida, click here.  Today, the class had a video call with our Florida friends and they talked about the similarities and differences of the two schools.

Two kids comparing their families using a Venn Diagram

On Wednesday, we continued our focus of our own families and how they are similar and different.  They shared their family portraits that they created.  I then introduced them to a Venn diagram and we practiced using one to compare two different families.  The kids then partnered up and used a diagram to compare their family to that of a peer.  We will continue this work next Wednesday.  

Once a month, my class will work with Ms. Belknap's class on cooperative projects, challenges, and/or tasks.  This week was the 1st time we gathered.  The theme was bridge building and the kids had to build the best bridge that they could using 24 popsicle sticks, 3 feet of tape, two chairs, and markers.  I view this joint effort as an important piece in teaching teamwork, social skills, and using clear and precise communication.

Testing bridge concepts as a small group

Throughout this semester, Ms. Fornaby will take over different parts of the day, as part of her student teaching experience. Two weeks ago, she took over the read a loud time (after lunch). I have asked her to prepare some thoughts about the read a loud selections this week. Here is what she had to say: This week we read a variety of different books during read aloud. On Monday we finished Johnny Appleseed by Jodie Shepherd, which we had started at the end of last week. The book taught us about who he was (he was a real person!) and how he shared his apple seeds with other people who then went on to plant them. We discussed what made Johnny a kind and helpful person.Next we read Night Animals by Gianna Marino. This was a silly book about a group of nocturnal animals who are spooked by the noises they hear the “night animals” making late at night. They don’t realize that they are the night animals! The story and illustrations gave us all a good laugh. On Tuesday we read It’s Okay to be Different by Todd Parr. This was a colorful and light-hearted book about embracing and accepting the things that make us all different. From missing teeth, to making mistakes, or dancing by yourself, this book stresses that all of these things are okay and help to make you, you! The final book we read this week was Stellaluna by Janell Cannon. This is one of my personal favorites from when I was a kid. I was excited to share this book with the class,

Ms. Fornaby leading the class in a morning dance

and was thrilled that some of them already knew it! It is the story of a baby fruit bat and the chaos that ensues when she lands in a nest full of baby birds. Read aloud has been so much fun and I look forward to sharing more books with the class! 

NOTES:

*Remember, parent volunteers start Monday, October 15th.

*We will officially start our spelling, writing, and reading groups this week.  It is important that books and homework bags are returned each day.

*10/2 Zones of Regulation Presentation with Vicky Hoefle 6 - 7:30 p.m. @Waitsfield School

*10/5 Inservice-no school for students

*10/8 Holiday-no school

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

Peace,

Tommy & Sarah