April 29, 2015
Students have come from vacation ready to work! SBAC testing has begun and all students are doing an amazing job. Some of the tests take a long time. We have been impressed with how hard everyone is working. Each morning we get a snack and juice before we start. We also get gum and/or life savors during the test. We have language arts this week and will have math next week. We will be happy to be finished with this.
March 9, 2015
The big news and excitement in the 4/5/6 is the arrival of Rose. Everyone is excited to have a class pet. Although some are a bit unsure of her most agree that she is not as big and scary as they thought she would be. My hope is that Rose will help educate others on spiders and how docile and harmless they really are to us. We will also have an opportunity to see many other exotic pets such as lizards and snakes. I have been in touch with an experienced exotic pets handler who would love to come to school and share some of her amazing pets with us. I will share more information as I get it.
Students are in their final transition with science, social studies and STE@M. Fourth graders are in STE@M, fifth graders in social studies and sixth graders in science. They will remain in these groups until the end of the school year. Literacy groups have remained the same. Check out the literacy page for specifics on what students are working on. Math classes are also in full swing. If you are interested in finding out what some of the activities and games your child does during math are join Ms. Hopper and Mrs. Puffer on April 9th at 6pm.
As the new SBAC testing approaches students are using their netbooks to practice for the new computer based test. Most students agree that this will be a nice change from the paper/pencil format. As we get closer to the date, more information will be sent home.
Report cards are set to go home with students on Tuesday March 17th. Conferences are being scheduled for Thursday March 19 and Friday March 20. We hope the new online system makes signing up easy. If you have trouble finding a time that works for you please contact either Ms. Hopper or Mrs. Puffer to schedule an alternate time that works.
January 22, 2015
Yesterday we had the exciting opportunity to tune in to a webinar that took place in Antarctica. We listened as Researcher, Jean Pennycook, answered questions from schools around the world. She talked about why glaciers are important as well as life in Antarctica. 4,5, and 6th graders were very interested - How amazing to connect with an actual scientist in Antarctica LIVE!!
January 2015
Students came back from winter break ready to work. We are now experiencing a lot of sickness. We are cleaning tables and sanitizing surfaces as best as we can. Please remind your child to drink water, rest and wash their hands frequently. Dressing for cold weather is also helpful. Unless it is below zero students are expected to go outside. All students will also plan on cross country skiing once a week as well.
Look at the pages for the different academic areas to see what students are working on. The current group in STEAM/Science/Social Studies will switch to the final rotation after February break.
December 15, 2014
The snow is on the ground and the excitement of the holiday is in the air. Students continue their work in math and literacy, while 6th graders have moved to Social Studies, 5th graders to STE@M and 4th graders to Science.
6th graders have been reading The Revealers by, Doug Wilhelm, which is a book about bullying. They continue to have regular group discussions and are increasing awareness and sensitivity on this topic.
Fifth graders have recently completed The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. This is a Newbery Award winner focusing on Civil Rights. Students have engaged in regular group discussions as well and have increasing insight on the topic.
Fourth Graders have recently completed Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe. This is a goofy story about "a bunny with unusual habits... and fangs!"
We look forward to our Holiday Celebration on the afternoon of Tuesday, 12/23! Thank you for your help in contributing a healthy(ish!) snack. :)
November 6, 2014
It is hard to believe it is already November and time for report cards and parent conferences. Please call Pam Washburn to set up a time to meet with your child's classroom teacher. Students are encouraged to attend their conference. It is important for them to take time to share their accomplishments.
Literacy groups have all finished reading their first reading group book. Sixth graders have started a new book, The Revealers and fifth graders are reading The Watsons Go to Birmingham. Fourth graders will be broken up into two different groups reading either Fourth Grade Rats or Bunnicula. Daily 5 still continues with the same choices.
We have had 11 weeks of STE@M, science and social studies. All grades will be switching to a new group. Fourth graders will have science, fifth graders will join STE@M and sixth graders will be in social studies. Math classes continue to move forward. All grades now have access to Front Row. This is an online math program that covers a variety of math categories. Students work at their own level and at their own pace. It is good practice and actually fun.
As usual, please contact us with any questions or concerns. We continue to enjoy working with all fourth, fifth and sixth graders.
October 17, 2014
Dear Parent(s):
Thank you to all the families who came to Open House. We were so pleased to see students sharing all of their work with their families. We will have even more to share at conference time in November.
Literacy groups are continuing to work on the Daily 5. When student are working with a teacher they are either working on reading strategies, vocabulary, or writing. Math classes have been moving along steadily. Check out the math pages for specific content in each grade. Students in social studies have been engaged in activities involving the Revolutionary War. In science fifth graders are learning about ecosystems. STE@M has been busy with many hands on projects including 3D house building.
Fifth graders will be heading to Boston for the annual sleepover at the Boston Science Museum. Students are very excited about this adventure. If you are unsure of the itinerary please contact one of us.
As our school year continues students are busily working on many things such as: community building, learning, persevering, and having fun! Please help your child by encouraging them to try their best and by asking them about their day.
If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to ask.
September 25, 2014
Dear Parent(s):
Our trip to Northern Lights Rock and Ice was amazing. Students really pushed themselves and completed physical challenges they never thought they were capable of. It was great to see the teamwork and support from everyone. If you haven't already seen pictures from the trip check out our link on this website or go to Northern Lights pictures at the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlri/sets/72157647812399081/
It has been nice to get into a normal routine. Literacy groups have been busy with Daily 5. During this time students can make a variety of choices when they are not working with a teacher. Reading to self, reading to someone, word work, work on writing, and listening to reading are some of the choices students can make. Although students are able to make choices in their literacy learning they are also spending quality time with a teacher in a small group or one on one. One of the focuses during literacy is for students to read, read and read some more. You can help at home by having your child read on their own, to someone else, or even listen to reading.
Google docs has been an excellent tool to use during writing time. Students are able to share their writing and get feedback from the teacher directly on their document. Students are currently working on writing personal narratives. During our academic booster time some students have started working on independent learning projects or other writing projects of their choosing.
Open house is coming up next Thursday October 2nd. We are looking forward to seeing families at the school. You will have an opportunity to visit the STE@M lab as well as your child's classroom. We have some work on display and will be available to answer questions about your child's day at school.
Please check out our page labeled schedule to see a list of upcoming events.
As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
September 11, 2014
Dear Parent(s):
The school year is in full swing and students are engaged and learning. Our morning meetings have helped us create a strong sense of community. We have come up with a list of rules we all agree to follow. When someone is having trouble with any of the rules they are asked to take a break in a chair at the back of the room. This is a time to reflect and think about making a better choice. If necessary we use a buddy classroom to spend some time thinking. This has been a nice way to address behavior issues while helping children take some ownership of their actions.
Along with building a sense of community in the classroom, we are excited to take a trip to Northern Lights Rock and Ice to learn how to work as a team. If you have not turned in the health forms and permission slip please get it to school by Monday.
Literacy, Math, Science, Social Studies and STE@M are all in motion. There is a group of 4/5 in literacy with Mrs. Puffer and a group of 5/6 in literacy with Mrs. Hopper. As well as grade specific math classes we have now broken out into our science/social studies/STE@M groups. Sixth graders get to start off in STE@M with Mr. Pierson, Mr. Stevenson, and Ms. Allison, fifth graders are in science and fourth graders are in social studies. These groups will meet for about 12 weeks and then switch. Check out the different links on the left side of the home page to see what each subject is working on.
August 27, 2014
Dear Families,
The school year is off to a fantastic and BUSY, start! It has been a wonderful first couple of days getting to know your children and our new classes. Much of the work we have done so far has focused on building and fostering a safe, positive classroom community. To do this, we are following the Responsive Classroom model, keeping in mind that the social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum. Everyone seems up for the challenge. We are working on (it is still in the beginning phase) a class website that will serve as one place where we can communicate all that we are up to. Our hope is to update this website on a weekly basis. Here is the address:
456mes.blogspot.com
Our class schedule can be found on the page named schedule. This will vary from time to time. More specifically, here are a few things that we have been working on: Each morning, both classes participate in a morning meeting, to begin our day on a positive note. From there, students head to a Special (see schedule). We have two literacy blocks each day, except Tuesday. Currently, we are beginning literacy within our own classrooms, we will soon be sharing both classrooms, both teachers and mixing students. We have introduced writing journals – ask your child about his or her “Bio-Poem”. Math groups have started as well. We are continuing with the “Investigations” math curriculum which Moretown School embraced a few years ago. Each math block is 1 hour and 15 minutes. Grade 4 math is taught by our certified classroom teacher and school interventionist, Deb Fadden (“Mrs. D.”), Grade 5 math is taught by Ms. Hopper, and Grade 6 is taught by Mrs. Puffer. Aside from reading for pleasure (20 -30 minutes per night), please do not expect homework through next week.
One exciting and new aspect of our day has been STE@M: Science, Technology, Engineering @ Moretown. We meet each day for 45 minutes with Mr. Pierson, Mr. Stevenson, Mrs. Allison, Mrs. Puffer and Ms. Hopper. During STE@M, students will be doing many fun and interesting projects that integrate science and social studies standards. Ask your child about their name tags and LED lights. Check out our STE@M blog, including pictures of our highly engaged students! STE@M Blog: steatmoretown.blogspot.com
A few events to note on your calendar:
*Mr. Pierson is working on finalizing details regarding our 5th grade trip to the Boston Museum of Science in October.
*We are also planning a trip to Northern Lights Rock and Ice this Fall for all grades 4,5 and 6.
*The School Open House is scheuduled for 10/2 from 6-7 pm.
*Additionally, we are planning our own STE@M Open House. September date TBD.
Please don't hesitate to contact either or both of us if you have any questions. dpuffer@wwsu.org thopper@wwsu.org
Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us!
Ms. Hopper and Mrs. Puffer
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