Week 34

 

Students enjoyed learning about these fluffy Angora Rabbits during their field trip to the Shelburne Farms. We had another week packed with engaging learning opportunities.  The highlight of our week was definitely the field trip we took to the Shelburne Farms on Tuesday.  While there, students saw several farm animals and learned some interesting facts about them, they hand-milked a dairy cow, they learned about cheese making, and took a story walk through a wooded trail.  This was a culminating event after spending the year learning about dairy farming with the Discover Dairy Program.  A fun time was had by all.  When we returned to the school in the afternoon, students enjoyed ice cream for a treat in clelebration of their latest reading reward! During literacy this week, students worked on writing a closing or conclusion to their persuasive essays or letters and then began editing and revising.  They also began writing memory letters to their classmates.  These memory letters are one of the traditions we hold near and dear, as when 3rd graders graduate from the Elmore School, they will receive a bound book of letters written from every classmate they attended The Elmore School with over the (three) years they were here.   Rather than spelling words this week, students worked on some phonics practice.  First graders worked on compound words and multi syllable words; second graders practiced identifying words with hard g - /g/ and soft g -/j/ sounds and hard c - /k/ and soft c - /s/ sounds; and third graders identified words that have more than one meaning. During math first graders finished their unit adding two double digit numbers (adding within 100).  Second graders are adding within 1,000 with a focus on making extra 10 or 100 (regrouping).  Third graders used multiplications strategies to solve multiplication problems where one factor is over 20 [ex.  28 x 4 can be broken into (20 x 4) + ( 8 x 4)].

At ECO on Thursday our focus was on the order of survival (shelter, water, food).   We played a game where students had to capture the other teams survival medallions (like capture the flag) in the correct order.  There was a lot of team work, strategizing,  exercise, and fun involved.  Our next ECO will be a hike back to the Beaver Pond where we will explore and compare the habitat and macro-invertebrates found in the pond. We will have a picnic lunch before we hike back down the trail.  This will be an extended ECO and we will be out of the classroom for the majority of the day.  Students will need a snack, bag lunch, water, sneakers or hiking shoes.  They may also want sun screen, bug spray, and a hat.

On Friday we overhauled our shed.  Students worked together to empty it out, sweep it, organize the toys and put everything back.  Team work makes the Dream work!

Thank you to Jess Boutin for the Chicken Tenders and berries for hot lunch on Friday with cookies for dessert!  Mrs. Bellavance is planning Spaghetti and meatballs for Hot Lunch next Friday.

Please email  for your school lunch orders for the week.  You can find the menu here.

If you have not already done so, please remember to vote on the School Budget on May 21st!  We appreciate your suuport!

Announcements 

• Library Monday - remember your books
• School Banking is Monday - remember your deposits!
• PE is Tuesday and Wednesday next week 
• Tuesday, May 14th - Field trip to Shelburne Farms
• Tuesday, May 21st - School Budget Vote
• Thursday, May 23rd- ECO - let me know if you would like to Volunteer.
• Friday, May 24th - Memorial Day Observance @ Peoples Academy 10:00 am
• May 27th - No School - Memorial Day
• Thursday, May 30th - Field Trip to the NBNC for E.C.O.
• Tuesday, June 4th - Field Trip to Stowe Performing Arts to see Ada Twist Scientist live production.
• 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

Week 33

We had another engaging week at The Elmore School!  Students have been busy learning about homophones and persuasive writing during literacy.  During reading groups two groups finished the chapter books they have been reading, and students are working on reading fluency and comprehension.  

During Math each grade is making progress with content.  Third graders began applying multiplication strategies to multiply bigger numbers by breaking apart bigger numbers into small numbers so they are more easily applied. Second and first graders and using addition and subtraction strategies to solve problems within 1,000 (2nd gr.) and 100 (1st gr.) respectively.   Students have also been learning about maps and geography.  This week we had a focus on identifying rural, suburban, and urban communities as well as various landforms and water forms.  Students are making connections between types and landforms and the development or land uses that are present.  

On Thursday we had another fun morning at ECO.  This week we had Carrie's co-worker, Ken join us and he led us in a activity called sound mapping.  During this activity students found a quiet sit spot where they listened to the sounds they heard (birds) and recorded them on a sound map in their journals.  We discovered that several different birds species can be found in our forests.  We ended the day with forest choice near the brook where students carved sticks, made boats, and built with sticks.  Thank you to our Volunteers, Ashley Reynolds and Tina Lyon. 

Students sound mapping during ECO.

Thank you to Ray Boutin for the delicious Hot Lunch on Friday.  Next Friday Jess Boutin will be providing Lunch (TBD).  

Please remember to email me you school lunch orders.  You can find the menu here.

We have our field trip to the Shelburne Farms on Tuesday, May 14th.  The bus will leave at 8:30 and will return to the Elmore school around 2:30.  Students should dress comfortably and remember a light jacket or sweatshirt as it may be cool.  We will eat a quick snack when we arrive at the farm and will have lunch before we leave.  Please plan to pack a cold bag lunch unless you ordered a school lunch, and a water bottle.  Students may want sunblock and bug spray as we will be outdoors a good part of the day. Please do NOT send money with your child on Tuesday. I intentionally did not ask for students to bring money as we will not be shopping at the gift shop.  Most items are well over $10 and I thought that was too much for students to spend.

I also want to encourage everyone, once, again, to make sure you get your school budget vote submitted on or before May 21st.  I hope that you will encourage others to vote in favor of the school budget too.  If you have questions about the budget, please attend the informational meeting at MES next week on June 14th at 6:00 pm, or contact a School Board Member or Superintendent, Ryan Heraty.  We need your support to pass the budget on May 21st!

 

Announcements 

• Library is Thursday next week - remember your books
• School Banking is Monday - remember your deposits!
• PE is Wednesday and Friday next week - send sneakers!
• Tuesday, May 14th - Field trip to Shelburne Farms
• Thursday, May 16th- ECO - let me know if you would like to Volunteer.
• Friday, May 24th - Memorial Day Observance @ Peoples Academy 10:00 am
• May 27th - No School - Memorial Day
• Thursday, May 30th - Field Trip to the NBNC for E.C.O.
• Tuesday, June 4th - Field Trip to Stowe Performing Arts to see Ada Twist Scientist live production.
• 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

 

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