Weekly Update

Dear Families,

We are very lucky with the warm, sunny weather we still have here in Vermont.  I hope you had a chance to enjoy it on Wednesday, when we did not have school.  I took the opportunity to do some yard work.  It seems like the weeds are still happily growing, unaware that fall has arrived:)

Our Learning:
Reader's Workshop:  We continued our author study of Mo Willems this week.  While reading and discussing his Pigeon books, the children also learned about some new reading responses to the books we read.  We discussed how good readers actively engage with the books and think about the story.  Reading, really, is thinking.  In other words, reading must make sense.  If it does not, we need to figure out how to help ourselves make sense of what we read.  This week, we discussed what readers can do to keep track of where they are in the text and how re-reading can help us better understand the plot.  Please see some of our reading responses to the pigeon books inside your child's Friday folder.

Writer's Workshop: This week was very busy in our writing classes.  The children finished their science writing about our first 4 Winds class last week.  They learned how labels and clear pictures add to the overall understanding of the writing piece.  We also continued exploring the different types of writing that authors do by writing letters.  The students learned what writing components are part of a letter.  They practiced addressing a specific person, and they were encouraged to tell something about their day, and end the letter by asking a question.  

Science: Our science is in full swing already.  This week, the students went on a Nature Scavenger Hunt with Ms. Benoit's class.  We walked the Allen Brook Discovery Trail by the school.  If you have not walked this trail, we can recommend it.  It is a nice walk and while we were busy acting like scientists and following a nature scavenger hunt, the trail has terrific information about schools that once were located and operating here in Williston.  The students at ABS conducted the research a few years ago.  We will return to explore this trail again, learning about the history of Williston.

Math: First grade mathematicians worked diligently in class all week.  It is a terrific group of children and they love learning about numbers.  This week, we learned about numbers to 20 using the rekenrek and the open number line.  Thanks for helping your child with his/her homework at home.

Upcoming Events and Reminders:
I don't think I mentioned this, but Friday Folders will not necessarily come home every week.  If we do not have anything to take home that week, I will not send home empty folders.

We will start our Vermont Farming unit next week.  The children will rotate through a series of workshops between the teachers on harmony while learning more about Vermont farming.

Parent-teacher conferences are right around the corner.  I sent out a google doc to your school-listed email address so you can sign up for a slot that works for you and your family.  We will begin conferences on Monday, October 5th.  Thank you for signing up!  I am excited to share about your child's day here at school and all about the learning we do together.  I hope you can bring your child along as well.  It is a wonderful opportunity for us all to talk about school together.  Thank you.

Have a great weekend!
Best,
Maria