Archive for 'Jen'
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/marlboro%20k-1%202011/notes%20home%202011-12/spring/May%2011.doc
May 11, 2011
Dear Families,
Rain, rain, rain! I hope you all enjoy the return of the sunshine over the weekend and spend lots of time outside. We didn’t let the rain get to us this week and kept ourselves busy writing in our journals, playing math games, reading Frog and Toad, observing the tadpoles, transplanting plants, venturing out with our scout staffs and making a phonebook for our class. It was also a sad week, as we had to say goodbye to Sapphire who will be finishing the year at Dummerston school. Sapphire and her family recently moved to East Dummerston and making the trek to school and home again each day was becoming too much. We will miss her dearly and sent her off with many appreciations and well wishes. Ask your child these questions to get more information:
- Who was the shining star this week? What were some things s/he shared with us?
- How did Rocket learn to read? Who was his teacher? (youngers)
- What new stealth game did Patrick teach us?
- What was special about George the dog? What happened when he tried to bark?
- How did Frog trick Toad into waking up for spring?
- Who was our Junior High Intern this week?
- What is your favorite story that we have read of Frog and Toad (Spring, The Story, The button, A Swim)
- What are you reading in your reading group? (olders)
Updates and Reminders:
- This Wednesday, May 16th, is an early release. School ends at 11:30 and there is NO MARLBORO VENTURES!
- Friday, May 18th is Hogback Day! The whole school will be participating in activities at the mountain for the whole day. Students should be prepared for the weather and have good walking shoes. Please make sure they have a portable lunch with any necessary utensils. Please make sure they have a water bottle!
- There has been a recent increase in the amount of “potty” talk in the classroom and school. There are times when it is an NBD- the problem is that it often becomes contagious as students resort to it as a way to get a laugh and rise out of their classmates. Please help Patrick and I by reinforcing appropriate language! Thank you.
- No School Monday, May 28th- happy memorial day!
- Wednesday, May 30th is the Spring Concert and Art Show from 6:30-8pm. Artwork from most classes will be on display, please save the date!
Short note this week, be in touch and have a great weekend!
Best,
Jen
Posted: May 11th, 2012 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/marlboro%20k-1%202011/notes%20home%202011-12/spring/May%204.doc
May 4, 2012
Welcome back families!
It has been great fun hearing about vacation adventures and what students spent their time doing away from school. We had a good first week back as we settled back into the classroom and our time together as a group. The week featured a scavenger hunt, math problems involving peppers, working with reading buddies to make posters advertising the May vegetable-of-the-month, kittens, transplanting seeds, making letter stamps out of potatoes, illustrating classroom rules, working in ABC books, salamanders, reading stories, visits from Africa…the list goes on and on! Ask your child some of these questions to get some more information:
- Who was the Junior High intern this week?
- Whose birthday was it this week?
- Where is William from? What animals live where he is from? Do you remember any of their sounds or calls?
- What kind of tree did we cut down to use for a project?
- If I ate five peppers, a combination of orange and red, how many of each could I have eaten?
- Who was the shining star this week? What were some things s/he shared?
- What did we use to make letter stamps with Michelle?
- What do salamanders eat? How did we figure it out?
- Which number is bigger, 9 or 15? How do you know?
- What two animals did we watch playing together? Not what you would expect!
We spent some time this week reminding ourselves of our classroom guidelines and how we want to treat each other and be treated. Students drew pictures to accompany the rules to help us remember what they mean. Having this common language and agreement allows us to quickly check-in and give reminders to get ourselves back on track. Have a conversation with your child about them and what they mean.
- Be Safe
§ with bodies and feelings
§ don’t throw things
§ stay within the boundries
§ Be Kind-
§ listen to each other
§ cooperate
§ use friendly words- say it in a friendly way
§ Be Respectful-
§ use appropriate words (no potty talk!)
§ don’t tease each other
§ stop, means stop!
And don’t forget: Let it Go, Joe!!!
Updates and Reminders:
- For the girls: We have rhythms on Mondays and students are barefoot in the outback. Please no tights with feet (footless is fine!), it is too slippery. Thanks!
- Tuesday- pizza day! Cheese is 2.00/slice, pepperoni and veggie is 2.50/slice.
- Early release Wednesday, May 16th. Students will be dismissed at 11:30. There is no Marlboro Ventures programming on that day.
- What is your child doing this summer (hard to believe it is only 6 weeks away!)? Gail has a put together a sample of summer camps and other programs- if you might be interested be sure to check it out!
- No school Monday, May 28th. Happy Memorial Day!
That is all for now, have a great week!
Jen
Posted: May 11th, 2012 under Jen.
Decorating scout staffs, conducting experiments with water, oil and food coloring, reading stories, building gnome homes, and cooking bread on sticks over a campfire– these are a few of our favorite things!
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/marlboro%20k-1%202011/notes%20home%202011-12/spring/March%2030.doc
March 30, 2012
Dear Families,
It was wonderful to see so many of you at conferences on Monday. Thank you for your part in making the conferences a positive and meaningful experience for your children—I enjoyed hearing their voices talk about themselves, their learning, and what we’ve been up to as a group. I was able to touch base with some of you at the conference, however if there is anything you would like to meet with me about please be in touch.
Michelle Holzapfel visited our classroom on Tuesday to share some of her work as a wood carver. In the afternoon we paid a visit to her workshop and studio and got to watch her in action—it was a great visit! Many of the students are excited about their own carving and it was wonderful to hear from Michelle who took her interest and passion and turned it into an art form and career. Thank you Michelle! We also acquired a new class critter while visiting Michelle—did your child tell you about it? Ask your child these questions to find out more about this week:
- What does the wood frog do in the winter? Does it die? (they aren’t making it up- they really do freeze!)
- What did Michelle carve when we visited her in her workshop? What kinds of animals did we see outside?
- What happens when you out a drop of food coloring into water? What about when you put it in oil? What about when you put a drop in a cup with water and oil?
- What did Michelle make out of a rutabaga when she visited the classroom?
- What kind of animal did you paint in art class with Linda?
- How many frog eggs do you think we have in our classroom? Where did we get them?
- What did we cook over the fire on Friday?
- How did you decorate your scout staff? What did you use?
- What instruments did you see at the concert on Friday afternoon? What kind of music did the band play?
Updates and Reminders:
- Artist Christine Destrempes will be visiting on Tuesday to work with each class on an art installation related to water. The project will be on display at the Learning Fair on April 11th. Check out this website for more information about the artist and her project: http://artforwater.org/projects/row_stream.html
- Tuesday is also pizza and PE day—don’t forget to pack sneakers!
- We read everyday in the classroom for at least 15 minutes during the month of March for the reading challenge, wahoo! Just a reminder that even though the challenge is coming to a close, keep reading! Your children love it and it is crucial to their developing skills as readers and writers.
Have a great weekend!
Jen
P.S. Check the website www.marlboroschool.net and visit Jen’s Room- I post pictures from the classroom!
Posted: April 1st, 2012 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/marlboro%20k-1%202011/notes%20home%202011-12/spring/March%2016.doc
March 16, 2012
Dear Families,
Great to see some of you at All School Sing—what fun! The geese are coming back, song birds are chirping and it’s light past 6pm—wahoo! I hope you (and your cars) are surviving the mud! The class is spending more time outside as the weather allows- playing games, practicing using our scout staffs, eating lunch, and constructing fire pits, are but a few of our outside activities. On nice afternoons we have started offering activities outside as part of choice. We were busy in the classroom this week too, ask your child a few of these questions to get some more information:
- What things did we add to our ABC books this week?
- What kinds of instruments did we play? What does a conductor do?
- What is happening with our science projects? Are there seeds growing in the soil, the sand, or the shells? What about the pots that are in the shade and in the dark? (It is surprising!)
- What happened in the story about Thomas and his snowsuit?
- Some of us read a story about frogs called It’s Mine. What happened in the beginning, middle and end of the story?
- What kinds of instruments did we hear on Friday at the concert?
If you haven’t already, please call Gail in the office to sign up for a time slot for student-led conferences on Monday, March 26th. I am hoping families will be able to sign up for one of the four time slots—9-10am, 11-12pm, 1-2pm, or 3-4pm. If none of these work for you please let me know. Thanks!
Shining Star: Zoey is up next and Warren is on deck! Thanks again to families for taking the time to help your child prepare for their sharing week. It is great fun learning more about them and we are getting much better at asking questions thanks to all the great shares!
Wilderness: If your child has been talking about carving and using knives at school, they aren’t making it up or just being silly. As some of you saw on Friday at all school sing, students are working closely with either Patrick or myself to learn about knife safety and the art of carving. Students are starting by taking the bark off their scout staffs. Safety is really important and students are watched closely to ensure they are focused and taking the task seriously. We are also learning how to make cordage (string out of natural fibers)—it is a challenging task for such small fingers, but students are experiencing some success! Some were also making beads with elderberry sticks- it has a soft pith that can be forced out using a nail or screw and then strung on string. You will have the chance to see some of this in action at Student-Led Conferences next Monday!
Reminders:
- The next Marlboro Ventures session started this week. Please make sure to send in a note if your child has a change in their after-school dismissal plan. Thanks!
- Pizza Day Tuesday!
- Library books on Fridays- mark your calendars! Thanks!
Have a great weekend!
Jen
Posted: March 17th, 2012 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/marlboro%20k-1%202011/notes%20home%202011-12/spring/March%209.doc
March 9, 2012
Dear Families,
This weather is wacky and wonderful! It is hard to believe that our snow day was just a week ago and we are looking at more and more bare ground. There were T-shirts outside at recess and even a few pairs of shorts this week! The warming weather brings a new seasonal challenge to the classroom—mud! Many students came in from recess wet and muddy this week and our spare changes of clothes are dwindling (see attached note if your child needs a replacement change of clothes for school). While we continue to do our best to keep students mostly dry and clean at school, please make sure your child is coming to school with clothes and boots appropriate for outdoor play. We may be closer to rubber boot season than we think (not jinxing anything of course!).
Here are some questions to ask your child about this week in the classroom:
- What were some things students brought in to share this week?
- Why do scientists do experiments?
- How many times should you make the word with letter cubes for “make, break, write the word”? (olders)
- Who is “Love”- our special guest on Wednesday.
- Is Leo Lionni an author, illustrator, or both?
- What kinds of creatures did Swimmy see in the ocean?
- What are some words that rhyme with “we, me, he”? How do you spell them or write them?
- What is cordage? What can you make it out of?
- What activities did you choose at choice time?
* Do you have a change-jar lying around at home? How about some dice? If you do, ask you child to teach you how to play the penny and dime game. Take turns rolling the dice and add that many pennies to your “penny bank.” When there are ten or more, trade in at the bank and get dimes. See how many dimes you can get as a team and practice counting by tens to count your money! (Once they are comfortable working with dimes and counting by tens, introduce nickels as a level two challenge!) Have fun!
Gail has the schedule for student-led conferences which are on Monday, March 26th. Based on my past experiences with this type of conferencing, it is more effective if there are other students in the room leading their conference at the same time. I am hoping families will be able to sign up for one of 4 time slots—9-10am, 11-12pm, 1-2pm, or 3-4pm. Please call Gail to sign up for one of these times. If none of these work for you please let me know. Thanks!
Shining Star: Sapphire did a great job as shining star and the class had a wonderful time learning about her interests and the treasures she brought in to share. We will pick a new student on Monday for the following week! Thanks!
Social Climate: The class spends a lot of time throughout each day and week working on social climate in the classroom and on school grounds. Students are practicing using their words to let friends know when something has hurt their feelings or physical body, we are practicing asking instead of telling, “think twice, be nice,” “let it go Joe”, sharing, and strategies for keeping our cool and staying in the green zone. While some of this work happens with Mr. H, we are also reading stories, doing role plays, and working out problems as a group. However, this is not work that I can do alone—I need your help! Students form friendships based on shared experiences, interests, and developing an understanding of who their friends are. While this happens in the classroom, it is also important for students to have opportunities to interact with one another outside of school. Playdates and playgroups are a great way to facilitate positive friendships. I know life is busy and it can be difficult to schedule and make time for playdates, but they are an important part of developing friendships. Encourage your child to invite friends who they may not know as well, think of an activity you could do together—have fun!!
Thanks so much, have a great weekend!!
Jen
Posted: March 11th, 2012 under Jen.
What we’ve been up to!
From making boats that float to cooking over a campfire to making letters, shapes, and numbers on the geoboard- we are a busy group of friends and learners!
Posted: March 2nd, 2012 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/marlboro%20k-1%202011/notes%20home%202011-12/winter/March%202.doc
March 2, 2012
Dear Families,
Welcome back! I hope you had a great vacation week- I have enjoyed hearing stories from the students—ice fishing, visits to family and friends, Star Wars in 3-D, the list of activities goes on and on! We spent Monday morning working on short books about our vacations and the things we did, as a way to record and share experiences. The school headed out for the last day of Winter Sports on Monday afternoon—next Monday will be our first full Monday together! (How do Monday’s go again??) Patrick and I spilt the group on Tuesday for theme groups in the afternoon. Patrick’s group did some tracking outside and students practiced using their scout staffs. Inside, my group worked together to write a story about a group of dinosaurs and cavemen—we still aren’t sure how it will end but we’ve got a good start! Also this week, kindergartners started working in their ABC books in connection with our letter work and identifying beginning sounds of words. There is a new word wall in the classroom and we are excited to fill it with words we know and words we are learning to use in our writing.
First graders are leading the way and reading up a storm in the classroom. In addition to their reading group, students now participate in word work activities. Each of the first graders are in a different place in terms of their reading ability and what their appropriate level of challenge is. The group is practicing patience as they learn to support each other and develop as readers and writers.
We welcomed back Spongebob and Gary, Zoey’s hermit crabs, who are back in the classroom after vacation. Spongebob and Gary are enjoying hearing about Maggie’s adventures- a hermit crab in the book, Island Eyes. Mostly they like it when Maggie sings! We wonder what will happen next!
It being the start of a new month, I thought I would let you know about a few events that are coming up in the future so you can mark your calendar.
- Monday, March 5th- start of the MARCH READING CHALLENGE! Check Friday Notes and get your read on!
- Tuesday, March 6th- Town Meeting, No School.
- Sunday, March 11th- Daylight Savings! Spring Ahead- don’t come to school too early!
- Monday, March 26th- Student-led conferences. There is no school on this day. Students will come with their parents to share a variety of things they are doing in the classroom. While I will be in the room, students lead these conferences. I will be sending home more information about this in the near future as well as a schedule for you to sign up, so stay tuned but please mark your calendars!
- Wednesday, April 11th, 6:30pm- The Learning Fair. A school-wide event where each classroom showcases and displays projects and other learning. Students will have the opportunity to share what is going on in their classroom and visit other classrooms as well.
Enjoy the snow this weekend, who knows how long it will last!
Best,
Jen
Posted: March 2nd, 2012 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Desktop/February%203.doc
February 3, 2012
Dear Families,
Happy February! I can’t believe it is here already. According to the groundhogs we have six more weeks of winter—maybe there is still a chance to get some good snow for sledding, skiing and other winter activities. We had another fun and busy week in the classroom: students designed and created clay boats that floated, experienced a year in the life of a groundhog, worked together to summarize a story and record it in writing, made letters, shapes and designs on geoboards, and played a few games related to predator/prey outside. We also welcomed two friends into the classroom this week, Spongebob and Gary, Zoey’s hermit crabs! The class has been having a lot of fun observing and getting to know the crabs and we started a chapter book called Island Eyes, all about a shell that is taken over by a hermit crab. When we read on Wednesday we had the crabs with us—ask your child what happened when we started singing! We had another special visitor on Friday—Kashe’s pet bird Stanley, we even got to pet him!
First graders are starting some new routines related to their reading group and word work activities. Dylan and Deacon now have special word work time with me following their reading group, and Isibeal will be starting her independent spelling work this coming week. There is a lot of excitement around letters, reading and writing in the class and I am thrilled to feed their interest.
There is a lot of social learning that happens in the primary grades: how to be a member of a group, what it means to be a friend, learning how to compromise and when to take a stand. These are all important lessons your child is learning each day. Patrick and I are doing our best to support students along this path and helping them to facilitate positive interactions and relationships with individual students, teachers and the larger group. What may seem like a small piece is where students sit in the room and who they sit with. In an effort to minimize the anxiety about who sits where in the classroom and who is next to whom, students now have assigned seats—or what we are calling a home base. These will change periodically and so far they have been well received.
Shining Star: I love learning more about each student during their shining star week! Deacon shared many photographs with us, as well as a cool book about poisonous insects and animals (some members of the class are glad they don’t live in the jungle!). We are looking forward to learning about Wyatt starting on Monday!
Updates and Reminders:
- Please let me know if you did not receive a written report. I sent them home with students on Wednesday, but understand how things can get lost in the shuffle. I am more than happy to get another one to you. Additionally, if you have any questions or concerns about the report or if you would like to set up a time to meet with me, please be in touch. Thanks.
- Winter Sports on Monday—dress warmly and come on snow! Buses leave from school at 3:00pm.
- I have received a few reports from bus drivers about behavior on the bus—especially in the afternoon. I know some students have long rides and it can be tricky if the energy level is already high on the bus. Please remind your student about the importance of listening to the bus driver and the importance of safety on the bus. There is no eating on the bus, students are expected to remain seated with their voices at conversational level. If your child does not get motion sickness it might be a good idea to provide them with a book or a small pad of paper and some drawing materials to help keep them occupied. Thank you!
- I will be out of school on Thursday, February 9th for a full day meeting with other kindergarten and first grade teachers in the district. I have arranged for a substitute and Patrick will be in the class as well.
- We are still looking for spare gloves, mittens and hats—please send them in if you have any!
- While it was not super cold this week, it was really wet. Students often returned from recess wet and muddy (mud in February, what!). If your child comes home in their spare change of clothes please replace the spare set as soon as possible so we are ready for the next wardrobe change.
Happy weekend!
Jen
Posted: February 5th, 2012 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Desktop/January%2027.doc
January 27, 2012
Dear Families,
Two-hour delay twice this week and still no real snow to speak of—that must be some sort of new record. While the winter weather doesn’t seem to be cooperating, we are making the most of it in the classroom. Despite the weather on Monday, cross country skiing happened and the kids who participated had a blast. Thank you to parents who provided rides and chaperoned the skiing. Most of the class when skating and had a great time zooming around the rink at Memorial Park. On Tuesday the class put on their scientist hats and investigated properties of sinking and floating. We read a cool book on Wednesday called Wave, the coolest thing about it is that it tells a story without using any words! Students narrated the story with their own words based on what they saw in the illustrations and then went into a writing workshop time to start working on books of their own. There are quite a few students who are really excited and interested in writing—we have entered a new chapter in the classroom.
There was much excitement Thursday morning as students waited patiently for lunchtime to go outside and cook their food over a fire. Patrick selected a few students to help him start and tend the fire—jobs that will rotate so that each student has a turn. The class did a great job respecting the fire and each other and we even had a little gratitude circle complete with hot coca. Some things students are grateful include: the season, hotdogs, the fire, their friends and school, family, and the fact that it was not freezing cold! It was a great success and Patrick and I are looking forward to doing more wilderness activities in the near future. Check the website for some pictures from the week.
Students met Sammy the Snake this week. Sammy speaks very s-l-o-w-l-y so we can hear the individual sounds that work together to create words. Sammy is but one of the characters who will be introduced over the next few weeks to help with letter work, reading and writing.
Mr. Bear: Isibeal wrote a great journal entry with Mr. Bear over the weekend, and we loved hearing about what they did together! Mr. Bear is spending the weekend with Skylar this weekend and he is very excited to visit with his new friend. I wonder who is next?
Shining Star: Isaac shared many special things this week, including his collection of Where’s Waldo Books and a wonderful picture book called, It’s Okay to be Different. We are looking forward to learning more about Deacon this coming week!
Updates and Reminders:
- Winter Sports on Monday. Buses leave at 3:00 instead of 2:45pm.
- Pizza Day on Tuesday.
- Report cards will be coming home in home-school folders on Wednesday, February 1st. Please keep an eye out for them! If you have any questions or concerns or would like to meet to talk about anything following reports going home, please get in touch with me so we can set up a time. Thanks.
- Have any spare gloves, hats, mittens at home? Maybe a single mitten that has lost it’s match? Our supply of extra winter accessories is dwindling, if you have any you could send in we would appreciate it! Thanks.
Have a great week,
Jen
Posted: January 28th, 2012 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/marlboro%20k-1%202011/notes%20home%202011-12/January%2020.doc
January 20, 2012
Dear Families,
I hope you enjoyed the long weekend, bordering on a mini-vacation! I spent Tuesday and Wednesday at a workshop with teachers focused on writing and how to bring writing into the classroom in a fun and meaningful way. I am bursting with ideas and excited to implement some of them in the classroom—stay tuned!
It was a short week in the classroom but there is still so much to report on—we are a busy group of bees! On Thursday afternoon students learned a new fancy science word, “predictions,” and made their own predictions using objects that rolled and ramps. It was a great time and a great activity for making predictions, ask your child about it! On Friday it was all about literacy with library time, reading buddies and students turned into animals and acted out Eric Carle’s Polar Bear Polar Bear, What do you Hear? We are working on our own animal book and look forward to acting it out soon! Friday afternoon some students chose to get out on the snowshoes again taking Patrick’s dog, Daisy, for a little walk through the woods. Other students decided to stay inside making books and playing math games.
Mr. Bear: goes home with Isibeal this weekend. Thank you Warren for taking care of Mr. Bear over the long break!
Shining Star: We learned a lot about Dylan and look forward to learning about Isaac starting on Monday!!
Updates/Reminders:
- Winter Sports on Monday. Students will have an early lunch and then head out for the afternoon. Please make sure your child has warm clothes and socks and an extra snack. Reminder that buses will be leaving school at 3 (15 minutes later than usual) so kids will be home off the bus a little later! Cross-Country skiing is a go this week!
- Tuesday is Pizza day. 2.00/slice of cheese, 2.50/slice of pepperoni/veggie.
- Reports will be sent home with students on February 1st. The reports give an overview of the year so far along with specific comments regarding your child and their progress. Look for them on February 1st! Thanks.
Have a great weekend!
Posted: January 21st, 2012 under Jen.
Photos from the week!
Posted: January 12th, 2012 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/January%206.doc
January 6, 2012
Dear Families,
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. There was a lot of excitement when we returned to school on Tuesday and I have enjoyed hearing students’ stories of celebrations and adventures over the vacation. With the new year we officially welcome Kasha and Skylar to our class and have enjoyed getting to know them this week. The rest of the students have been great helpers to both students, helping them to learn the classroom routines and ways in which we go about our day. Along with new students, we also have a new teacher in the classroom! Patrick Johnson, who was previously working as a one-on-one in Matt’s 5th grade classroom, has joined our troupe and we are so fortunate to have him! Patrick brings great knowledge of the outdoors to our classroom and has already taught us many fun games related to animals and animal behaviors. Welcome Kashe, Skylar and Patrick!
While I must say that I am really enjoying the full-day kindergarten schedule, I do miss seeing and checking in with families who came to pick up their kids! I hope the shift in schedule is working well for you and your family. Shifting to full-day has made our class more of a unit with greater continuity between our projects and time spent together. It is now possible to continue working on a drawing or building project in the afternoon and we don’t have to rush to fit it all in by lunchtime. The first graders spend less time transitioning from classroom to classroom, yet remain connected to the first and second graders through reading groups and shared lunches. Please let me know if you have any feedback in regards to the shift to a full-day schedule, I would be happy to hear it and answer any questions you might have.
We were back at it this week playing bingo with letters, learning a new matching memory game with numbers, and preparing a treat for animals who are getting ready for winter. Students also had an opportunity to experiment with overlaying different colored tissue paper in connection with Leo Lionni’s book Little Blue Little Yellow. We spent a good bit of time outside on Friday playing games in the woods in the somewhat milder weather and fresh snow.
Mr. Bear: Mr. Bear is excited to have his first visit to Kashe’s house this weekend! We are using the lottery system to determine who Mr. Bear will go home with each weekend. We will pull a name out of hat each Monday/Tuesday to see who is up next—keep your fingers crossed!
Shining Star: Dylan is our next shining star and we look forward to learning more about him starting Monday. Who’s next is also determined by lottery, but I will let you know the week before it is your child’s turn. Stay tuned!
Updates and Reminders:
- Monday is the first day of Winter Sports!!! All cross-country skiers will be going ice skating this week due to the lack of snow—come on snow! Ice skaters and cross-country skiers will be leaving school at 11:45. They will have lunch before they go but it is a good idea to pack an extra snack just in case they need it later! Please be sure your child is appropriately dressed with warm socks, hat, mittens, coat, snow pants, scarf etc. While the skating rink is indoors it is still ice and still chilly!
- Every Tuesday is Pizza Day! Students can order pizza for lunch- $2.00/slice of cheese, $2.50/slice of veggie or pepperoni.
- Students have been doing a great job remembering to bring their home-school folders each day. Thank you for helping them develop this habit and responsibility!
- Please send in a note if your child will be getting home a different way then usual (staying for after school, getting picked up by another adult, riding a different bus, etc). It reduces the number of phone calls Gail has to make and helps me help your child get home safely. Thanks!
-We had a couple of really cold days this week—please make sure your child is ready for the colder weather. Students spend 10-15 minutes outside in the morning before school, 30 minutes at recess, and we often go outside in the afternoon. Hats, mittens/gloves are becoming a must!
- As we enter boot season in earnest it is helpful if your child has a pair of indoor shoes or slippers to wear in the classroom and around the school. If these shoes can stay at school it reduces the amount of things they are lugging around and then we always know where they are, thanks!
- Just a reminder to check out the Marlboro Ventures after school programs—I have heard rave reviews for Jumpstart! Many of the programs are open to kindergartners as well.
Thanks to you all, have a great weekend!
207.266.0807
Posted: January 8th, 2012 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Desktop/december%2016.doc
Dear Families,
The class did a great job in the concert last night—thank you for coming and showing your support and sharing your holiday spirit! We traveled to the college a few times this week to practice, which made for a short week in the classroom. First graders finished their research in preparation for the bird lunch on Tuesday, where the finished quilt will be on display. Thanks to all who have purchased a raffle ticket for the sale—we hope you are the lucky winner!
Next week is the first week of full-day kindergarten, and the first graders and I are very excited to have our friends with us for the whole day. I sent kindergartners home with a dismissal survey for next week. Please send it in by Monday so I know how your kindergartner will be getting home each afternoon. If you have misplaced the survey please just send in a note, thanks! Dismissal time is 2:45.
Shifting to a full-day schedule is not the only shift going on in the classroom. In January the class will be welcoming one, and maybe even two, new kindergartners to the group. Skylar Kuhn will be visiting Monday morning to meet the class and will be starting after the holiday break. An additional change will be that Willow, a first grader in the class, will be shifting over to Judy’s room for the remainder of the year. While we will miss Willow in our room she is not going too far and promises to visit often!
Mr. Bear: Mr. Bear had a great weekend with Deacon and even helped him clean his room! Mr. Bear will be going home with Willow this weekend. He will spend the holidays with his family but will be back to visit you all in the new year!
Shining Star: The class has really enjoyed learning about our first two shining stars- thank you families for helping students select items and pull together their sharing materials! Next week is a short week full of holiday fun so we will not have a new star. We will take it up again in the new year!
Updates and Reminders
- The Bird Lunch Fundraiser is Tuesday—no pizza—please see enclosed lunch form for information. If you and/or your child would like to have the lunch on Tuesday please send in $4.00 along with the lunch form. Students can pre-pay or pay the day of the lunch. Thanks for your support!
- The first and second graders made a beautiful bird quilt that we will be raffling off at the lunch. Tickets are $1.00 a piece, or 6 for $5.00—you could be the lucky winner!
- Students had their last winter-poetry class with Ann this week, and they wrote beautiful poems! Ann is going to be doing some traveling over the holidays and into January, but when she returns we will have a special poetry reading. Stay tuned, you won’t want to miss it!
Have a great weekend, see you Monday!!
Jen
Posted: January 3rd, 2012 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Desktop/December%209.doc
December 9, 2011
Dear Families,
Gail hung the festive snowmen lights in the office—the holidays are upon us! Willow shared her Elf on a Shelf book and holiday tradition and students are counting down the days until the holiday break. The first graders are busy elves putting the finishing touches on the holiday play, decorating boxes for the Deerfield Valley Food Drive, finishing bird research projects AND spreading the word about the upcoming lunch fundraiser—PHEW! Students have had three wonderful poetry sessions with Ann and have written thoughtful poems and odes about objects, animals and people.
In the midst of all the activity we managed to have a fairly normal week of choice, journal, math games and activities, read aloud, quiet time and table time. Kindergartners learned a new game in math, called ‘Grab and Count’ and first graders took on the new challenge of filling in a 100’s chart with many missing numbers.
Mr. Bear: Mr. Bear returned from a fun-filled weekend with Dylan and is off to Deacon’s house this weekend. The class will pull a name out of hat on Monday to see who is next!
Shining Star: Isibeal did a great job as our first shining star this week and students are excited for when it will be their turn! Now that they have seen it done I hope they have a better idea of the various components, but again please let me know if you have questions! Up next is Dillyn!
Updates and Reminders:
- The holiday concert is Thursday, 12/15 at 6:30pm in the Whittemore Theatre, Marlboro College. The snow date for the concert is Monday, 12/19. Our class will be the first performance and then there are a few songs the whole school sings at the end of the concert. If it is necessary for you to leave before the end that is fine, but I am really hoping the whole class will be there to perform our songs at the beginning.
- The first and second graders organize a food drive every year for the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry. There are decorated boxes in the hallway, please send in any canned/non-perishable foods—every bit counts! Thanks
- Please see the announcement about the Bird Lunch Fundraiser in Friday Notes. There is a lunch survey for you to return to school!
- Next week is the last week of half-day kindergarten. I will be sending home a dismissal plan survey as well as a sample weekly schedule early next week. I am really looking forward to having the kindergartners stay full-day!
Thanks so much for all you do, have a great weekend!
Jen
Posted: December 9th, 2011 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/December%202.doc
December 2, 2011
Dear Families,
Happy December—it is amazing how quickly the months are flying by! We had a great week in the classroom and picked up where we left off before Thanksgiving break. Students continued to work on the community map in the classroom, adding signs and working out the placement of their house. Kindergartners played “Roll & Record” in math (an overwhelming favorite!), while first graders took on larger numbers working on groups of ten and place value. Reading abounds in the classroom in read aloud, first grade reading groups, and reading buddies with classes of older students.
In the afternoon the first graders have been practicing the play for the holiday concert- learning lines, songs and dances. I don’t want to give too much away, but it is shaping up to be quite the show! First graders also continue to work on their research projects in the afternoon, which will be on display at the Bird Lunch (see updates and reminders for more information!).
Mr. Bear: Mr. Bear is headed to Dylan’s house this weekend after a great Thanksgiving with Sapphire. Up next is Deacon!
Shining Star: We will have our first week-long shining star on Monday…Isibeal! I have attached the letter you will receive the week before it is your child’s turn to be shining star so you can get an idea of what it entails. Following Isibeal’s week, Dillyn will be our next shining star. Please look over the letter and let me know if you have any questions! Thank you.
Updates and Reminders:
- The holiday concert is Thursday, 12/15 at 6:30pm in the Whittemore Theatre, Marlboro College. The snow date for the concert is Monday, 12/19.
- Kindergartners will start full-day schedule on Monday 12/19—wahooo! Please let me know if you have any questions. I will be sending home a little questionnaire about your child’s dismissal plans (taking the bus, getting picked up, etc).
- We had a great first day of Poetry with Ann today, thank you Leah for coming in to help out! Gretchen will be with us on our Monday sessions, but I am still looking for a parent volunteer for Friday, December 9th, from 10-11:30. Please let me know if you are able to help as soon as possible! Thank you!
- Does anyone have any burlap sacks kicking around their barn that they don’t need anymore?? I am on the hunt for them for a special project I have in mind—let me know if you have any leads. The sacks would be cut so they would really need to be ones that are not needed anymore. Thanks!
- The bird lunch fundraiser put on by the first and second graders has been rescheduled for Tuesday, December 20th. We are hoping to do prep work that morning and are looking for parents who can work with a small group of kids prepping food and helping to set up the classrooms. Let us know if you can help out!
Happy Weekend!
Jen
Posted: December 8th, 2011 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/November%2018.doc
November 18
Dear Families,
Students are really in the swing of things now and are exploring and learning about what a community is and what is to be found in the community of Marlboro. Students constructed their houses this week and looked at maps to determine where each would go—“hey look, we’re neighbors!” The olders were busy starting research reports about the birds they are studying, and they got to dissect owl pellets as part of a special science activity on Wednesday. Projects galore! The room looks a little different in order to accommodate all the projects—and students used their mindful eyes with Gretchen on Monday to find all the changes. Students know the class like the back of their hand, it is tough to get anything past them!
Along with writing research reports and dissecting owl pellets, the olders also learned a few more math games and are beginning to work with the 100’s chart and larger numbers. Both the olders and youngers are exploring graphs and other methods of data collection, and youngers are sorting objects by various attributes (color, shape, size, function, etc). We have also been practicing counting backwards, which can be a tricky task first thing in the morning!
Mr. Bear: Mr. Bear is headed to Sapphire’s house this weekend after many hiking adventures with Warren and his family. Up next is a visit to Dylan’s house! Mr. Bear will be spending the Thanksgiving holiday with his family—once he comes back he will spend the first weekend in December with Deacon!
Upcoming Events and Reminders
- Early release on Wednesday, 11/23/11, at 11:30 (before lunch). K’s will be able to take the bus home. Please send in a note to let me know how your kindergartner will be getting home! Thank you.
- Pizza as usual on Tuesday. Cheese is 2.00 a slice, veggie or pepperoni pizza are 2.50 a slice.
- All first and second graders will be hosting a lunch to raise funds for a sanctuary for Bald Eagles at the Southern Vermont Museum. The lunch will be on Wednesday, December 7th—mark your calendars! More details to come.
- The olders have been making a bird themed quilt with Paula Lavender, and it is beautiful! Some of the students helped stitch the long rows of quilt squares together this week. The quilt will hopefully be on display at the lunch and the lucky winner of the raffle will get to take it home!
- I don’t yet have any volunteers for secret reader—don’t be shy! Thanks.
- The class will have poetry with Ann Gengarelly in December. We are still solidifying the schedule, but I will be looking for a parent to come in and help. Once I have the schedule and times set I will send a note home, thanks!
- Drum roll please… new sharing routine will be revealed to the kiddos this coming week! We will have our first full-week shining star the first week of December.
Happy weekend and happy Thanksgiving!
Jen
Posted: December 2nd, 2011 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/November%2011.doc
November 11, 2011
Dear Families,
11/11/11- Happy Veterans Day and Happy Birthday to Isaac! This week was filled with patterns, ABC books, generosity and kind thoughts with Gretchen, and we started a new theme about community. The class will be examining the Marlboro community to see who and what lives here, including our homes and businesses, nature and special places.
I am sorry to report that Brookelynn is no longer attending Marlboro School as her family moved to Wardsboro. She was a wonderful addition to our class and we will miss her. Her departure came with short notice but the class is planning to make a little something for Brookelynn and send it to her.
The olders have started a research project connected to our bird theme and are either studying bald eagles, owls, or geese migration. All the first and second graders have worked with Paula and have completed their quilt square for the class quilt—they look awesome! Paula is ready to start the next phase and is wondering if any of you have access to medium to large embroidery hoops that we could borrow. If so please let us know! Thanks. The olders are also starting to get ready for the play and we will start practicing next week—school is a busy place with lots of projects going on!
Some of you are familiar with the “race track” chart that I am using with a few students to help them stay on track throughout the different elements of the day. Students have different goals and the race tracks are color coded (green is on track, yellow being “warning” and red is off-track) to help the student and I see the successes and challenges throughout the day. As you might imagine the race tracks have become quite popular and students are requesting them. I will write a note on the racetrack or notify you if a race track is necessary for your child. If one is sent home with no note or explanation it is just because some kids really want one to know what it is all about! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this, thanks!
Mr. Bear: Keep the good times rolling! Mr. Bear goes home with Warren this weekend and next up is Sapphire!
Secret Reader: Secret reader is something I have had on my list of things to implement and I am finally getting to it! Connected to our study of community and getting to know the various people and places of Marlboro I am hoping to develop a new ritual in the classroom where different people from families and the community visit the classroom under the guise of being the secret reader. The class wouldn’t know who was coming and the visitor could share a favorite story, one that is in some way significant to them (shares a hobby, profession, interest, place or community). I know timing is tricky and it is hard to visit school in the middle of the day, but unfortunately between 10:30-11:00 on Fridays seems to be the best time. Once the kindergartners start a full-day schedule there may be more flexibility, stay tuned. If you, a visiting family member, community member or otherwise would be interested in being a secret reader, please let me know!
I wanted to open it up to families first but I will also announce it in Friday Notes and spread the word around the community once it takes off! Thank you!
Questions/Reminders:
- Can you be the secret reader on Friday, November 18th? If so, let me know—and shhhhh!
- Your child has a blank piece of drawing paper in their folders. If they have time this weekend and are interested, have them draw another picture of their house paying attention to the shapes! It’s not homework, just if they want!
- Next week we will begin to construct a model of our houses and other components of our community. Thank you for providing so many different treasures for building—keep sending in those meat trays, egg cartons, bread tags, etc!
- What is a bunny breath? Can you show me?
- What special gift did Gretchen so generously share with the class?
- Can you show me your eleven? (youngers, 10 fingers and a nose/tongue/foot/head)
- What is an ABAB pattern? Can you draw one, make one with objects, body movements? How about an AABB? ABC? ABB? AAB?
- What are you reading or doing in reading groups? (olders)
- What bird are you researching in theme groups? (olders)
- What is “Just Write” time? What are you working on? (olders)
- What activities did you do during choice?
- What is a sundance? Do you remember the movements?
Have a great weekend!
Jen
Posted: November 16th, 2011 under Jen.
SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenod/Documents/November%204.doc
November 4, 2011
Dear Families,
Happy Halloween—phew! We were in full swing with Halloween festivities on Monday and kept things nice and simple on Tuesday for the post-Halloween crash. Thank you to families for keeping candy out of school, I haven’t had to confiscate even one piece! I would also like to extend a big thank you to Celena, Stephanie and Leah for coming in to help with Halloween crafts!
In addition to Halloween crafts and art projects, students had a week full of reading groups, violin, counting and activities with patterns, spanish, art, music, library, choice, writing, building, playing and creating. I was out of school on Wednesday for a district meeting and was thrilled to return to a glowing report from Carol Brookdebok who spent the day in the classroom in my place. The day went smoothly which I attribute to your children feeling comfortable, secure and a part of our class community—we are in the swing of things now and they know how to run the ship!
I appreciate your patience as the school and I have worked to ease the transition to a kindergarten and first grade configuration. I have been experimenting in the classroom and making tweaks to the schedule in an effort to minimize and streamline transitions, meet the needs of the various students and get to know them as learners. In consideration of the students, families, and school and class community the school has decided to extend the kindergarten day to a full day program beginning in January. I hope you have each read the letter from Francie announcing this change and invite your questions and concerns in regards to this decision. I am starting to look closely at the schedule with Judy (the first and second grade teacher) and will share that with you as it evolves.
I was NOT prepared for the sudden appearance of snowsuits and winter gear on Monday morning and students grappling with their arrival as well. It would be really helpful if you could encourage your child to learn to assemble their snow and winter gear independently. Thank you!
Mr. Bear: Mr. Bear is so glad to be visiting his friends and had a great weekend at Dillyn’s house with Dillyn and his brothers. He is going home with Isibeal this weekend and up next is Warren. His journal is really fun to read aloud on Monday mornings, thank you for taking the time to record his adventures!
Updates, Reminders and Questions:
- Thank your for sending in toilet paper rolls, bread tags, bottle caps, meat trays and the like—keep it coming!
- Reminder that every Tuesday is pizza day! 2.00/slice of cheese, 2.50/slice of pepperoni or veggie.
- What holiday did we recognize this week in Spanish? (Dia de los Muertos)
- What happens if you bring a mouse to school? (what do they remember from the read aloud, it didn’t really happen!)
- What is a pattern? Can you draw one, make one?
- What did you do in your reading group this week? (olders)
- Where is the snowball field at recess? How does it work?
- Who is the Mona Lisa? What did you do in art and library connected to the Mona Lisa?
- What did the fantasy area turn into? (hospital)
- What activities did you do at choice this week?
Have a great weekend!
Jen
Posted: November 16th, 2011 under Jen.