September 30. 2023

Good Saturday Morning to all of you. I hope everyone had a great week. We just wrapped up our 5th week of school and I could not be more pleased where we are at as a class. As I have mentioned before, I use the first six weeks of school to build a classroom's norms, to build academic expectations, to assess, and to really dive into the social curriculum. This six week approach will culminate with the introduction of classroom parent volunteers. The volunteers will start this week. I will be specifically working with them on their roles and what it looks like in our class.  I know the students are excited to welcome parents in.

This past week we started our first writing unit of the year. The first unit will focus on narratives or "small moment stories." For 1st graders, the students learn to write stories, and to write bit by bit, including details. But the unit also teaches them to participate in a first-grade writing workshop as they learn the habits, conventions, and mindsets of a workshop classroom. For 2nd graders, the students draw on the first-grade notion that stories can be about small, every day, beautifully mundane moments—but now, I'll present a new angle. I’ll nudge students to consider not only times in their lives, but also the feelings they felt, to find moments that matter. We had a great first week of writing and the students are already sharing stories they have created.

The class also created their own book this week.  We had read a book about kindness and kind acts that people can perform. The students were then asked to think about when they are kind.  What would that look like?  Each student answered that question and then illustrated a picture of it. The book will be in our classroom library for kids to read. I am working on a digital version of it to share in next week's blog post. I just need everyone healthy and in school at the same time to record their voices. A big shout out to Libby for designing the cover of the book.

I have finished checking in on everyone's handwriting and letter formation.  We all went through each letter to start the year. For those who have it down, are neat with their writing, and have correct starting points, they will no longer have to practice.  For those who need more, a daily (quick check in) practice will be assigned. For those who have moved on, their daily work will still have to model their best ability in their daily work.

This week's read-a-louds were all about breathing. Our Social Emotional Learning curriculum focuses on students' ability to regulate themselves. One form of this is to use prescribed breathing techniques to settle one's feelings, emotions, and energy. The books all talked about how their breath can help them and different tools to use. I have to say the alligator breathing and race car breathing seemed to be quite popular.

NOTES:

*Please sign up to help with the Ski and Skate sale.  The PTA does so much for our students and this is their only fund raiser of the year. I always enjoy the community feeling around this event. To sign up, please click on this link.

*We will pick up with our erosion unit again this week. Please make sure your children dress appropriately for river exploration on Wednesday.

*Please submit any book orders by the end of this coming week.  I will submit the order at the end of the day on Friday. 

*SNACKS! Several kids are wanting a snack in the afternoon but don't have any extra in their bags. Please try and pack and extra bar or something that can last a few days in their backpacks. You may need to explain what food is for that time.  Some kids will just eat everything at lunch. 

That is all for now.  Have a great weekend.

Peace,

Mr. Young

September 25, 2023

Good Afternoon.  I hope you all had a great weekend.  Here is a quick review of last week.

We continued our study of erosion.  Lucas and I took the kids to the Mad River.  We started by the covered bridge and then walked to a trail that brought us to the shallow part of the river. The students were looking for evidence of items that have been deposited into new spots or of signs of erosion itself. This led the kids to ask more I Wonder or I noticed statements in their science notebooks. 

I hope you all enjoyed the Open House.  I know that the kids were very excited to show you their classroom and all of their work. I love seeing the joy they have about a place they spend so much of their time. 

We spent part of the weak talking about Logical Consequences.  "Logical consequences are a key practice in the Responsive Classroom approach to discipline. A logical consequence is a non-punitive response to misbehavior that allows teachers to set clear limits and students to fix and learn from their mistakes while maintaining their dignity. Depending on the child and the situation, teachers might combine a logical consequence with other strategies, or they might use more than one logical consequence. There are three types of logical consequences."

"Three Types of Logical Consequences

1. “You break it, you fix it”

This type of logical consequence is used in situations when something has been broken or a mess has been made—whether accidentally or intentionally. The consequence is that those responsible for the problem take responsibility for fixing it. Teachers use this type of logical consequence when they see an opportunity for a child to solve a problem he or she has caused.

Examples:
Adam jiggles the table and causes water to spill. The teacher directs Adam to clean it up.

Jana accidentally knocks Pedro down on the playing field. The teacher prompts Jana to help Pedro up, ask if he’s OK, and go with him to get first aid if needed.

2. Loss of Privilege

This type of logical consequence is used when children’s behavior does not meet pre-established expectations. The consequence is that the child loses the privilege of participating in an activity or using materials for a brief time, usually a class period or a day. What’s taken away must be directly related to the misbehavior, and the teacher must make sure that the child truly understands and can live up to expectations. Teachers use this type of logical consequence when children defy, test, or simply forget the rules.

Examples:

Dana insists on using the watercolor brush in a way that damages its bristles. The teacher tells Dana that she cannot use watercolors during choice time until she’s reviewed correct use of the brush and shown the teacher that she knows how to use it without damaging it.

Garth’s class job for the week is line leader, but as he leads the class to lunch, he leans into a classroom to wave hello to a friend. The teacher tells Garth that he has lost the privilege of being line leader for the day and temporarily gives that responsibility to another child. Later, she checks in with Garth to make sure he remembers and understands the expectations for walking in line.

3. Positive Time-Out

This type of logical consequence is used when a teacher believes that a child needs a way to calm down and recover self-control. The consequence is that the child moves to a pre-established place in the classroom, takes time to regroup, and then rejoins the class once he or she has calmed down. Teachers use time-out to keep minor misbehaviors—intentional and accidental—from escalating and becoming disruptive, and to give children opportunities to practice strategies they’ve learned for regaining self-control. Because many children have experienced punitive uses of time-out, it’s important for teachers to explain that “in this class, time-out simply gives us the time and space we all sometimes need to get ourselves in check when we begin to lose our cool.”

Example:
Mark disrupts a math lesson by calling out answers without raising his hand. The teacher sends him to the time-out place. In the minute or two he spends there, Mark calms down using self-calming techniques the class has learned, and then returns to his regular seat.

Goals of Logical Consequences

1. Stop the misbehavior
2. Keep everyone safe
3. Preserve the child’s dignity
4. Get the child back to productive learning as soon as possible
5. Help children see how their behavior their own and their classmates’ learning"

PARENT VOLUNTEERS:

I am extremely thankful for those who are able to volunteer this year.  The classroom volunteer program will start on Monday, October 2nd. Please see the schedule below.

NOTES:

* There will be no science classes this week due to Lucas being out of town.  Your children will not need boots and water apparel on Wednesday.

*Please remember Scholastic Book orders are due soon.

*Homework bags will go home Monday-Thursday of this week.

Have a great week.

Peace,

Mr. Young

September 16, 2023

Well another week is in the books and I have to say it was nice to have a cooler week weather wise. We had a spectacular day hiking Mad River on Friday. The students did a great job with the hike and I loved their energy. It is nice that we live in a community that our school can take some time and take in the beauty that nature provides us.

This past week I talked a lot about the concept of kindness and what that looks like at school and outside of school.  I also talked about why acts of kindness can make such a huge difference and focused on the importance of thinking of others.  I used several read-a-loud books to reinforce the concept of kindness. You can listen to them by clicking on any of the titles listed here; Kindness Makes Me Stronger, Kindness is My Super Power, & Kindness is Cooler.

Your child may have told you about "testing" with Ms. Figdor.  Allison is our interventionist and is helping conduct all of the screenings and assessments that we do at the start of the year. Ms. Figdor was my daughter's 3rd and 4th grade teacher and she is simply amazing. All of her work will allow me to target my teaching to meet each of your child's needs.

Lucas Foley, of Friends of the Mad River, joined our class on Wednesday. as we kicked off our study of erosion.  Lucas started with defining some vocabulary with the kids. He then showed them a presentation that showed how the weather can have the Mad River look very different at times as well as playing a big part of how the river flows. The students then took their science notebooks out to the small brook behind the gazebo. Their job was to draw examples of what they saw as they observed the brook. On Friday, they were able to add more to their observations with colored pencils and crayons.  We will be headed to the Mad River this Wednesday.  Please have your child dress appropriately.

We took advantage of the gazebo and worked on our Hopes and Dreams (goals).  The kids have each identified a goal that they want to work on as we start the school year. They have each illustrated these and they are all hanging up  in our classroom library. The students then used those goals to develop rules that they needed in our classroom that will allow them to achieve these goals.  Our new rules are as follows:

1, Be Focused

2. Be Calm

3. Be Respectful

4. Be Kind

5. Be Your Best

This week we will reviews these, we will start modeling these and introduce Logical Consequences.  I will talk more about these in next week's post.

NOTES:

*Anyone who still wants to sign up to volunteer, please use this link to sign up.  I highlighted the four blocks where there are openings.

*Homework bags will not go home on Fridays. However, many of the students forgot to bring theirs back on Friday. Please check to see if your child has theirs and send it in on Monday.

*We will have picture day on Wednesday.  Our time slot will be around 10:15.  Please do your best to have your child there for the class picture. 

*There will be information on book orders in your child's homework bags on Monday afternoon. Scholastic is a great way to get discounted books.  

We are off to a great start and we are close to being in full swing with all of the academic components. I am looking forward to all of the things we have in store for this coming week.

Peace,

Mr. Young

September 9, 2023

Happy Saturday Everyone!  My schedule is a bit different this year and I have a recess duty on Fridays. I try to get all of my planning for the next week done on Thursday and Friday (during my prep periods and lunch break). With that being said, the blog post will not come over the weekend or on Mondays. I will continue to email you all once a post is done too.  

Last week had a huge science focus. We had a few lessons to learn about what a scientist is, what he/she does, and why scientists know so much. We had a few lessons where kids learned how to record observations and also develop new questions from their observations. Ask them what they learned about termites and drawing circles for them on a piece of paper.  I then introduced the students to science notebooks and explained to them that they will use these to write like scientists all year long.  The students observed flowers and apples and used diagrams, labels, words and colored pencils to record their findings.  They also used magnifying glasses to get different perspectives and to allow for different observations.  We will continue this work this coming week.  

We will be starting our unit on erosion this week.  Lucas Foley, from Friends of the Mad River, will be joining us on Wednesday. We will be heading to the brook (on the North side of the building) or the river (if the conditions are safe for exploration). Libby Babbott-Klein (Zip's Mom) will be joining us on Wednesdays too.  Feel free to come along if you wish.  We will start promptly at 1:05 on Wednesdays.  

Speaking of Parent Volunteers, several of you have already filled in your desired times.  I appreciate those of you who can volunteer in the classroom.  If you would like to sign up, please use this link to do so. The volunteer jobs will start the first full week of October.  

Each day we have a read a loud time between our afternoon special and the start of literacy time.  I find read aloud time a great way to engage the kids in stories that they might not read on their own, stories that have a message, and/or stories that are just fun to read.  This week our read aloud titles were This Book is Perfect by Ron Keres, The Scariest Story You Have Ever Heard by Ron Keres, The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts, and Meisha Makes Friends by Tom Percival. I have linked a video reading of each book in case you want to listen to them with your child.

The students also completed their All About Me Posters and they are hung in the hallway outside our classroom.  This is a great way for people to get to know the students in our classroom. We continue to focus on learning each others names and I am hoping to make a class book for each kid to take home.  This will allow you to know which classmate(s) your child is talking about.

NOTES:

*Please make sure your child dresses for the weather on Wednesday. Rain or mud boots are highly recommended. We will be headed for water in the afternoon.

*I am asking that your child please be in the building by 7:40.  The first 20 minutes of the day is a busy one and has a variety of social components going on. The doors open at 7:25 for shooting for 7:30 would be even better.  I know it may only be the difference of 5-10 minutes but I promise you it is worth it for your child.

*Some kids were a bit hungry in the afternoon last week and had no more snacks in their backpacks.  Please make sure to pack your child extra stuff.

That is all for now.  I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend. If you a re a football fan, I hope you enjoy opening weekend.  I am a huge Pittsburgh Steeler's fan and can't wait to watch the game.

Peace,

Mr. Young

September 2, 2023

 Good Morning to all of you.  I hope your children all had a great 1st week. This is the 1st time in my teaching career (I believe) that the 1st week had 5 full days.  I am sure some if not all of the kids were quite tired by last night. The 1st week is always unique and can offer a variety of feelings.  Kids have to get out of their summer routines and most have to get up much earlier in the morning.  There's the nervousness of joining a new class and/or even being a new student to the school.  There is also the excitement of starting new, seeing old friends and being back into the school routine. As I enter year 28, I have some of the same feelings too.  However, what stands out the most to me is the sense of happiness. Our school is an amazing place. It's a team, it's a family, and in many ways it can feel like "home." The entire staff cares about and wants the best for each of your children.  It's a place that functions so well because of the core belief that we are a team.  We are teachers, custodians, para-educators and families that work together to create an incredible experience for your child.  It is with this in mind that most excites me about kicking off another school year.  I hope it also allows you to feel the same.  Please reach out anytime with questions, concerns or thoughts.

We are off to a great start and this group is coming together rather quickly. This week has been a mix of learning expectations, learning how to use tools, kids learning names, and learning about each other.  The students have been working on posters about themselves and have been presenting their information to each other.  These posters will be hanging up during our Open House in September.  

We have read a variety of picture books this week including The Book With No Pictures, The Day You Begin, School's First Day of School, Our Class is a Family and a handful of other books. I have to say one of my favorite books is The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak.  It's all in the presentation by the reader but kids will absolutely be hysterical by the end of the book.  Check it out with your child.

THE FIRST 20 MINUTES of the DAY

I wanted to review the 1st 20 minutes of each day.  As I said during conferences, it is a chance for kids to come in, connect with me, have breakfast/snack, and connect with their friends.  The doors of the school open at 7:30 and the time goes until our meeting at 7:50.  Students must be in the room by 7:40.  If your child arrives after 7:40 it makes it challenging for them to access this important time. Please do everything you can to have them in school by 7:40.  Obviously things come up and appointments happen,  This is not what I am referring too. 

Each day we do a Morning Meeting at 7:55.  Morning Meetings are powerful because they afford students time to socialize with their peers and give me time to engage students in daily affirmations and social and emotional learning (SEL) activities. Morning Meeting's four components are a greeting, sharing from students, a group activity, and a morning message.  Once we hit October, parents are welcomed to join a morning meeting anytime they wish.  They are always done by 8:15.  You don;t have to let me know if you are joining, just come on in.

The school is very pleased to announce WAITSFIELD SCHOOL CLOTHING is now available for purchase, online. The first order will be processed on Sept 22 and delivered by the end of the month, so place your order now using the link here; this link can also be found on the Waitsfield School website.

VOLUNTEERS: We will have a variety of opportunities for parent volunteers.  Please check out this form and fill out any times that you wish to be involved. It can be weekly, monthly, and even just on special occasions (field trips, etc.) The volunteers for the science unit in erosion (river work) will start in mid September.  The rest of the spots will start the 1st full week in October. I also understand that some would like to volunteer but their job doesn't allow them the flexibility to do this.  I never got to volunteer in my own kid's classrooms. Please don't fret if this is the case for you.

NOTES:

*The book bags will start going home each day starting on Tuesday.  Please talk to your child about establishing a routine to pack them up and putting them in their backpacks before they go to bed each evening.

*As the weather starts to cool, it is helpful to have your child bring a sweatshirt/fleece to wear at school.  We have the windows open as much as we can in the classroom.

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

Peace,

Tommy