We had a great 1st two days of school. I am excited for the year and am energized by the potential of the group. As I mentioned in an earlier email and blog post, I use the Responsive Classroom approach. This approach is wonderful because it allows for a cooperative room to be created, while being specific on how to use tools, how we function, and how we work as a class. The primary goal of Guided Discovery is to generate interest and excitement about classroom resources and help children explore their possible uses. Guided Discovery also provides opportunities to introduce vocabulary, assess children's prior knowledge, and teach responsible use and care of materials. One of the ways we introduced crayons and rulers, was to have each child create a"stained glassed" inspired name card. I want to fill the room with their names, (early on) and with words that they will recognize.
You may have heard your child talking about Mr. Cadwell. Parker Cadwell is a student teacher in our room this year. He will be in our classroom on Tuesdays during the fall semester and full time during the spring semester. His time will wrap up with us with the start of April break.
Here is an introductory blurb from Parker."Hi everyone! I'm Parker Cadwell, and I'll be working with Tommy as a student teacher this year. I am so excited to be learning from Tommy and teaching at Waitsfield School. I was quickly reminded of what a special place it is on our first day of school on Thursday. I had such fun meeting all of your children. A little about me: I grew up in the Valley, and actually attended both Fayston and Waitsfield School, before going on to Harwood. I graduated from Middlebury College in 2018 and am in the St. Michael's College Master of Arts in Teaching program, fulfilling my lifelong passion for education and drive to be a teacher. I will be in Tommy's room observing for one day a week in the fall, and then I will be working with Tommy full time from the New Year until April." Below is a picture of Parker and his family.
We also started handwriting instruction today. Everyone will go through the alphabet again and I will determine what each student needs from their work. If your child needs continued practice, I will keep working with them as we progress through the fall/winter. If your child demonstrates that they have good letter formation, they will be able to move onto keyboarding skills. Once your child demonstrates that they are proficient, they won;t have to go back to handwriting instruction unless their work doesn't represent their ability (meaning, if it is messy and not their best).
Today we read the story, All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold. "This is a warm, welcoming picture book that celebrates diversity and gives encouragement and support to all kids. Follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where students grow and learn from each other's traditions and the whole community gathers to celebrate the Lunar New Year. All Are Welcome lets young children know that no matter what, they have a place, they have a space, they are welcome in their school." If you would like to listen to the story with your child, click on this video.
Notes:
*We will be starting math on Monday next week. The 1st graders will be with me and the 2nd graders will be with Ms. Figdor. During conferences, I mentioned that the 2nd graders would be with Mr. Hubabrd. Due to the size of the class, they are using two teachers to teach the group. Ms. Figdor is our new math interventionist. She was also my daughter's 3rd and 4th grade teacher. Let me say, "she is simply amazing." We are lucky to have her and I promise you will be impressed with her work and commitment to your child's learning.
That is all for now. I hope you all have a great weekend. If you need anything, please reach out.
Peace,
Tommy
August 26, 2021
Good Evening,
We had a great first day of school. It certainly was one of the hotter 1st days that I can remember. The students were great and we made sure to give plenty of water breaks and we took a mask break outside near the garden. It was a bit cooler and shaded. Thank you for making sure your child had a water bottle.
This morning, we were treated to the talented voice of Wanda Sullivan. Wanda is a former Waitsfield graduate and current Harwood student. She traveled around the outside of the building stopping by each classroom to keep the 1st day tradition of live music by a former Waitsfield student.
This afternoon we read the book, The School's First Day of School by, Adam Rex. "It's the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone's just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. The school has a rough start, but as the day goes on, he soon recovers when he sees that he's not the only one going through first-day jitters." If you wish to listen to the story with your child please watch he video below.
To wrap up the day, I introduced the students to Twitter and we talked about what it is used for. We talked about handle names and each child came up with their own. The only requirement is it had to have their first name included. Some got creative and some stuck with just their 1st name. Don't worry though the kids will not be creating actual accounts but rather writing or drawing posts to put on the bulletin board outside our classroom. Check out some of the pictures below.
Notes:
Some of the kids brought home their Ziploc bags today. There was a green folder inside it. These forms are from Susan Laskaris (our new admin assitant) and can be returned in the bag and I will get them to her. Please send the bag back tomorrow. If your child didn't have a bag, it is because another sibling received it for your family.
Please send in a reusable grocery bag if you have not done so.
That is all for now, I hope you have a great evening. I will post more tomorrow.
For those who were able to attend, thank you for attending the conferences last week. For those who couldn't, no worries. I hope you found the video I sent informative enough to describe what we did at conferences. Please don't forget to send a family picture and a picture of your pet(s) or favorite toy. Also, don;t forget your reusable grocery bag. I will collect all of this on the 1st day.
Each year kids add their own leaves to this tree.
The first day of school is always an exciting time and I am sure there are some nerves and lots of questions in your child's mind. The 1st two days will be used to learn names, getting to know each other and to develop an atmosphere that feels "fun" for your child. We are creating a "Twitter" bulletin board where kids will create their own handle and create written tweets about their first few days. I will make sure to send pictures.
The best thing you can do for your child, especially for those who are nervous, is to make sure the following is clear for them:
*Do they need school snack and/or lunch?
*Do they have a water bottle, labeled?
*Do they know their after school plans?
Your child knowing the answers to these three questions will go a long way in easing their minds on the 1st day.
That is all for now. If you haven't subscribed/followed the blog yet, please watch the following video to learn how.
