December 11, 2016

Happy Holiday Season, Parents,

We hope you have enjoyed the picture posts that give you some insight into the activities of this energetic class.  We do try to integrate physical breaks into our academic blocks to give children a chance to release and recharge for the next subject.(See yoga and nerf fencing posts.)

After our conferences with you and asking students for suggestions on rewards for good behavior, we settled on an extra 10 mins. of P.E.  We keep daily tallies of good behavior and those with a set amount for the week are able to participate.  This is helping those, who are frustrated by some of the negative behaviors, to feel acknowledged for cooperating. Of course, having everyone achieve this reward is the hope. 

This week will have two events of which you should be aware:  a notice went home last Tuesday telling you that we will be celebrating an 1890's Christmas at Billings' Farm from 9:00-1:30 on Thursday, December 15th.  We will be walking from school so no permission slip is required but students need to be dressed to be outside and bring a bag lunch.  On Friday, we will be going as a school to a performance at the Lebanon Operahouse, called Amahl and the Night Visitors.  We will leave by school bus at 9:30 and be returning by 12:30 in time for lunch. For more on this family friendly holiday classic look here: Amahl and the Night Visitors.

The entire class is still reading Green Mountain Hero in guided reading groups.  Many of the children are taking responsibility for their assignments and will bring their books home if they feel they are not prepared for the next meeting.  This shows that they are getting ready for fifth grade!  Our goal is to finish before Christmas and squeeze in individual leveled testing required by the WCSUVisitors.

Our Social Studies unit on Vermont history is taking the shape of 100 acre plots.  Small groups of students are working together to show their understanding of what is necessary for survival in the Vermont "grants" in the 1700's.  Be aware that artifacts from home will be hot glued to the plot so may not return in the same condition as they were brought.

For acknowledgement of the quickly approaching holidays, we would like to make fruit totem poles like we did for our Potluck last year.  Please send chopped fruit or small fruits on Thursday, December 22nd.  We prefer that any gifts you wish to give us be donations to the food shelf or supplies for the class.  There will be no exchange of gifts for the students.  (Look for "Simple Gifts" celebration after the vacation.)

Merry Thoughts,
Cindy and Kelley