Happy Friday Everyone! It was so great to meet with all of you over the last two days. I always enjoy getting to connect and to talk about your child and the progress they have made as well as their new individual goals as we move forward. As always, please let me know if you have any other questions and/or concerns.
This week was such a fun and exciting week. The students have now all completed their first persuasive piece about their favorite toy and are now onto their 2nd and 3rd favorites. We will spend another week or two on this and then start to work in counter opinion pieces. This week students will continue to edit their 1st piece (with an adult) and we will share some of them with the group on Wednesday.
This week's reading focus had a group working on learning the ling vowel spelling and reading of words with the vowel-consonant-e spelling (-vce). The 2nd group has been working on the /ar/ sound as well as starting a new book called Humphrey's Pet Show Panic. This group is working on checking for understanding (comprehension) as they read. They are given a journal prompt question after every 5-8 pages of reading. The 3rd group is continuing their practice of reading all -vce words and has started reading books from the Henry and Mudge series. The final group is working on expanding their vocabulary and higher levels of comprehension check ins while reading the book, EllRay Jakes is Not a Chicken.
Math class had 1st graders working on elapsed time (hours and half hours), counting and graphing pennies, nickels, and dimes, and working with penguin problems that require them to use their knowledge of 10 and some more. The 2nd graders worked on counting all coins and continue to look at quick addition with higher numbers.
Yesterday, the students were treated to the sounds of woodwind instruments from the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble consisted of 3 instrumentalists from the VSO and one confused alien. The students seemed to enjoy the show and it is always great to have the opportunity to expose the kids to a variety of music experiences.
Wednesday marked the end of our Winter Sports Program. It was an incredible day to end on. The mix of friends, sunshine and a snow mountain make for a lot of happy smiles. We are very fortunate to have this program and want to thank the PTA for their support in making this happen. Please take a moment and have your child/family send them a thank you note.
NOTES:
*Boots are still needed everyday or a change of shoes for when they go outside. The reason being, we try to keep a lot for the mud from being tracked across the carpets and throughout the school. If it is above 40 degrees, I allow the kids to just wear a fleece or sweatshirt. If it is below 40 degrees, I will require that they still wear their coat.
*The homework bag situation was FANTASTIC last week. Thank you for making sure your child brings this back each day. Now that the winter program is over, homework bags will come home on Wednesday again,
*I am still looking for a math volunteer on Wednesdays. It is from 8:15-9:30. It was vacated when Sagan left. If you are interested and can volunteer, please let me know. I am also looking for someone during writing times on Wednesdays. This time is from 10:25-11:10.
*As you may, there is a lot of discussion for the future of Public Education in Vermont. The governor's plan will be devastating to both our district and the future of public education in Vermont. I do have a brief summary of the major points if you are interested in reading that (click here for the document) There is a meeting at Harwood with our local legislators on Monday, March 24 @ 6:00 pm. I do hope that you can all attend and come with your questions, concerns, and/or demands. This is a situation where if you want to be heard, you will need to be proactive before you don't have a chance to be heard.
That is all for now. I hope you all have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
I hope this finds all of you well as we wind down the last week of March. It's funny, as a class we talked the old expression March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I even read the book with that title. However, this year it almost seems reversed. Whatever your weekend plans are, I hope you all have safe travels on the road.
Today the Harwood Drama Department came by to present a preview of their play Anything Goes. The full length performance will be presented a few times (at Harwood) over the weekend. As I mentioned last week, we are very fortunate to live in an area where the arts are both cherished and celebrated. 
*Thank you for continuing to send in boots for your child. Gaga ball is a prime choice for recess right now and the Gaga pit can get quite muddy.
