Week 38

We had a very active week this week at the Elmore School!  We began the week with a trip to MES to see local Vermont author, Natalie Kinsey Warnock.  She is an amazing story teller and had the kids engaged in the stories she told of her life and those of her family members.  

Wednesday we were back at MES for the long awaited TIGER assembly.  This was an engaging performance of singing, and dancing with a message of caring for others:                                                      Teamwork and Together                                                                                                                                    Inspire others                                                                                                                                                    Give to others and the Golden Rule                                                                                                                  Empathy and compassion                                                                                                                                Respect others 

Thursday, we spent the Day on Elmore Mountain for our last day of ECO.  We hiked to a Beaver Pond and explored the unique ecosystem and the life it supports. After a picnic lunch we hiked back down the trail and then to one of the watershed areas we discovered a couple of weeks ago for Forest Choice by the stream.  In all we hiked almost 5 miles!  

Friday we were back on the bus to Peoples Academy, where we attended the annual Memorial Day Observance.  This is always a beautiful ceremony filled with music, poetry, and moments to remember our fallen soldiers.  Students from across the grades participate in various capacities.  If you have never attended, I encourage you to do so at some point in the future.  

Back in the classroom, students completed their last STAR Math assessment and I administered the Primary Numbers and Operation Assessment (PNOA) to all first graders.  On Friday all students took a spelling Inventory.  This completes the big end of the year assessments for the year!

During the week we began practicing the songs students will be performing at the third grade graduation and family picnic on June 14th, and Friday students made Sun Prints using special photosensitive paper.

The after school program, SMArt Squad concluded this week.  Thank you to everyone who participated in our pilot program.  It is my hope that this may have provided some relief for parents after school a couple of days a week while providing the children with some engaging, enriching activities.

Thank you to Paige Bowen for the delicious Chicken and Rice Casserole, Fruit Salad, and strawberry cookies for Family Hot Lunch this week!  Next week Hot Lunch will be Hamburgers and Hot Dogs provided by the Reynolds' Family.  

Please email me your school Lunch orders.  Please Note that we will have Hot Lunch on Tuesday next week and bag lunches to go (on our field trip) are available for Wednesday or students can bring their own bag lunch from home.

Library will be on Tuesday next week.  Students may still bring books to donate to the book swap if you haven't already done that.  

Students will have PE on Tuesday and Thursday next week (to make up for missing a day this week).  They will need sneakers for outdoors!

Other Announcements:

Please Read

• No School Monday, May 29th to observe Memorial Day

• Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - Field Trip to the ECHO Center in Burlington

• Friday June 2nd - 3rd graders visit MES /  Elmore Kindergarten / new students visit Elmore School @ 1:30 - 3:00

• Wednesday, June 7th -  4th grade production of FROZEN @MES

• Wednesday, June 14th - LAST DAY of SCHOOL - Early releaseWednesday, June 14th - Third Grade Graduation and Family Picnic 5:30 - 7:00 pm. Please fill out the Google Form to RSVP

Week 37

Elmore Students worked with volunteers from Peoples Academy on Friday to spruce up and plant our gardens at the Elmore School 

 Another week is in the books as we quickly approach the end of the school year.  The next few weeks will be full with activities that will take us to our partnering schools MES and PA for an author visit, an assembly (TIGER), the Memorial Day Observance, and to see 4th graders perform Frozen.  Additionally we will be hiking to the Beaver Pond on Elmore Mountain next week during our last ECO of the school year, and to the Echo Center in Burlington on May 31st.  In the classroom we will be finishing up our last science until on the work of water and how it shapes the earth, squeezing in a math unit on the units of money, and finalizing yearly assessments.  

This week third graders completed the VTCAP (Congnia test).  They persevered through four days of testing as well as 2 days of practice prior to testing.  Thank you to all the parents who assured students were at school and ready to focus.  It's a great feeling to have these  test behind os for the year.  Congratulations to all the third graders for their hard work and persistence.   

This week as our last week of spelling for the year.  Students will not have to worry about studying /practicing words next week.  This week our focus was on homophones - words that sound the same but have a different meaning and are spelled different.  There are so many words in the English language like this, which can be very challenging for young learners!

I have completed reading assessments with students (reading levels).  There was so much growth this year, which makes me so proud of the children.  I am also reminded of this analogy: Even though we put all the popcorn in the pot at the same time, the kurnals pops at different times in the pot. Similarly, not everyone learns to read at the same time or the same rate.  Under the right conditions, and given the time needed, all children will "pop".  I love to see when this happens.  I also know that the reading students have done at home this year has contributed greatly to their success, so thank you for setting time aside each day to make that happen.  

The children have been writing reviews this week.  They chose a book, a movie, or a toy for which they wrote review.  This is another type of persuasive writing.  On Friday, some students shared their persuasive writing with the class.  

During math first graders focused on forward and backward counting sequences up to 120.  Second graders persevered in solving two part word problems involving one or two operations.  And third graders began multiplying within 100 using 10 ( 6 x 14 can be converted into (6 x 10) + (6 x 4) = 60 + 24 = 84)

During science this week students discovered why beaches have sand and the role water plays in the process.  

During ECO on Thursday, students enjoyed a brisk but sunny morning.  They played a fun tag game called "Biologist", listened to a story while enjoying their snack around the fire, sang a song, with a focus on gratitude they wrote what they are grateful for a birch bark which we sent down the stream.  Then during forest choice, students roasted marshmallows for s'mores,  used flint and steel to make fire, whittled sticks, and made tree cookie decorations and friendship bracelets.  Some students enjoyed playing camouflage.  This was our last ECO of the school year at the campsite.  Thank you to all the parents who have donated snacks, wood, and volunteered their time this year.  It is because of you that we have such a strong ECO program.  

Friday morning we had six students from Peoples Academy join us for a morning of service work.  Elmore Students worked alongside them to weed, clean out dead plants, plant our gardens, and mulch our flower beds! We are appreciated for their time and all their hard work!  

Friday afternoon we celebrated our PBIS success with Fun Friday, which included music selections, games, and crafts while students shopped at the school store with their tickets.  Then we were rewarded with extra recess and ice cream on the playground!

Thank you to Shawn Smejkal for Hot Lunch on Friday!  Students enjoyed homemade pasta with meat sauce and orange slices!  The weather was perfect for eating outdoors together.

Paige Bowen has signed up for Hot Lunch next week (TBD) 

Please EMAIL me your lunch orders for the week.

Other Announcements:

Please Read

• The last School Banking is Monday - bring your deposits!

• Library is Monday - remember to bring your books and be ready to read your poems!

• PE is Thursday  - Students need their sneakers - they will be outdoors!

• ECO - Thursday, May 25 from 9-2:30.  Let me know if you would like to volunteer. This is an extended time. Students will be hiking and will need a cold bagged lunch.

• Monday May 22nd  - Author Visit (Natalie Kinsley Worlock) @ MES

• Wednesday, May 24th - TIGER Anti-bullying production @ MES

• Friday, May 26th - Memorial Day Observance @ Peoples Academy Bandshell

• No School Monday, May 29th to observe Memorial Day

• Field Trip to the ECHO Center in Burlington - Wednesday, May 31, 2021

• Friday June 2nd - 3rd graders visit MES /  Elmore Kindergarten / new students visit Elmore School

• Wednesday, June 7th -  4th grade production of FROZEN @MES

• Wednesday, June 14th - LAST DAY of SCHOOL - Early releaseWednesday, June 14th - Third Grade Graduation and Family Picnic 5:30 - 7:00 pm. Please fill out the Google Form to RSVP

Week 36

This week flew by in a flash!  I have a feeling that is the way things will go for the following month.  On Monday I spent the day assessing students' reading levels.  I made it through all of second and third grade and just have first grade to go.   Students began writing their memory letters for the graduating third graders (third graders need to write one for every classmate!).  On Tuesday and Wednesday third graders embarked on the VTCAP (know as Cognia), where they took the ELA (English Language Arts) portion of the test.  Thursday we had a wonderful day at ECO where students went on a Elmore watershed quest, and enjoyed forest choice in near the steam on the nature trail.  Students climbed boulders, made boats to send down the stream, explored the flora and fauna, and made fair houses.  Friday we made special gifts for our Moms, we had a Tooth Tutor visit from Ashley Reynolds, and we went to MES to see The Circus in a Suitcase assembly!  Phew!

Students learn more about the importance of caring for their teeth!

As we are ending the school year, as is often the case, we need to be reminded of school expectations.  We spent time this week reviewing our school rules and talking about what that they mean to us.  Because we have been seeing an increase in unfavorable behaviors and overall lack of focus on school expectations, I've spent time revamping our discipline policy.  While we are still using PBIS (Positive behavior Incentive System), we are adding a more comprehensive approach to unfavorable behavior.  If a student is exhibiting behaviors that are disruptive or disrespectful to the teachers, individuals, or the whole group they will be given a warning.  The second time they will be given "Time Away" in the break chair where students may determine when they are ready to rejoin the group (usually a short break), the third time they will be given time away in the break chair and will need to be invited to rejoin the group.  The fourth time, students will be given time away in another space away from the classroom and will need to be invited back.  When this happens you will be given a yellow notice briefly explaining the problem.  These need to be signed and returned to school.  Additionally, for continued minor behaviors or major behavior, students will need to fill our a Think Sheet about the behavior.  These will also go home, and will need to be signed and returned to school the next day.  This is an effort for us to not only communicate better with families, but also a way for us to keep better records.  I wanted to let you know that this is a change in OUR practice and doesn't necessary reflect of a change in your student.  These practices are more consistent with that of the other schools in our district.   If you  have questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. 

On Monday, May 15,  I will be administering the PNOA (Primary Numbers and Operations Assessment) for the final time to the first graders.  These are individual interview style assessments which usually take about 45 minutes each.  It is helpful is students are well rested.

Tuesday, May 16 and Wednesday, May 17, Third graders will take the VTCAP Math tests.  Again, unless your child is a sick, they need to be at school.  Please do not schedule any appointments for Tuesday or Wednesday morning next week.   

Thank you to Deidra Keith you provided a delicious lunch on Friday consisting of chicken thighs and drumsticks, fresh veggies and rice crispie treats for dessert!  

Next Friday, hot lunch will be provided by the Tartaglia / Smejkal Family!  

Please email your lunch orders for the week.

Other Announcements:

• School Banking is Monday - bring your deposits!

• Library is Monday - remember to bring your books!

• PE is Thursday  - Students need their sneakers

• ECO - Thursday, May 18 from 9-12.  Let me know if you would like to volunteer.

• Monday May 22nd  - Author Visit (Natalie Kinsley Worlock) @ MES

• Wednesday, May 24th - TIGER Anti-bullying production @ MES

• Friday, May 26th - Memorial Day Observance @ Peoples Academy Bandshell

• No School Monday, May 29th to observe Memorial Day

• Field Trip to the ECHO Center in Burlington - Wednesday, May 31, 2021

• Friday June 2nd - 3rd graders visit MES /  Elmore Kindergarten / new students visit Elmore School

• Wednesday, June 7th -  4th grade production of FROZEN @MES

• Wednesday, June 14th - LAST DAY of SCHOOL - Early release

• Wednesday, June 14th - Third Grade Graduation and family Picnic 5:30 - 7:00 pm

Week 33

Nature Art created by students during ECO this week.

We were back together this week after what I hope was a wonderful break for all.  Several children shared about their travels while others stayed close to home and enjoyed all that our local area has to offer.  The weather was somewhat cloudy, wet, and cool this week, but we managed to have quite a bit of outdoor time this week including recesses and ECO.  Next week promises to be more seasonable with warmer, sunny weather.

Lego creation

We are now in the home stretch with just 51/2 weeks left in the school year.  The school board met this week and agreed to waive making up the last canceled day before break, so our last day of school will still be June 14.  This will also be the day of our 3rd Grade Graduation and Elmore School Family Picnic.  The next few weeks will be packed with activities as we have several trips to MES for special events planned as well as a field trip to the Echo Leahy Center.  

This week during literacy students wrote persuasive essays, worked on phonemic awareness, and phonics,  spelling words with silent letters.  Younger students spelled words with double consonant letters at the end of words (ss, zz, ff, ll).  I've also begun our last round of reading assessments (F&P's) of the year.  

In Math we all worked on beginning concepts of rounding numbers this week.  In doing so all students worked on renaming tens into ones and hundreds into tens.  Then, third graders began rounding numbers to the nearest ten.  

In science, we embarked on our last unit of the year : "Wonders of Water", which will have a focus on the effects of water on shaping the earth.  This week during ECO, students learned about watersheds.  Then they built models of a watershed (mountains and valleys) and explored how water flows and moves sediment into lower areas.  On the way back to the school, we spent some extra time helping to Green Up. Each student also brought home a green up bag this week which we hope you will use to help green up near your home.

Watershed model created during ECO on Thursday.

Next week third graders embark on The VTCAP testing known as Cognia (formerly SBAC).  They will be testing over two days next week (Tuesday and Wednesday).  Each test will take approximately 60-120 minutes depending on the student.  Parents should assure that students are well rested and at school (unless they are sick).  Please do not schedule appointments during the mornings on Tuesday and Wednesday for the next two weeks.

In your Friday folders, please find a permission slip for upcoming bus trips to MES.  There are four dates on this permission slip.  Please return it to school before Friday, May 12 (our first trip).

Thank you to Heather Hill for the delicious Tacos and "dirt" for dessert for Hot Lunch on Friday.  Next Friday, hot lunch will be brought to us by Deidra Keith (chicken Drumsticks & Thighs and a veggie platter.

Please email you school lunch orders for the week.

Other Announcements:

• School Banking is Monday - bring your deposits!
• Library is Monday - remember to bring your books!
• PE is Thursday  - Students need their sneakers
• ECO - Thursday, May 11 from 9-12.  Let me know if you would like to volunteer.
• Friday, May 12 - Circus and a Suitcase Assembly @ MES
• Monday May 22nd  - Author Visit (Natalie Kinsley Worlock) @ MES
• Wednesday, May 24th - TIGER Anti-bullying production @ MES
• Friday, May 26th - Memorial Day Observance @ Peoples Academy Bandshell
• No School Monday, May 29th to observe Memorial Day
• Field Trip to the ECHO Center in Burlington - Wednesday, May 31, 2021
• Friday June 2nd - 3rd graders visit MES /  Elmore Kindergarten / new students visit Elmore School
• Wednesday, June 7th -  4th grade production of FROZEN @MES
• Wednesday, June 14th - LAST DAY of SCHOOL - Early release
• Wednesday, June 14th - Third Grade Graduation and family Picnic 5:30 - 7:00 pm