March 30, 2013

Website Suggestion
In math, we have been working with tens frames.  These give children the chance to organize and visualize numbers from 0 - 10.  This is very helpful as they learn to work with these numbers with addition and subtraction.  The children have used an activity on a website from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in the classroom.  Several children have asked if I will share the link with you so they can try it at home.  If you have time and are comfortable with your children using the computer, here is the link.  Enjoy!

Tens Frames Activity

Mud !
Mud season continues on our playground.  Please make sure your children wear boots and snow pants every day.  Thank you!

Literacy This Week
We will be focusing on the sounds of the letters /w/, /y/ and /e/.  We will also talk about the sound made by the letters -ing (as in spring).  This week's sight words will be 'play', 'she' and 'he'.

Baby Food Jars
If you have any small baby food jars (without covers), please send them in.  We would like to use them for a planting project later this week.  Thanks!

Spring School Pictures
School pictures will be taken on Tuesday, April 2.  Kindergarten classes will have pictures taken first thing in the morning.  Photos will be taken of all students.  When the pictures come in, families may choose whether or not to purchase a photo package.  

People of the Week
Every week two people from our classroom are our "People of the Week".  They have a special responsibility each day.  This is a fun way for everyone to get to know one another better.  If you are unable to participate, it is not a problem.  The schedule and responsibilities are listed below.  If I have chosen an inconvenient week, please let me know.

Monday:  Share some family photos.  (If you would prefer to email them to me, that is fine. They can also be prints that we can project using our document camera.)
Tuesday:   Show us a favorite toy.  (It must be non-violent and silent.)  Picture Day.
Wednesday:  Bring in a favorite story.  (A story that can be read in one sitting.  No chapter books please.)
Thursday:  Fill our estimating jar.  (Our estimating jar is a one quart glass jar.  Be creative.  Legos, shells, marshmallows, hair ties, etc.)  Send the items in a bag and we will fill the jar in the classroom.  Your items will be returned to you unless you tell me otherwise.  Please make sure there are fewer than 100 items.  
Friday:  Bring a healthy snack to share with the class.  Please try to avoid red dye as a student is allergic.  

April 1 - April 5:  Alexia and Bryleigh
April 8 - 12:  Isabelle and Devin
April 15 - 19:  Arianna and Gabe
April 22 - 25:  School Vacation Week
April 29 - May 3:  Mrs. Lamphere and Sam
May 6 - 10:  Gavin and Jazmyn
May 13 - 17:  Kaitlyn and Olivia
May 20 - 24:  Lucian and Paige
May 28 - May 31:  Rayne and Matthew and Neveah (No school Monday.  Photos AND toys on Tuesday)
June 3 - 7:  Ms. Kittell and Izabelle

Schedule Change

I have been cleared to change Thursdays from a half day to a full day.  So, I will be teaching on Monday mornings, all day Tuesdays, all day Thursdays and all day Fridays.  Mrs. Eddy will be teaching on Monday afternoons and all day on Wednesdays.  Mrs. Lamphere continues to be in our classroom full time.

Coming Events

Monday, April 1:  Library today.  Please return your library book.  (Mrs. Maurer am/Mrs. Eddy pm)

Tuesday, April 2:  Art today.  (Mrs. Maurer all day)
7:00pm:  The School Board and our superintendent, Dr. Barone, have scheduled a Community Forum on the 2013 - 2014 budget.  It will be held in the library at Milton High School.  This will be an opportunity for community members to give input as to why the FY 14 Budget went down on March 5th and to give in- put/recommendations on how to move forward with another budget vote.

Wednesday, April 3:  PE today.  Please bring sneakers.  (Mrs. Eddy all day)

Thursday, April 4:  Music today.  (Mrs. Maurer all day)

Friday, April 5:  PE today.  Mrs. Savery, our principal, will be in today to see us during science.  (Mrs. Maurer all day)

March 24, 2013

Our Special Friday
The children, Mrs. Lamphere and I had a fun Friday when we celebrated our excellent behavior.  We brought stuffed animals, wore our pajamas, watched "The Love Bug" and ate popcorn.  We also began our newest behavior beehive.  We will be deciding soon what we will earn when we fill our next beehive.

Friday Social Skills Time
We have been working on some social skills challenges in our classroom and have a new strategy for addressing these worries.  On Friday mornings from 10:30 - 11:00 Lorraine Sylvain (Ms. L to the children), one of our behavior interventionists, will be co-teaching with me.  She and I will be working with the girls on using kind words, bossing yourself and not others and being inclusive.  We will also be practicing how to share our feelings with our friends in a positive way.

At the same time, the boys will be outdoors with Mrs. Lamphere and one of our fabulous parent volunteers.  They will work on turn taking and safe ways to play on the playground.  We hope this will help improve how everyone problem solves and gets along.

Boots and Snow pants
Please continue to send boots and snow pants for your children.  The playground will be REALLY muddy this week!

People of the Week
Every week two people from our classroom are our "People of the Week".  They have a special responsibility each day.  This is a fun way for everyone to get to know one another better.  If you are unable to participate, it is not a problem.  The schedule and responsibilities are listed below.  If I have chosen an inconvenient week, please let me know.

Monday:  Share some family photos.  (If you would prefer to email them to me, that is fine. They can also be prints that we can project using our document camera.)
Tuesday:   Show us a favorite toy.  (It must be non-violent and silent.)
Wednesday:  Bring in a favorite story.  (A story that can be read in one sitting.  No chapter books please.)
Thursday:  Fill our estimating jar.  (Our estimating jar is a one quart glass jar.  Be creative.  Legos, shells, marshmallows, hair ties, etc.)  Send the items in a bag and we will fill the jar in the classroom.  Your items will be returned to you unless you tell me otherwise.  Please make sure there are fewer than 100 items.  
Friday:  Bring a healthy snack to share with the class.  Please try to avoid red dye as a student is allergic.  

March 25 - 29:  Aidan and Brianne
April 1 - April 5:  Alexia and Bryleigh
April 8 - 12:  Isabelle and Devin
April 15 - 19:  Arianna and Gabe
April 22 - 25:  School Vacation Week
April 29 - May 3:  Mrs. Lamphere and Sam
May 6 - 10:  Gavin and Jazmyn
May 13 - 17:  Kaitlyn and Olivia
May 20 - 24:  Lucian and Paige
May 28 - May 31:  Rayne and Matthew and Neveah (No school Monday.  Photos AND toys on Tuesday)
June 3 - 7:  Ms. Kittell and Izabelle

Literacy:  We will finish our unit on "Wheels Go Around" this week then we will begin our "Spring is Here!" unit.  We are reviewing the sounds of /d/ and /z/.  We are practicing telling the difference between b, d, p and q.  We are also working with the short i word families (ex. big, rig, fig;  hit, sit, fit).  Sight words include 'for' and 'have'.  

Science:  This week we did some experiments involving two wooden blocks, a dry erase board and a small car.  The children worked with a partner and tried different set ups to see what arrangement would make the car go the furthest.  On the second day, they rebuilt their ideas and sketched them in their Science Notebooks.

Math:  We continue solving problems in our Math Notebooks.  We are also working on understanding the numbers 0 - 20 by using "Tens Frames" to help us visualize fives and tens.  

Coming Events:

Monday, March 25:  Library today.  Please return your library book so you can get a new one.  (Mrs. Maurer AM/Mrs. Eddy PM)
Tuesday, March 26:  Art today. (Mrs. Maurer all day)
Wednesday, March 27:  PE today.  Please wear your sneakers. (Mrs. Eddy all day)
Thursday, March 28:  Assembly today at 1:30 for grades K - 4.  Music today. (Mrs. Maurer AM/Mrs. Eddy PM)
Friday, March 29:  PE today.  Please wear your sneakers. (Mrs. Maurer all day)

Tuesday, April 2:  The School Board and our superintendent, Dr. Barone, have scheduled a Community Forum on the 2013 - 2014 budget.  It will be held in the library at Milton High School.  This will be an opportunity for community members to give input as to why the FY 14 Budget went down on March 5th and to give in- put/recommendations on how to move forward with another budget vote.

March 17, 2013

Happy St. Patrick's Day to All!

Even though my children are older, the leprechauns still come to our house.  The toilet water magically turns green, messages are written on the bathroom mirror in green marker and mischievous messes appear.  Mrs. Eddy and I had some fun this week with St. Patrick's Day activities.  We compared different versions of the folk tale about Finn McCoul, sorted and graphed Lucky Charms, made Mrs. Eddy's mysterious goo, estimated and made rainbows with Fruit Loops, painted shamrocks, brainstormed green items and read some wonderful stories.  

Welcome!
First of all, we are happy to welcome back Mrs. Lamphere.  The children and I were excited to have her return to our classroom.  We are also looking forward to welcoming two new students this week.  We will be spending some time reviewing and teaching our classroom expectations so that everyone is ready to do their best learning.  Twenty-one students is a large kindergarten class and all children must be cooperative so that everyone has a successful experience.

Boots and Snow pants:
Please continue to send your child with boots, snow pants, hats and mittens/gloves every day.  It is supposed to be a chilly week and we want our students to be warm outdoors.  The mud on the playground is freezing up again, but by the end of the day (when we have recess), it gets quite messy.  Please help us keep your children warm and dry.

Words of the Week:  for, have

Wheels:
This week we will be reading some books about things with wheels, building some ramps in science and working with wheels in our math notebooks.

Report Cards
Report Cards will be sent home on Monday, March 18. If you would like to schedule a Parent-Teacher Conference, please click on the link below.  Conferences can be held in person or on the phone.

Click here to sign up for a conference

People of the Week:

March 18 - 22:  Mrs. Eddy and Ella
March 25 - 29:  Aidan and Brianne
April 1 - April 5:  Alexia and Bryleigh
April 8 - 12:  Isabelle and Devin
April 15 - 19:  Arianna and Gabe
April 22 - 25:  School Vacation Week
April 29 - May 3:  Mrs. Lamphere and Sam
May 6 - 10:  Gavin and Jazmyn
May 13 - 17:  Kaitlyn and Olivia
May 20 - 24:  Lucian and Paige
May 28 - May 31:  Rayne and Matthew and Neveah (No school Monday.  Photos AND toys on Tuesday)
June 3 - 7:  Ms. Kittell and Izabelle


Coming Events:

Monday, March 18:  Welcome Izabelle!  Library today.  Please return your library book.  (Mrs. Maurer AM/Mrs. Eddy PM)
Tuesday, March 19:  Art today.  (Mrs. Maurer all day)  Mrs. Savery, our principal, will be observing our class during Writing Workshop.
Wednesday, March 20:  Welcome Nevaeh!  It's the first day of spring.  PE today.  Please bring sneakers.  (Mrs. Eddy all day)
Thursday, March 21:  Music today.  (Mrs. Eddy all day.  Mrs. Maurer's daughter is having her wisdom teeth removed.)
Friday, March 22:  PE today.  Please bring sneakers.  (Mrs. Maurer all day.)

Book Fair:  March 25 - 29
Spring Picture Day:  April 2 or 3
Kindergarten Parent Night for INCOMING Kindergarten Students (April 10):  Please share this date with any friends or family who might have kindergarten aged children entering our school in the fall.
Kindergarten Screening Days for INCOMING Kindergarten Students: April 17 and 18.  Mrs. Eddy will be in the classroom while Mrs. Maurer is screening next year's kindergarten students.
April School Vacation:  Monday, April 22 - Friday, April 26

March 10, 2013

Mud Season!
PLEASE make sure your child has boots, snowpants, mittens/gloves, a jacket and a hat every day.  The weather is a little warmer but our playground is a muddy mess.  Children must be dressed in their winter clothes so they will stay dry.  Your support is appreciated.

Raz-Kids
Has your child mentioned Raz-Kids?  This is an online reading program where children can listen to and read stories that are at their individual reading level.  I introduced the program to the class this week and all of the children have tried it twice.  If you would like to access Raz-Kids at home, I have included the information below.   To listen to a story, they will click on the ear.  After they have listened to it, there will be a green check mark under the ear.  If they click on the eye, they can practice reading aloud without hearing the story.   It would be ideal if the children could practice reading stories they have already listened to.  Once you log in, your child will see the screen that they are used to from our classroom.

This is an optional home activity.  If you do not have internet access or you would prefer that your child not spend time on the computer, please do not feel that this is a "must do".

www.raz-kids.com/main/Login

When the screen asks you for the "Teacher Username", enter:  bmaurerc

Staffing Change
Mr. Sedlack has been reassigned to Milton High School.  This is lucky for Milton High School and a good match for Mr. Sedlack's skills as a licensed secondary social studies teacher.  Our class, however, will miss him.  Luckily for us, Mrs. Lamphere will be returning to our classroom on Thursday.  I have been assured that she will remain with us for the rest of the school year and that there will be no further changes.  A guest teacher will be working with me until Mrs. Lamphere returns on Thursday.

Parent Teacher Conferences
It is time to schedule spring conferences.  Most will be held March 19 - 21.  If you are interested in having a conference, they can be held in person or by telephone.  Please click on the link below to sign up for a date and time.  If I have already contacted you regarding scheduling a conference at an alternate time, please do not sign up on this schedule.

Spring Conference Sign Up 

Beehive Update
Our class beehive is almost filled up with the initials of students in our classroom who have been "caught" making good behavior choices.  Once we get to 100 hexagons, we will schedule our "Wear Pajamas-Bring a Stuffed Animal-Eat Popcorn and Watch a Movie-Day".  We were at about 88 hexagons on Friday, so we are almost there!

People of the Week
Every week two people from our classroom will be our "People of the Week".  They will have a special responsibility each day.  This is a fun way for everyone to get to know one another better.  If you are unable to participate, it is not a problem.  The schedule and responsibilities are listed below.  If I have chosen an inconvenient week, please let me know.

Monday:  Share some family photos.  (If you would prefer to email them to me, that is fine. They can also be prints that we can project using our document camera.)
Tuesday:   Show us a favorite toy.  (It must be non-violent and silent.)
Wednesday:  Bring in a favorite story.  (A story that can be read in one sitting.  No chapter books please.)
Thursday:  Fill our estimating jar.  (Our estimating jar is a one quart glass jar.  Be creative.  Legos, shells, marshmallows, hair ties, etc.)  Your items will be returned to you unless you tell me otherwise.
Friday:  Bring a healthy snack to share with the class.  Please try to avoid red dye as a student is allergic.  

March 11 - 15:  Mrs. Maurer and Mark
March 18 - 22:  Mrs. Eddy and Ella
March 25 - 29:  Aidan and Brianne
April 1 - April 5:  Alexia and Bryleigh
April 8 - 12:  Isabelle and Devin
April 15 - 19:  Arianna and Gabe
April 22 - 25:  School Vacation Week
April 29 - May 3:  Mrs. Lamphere and Sam
May 6 - 10:  Gavin and Jazmyn
May 13 - 17:  Kaitlyn and Olivia
May 20 - 24:  Lucian and Paige
May 28 - May 31:  Rayne and Matthew (No school Monday.  Photos AND toys on Tuesday)
June 3 - 7:  Ms. Kittell

Coming Events:

Bring snowpants and boots every day!!!

Monday, March 11:  Library today.  Please return your book.  (Mrs. Maurer am/Mrs. Eddy pm)

Tuesday, March 12:  Art today.  (Mrs. Maurer all day)

Wednesday, March 13:  PE today.  Please bring your sneakers and a water bottle, if desired.  (Mrs. Eddy all day)

Thursday, March 14:  Music today. Welcome back, Mrs. Lamphere!  (Mrs. Maurer am/Mrs. Eddy pm)

Friday, March 15:  PE today.  Please bring your sneakers and a water bottle, if desired.  (Mrs. Maurer all day)

Next Week:

Thursday, March 21:  Mrs. Eddy will be in all day as Mrs. Maurer's daughter is having her wisdom teeth removed.

February 10, 2013

The 100th Day of School:  Thank you for your generous contributions to our 100th Day Trail Mix.  The children had a fantastic time sorting their bags of trail mix and counting each item.  It was a great math activity.  We also enjoyed seeing the 100th Day projects our friends in other classes created.  We tried talking for 100 seconds, clapping our hands for 100 seconds and laying down and being quiet for 100 seconds.  Okay, I confess.  I let the last one go for a little longer than 100 seconds.  :)

Valentine's Day:  If you would like to contribute fruit to our "brunch", please click on our sign up sheet.
Valentine Brunch Sign Up

Cards can be brought to school on Thursday, February 14.  Please include everyone in our class if you choose to send in cards.

Guest Teachers:  Ms. Leanne Lapierre has been covering in our classroom in the afternoon for the last few days.  Ms Lapierre is a licensed teacher and has been a long term substitute in a first grade classroom at MES.  She will continue to be in our classroom most Tuesday and Friday afternoons.  I am excited to share that Mrs. Stephanie Eddy has recovered from her medical situation.  Starting next week, she will be returning to our classroom three days each week.  Mrs. Eddy will be in the classroom Monday afternoons, all day Wednesday and on Thursday afternoons.  If there is a day when neither Mrs. Eddy nor Ms. Lapierre are available, Mrs. Harding or Mrs. Lamphere will be in the classroom.  This schedule will create continuity while I remain on a reduced work schedule.

Parent Teacher Conferences:
KINDERGARTEN CONFERENCES WILL NOT BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MARCH 5.
In order to have our conferences include as much current information as possible, we will wait for our conferences.  Report cards will be sent home on March 18.  Conference times will be available that week.  I will post an electronic sign up once the days and times are finalized.

Coming Events:

Monday, February 11:  The 100th Day of School!  Library today.  Please return your book.
Tuesday, February 12:  Art today. (Ms. Lapierre pm)
Wednesday, February 13:  PE today.  Please bring sneakers. (Ms. Lapierre)
Thursday, February 14:  Valentine's Day.  If you wish to bring cards, please bring them today for ALL of the children in our class.  If you are donating items for our "brunch", please have your contribution at school by 8:45 am.  Thank you!   Music today. (Ms. Lapierre pm)
Friday, February 15:  PE today.  Please bring sneakers. (Ms. Lapierre)

Monday, February 18:  All kindergarten teachers will be in an all day meeting.  Library today.  Please return your book. (Mrs. Eddy)
Tuesday, February 19:  Art today. (Ms. Lapierre pm)
Wednesday, February 20:  PE today.  Please bring sneakers.  (Mrs. Eddy)
Thursday, February 21:  Music today. (Mrs. Eddy pm)
Friday, February 22:  PE today.  Please bring sneakers. (Ms. Lapierre)

School Vacation:  Saturday, February 23 - Tuesday, March 5.  We will see you on Wednesday, March 6!

February 3, 2013

Thank you to all of the parents who joined us at the Flynn Theater to see "Skippyjon Jones".  We appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedules.  There will be one more opportunity to join us on a field trip when we go to the Shelburne Museum in the spring.

Sight Words:  Our word of the week was 'here'.  The words we have focused on so far are:

a     an    and      are     at      can      go      here    I     is     it     like     me     my     no     see  

the      to       we  

Sounds:  Our sound of the week was /k/.  We have also been practicing with the short sounds of /a/ (cat) and /i/ (pit).  We will be working with q (/kw/) this week.

The 100th Day of School:  As long as the weather cooperates, our 100th day of school will be this Friday, February 8.  We will celebrate with several fun math and literacy activities.  The children are invited to bring in a collection of 100 items.  The collection can be in a box, attached to a poster, attached to a cap.  The possibilities are endless.  Collections can  be sent in any day this week.  We will tour all of the kindergarten classes later in the week so we can see what other children created and we can share our own displays.

Thanks to the families who are sending in donations for our 100th Day Trail Mix.  Donations should be in school by Wednesday.

Guest Teachers:  Our principal, Mrs. Savery, is working hard to ensure consistent guest teachers when I am out of the classroom.  I am very hopeful that we will have good news on this front next week.  Mrs. Lamphere and Mrs. Clark were in our classroom this week.  As they know the children well, all went seamlessly.
   I leave at noon each day.  For those of you who might not be as familiar with our schedule, the children are in the classroom from 8:40 am until lunch time at 12:15 each day.  That is when we have our main academic instruction.  I am in the classroom for that time on M, T, Th and F.  When I leave around noon (or most days a little later), the children are cleaning up and preparing for lunch.  After lunch, they return to the classroom for a read aloud, "choice time" and then unified arts (library, music, art or PE).  Then they have recess and prepare for dismissal.  
     I hope this reduces any concern you may have about your children missing out on quality instruction.  If you have further questions or comments, please contact me or Mrs. Savery (wsavery@mtsd-vt.org)

Wish List:   plastic spoons (Children who don't bring a spoon for snack are now using the last of my plastic forks.); gently used Matchbox-style cars; brown paper lunch bags

Homework for Grown-Ups:  Thanks to those who have volunteered to help.  I did not send jobs to everyone on the list yet.  But, don't worry.  I will be sure to get items to all soon.  

Outdoor Clothing:  Please continue to send snow pants and boots every day.  Even on days when it is a little warmer, the playground can be a muddy mess.  Snow pants and boots help to keep us warm and dry.  Thanks!

Shoes:  I have been reminding the children to pack their shoes every day.  Feet get sweaty and uncomfortable in boots all day.  Any reminder you can give your children is appreciated.

Coming Events:

Monday, February 4:  Library today.  Please return your library books so you can choose a new one.
Tuesday, February 5:  Art today.
Wednesday, February 6:  PE today.  Please wear/bring sneakers.
Thursday, February 7:  Music today.
Friday, February 8:  The 100th Day of School!!!  PE today.  Please wear/bring sneakers.

Thursday, February 14:  Happy Valentine's Day!  The children are welcome to send in cards for EVERYONE.  Please have your child put their classmate's names on the outside of each envelope (Great handwriting practice.  It might be too much for them to write all of the envelopes in one sitting so you might want to spread it out.)  Here are the first names:

Arianna
Aidan
Kaitlyn
Olivia
Brianne
Jazmyn
Gabe
Lucian
Mark
Gavin
Paige
Sam
Devin
Ella
Matthew
Bryleigh
Alexia
Rayne
Isabelle

Also, here is a link to a sign-up for sending in items for our Valentine's "Brunch" on February 14.  

Valentine's Day "Brunch" Sign Up

January 27, 2013

Welcome Back to our Blog!

I am pleased to be able to catch you up on what has been happening in our classroom.  I would also like to share some coming events.

Progress Reports:

Progress Reports were sent home on Friday.  These are brief snapshots of what I am currently seeing at school.  Math and Literacy skills were briefly assessed over the last two weeks to provide you with this update.  The progress report is based on skills that the children are expected to demonstrate by the end of the second trimester (February). 

At the end of the next trimester, we expect that the children will be able to do the following:

-Identify 40 or more letters (Upper and lower case including a and g)
-Say the sounds of 15 or more letters
-Recognize 15 or more sight words
-Attempt to spell words in a student created story by independently by writing the first sound, a middle sound and the last sound.  Spelling is NOT expected to be dictionary perfect.
-Count from 1 - 50 by ones and tens
-Recognize the numbers from 1 - 40
-Count 20 objects 
-Recognize the following 2D shapes:  square, circle, rectangle, triangle, hexagon
-Recognize the following 3D shapes:  cube, cylinder, cone, sphere

Any support you can provide at home in helping your child practice these skills is appreciated.

Behavior has been another concern in all kindergarten classes.  We work daily on taking turns, using kind words, having safe bodies,  controlling our tempers, following directions and listening.  A packet was sent home from our guidance counselor that has many helpful hints for supporting these skills at home.

Field Trip:  We will be going to the Flynn Theater on Wednesday, January 30 to see a live performance of "Skippyjon Jones".  ALL children should bring a lunch from home on Wednesday.  Milk can be purchased at school, but it would be MUCH easier if each child could bring a drink from home.  We will be eating an early lunch in the classroom before we depart at 11:00 sharp.  Please send an afternoon snack for your child to enjoy after we return.  As this is a special occasion, we invite the children to "dress up" a bit for our trip to the theater.  This is not a requirement and no one should feel the need to purchase new clothes for the trip.  Parent chaperones who wish to ride on the bus with us should be at school at 10:30 to help with lunches and turns at the bathroom.  If you are a chaperone and wish to meet us at the Flynn, please be at the entrance to the Flynn Theater for 11:30.  The staff hustles us right in and we are unable to wait outside.  

Skippyjon Jones:  So, you may be wondering who Skippyjon Jones is.  Well, he is a Siamese cat who likes to pretend that he is a Chihuahua!  He is the main character in a series of books by author and illustrator Judy Schachner.  If you are interested, check out his website.  Click on the keyhole in the middle of the home page and you will find some author interviews and children's activities.  
Skippyjon Jones Link

New Staff Member:  A new (permanent) Instructional Assistant has been hired for our classroom.  On Monday, Mr. Will Sedlack will join us.  He will be "shadowing" Mrs. Lamphere on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in order to get to know our students and the classroom routine.  Mr. Sedlack graduated from college in Maine in December and is a licensed teacher.  We look forward to welcoming him to Milton.

Lip Balm:  Many of our students have chapped lips at this time of year.  If you would like your child to keep lip balm in his or her backpack, that is fine.  Children may apply it before entering the classroom in the morning, before/after morning snack, before/after lunch and before/after recess.  Please remind your children that they may not bring it into the classroom and that they may not share it with classmates.  Thanks.

My Schedule:  I have been trying to work half days since our return from the winter vacation break.  After a lengthy appointment with my doctor on Wednesday, my schedule has been revised.  I will be working until noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  This schedule will be maintained until April school vacation and will then be re-evaluated.  Our principal is working to ensure that consistent staffing is maintained.  For example, this week our good friend Mrs. Harding taught in the afternoon.  Thank you for your support and understanding as I continue to recover.  

"Homework" for Parents:  If you are interested in performing any classroom tasks at home, please let me know.  I will keep a list and periodically send home some jobs.  These are things which can be done while watching TV.  For example, stapling together the little books we use for writing, tracing and cutting craft items, etc.  I will send home paper and supplies.  None of these jobs would need to be returned the very next day, so please don't stress about them.  Thanks!

Figure Skating:  Several of the children in class have mentioned that they would like to learn to figure skate.  I recognize that Essex is not necessarily a convenient spot for after school activities, but here is some contact information for the Vermont Skating Academy.  Their third and final session of the winter starts this Wednesday.  Group lessons take place on Wednesdays and Fridays.  An ice show takes place in April.  (In the interest of full disclosure, this is how my daughter began skating.  She is now a junior instructor for the program.)

Renee Deeghan, Skating Director

Vermont Skating Academy

rdeeghan@ccsuvt.org

878-1394

872-3366 (fax)

Classroom Wish List:  plastic spoons, used "Matchbox-type" cars, brown paper lunch bags, little stickers for putting on completed work or rewards.

Our Upcoming Schedule:

Monday, January 28:  Library today.  Please return library books so that a new one can be signed out.  Welcome Mr. Sedlack.
Tuesday, January 29:  Art today.  Mrs. Savery (our principal) will be observing our class during math time this morning.
Wednesday, January 30:  Flynn Theater Field Trip.  Bring a lunch from home.  Our bus will leave promptly at 11:00.  We will return in time for PE so PLEASE WEAR OR BRING SNEAKERS.  Please bring an afternoon snack.
Thursday, January 31:  Music today.  The children will write their second trimester "writing prompt" this morning.  This is an informal district assessment to check how every student's writing skills are progressing.
Friday, February 1:  PE today.  Please wear or bring sneakers.