Friday, March 9th

Good Morning,
  I hope everyone enjoyed at least a portion of the winter break.  We certainly had an easy transition back with a ski day on Wednesday, a delay on Thursday, and then the weekend ahead of us.  Now that the students have had a long break, I hope they are rested and ready to go as we hit a very valuable academic stretch.  Please continue to do everything you can to have your child present as close to 100% as possible. 


  If you have not signed up for a parent conference slot, please do so ASAP.  I am asking that the students also attend the conference as we talk about the goals they have set and review their part in achieving them.  I look forward to seeing all of you during the conference times.  You can register by going to this link. 

  It was certainly nice to have a full day of school today.  The students had math class this morning and then we had reading groups and literacy stations throughout the morning and afternoon.  The class also had art class after lunch today.  Your child does have homework and their Weekly News journal in their homework bags.

Have a great weekend.

Peace,
Tommy

Tuesday, February 13th

Good Afternoon,
  Please watch the following video.  If you are receiving this via email, you will have to go to the blog site to view it.  https://mryoungsclassroom.blogspot.com/



Thanks,
Tommy

February 7, 2018

Good Afternoon,

Winner of Last Week's Estimation

  I need to apologize, this is the 1st post in a couple of weeks.  I am embarrassed that I dropped the ball on this and will get back into the twice a week posting.  The students have been rockstars!  I hope you have noticed the jump in reading ability for every kid and are as proud of them as I am.  It's so rewarding to see the confidence and sense of accomplishment that these young readers exhibit. 

  I hope you found the report cards both informative and useful.  I really enjoyed writing the narratives for each student and hope that each one painted a clear picture of what the 1s, 2s, 3s and 4s really meant.  If you have any questions or want to discuss there further, please let me know. 

  The students have been learning how to write "how to books."  These are books that teaches the reader something  (non-fiction).  They are learning how to plan their story and use drawings/sketches with the pre-writing process.  I find this unit is great because so much of their individual interests and expertise can shine through their writing. 

 Valentine's Day is next Wednesday.  As always, I will allow the kids an opportunity to pass out Valentines.  Here is a list of names:  Caroline, Kai, Anna, Lev, Liv, Steele, Donovan, Sam, Kane, Carley, Noah, Clara

NOTES: 
*Weekly News journals are in your child's homework bag as well as weekend reading homework.
*Below are pictures from last week's science work.

Have a great weekend.
Tommy

Monday, Jnauary 22, 2018

Good Afternoon,

  I am sorry it has been over a week since I last published a post.  I hope you all had a great weekend and got to enjoy the warmer weather.  I spent some of Sunday snowshoeing through the woods with my wife.  It quiet sounds of  the tranquil woods is always something special.  It was nice to be able to just wear a sweatshirt and yet be warm enough. 

It was nice to finally have school on a Monday again.  It seems like it has been a while.  Today we started our new writing unit.  This unit will focus on students learning to write books that inform of us of a specific topic.  We will spend the next 6-8 weeks working on this type of writing.  Each student did have the opportunity to start their own informative piece today.  Ask your child what their focus was.

NOTES:
*At this point the winter sport's program seems to be up int eh air for this week.  We will see what tomorrow's weather brings. 

*Please make sure your child has a pair of shoes to put on when they arrive to school.  Otherwise, their boots get the carpet all wet and ten someone ends up sitting in it.

*A big shout out to all of those who were able to support Ella and her trip to Kenya.  We were able to fill an entire backpack! 

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

January 12, 2018

Good Afternoon,
  I was psyched that the kids got to enjoy their first day of the Waitsfield Winter Sports program this week.  It was certainly a beautiful day and the kids did great.  According to their survey results (the next day in class), they had a great time.  I was also pleased to hear how well they listened to their instructors and volunteers and the respect they demonstrated on the bus. 

  This week the students finished up their final narrative pieces.  These pieces will be scored by a handful of teachers as we use a district wide scoring rubrics to assess their work.  These pieces are a representation of their independent work with minimal to zero input from me.  I also spent the week assessing their spelling abilities and reading as well.  This information will help me populate their report card grades.  Due to some technical glitches and the use of a new electronic data base system for our report cards, the date that they will go home is now January 30th.

NOTES:
*Your child has reading homework this weekend.  Their Weekly News journal is also in their bags.
*Please make sure your child's winter sports apparel and equipment is labeled with their names.

That is all for now. Have a great weekend and be safe on the ice.

Peace,
Tommy

January 2, 2018

Good Morning,
  I hope you all had a wonderful break and are ready to ring in 2018 with health, hope, and optimism.  Tomorrow will mark the start of our school's winter sports program.  It is an extremely well run program and a lot of fun for the kids.  It does take a bit of planning and a lot of organization.  That being said, please take note of the following information and help us continue to run a smooth and stress free sports program.

Here are a few reminders about our program -- please review them especially before this first session of the year. Thank you!

Please make sure everything is labeled (skis, board, poles, boots, goggles etc).

Equipment is brought to the mountain during the morning. equipment needs to be at school by 10 a.m.Please plan to drop gear off at the school no later than 10am. Skis/boards/poles on the wall outside the gym; all other gear into the child's classroom.
Please help your child dress in layers for the day, from warm socks to long underwear. The temperatures and conditions can vary, so thank you for helping your kids be prepared when they leave your house in the morning.
If your child has a ski pass, please be sure he/she has it on winter sports days.
If your child will do something other than returning to the school by bus, please send a note or email to Kathi (korr@wwsu.org) no later than 9 a.m. the morning of the program.
We have a delayed end of school day on winter program days, with busses leaving at approximately 2:45. 1st-6th grade students are back at school, ready for dismissal, at 2:40.

All backpacks/etc will be left at school. The school remains open until 5:30 p.m. Unless picked up at the mountain, equipment is returned to the wall outside the school gym. We ask that it be picked up within 24 hours.

NOTE:

*There will not be homework on ski days.  

Peace,

Tommy

Good Evening,

  We had a great final week of 2017.  Below is a link of each kids geography presentation.  I hope you enjoy them.  Click on your child's name and you can hear their presentations.

Caroline Kai Annamae Lev Liv Steele

Sam Kane Carley Noah Clara

The students also did a great job with their secret pals and had a great time with the pancake breakfast.  Below is a video of them from both events.  I was looking for the appropriate song to go with the pictures of them cooking. I figured how could you go wrong with the Sweedish Chef singing Rapper's Delight.



I hope you all have a wonderful break that allows for traditions, celebrations, and time with family. 

Peace,
Tommy