Week 10

We had a beautiful, sunny day for ECO this week at Elmore State Park!

As I sit here at the end of our 10th week of the school year I am reflecting on some of the amazing opportunities these students have. This week we participated in a special Farm to School opportunity sponsored by the Vermont Garden Network out of Essex Jct, VT. Garden and Nutrition Manager, Cedar Schiewetz along with their Mobile Classroom Van came on Tuesday for a lesson on Nutrition and Healthy eating (very fitting for the day after Halloween!). The students sampled squash soup and applesauce, played a fun tag game, and engaged in conversations around healthy eating and digestion, as well as the food cycle relationship between plants and animals (humans). Each child selected a seed packet to take home and plant on the spring. We look forward to having Cedar visit again in the Spring!

This week during writer's workshop students worked on editing one of their small moment stories (personal narratives), rewriting it in their neatest handwriting and illustrating in order to "publish it". Reading groups are well underway with all students, and we continue to work on phonics as we learn new spelling rules. This week are main focus was r controlled vowels (ar, or, ir, er, ur). I didn't feel this all the students had enough practice this week on their spelling words, so I gave them the option to have their quiz today or wait until Monday. About half did theirs today. If you child has a list in their folder, they should practice over the weekend so they can be ready for Monday.

In Math we began a unit on Measurement. First graders are measuring and comparing lengths with Non-standard units (paperclips), second graders began with Non-standard units and today began measuring and comparing length using inches. Third graders used inch rulers to measure to the nearest inch, 1/2 inch, 1/4 inch and 3/4 inch.

We continue our science Focus on Biodiversity during ECO this week. Students compared two different forest habitats (one with coniferous trees, and one with deciduous trees) to see how each habitat may support different species of animals as the shelter and food sources differ. During Forest choice students enjoyed jumping in leaves, roasted apples, carved wood, and crafted with cones and materials to make cottage. Additionally, students made two types of "tree tea" which we sampled and compared back in the classroom during lunch.

Students are making observations in their ECO Journals about the forest habitat.

Big News!!!

The BIG NEWS is that on Monday we will be starting a new Positive Behavior Management System (PBIS). Former students from MES are familiar with this concept. Beginning Monday, students will be rewarded for positive behavior by receiving a ticket when they do something positive. Each Monday students will receive 10 tickets just for coming to school! I told them school is work, so they will be rewarded for showing up, just like I get rewarded (paid) for showing up to work. Then throughout the day/week, they will have the opportunity to earn many more tickets for following the rules and expectations. Students who continue to need reminders or or have several timeouts (breaks) without fixing their behavior may have to pay me back a ticket. At the end of the week students can cash in their tickets at a "school store" where they will have several options worth a varied amount of tickets. All students will have to pay 5 tickets for Fun Friday (free choice at the end of the day). Students can decide to spend all their tickets each week or may deposit some in the class bank (jar). When the bank is full the whole class will earn a reward. We will be spending more time explicitly teaching the expected behaviors for every part of our day, and we will continue to remind them of the expectations. The class was really excited about this new system and are looking forward to earning tickets next week! If you notice carnival-type tickets with smiley face coming home, please remind your child to bring them back to school so they can cash them in or deposit them on Friday!

Please email me your school lunch orders for the week.