Family Math Night

Please join us on MAY 28 @5:30, for KINDERGARTEN MATH NIGHT

We will be featuring Math Games for parent and child to play together. Do you want to keep your student learning through the summer - come learn some simple ways how to do this using a simple deck of cards, dominoes, and dice!  Please return the sign up if you plan to come!

Visitors

We are coming to an end on our scheduled guest readers.  We have had Dr. Ricca, Royce, and Ms. Lefebvre join us in the last few weeks. The kids have really enjoyed getting to know new faces and sharing the love of books with those in our community.  If you'd like to get in to the classroom in the last few weeks, let me know!  We are always up for visitors and if you'd like to do something special - teach us a song, do an activity, project, etc., we are always up for something new!  Just let me know and we can arrange a good time! 

We celebrated our last official ECO afternoon yesterday with the entire Kindergarten team.  All 80 kinders traveled through 5 different centers planting sunflowers, doing a scavenger hunt and exploring in the forest, getting their face painted, playing cooperative parachute games, and listening to a story around a fire. Thanks to all the parents for your help.  We will definitely return to Harrison over the next few weeks as we continue to take care of our sunflower plants and watch their growth and changes over time.

THE "WISE OWL" IS COMING HOME!

Green Up Vermont celebrated its 45th birthday this year, and a number of our children joined them on the lawn of the State House a few weeks ago to join in the fun.  As a token of their appreciation, Green Up Vermont has generously donated nearly 500 Woodsy the Owl stuffies to UES!   So... "Woodsy"s was distributed today to all K-5 students.  In addition to celebrating Green Up Day's birthday, our classroom has reached their goal of 200 Hoots for excellent hallway behavior! There is lots to celebrate, so when your child comes home with this very Wise Owl, you'll know why
!

Movement breaks

As learning continues and Kindergarteners prepare for first grade, students still need movement breaks integrating throughout the day.  Our bodies need to move, our brains need to stay engaged, and our enthusiasm for school needs to remain high.  Brain breaks are incorporated not only at morning meeting but intertwined throughout the academic day.  Open time for dancing can be a favorite in our classroom! Your children have some stellar moves!

IPADS

UES has just purchased a set of new IPADS, so we have been able to get a few of them into our classroom for students learning.  In technology students are learning how to navigate through a few apps and then having follow up practice in the classroom.  This week, we are integrating them into our math workplaces in the morning.  The app they are using this week is helping them increase their fluency with addition and subtraction facts in a fun and engaging way.  How many ways can they make a number and feed it to a fish?  Students are increasing their speed and automaticy when solving math facts!  

Thanks

THANK YOU to everyone for helping your child make me feel so appreciated last week.  The cards, flowers, chocolate, and jokes were much appreciated!  I am so lucky to be able to spend each day with all your children!

Montshire UPDATE

IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS PERMISSION/LETTER COME HOME WITH YOUR CHILD, PLEASE READ AND RESPOND WITH WHETHER YOUR CHILD CAN ATTEND.  

As a culminating celebration of our learning in Kindergarten, and to extend the wonder in each child, we will be visiting the Montshire Museum of Science on Monday, June 15th. The Montshire Museum is one of the top science museums in the country. It is located just off I-91 at Exit 13 in Norwich, VT.

At the Montshire Museum, students will explore over 125 indoor and outdoor hands on science exhibits - interactive bubble station, butterfly collection, live trout, topological puzzles, colony of ants, and so much more. Students will also have an opportunity (weather dependent) to enjoy the water park and walking trails.

Students will arrive at school at 8:00 and depart to the Montshire Museum on busses at 8:30 am. We will return to school for regular dismissal time. Students should bring their own lunch and will eat on the lawns of the museum. Parent volunteers are needed to accompany children while at the museum in small groups, and will need to purchase their own ticket and ride by car (please do not bring siblings). Student transportation will be provided, however a donation of $3 will help to help pay for each child’s admission.

Please return the confirmation and permission slip below. You will receive more specific information in the upcoming weeks about the trip.

-----------------------------------------------cut along dotted line------------------------------------------------

My child, ___________________________ has permission to attend the Montshire Field Trip.

Please check all that apply:

______ I’ve included a $3 donation for my child’s admission (cash only, please)

______ I’ve included a donation to sponsor another child’s admission

______ I plan to attend and chaperone a small group of children and have included $7 admission fee (cash only, please)

Mrs. Parker, our school social worker was so impressed with how attentive our class was while she visited and read us a story.  We love meeting and visiting with new friends from around the school.  This Friday, Dr. Ricca, will visit and read us his favorite story! 

Crazy Hair Day

Crazy Hair day pictures filled my inbox on Friday while I was out.  I loved seeing all the great creations and  hairstyles.  I was so sorry to have missed this fun day!  This Friday, dress in your favorite color - if you don't have one, try putting every color on your body! Remember, please don't go out and buy anything special.  Paper and markers can always go a long way~ 

Life Cycle of a Chick

Last week, we continued our year long study of life cycles. Over the kindergarten year, students learn about how both animals and plants change over time. We have focused on the life cycle of a variety of things - beginning with butterflies, apples, and pumpkins in the fall, then to seasons, frogs, and now we will be looking closely at the life cycle of a chicken and its cycle from egg to chicken. Last week, students made observations of all the eggs being housed in an incubator in our classroom.  They acted as a scientist, asking questions and making predictions.  We will continue tracking the data and making observations and noticing changes throughout the next few weeks. As they learn about how to best care for the embryo and to help it develop into a chick, they have important jobs - watching the temperature of the incubator, turning the eggs, and making sure other students do not disrupt the growing process. Students are being  careful around the eggs and doing important work, thus acting like a mother hen - caring each day for the chicks!

As we read more nonfiction books about chickens, we are also learning about other oviporous animals. Students are learning the difference between oviporous and viviporous animals and reading and writing about these animals. INQUIRE with your child what the difference is.  As students continue to engage in books to learn, we are beginning to understand and look closely at how fiction and nonfiction books are similar and different, and are thinking and talking about books across this topic.

Students are watching the development of the chick with visuals - and learning what is happening inside of an egg, This is allowing children to have a visualization of the growing embryo - without having to crack open the egg. Below you will also see an observation journal that is being kept next to the incubator to help students record their observations and results each day. Students are using the scientific process as they ask questions, make hypothesis, make observations, and record their results in an ongoing journal. INQUIRE with your child how long the process will take? How are they like a mother hen? What questions does your child have about the life cycle of a chick?

Active Shoes

As the weather gets nicer, we are all inclined to get out our flip flops, sandals, and warm weather shoes.  Please remember to help your child pack walking/running shoes in their backpack as well.  I have no problem allowing sandals to be worn in the classroom (I'm an avid flop wearer myself!) but at any given time, we may need other shoes, especially on PE days.  With the change of season, kids often begin forgetting this so please help your child be prepared with an active pair of shoes each day.

Montshire Field Trip

We will be travelling to Montshire Museum on Monday, June 15th.  More info to come, but for those looking to chaperone, I thought I'd give you the date ahead of time!  It will be an ALL DAY field trip and we welcome any parents to join!

Travel in the community

We will not be having ECO on Thursday, May 7th.  Instead we will be traveling to the state house on Friday to visit the wire dinosaur made by an artist from the Netherlands in celebration of Green Day.  We are currently engrossed in a unit on helping the earth, so we plan to go on a walking trip next week to pick up trash around the community (May 14th).  If you have plastic bottles at home, please send them in with your child so they can fill the dinosaur on Friday.  Here is a link for more info

 http://www.greenupvermont.org/?page_id=1137


Our last formal ECO will be with all the Kindergarten classes.  Volunteers are needed on this day to run a station at Harrison Field.  If you can help out on May 21st, please let me know!

Stuffies and Pajamas!

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Going Green

This past week, students have been learning how to take care of our Earth. Throughout this unit we will be learning about Recycling, Reusing, and Reducing and about our place on earth and the reasons for why we would want to take care of it. We began the week learning about recycling as one way kinders can take care of the earth and that when we recycle it takes away from the trash that gets dumped in the landfill. No kindergartner wanted the landfill to begin overflowing onto the streets of Montpelier, so each one took a focused attempt to recycle and also reuse materials in our classroom this week. We have been amazed at how much we already do to recycle and reusing - however, we continue finding more ways in our goal to take care of the earth! INQUIRE with your child the words to the song, "Everyday is Earth Day."

Throughout the month of April, students have been learning about a variety of measurement tools.  From rulers to measure length, thermometers for temperature, and scales for weight, students have learned that different tools measure different attributes. INQUIRE with your child what they use each day before recess to determine their outdoor clothing!

No snowpants? gloves?  No jackets?  Our class is SOOO excited to welcome warmer weather.  We've been trying to spend more time outdoors soaking in some sunshine (we are seeing an increase of about 30 minutes of our day now that we don't have to dress/undress all our winter gear ;).  Please remember to check the weather for the day and help your child dress appropriate for all conditions.  A reminder - we still go outside on rainy days, so remember those boots and rain jackets!  

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Informational Reading

In the past month or so, students have made a switch from learning how to read to reading to learn.  Students have been noticing details in their books and thinking deeply when finished reading as they ask themselves questions like, "what was this book about?" or "what did this book teach me?" and "what can I teach someone else about this book?"  All these questions have guided our informational book study.  Throughout the unit, students have learned to wonder and raise questions about the topic their book focuses on, how to study pictures and photographs to learn and gather more information, and now are focusing on word-solving skills by learning how to unfold the meaning of new vocabulary.  Although our focus during reader's workshop time is on reading to learn, students are still spending much time reviewing and continuing to grow their reading strategy toolbox to use when decoding and reading connected text.  

Spirit Month

The fifth grade is organizing a school wide spirit week - that begins today, May 1st! Students should have brought home a notice earlier in the week, but in case you missed it - here is the schedule below. Remember, these activities are optional and if you choose to participate in any of the dress up days, use your creativity and imagination!  Please don't go buy anything extra - use what you have and be creative!

Friday, May 1st - Pajama Day

Friday, May 8th- Crazy Hair Day

Friday, May 15th -  Favorite Color Day

Friday, May 29th - 80's OR Sports Day