Week 38

 

It is hard to believe the last full week of the school year is behind us!  This will be the last update of the school year.  We had a great week with Hot lunch in the school yard on Tuesday, and we ended the week with a glorious day hiking Elmore Mountain.  Students worked on finishing their fiction stories and in math we took our last math assessment aimed at showing student proficiency in the High Leverage Concepts ( the basics of what we want every student to walk away knowing end of the school year).  

Tuesday provided us with a beautiful day to eat our Hot Lunch outdoors!  Thank you to the Batchelder's who brought us a feast of BBQ Chicken, mashed potatoes, watermelon, and carrots, topped of with Strawberry rhubarb pie with ice cream for dessert!  What a treat!

Thursday, we were stuck indoors as a steady rain fell throughout the day.  We made the most of it and students helped us reorganize our classroom library!  That was a big job to do and the children worked together showing perseverance, problem solving, and cooperation. 

Friday was our final outing of the year as.  Our big hike to the lookout on Elmore Mountain.  This is the second year we have done this hike and it is a great way for us to end out school year together.  Students were full of excitement as the reached the top and cheered on those that were still coming.  They enjoyed each other's company and had lots of conversations throughout the hike.  When we came off the trail on our descent, one student said "Awww, I wanted to keep talking!"  This speaks to how social these young people are and how important it is to give them opportunities to just be with each other.  I'm so proud of these children and the bond they have with each other, regardless of their grade.  We ended the day at the beach with a lot of carefree splashing and playing in the sand.  Thank you to Ashley Reynolds and Caitlin Mahoney for volunteering their time to hike with us.

Monday is our last full day of school.  We are planning to spend a good chunk of out day outdoors playing games (a field day of sorts).  Please send sunscreen and a hat (if you like), and a water bottle.  

Tuesday is a half day with dismissal at 12:00.  See you at the Elmore State Park Pavillion from 5-7 on Tuesday, June 14th for the 3rd Grade Graduation and Elmore family picnic.  This is a potluck event.  Please bring a prepared dish to share.  We have a lot of salads and desserts, but if anyone would like to provide a main dish to share that would be great (I am not planning on grilling, so these items should already be cooked if needed, unless someone wants to be in charge of grilling).  There are some tables under the pavillion.  These will be reserved for 3rd grade families first.  Please bring a chair or blanket to sit on for additional seating.

Thank you all for making my second year at The Elmore School so special.  I appreciate you all so much and I'm so happy to be part of the Elmore School Family!  Some of you will be moving on to MES, but know that you are always part of the Elmore School Family.  Please stop by and visit and keep in touch.  

Have a Wonderful Summer!

Students created Name Constellation.

 

 

Week 37

A peaceful view from the schoolyard this week.

This is a reflective time of the school year as we look back on all that we have accomplished  and memories we have made together.   This year presented many challenges as we navigated through another year of a pandemic.  Slowly things have become more "normal" again.  This year students were able to have desk partners, we were able to do some field-trips and outings, parents were invited to volunteer again, we were able to bring Friday Hot Lunches back, and masks became optional for students and staff and visitors.  On Friday Elmore 3rd graders visited MES 4th grade classes and Elmore Kindergarteners at MES visited the Elmore School.  It was an exciting and busy day, and a first for me!  It is privilege and a treat to get a sneak peek of next year's class!  The 1st and 2nd graders were great hosts to our guests as they guided them on a classroom scavenger hunt, and shared what makes the Elmore School so special. 

This week I administered the PNOA (Primary Numbers and Operations Assessment) to the 1st graders.  This assessment is given three times during the school year.  It is a lengthy assessment that is given 1-1 in an interview style.  I was proud of their effort and perseverance!   I am finishing up reading assessments and that will mark the end of all of the major assessments for the school year.  Phew!

This week our focus in science was Constellations.  Students have learned that constellations are groupings of stars (88 groups) that make imaginary images.  They learned how stars were used as a means of navigation during ancient times and the stars that are visible in the sky change by the seasons.  We concluded this lesson with a fun art project where students painted a night sky and created a name constellation.  

Friday we enjoyed Chicken Broccoli Pasta Alfredo for Hot lunch with "dirt" for dessert!  Thank you to the Audet's for providing us this delicious meal!  Next week will be our last Hot Lunch of the School year provided by the Batchelder's!  Hot lunch will be TUESDAY  next week.  School lunch will be available on Friday

I am hoping to do one more outing on Friday, June 10th.  Weather permitting, we will hike to the lookout on Elmore Mountain.  We will plan to eat a picnic lunch at the lookout before we hike back down the mountain.   If you would like to join us for this outing, please let me know.   We also have one more reading reward to squeeze in.  Stay tuned for more on this! 

The tree graft has a bud!

Announcements:(Not so many!)

• Our last Library will be Monday.  All books are due back!
• PE Tuesday and Friday - you need your sneakers and extra socks!
• Please send slippers or an extra pair of indoor shoes for students to wear inside.
• Hot Lunch Tuesday,  June 7th will be generously provided by the Batchelder Family
• Email me school lunch orders for Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
• The Last Day of School Tuesday, June 14, 2022
• 3rd Grade Graduation/ Elmore School Family Picnic: Tuesday, June 14, 2022 from 5-7 @ Elmore State Park.   Please return the RSVP by June 7th.

Our Third Graders!