Week 32

 

The sign in our windows that asks for your support!

We had a busy week back after our April Break.  We are in the final stretch of the school year and there is still so much to accomplish!  This week we embarked on our final writing unit - persuasive writing and began our Maps and Geography unit.  We had a ECO on Thursday, and shared our Nature Name projects at our classroom museum after school.  On Friday we planted seeds for our garden.  

During our last writing unit of the year, students will be learning about persuasive writing (a form of opinion writing) where they will learn how to write a compelling argument to persuade someone to think differently or change someones mind about a topic important to them.  We began the process this week with a pre-unit write where students had to think about the what would make the best class pet and try to persuade me to agree.  then students started the writing process by brainstorming their own ideas from which they will choose a topic to write about.  

During Math this week first graders began unit 5 - adding within 100.  Students are are exploring strategies to add ones to a two digit number.  Second graders finished unit 5.  this week their lessons had a focus on comparing and ordering 3 digit numbers using Place Value and using a number line.  Third graders reviewed the area model of multiplication and solved multiplication by breaking the area into smaller parts to solve.  

At ECO on Thursday, our focus was on sound.  Our focus lesson was called Prune a Tune.  Students used hand saws (or clippers) to cut (dead) branches on a tree which made different pitches, depending on the length of the branch, when struck with a stick.  On our way back to the school we took some extra time to Green Up along the way.  Students ended up filling two full bags of trash found along the roadway when all was said and done.  It's great seeing the students being such great stewards of the land.

We held our Nature Name Museum on Thursday afternoon with a great turn out of family members.  Thank you to everyone who was able to attend (and those who weren't but took time on Friday to see their students' work!).  The Students worked hard on their presentations and projects and were so excited to share them with you!

Permission slips went home this week for our next field trip to the Shelburne Farms on May 14th.  Please return these to the school this week.  I can only take 2 Chaperones so if you are interested in chaperoning please indicate so on the permission form.  I will will notify you if you will be a chaperone.  Thanks for understanding!

We will be taking another field trip at the end of the month, on May 30th, to the North Branch Nature Center!  This will be our last ECO of the year and it is a "make - up" day for one of the snow days we missed.  We decided it would be a fun treat to end ECO at the North Branch Nature Center since the campground will be opened by then.

Our last Day of School is officially June 18th, as the state has approved the waiver for the Eclipse day.  We will hold our annual end of year Celebration which includes the  3rd Grade Graduation and Family Picnic that afternoon from from 5:00 - 6:30.  Families will be asked to share a dish for our Pot Luck Picnic.  If the weather looks unfavorable, we will relocate to the Town Hall.  

This brings me to my last point of topic - the future of The Elmore School.  I am sure you have read the articles in the latest issues of the News and Citizen, and you have received notifications from Superintendent/Principal, Ryan Heraty, about the importance of passing the School Budget.  I would like to echo this!  The Elmore School is an amazing school.  It stands with the Elmore Store as a backbones of this community.  For decades the children of Elmore have been able to attend this school in the heart of Elmore, where they have recei⁸ved the highest quality education in a unique setting where grade level is not the most important factor in their education.  At the Elmore School we build a community of learners where the younger students learn with and from the older students, and older students gain skills as  leaders as they act as role models for younger students.  We build strong connections: with family; the community; and each other.  I am convinced there is no other public school like this in Vermont.  We need YOUR voices to keep the doors of this school open for future students.  Please reach out to your neighbors.  Reach out to your friends and coworkers in Morrisville. Tell them about all the great things that are happening at the Elmore School and encourage them to support the school by voting on may 21st!  We need as many YES votes as we can get.  

Students helped to make the sign in our window seen above.

Please email your school lunch orders for the week.  You can find the menu here.  Hot lunch is available on Monday / Wednesday and salads and sandwiches are available Monday - Thursday.

Thank you to Breanna Hart for our Hot Lunch - Baked Ziti, Caesar Salad, and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream for dessert on Friday!  Ray Boutin is on the schedule for our next Family Hot Lunch (TBD) next Friday.

Announcements 

• Library is Monday - remember your books
• School Banking is Monday - remember your deposits!
• Thursday, May 9th- ECO - let me know if you would like to Volunteer.
• May 14th - Field trip to Shelburne Farms
• May 24th - Memorial Day Observance @ Peoples Academy 10:00 am
• May 27th - No School - Memorial Day
• May 30th - Field Trip to the NBNC
• Last day of School - TUESDAY, JUNE 18TH  - early dismissal
• End of year Celebration/3rd grade graduation/ family picnic - Tuesday, June 18th @ The Elmore School from 5:00 - 6:30 pm