Week 3

It seems a little strange to title this Blog pst "Week 3". While students have only had 5 or 6 days of inperson school, we are already nearing the end of September and the foliage is not disappointing! Everyday I arrive at school in the morning I feel so blessed to be surrounded by the beauty of the lake and the mountain. We are continually entertained by the ducks who venture across the road on their daily adventures, the geese flying over the lake, and Friday we saw a seaplane land on the lake. In out school yard, the chipmunks and squirrels are busy getting ready for winter. Our classroom routines have become familiar and students are comfortable with our Health and Safety protocols.

Our regular curriculum was put on hold a bit this week while I administered the STAR assessments in math and early literacy or reading. We will have a chance to go over these assessments when we meet for parent teacher conferences on October 16th.

On Monday the Green Cohort celebrated International World Peace Day. We read Todd Parr's book The Peace Book, made Pinwheels for Peace, wrote about peace, while listening to songs about peace. Pinwheels where planted in front of the school yard with the other pinwheels from Friday's group. Students shared what Peace means to them. The Pinwheels are now hanging on a bulletin board in the classroom.

Students enjoyed their first Farm To School (FTS) class with our Farm to School coordinator, Molly Gellar. Molly will be visiting the school one or twice a month to provide lessons for students around growing food and building a healthy relationship with the food we eat. This week Molly read us a book about growing sunflowers, then we went outdoors and harvested sunflower seeds from sunflowers that were gown at the school gardens at MES. Each student decorated a seed envelope which they should have brought home. The seeds can be planted in the spring (or given away to a friend)! Finally, we were treated to a delicious snack with carrots dipped in Sun Butter and Sunflower seeds! Yum!

harvesting Sunflower Seeds

Harvesting Sunflower seeds.

The colors on the mountain have really Popped this week! On Friday we decided it was time to paint the landscape. First, we learned about the standard landscape composition. Students learned that landscapes are composed of three parts (thirds): The background (sky), the midground (in this case, the mountain), and the foreground (lake). We packed up our paints and paintbrushes and set off across the street. The children arranged themselves on the banks of the Lake Elmore where they spent the next forty five minutes painting. I was so impressed by their perseverance and their artistic interpretations! Hopefully, next week we can find time for the Green Cohort to paint, too! (They only have one day next week...)

This week students brought home Writing Journals and a writing prompt calendar. Writing prompts should be written in their journals from now on. There is a letter explaining the expectations for journals. For now, students should submit 3 journal prompts per week (one for each remote day)

Beginning next week, if remote assignments are not completed (to the best of their ability) on remote days, students will be working on them at recess time on their in person days.

Students have been asking when iPads will go home. We are working on our Digital Citizenship lessons. when these are complete and all tech agreements (e-registration) are all completed we will start sending home iPads. At this point, I imagine it will be after next week.

Reminders:

There is No School on Monday, October 28, 2020 (Yom Kippur)

In students green take home folders, please find a permission slip for out field trip to the Elmore Fire Station. We will be visiting the fire station as part of Fire Safety Week. The Green Cohort will be visit the fire station on Monday, October 5th and the Gold Cohort will visit on Friday, October 9th.. Please return permission slips by the end of next week.

Jay Kennedy will be taking School Photos next week:

Green Cohort: Thursday, October 1st @ 2:00

Gold Cohort: Friday, October 2nd @ 8:00 (or at drop off)

Unfortunately, we did not get our photo package envelopes yet. The Green Cohort will not have school until Thursday, so we may not have envelopes for you before then. All students will have their photo taken, so parents should be able to order packages after the pictures are taken. We will figure it out!

There will be no class photo taken this year due to Covid-19 safety restrictions.

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be Thursday, October 15 (afternoon / evening) and Friday, October 16th (all day - not school). These will be remote conferences (either by phone or Google Meet) this year. I will have a sign up sheet available next week. Conferences will take around 30 minutes. We will have a chance to talk about your hopes and Dreams for the year, go over some assessments, and talk about any concerns or questions you may have.

Enjoy this beautiful weekend!