May 29. 2020

Good Morning,
  I hope this finds you all ready for the weekend.  After 9 hours of Zoom Meetings (non student) yesterday, I am ready for a screen break.  Sitting in those meetings for that period of time makes me realize how glad I am that I have found a balance, for your child, with meeting time and independent work time.

  I will not be doing my usual Friday phone calls today.  I need to head out earlier than usual.  Please feel free to contact me if you need anything.

It's OFFICIAL, the last day of school will be June 9th.  Next week will be the last regular week of instruction.  All final pieces must be submitted to me by Thursday, June 4th.  I will not be grading/assessing work after that date.  I will be starting report cards on Friday, June 5th after our morning meeting.  Please get everything in by the 4th.

Rest of the Year Schedule:
6/1  No Morning Meeting because I have my daughter's 504 meeting at 9:00 that day
6/2  Morning Meeting @9:00, Writing @10:00
6/3  Morning Meeting @9:00,
6/4  Morning Meeting @9:00, Writing @10:00
6/5  Morning Meeting @ 9:00
6/8  Morning Meeting @9:00, Virtual Field Days Presented By Ali B.
6/9  Morning Meeting @9:00, Virtual Field Days Presented by Ali B.
*All scheduled 1 on 1 academic sessions will go on as planned next week.

Today's Recording:
Morning Meeting 5/29/30

Today we read Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller.  Today's feature reader was Chris O'Dowd.  "At first glance, Arnie looks like an average doughnut - round, cakey, iced and sprinkled, with a hole in the middle. He was made by one of the best bakeries in town, and admittedly his sprinkles are candy-colored. Still, a doughnut is just a doughnut, right? WRONG! Not if Arnie has anything to say about it. And, for a doughnut, he sure seems to have an awful lot to say. Can Arnie change the fate of all doughnuts - or at least have a hand in his own future?"



That is all for now. Have a great weekend.

Peace,
Mr. Young

PS:  ITEMS TO BE PICKED UP
I don't have time to do deliveries today, please note the following:
*Ben has new books outside of school to be picked up
*Vera has new books to be picked up
*Callum has a new reading book and chapter questions

May 27, 2020

Good Evening,

Caden saw these deer just before our meeting.

  I hope you all are surviving the heat and finding ways to stay cool.  I hope the kids all enjoyed their ice cream today.  I felt like the right day to bring a cool treat. 

Tomorrow's Schedule:
Just a reminder that there is no online meetings or teaching tomorrow.  I will be in a state meeting all day.  Please have your child spend time on Zearn, editing their last writing, and spending some time on Lexia/Core 5. 

This morning, Mr. Mongeon joined our Morning Meeting and read the story Neville by by Norton Juster. "This is a simply told story about a boy who moves to a new neighborhood and finds a unique way to make friends."  To hear our meeting and Mr. Mongeon read, click this link.

Caden made this rocket with his dad

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

Peace,
Tommy

Tuesday's Recordings
Morning Meeting
Writing Class

May 22, 2020

Good Morning,
  I apologize for not posting yesterday but by the time we got done next year's placement meetings, I just wanted to get outside and enjoy some sunshine.

Yesterday I read the story When Sophie Thinks She Can't by Molly Bang.  "When Sophie can't solve a math puzzle, she feels upset and inadequate. "I CAN'T DO IT!" she shouts, expressing the frustration all of us feel when we try and fail. Will she ever be "smart" like her sister? Maybe she isn't smart at all.  Luckily Sophie's teacher steps in. What does it mean to be smart? Using current, popular "mindset" techniques, Sophie's class is taught that we get smarter when we exercise our brains, such as when we work harder at solving a puzzle. Struggling to solve a problem doesn't mean "I can't do it!" Sophie and her classmates just can't do it... yet!"



Yesterday's & Today's Recordings
Morning Meeting 5/21/20
Morning Meeting 5/22/20
Writing Class 5/21/20

Monday's Schedule:
There is no school.  Please take time to enjoy something that makes you happy.

During our Morning Meeting today we talked about why we have Monday off and things families tend to do during this weekend.  There was lots of talk about gardening, camping, fishing, and hiking.  The camping conversation was focused around camping in our own back yards.  Caden sent a picture of his campsite.  I would love to get any pictures of things your children do over the long weekend.

Today's read aloud was Catching the Moon by Crystal Hubbard. "If there was anything in the world better than playing baseball, Marcenia Lyle didn't know what it was. As a young girl in the 1930s, she chased down fly balls and stole bases, and dreamed of one day playing professional ball. With spirit, spunk, and a great passion for the sport, Marcenia struggled to overcome the objections of family, friends, and coaches, who felt a girl had no place in the field. When she finally won a position in a baseball summer camp sponsored by the St. Louis Cardinals, Marcenia was on her way to catching her dream. Full of warmth and youthful energy, Catching the Moon is the story of the girl who grew up to become the first woman to play for an all-male professional baseball team. Readers everywhere will be inspired by her courage to dream and determination to succeed."



That is all for now.. have a great weekend, enjoy your family, and be well!

Peace,
Mr. Young

May 20, 2020

Good Afternoon,
  Today Mr. Mongeon joined us and read the story The Adventures of Beekle The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat.  "This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name: Beekle."  Mr. Mongeon then showed him a picture of an imaginary friend he created and challenged them to come up with one of their own.  Here are the ones that were turned in. 

Today's Recording:
Morning Meeting 5/20/20 (Forgot to hit record today).

Tomorrow's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @9:00

Writing Instruction @ 10:00

That is all for now.  Have a great day!

Peace,
Mr. Young

May 19, 2020

Callum cooked his catch.

Good Morning,
  I love all of the positivity that your children bring to morning meeting each day.  It is such a fun group to work with and has made this process so much easier.  Thank you for having such wonderful kids.

Mabel caught this beautiful rainbow trout.

 During writing time today, we worked on a prompt that asked them to choose if remote learning or learning at school was better for them.  Today they worked on brainstorming their reasons and each wrote an introduction to their piece.  Thursday's writing class will focus on writing detailed support of their opinion and a closing.  As I stated yesterday, I wanted to hear from them because they didn't get a chance to express their voice through the HUUSD survey.

  Today we read A Perfectly Messed-Up Story by Patrick McDonnell.  "In this interactive and engaging read-aloud, bestselling author and award-winning artist Patrick McDonnell creates a funny, engaging, and almost perfect story about embracing life's messes.  Little Louie's story keeps getting messed up, and he's not happy about it! What's the point of telling his tale if he can't tell it perfectly? But when he stops and takes a deep breath, he realizes that everything is actually just fine, and his story is a good one--imperfections and all."



Today's Recordings:
Morning Meeting 5/19/20

Writing Class 5/19/20, If you missed writing class today, please watch the video and get caught up for Thursday's class.  We will be using today's work for that class.

Tomorrow's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @9:00

That is all for now.  Have a great afternoon. 

Peace,
Mr. Young

May 18, 2020

Good Morning,
  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  I was able to join in two "drive-by" birthday celebrations for two of our class members.  It was great to see their smiles and delightfulness with the celebrations.  I also took delight in more projects around our outside area.  I was able to make a table/bar, out of some slab wood, for our pizza oven and campfire area.  I find it very satisfying to complete these types of projects.  Next up for me is a lean to for my shed.

  Today we read Let's Do Nothing by Tony Fucile.  "Frankie and Sal have already played every sport and board game invented, baked and eaten batches of cookies, and painted a zillion pictures. What's left to do? Nothing! Ten seconds of nothing! Can they do it? Can they act like stone statues in the park? Can they simply hold their breath and not blink an eye?"




After we were done reading the book, I asked the kids to represent something they would do today.  Here are two of the pictures I received. 












Today's Recording:
Morning Meeting 5/18/20

Tomorrow's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @ 9:00
Writing Instruction @ 10:00

Tomorrow's Writing Prompt:
The students in grades3-12 (in our district) have been sent a student survey regarding distance learning.  I wanted to hear from my students and agree that a survey is not the best way for 1st and 2nd graders.  So, tomorrow's prompt will be a letter, that they write to me, where they are asked if they prefer in-person learning or distance learning.  They will have to support their opinion with evidence of their feelings.  I am doing this to give them a voice, practice their persuasive writing skills, and to hear what they have to say.  I look forward to reading their responses.

That is all for now.  have a wonderful Monday.
Peace,
Tommy

May 15, 2020

A picture of a kid choosing to fish.

Good Afternoon,
  I hope this finds all of you starting to prep for a relaxing weekend or at least making some time to relax for a moment.  You all are working extremely hard and trying to manage work, family, schooling, and sanity.  I truly appreciate all of your efforts.  Keep up the great work and take a moment to tap yourself on the back every now and then.

  I wanted to thank all of you for the wonderful and thoughtful messages and/or cards that I received last week.  I am fortunate to teach in this town and I am truly appreciative of the support I get, as a teacher.  Again, thank you for the gesture and the thoughtfulness.

 Today we listened to Oprah Winfrey read us the story, The Hula-Hoopin' Queen by Thelma Godin.  "Kameeka is confident that today she will finally beat her rival, Jamara, and become the Hula-Hoopin’ Queen of 139th Street. But then Mama reminds her that today is their neighbor Miz Adeline’s birthday, and Kameeka has a ton of chores to do to get ready for the party they are hosting. Kameeka’s disappointed to be stuck at home and can only think about the hoopin’ competition. Distracted, Kameeka accidentally ruins Miz Adeline’s birthday cake, and has to confess to her that there won’t be a cake for her special day. But then Miz Adeline’s confesses something too: she’s also got the itch—the hula-hoopin’ itch! Her fingers start snappin’. Her hips start swingin’. Soon everyone’s hips are swinging as the party spills out onto the street. The whole neighborhood’s got the itch—the hula-hoopin’ itch!"



Today's Recording:
Morning Meeting 5/15/20

Monday's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @9:00

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

Peace,
Tommy

May 14, 2020

Part of Persuasive Letter on Free Ice Cream

Good Afternoon,
  Can you say FREE ICE CREAM?  That is what your child wrote about today.  They had to use their persuasive voices while writing me a letter about a flavor I should buy them.  Once they complete these and turn them in, I will read their reasonings and decide if they convinced me to buy some ice cream or not.

Today's read-a-loud was Shh! We Have A Plan by Chris Haughton.  This picture book about a beautiful bird, an unquenchable desire and plans gone awry... Four friends, three big and one little, are out for a walk. Suddenly, they spot it—a beautiful bird perched high in a tree! They simply MUST have it and—SHH!—they have a PLAN. So they tip-toe, tip-toe very slowly, nets poised—"Ready one ... ready two ... ready three ... GO!" But, at the turn of the page, we find a ridiculous bunch of very tangled characters and a blissfully oblivious bird, flying away.

Abi drew a picture of herself swimming.

Today's Recordings:
*Morning Meeting 5/14/20

Tomorrow's Schedule:
*Morning Meeting @9:00

That is all for today.  Have a great day.

Peace,
Tommy

May 13, 2020

Good Morning,
  I hope everyone had a chance to watch the class video that was posted yesterday.  I showed it to them at Morning Meeting and it was fun to watch their facial expressions as they saw themselves in the video.

Todays read-aloud was Petra by Marianna Coppo.  "Is Petra a mountain? A pebble? An egg? An island? Or a child’s pet rock? Well, whatever Petra is, she knows that she is going to be amazing and that with each new day and each new phase in her life — something wonderful is bound to come of it.




Today's Recording:
Morning Meeting 5/13/20

Tomorrow's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @9:00
Live Writing Instruction @10:00

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

Peace,
Tommy

Peace,
Tommy

May 12, 2020

Good Morning,

  Today we read Horse and Buggy Paint It Out by Ethan Long.  In this story, Horse is all set to paint a mural his way, oblivious to Buggy's suggestions that a bit of planning might be a good idea. But as the Horse knocks over paint cans and sends brushes flying, he relents and accepts some help from Buggy.

Bronte has been creating food out of recycled bottle caps

Today's Recordings:
Morning Meeting 5/12/20

Tomorrow's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @ 9:00

Below is the results of the video project that I put together.  I wanted the students to have something to see how their actions are helping us as a whole society, to see all the fun things their friends are doing too, and to have a more positive documentation of this time.  I hope you enjoy it.  A huge thank you for all of the pictures that were sent.

That is all for now.
Peace,
Mr. Young

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May 11. 2020

Ben and his brother listen to today's read-a-loud.

Good Morning,'
  I hope you all had a great weekend and all of the mothers from the classroom were spoiled beyond belief.  I was grateful that I got to go up and visit my mom as well as my wife's mom.  I had a lot of FUN shoveling off the deck and breaking the snow brush back out to wipe off the cars.  Really made for a great start to Saturday (yes that is sarcasm Sheldon).

Important Notice:
  There will not be a writing class tomorrow.  I will be on a webinar at 9:30 (right after morning meeting) and some kids need a day to finish up the prompts they have started..  It would be a great time to make sure your child is caught up on the prompts that we have done so far.  You can check their completion status here.  We will have a new live lesson on Thursday.

Today we read the story Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown.  "This is rollicking, and humorous twist on the classic “first pet” story about a young bear and her favorite pet boy! When Lucy, a young bear, discovers a boy in the woods, she’s absolutely delighted. She brings him home  and begs her mom to let her keep him, even though her mom warns, “Children make terrible pets.” But mom relents, and Lucy gets to name her new pet Squeaker. Through a series of hilarious and surprising scenes, readers can join Lucy and Squeaker on their day of fun and decide for themselves whether or not children really do make terrible pets."



Today's Recording:

Lief drew this on his i-Pad

Morning Meeting 5/11/20

Tomorrow's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @9:00

As kids do different things, throughout the distance learning experience, I ask that they send pictures to me to put on the blog.  Below are a few of today's entries.  Feel free to send anything along via email or text.

Have a great day!

Peace,Tommy

Caden has been receiving boxes of international food that
he can cook.  This was food from France.

Leif's sandwich creation based on the book
Carla's Sandwich

Libby's indoor fort.

May 8th, 2020

Good Morning,
  Happy Friday!  During our Morning Meeting, I asked the students if they were excited that it was Friday.  Most of them responded with a yes.  It was interesting to hear the reasons why.  Some were excited for Mother's Day while others just wanted to be away from their computers over the weekend.

  Today we listened to the story, Carla's Sandwich by Debbie Herman. "This charming story presents a new way for young children to understand how to creatively embrace who they are, no matter what others think. Carla’s lunch box is filled with odd delights like the Olive, Pickle and Green Bean Sandwich, the Banana-Cottage-Cheese Delight, and the unforgettable Chopped Liver, Potato Chips, and Cucumber Combo. To Carla, they are delicious and creative lunches, but her teasing classmates are unconvinced and abandon her at the lunch table to eat her bizarre sandwiches alone. One day, however, tables turn when Buster—the worst tease of all—forgets his lunch on the day of the picnic and Carla thoughtfully offers him her extra sandwich. Her own spirited nature helps Carla teach her classmates that "unusual" can actually be good."  After the story, the students used their creative minds to come up with their own sandwiches.  Scattered across the blog are the entries that were submitted.




Today's Recording:
Morning Meeting 5/8/20
:
Monday's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @ 9:00


FINAL REMINDER
Video Project:  Before the April break, I had asked each child (parents) to find 4 or 5 pictures that capture how your child/family is doing their part to battle the Corona Virus.  This might be family walks, distance learning, reading a book, playing a game, wearing a mask, etc.  I also wanted to have one of the photos be of the student(s) holding a we love WES sign and wearing a school shirt (if you have one).  So far, I have only a handful of entries.  If you want your child to be part of the video project, please upload the pictures in this folder or email them to me and I can do it.  I want this done by Saturday.

That is all for now.  have a great weekend.
Peace,
Mr. Young

May 7, 2020

Good Morning,

Today's Morning Meeting

  I hope everyone is well and find themselves thinking about the weekend.  There are a few things that I want to go over today.  Please read through all of the information in this post.

Know Your Child:
As we navigate this last stretch before school ends, I want to remind you that you know your child's needs.  From time to time, your child may need a break from the screen-time and/or the workload.  If you feel your child is needing a day off, have them take one.  Sometimes a day off will produce a great run of work days after it.  If you are finding your child needs a day off, just email me to let me know. Again, you know your child and I trust your judgment on this.

I record every writing lesson and post them on the blog that day.  If your child misses a writing lesson or needs a break from it, the recording will allow you to go back with your child, listen to the lesson and then work with him/her to complete the prompt.  The prompts (and completion list) can be found here.

Video Project:
Before the April break, I had asked each child (parents) to find 4 or 5 pictures that capture how your child/family is doing their part to battle the Corona Virus.  This might be family walks, distance learning, reading a book, playing a game, wearing a mask, etc.  I also wanted to have one of the photos be of the student(s) holding a we love WES sign and wearing a school shirt (if you have one).  So far, I have only a handful of entries.  If you want your child to be part of the video project, please upload the pictures in this folder or email them to me and I can do it.  I want this done by Saturday.

Today's Recordings:         
Morning Meeting 5/7/20                                             
Writing Lesson 5/7/20

Tomorrow's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @ 9:00
                                                                                    Libby and her family had a ramp and chute idea

Today's read-a-loud was The Squeaky, Creaky Bed by Pat Thomson.  "Once there was a little boy who loved to visit his grandparents. But he couldn’t fall asleep in the squeaky, creaky bed at their house. Grandfather thought a little cat would help. Or a little dog. Maybe a little pig? Soon the bed was very full, but it was still squeaky and creaky. Would the little boy–and all his new friends–ever be able to fall asleep?"


That is all for now.  Have a wonderful day!

Peace,
Tommy

May 6, 2020

Good Morning,
  Today is Wednesday and Wednesdays are typically our library days.  Mr. Mongeon will join us each Wednesday, for morning meeting, and will be the guest reader for our daily read-a-loud.  This morning, Eric read the story Peck, Peck, Peck by Lucy Cousins.  In this story, Little woodpecker has just learned to peck. Yippee! He’s having so much fun that he peck-peck-pecks right through a door and has a go at everything on the other side, from the hat to the mat, the racket to the jacket, the teddy bear to a book called Jane Eyre. Children will be drawn to the young bird’s exuberance at learning a new skill — and ready to snuggle along at day’s end for a night of sweet dreams.  After the story was finished, the students were challenged to draw a picture of something at home that they think the bird might peck.  Below are some things that the kids came up with. 

Today's Recording:
Morning Meeting 5/6/20

Tomorrow's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @9:00
Live Writing Instruction @10:00

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

Peace,
Tommy

May 5th, 2020

Good Morning,

A student works on her writing from outer-space.

  I hope all is well.  Today the kids wrote about their favorite tv show, movie, or video game.  We are focusing on persuasive writing prompts.  These writings should be turned into me when your child finishes them.  I will stay on the call, to help any student, as long as needed.  Reminder, you can see which writings your child has turned in by clicking on this link.

Todays Prompt:  My favorite tv show, movie, or video game is ______________.

Todays Recorded Writing Lesson:  If your child missed the class, they really should watch this video to see how I broke it down (for instruction).  You will need to watch it with them to help them with the steps.

Today's Recordings:

A student drew a picture of what they
would want to do  first if they came back
to school.
i

Morning Meeting
Live Writing Instruction

Tomorrow's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @ 9:00

Today's Read-A-Loud was Bunny's Staycation by Lori Richmond. In this book, Mama's packing for a business trip, and Bunny's NOT happy! But Papa and Bunny's crafty stay-at-home smarts save the day, and the Bunny family escapes on a series of adventures.Mama's suitcase is packed for an important business trip. But it's Mama's turn to read bedtime stories! Bunny does not like Mama leaving one bit. If Bunny can just figure out how to keep her home... or maybe Bunny can go with her! But Papa and Bunny have a better idea. They set off on a grand adventure... in the living room. And kitchen. And bathtub.

That is all for now.  Have a great day.

Peace,
Tommy

May 4, 2020

Good Afternoon,
  I hope you all had a great weekend.  I spent most of it outside as my daughter and I continue to build our outdoor campfire furniture.  The students all talked about their weekends and it sounds like there was a lot of fun all around. 

  Today's read-a-loud was If You Take A Mouse To School by Laura Numeroff.  This is about a mouse and a young boy. They are friends. The boy is going to bring the mouse to school, but the mouse has a lot of requests. Once he asks for one thing, he will need something to go a long with it. There are a series of chain events that take place. If you take a mouse to school, he'll ask for your lunchbox. When you give him your lunchbox, he'll want a sandwich and so on.  I then asked the students to think about the one thing they would like to do if they could come back to school for a day.  They each drew a picture of the one thing they would like to do.  Here are some of the ideas:

 Down below are also two pictures from last Friday's pointillism project.  I wanted to make sure these were published too. 

Today's Recording:
Morning Meeting 5/4/20

Tomorrow's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @9:00
Writing Lesson @10:00

That is all for now.  Have a great evening.

Peace,
Mr. Young

May 1, 2020

Good Morning,
  I hope this finds you all healthy and ready for the weekend.  We had a great Morning Meeting today.  Since Friday is typically and art day for our class, I had them all create a picture using the technique of pointillism.  We watched a quick you tube video on it and then the kids got to work.  Scattered throughout this post are their final pieces (for those who went them to me).  If I get more over the weekend, I will put them on Monday's blog post.

  Today we read a book called The Wicked Big Toddlah by Kevin Hawkes.  In summary, "Absolutely nothing exciting happens in Maine . . . nothing, that is, except for the birth of one giant baby. "That's one wicked big toddlah you got there!" exclaims Uncle Bert . . . and so Toddie is named.Toddie's a baby just like any other . . . sort of. The thing is, he's big—really big. That means really big diapers, really big teeth, really big everything. From new booties that wear out the knitter to a bath in the ocean (it's fun to play with boats!), Toddie goes through all the stages of baby's first year . . . it's just a little different for Toddie.Kids will laugh out loud as they see Toddie get into more and more trouble. . . it's time for giant laughs all around!"

Today's Recordings:
Morning Meeting 5/1/20

Monday's Schedule:
Morning Meeting @9:00

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