Ms. Rogers Class

Moving On

2009-07-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

The 2008 - 2009 school year has come to a close and it's time to move on to next year. This blog will no longer be in use though it will still exist! I am very excited to begin looping next year beginning with an entirely new group of young learners. My new blog has been created with them in mind, Infinity and Beyond. Please feel free to visit and check out what we are creating and learning.
With fond memories,
Ms. Rogers

Summer Fun 2009

2009-06-22T18:16:00.001-07:00

Hey Kids I have a new summer blog that is just for the kids from our classroom. Everyone is already listed on the new blog and I'm waiting to hear from you! Click below to check it out, comment to me and I'll be able to comment back to you. Summer Fun 2009

Summer Collections

2009-06-17T05:50:00.001-07:00

Hello Collectors,
I hope your summer collections are well underway. Patrick has been reorganizing is crystal collection, counting and sorting. He even gave one to Erik so that he may begin his own crystal collection! Way to spread the love of collecting.
My cat Stella has been collecting chipmunks. She is up to 6 so far. Unfortunately she brings them home dead so I have to dispose of them quickly. No displaying that collection. I've been collecting rocks and skulls which I then put in my gardens as accessories. Alita found some old rocks she painted several years ago so we added those as well. I took some pictures last night so you could see what I have so far. I threw in one of Stella perched atop my raspberry patch, probably looking for chipmunks.
Let me know what you're up to this summer and don't forget to send me your postcard. Draw a picture on one side and jot down a note on the other. Patrick got the postcard ball rolling now it's up to the rest of you to keep it going!BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.

Collections

2009-06-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

We have had so much fun corresponding with Valerie Biebuyck, author of Electra to the Rescue. Everyone was inspired to think more about their own collections. How to categorize, display, and store them. This got us thinking about how to share them with others which lead us to making own business cards using Microsoft Publisher. Now I'm going to start collecting business cards beginning with my 19 new favorite collectors!
It is very sad to end the year so suddenly and without our annual picnic or usual fanfare. I am planning on blogging all summer and would like to encourage the children to comment me and fill me in on their summer fun as well as send postcards or letters. Everyone will be going home with a summer reading and writing folder in hopes that they continue to keep the literacy embers burning.
Thanks for a year filled with wonder and excitement!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2009-06-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

Everyone was absolutely fantastic in our annual musical production. We spent so much time preparing for the big production that it feels as if we should take it on the road and perform for more audiences!! What part of the musical was your favorite?
BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.">

Poetry

2009-05-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a taste of the children's first attempts at poetry. Our lessons have centered around choosing topics from the heart and everyday things, poetic language, wonderous words, rhyming, repetition,and line breaks.
The Dream
Oh my oh my
it was so interesting.
I thought of stars being jewels.
I flew into the sky.
It feels good
that I still know it.
- Sam
The Bunny
I once saw a bunny
that was so cute
and so fluffy.
I wanted to take it home.
My mom said I could not
so I left it there
so I could watch it
the next morning.
- Adele
Honey Bees
In the world
there are different bees.
My grandmother and I are bee keepers.
Honey bees we love.
Bee keeping with my grandmother
makes me feel like I'm in heaven.
I am so happy
when bees are around.
-Evey
Pencil
Pencil oh pencil
what shall I do?
Oh, what shall I do to you?
Should I name you Mary Lou?
Should I make you a collar
and walk you around the block?
Should I feed you?
Should I give you a little house
and a place to sleep?
Nah, I'll just write with you.
-Trevor

Musical Rehearsal

2009-05-20T05:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a snapshot of a song hearsal yesterday. Note Mary Jane Wirsing trying to teach the 3rd/4th graders how to rap! We have a lot of work in the coming days to be ready for the 28th.

Class Update

2009-05-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Our plant unit of study is cruising along quite nicely with several successful plantings. Our windowsills are full with a variety of small plants which sprouted from seeds planted before vacation. Everyone has a "grass head guy or gal" made from knee high stockings, potting soil, and grass seed. Many will be in need of a haircut soon and several have significant ear hair growing though deliberately placed holes in their cups! We have joined forces with the UVM Extension service and will be putting in a rain garden in the courtyard between Vista and the planning room. Andrew the gardener is also working with a few students each week in the garden right outside our door. You wouldn't believe what he gets them to eat!

Nonfiction books written by and about the children are finished, complete with covers that include individual head shots that were then Photoshoped using a variety of filters. Some funny, some creepy, some clever! How many of you know how to use Photoshop? We began our final unit of study in writers workshop this week, poetry. The children are very excited and I'm quite impressed with their initial attempts. Our first mini lessons have helped us look at everyday things in a new way as well as look into our hearts for what matters most to us. Next we'll be learning about how to make line breaks which help create a rhythm to our words and phrases.

Auditions were held this week in the classroom for parts in the house musical as well as daily song practice. Everyone has a speaking part, some longer than others. They all seem quite pleased with their parts and are psyched to practice. Just today several of the children in our class stood up in the kiva and sang part of a solo in front of the entire house in hopes of being chosen for that role. Surprise of the day . . . Beckett has terrific pitch and the sweetest voice. Future American Idol?!

2009-04-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

After many, many trials and mishaps we finally have the World Wide Research slide shows published for all to view. Unfortunatley we won't be able to see the transitions or sound effects as the only website that could handle it also speeded up the show so fast that we weren't able to read the slides or hear many of the sounds. We all learned a great deal about technology!
Japan by Evey & Riley
Russia by Trevor & Ben
Cape Verde' by Sam & Patrick
Mexico by Beckett & Tommy
Germany by Lily B. & Adele
Russia by Noah & Zach
Columbia by Sophie & Lily M

Class Update

2009-03-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

We are full on with a study of nonfiction reading and writing. Our mini lessons in reading are presently centered around how to read nonfiction differently than fiction, strategies for decoding, rereading and reading on, and generating conversations about what we are learning and turning those conversations into questions. As the month rolls on we'll take a close look at various text structures; table of contents, captions, index, diagrams, glossary, and headings. We are presently studying Jim Arnosky's collection of All About . . . books. Thank you Jim for painting such a clear picture for kids as to the features of a nonfiction book that they are able to create one themselves. Along with All About books we'll be writing our own How To and Question And Answer books. Right now everyone is feverishly creating lists of all the things they are good at.

Our World Wide Research has taken on a life of its own. I hadn't intended to dive into the animation part of PowerPoint, however, after someone stumbled upon that button the rest was history. Now our slides twirl, crackle, chime, drum roll and have colorful backgrounds. As Ben was quoted in our Blue & Gold article, "It's amazing what you can learn from just one website." I am truly amazed at what they are putting together and at the level of their excitement and enthusiasm. Everyone loves to share their slide show on the new projector and the audience always finds something they can change or enhance!

Hopefully we will begin posting slide shows next week. Stay tuned!

World Wide Research

2009-02-16T13:17:00.001-08:00

Our study of cultures around the world has taken us to our final project . . . research. The children are working in partners and using CultureGrams to learn about a country and then put together a Power Point slide show. CultureGrams is a program that the school has purchased and is designed for easy navigation and is filled with great pictures, information, and videos. Each pair of children are required to present an 8 slide show with a picture and description on each slide from the following areas: people and places, history, lifestyle, society, culture facts, map, flag, and national image. CultureGrams has buttons for each of these categories. The children are extremely excited and totally engrossed in the project. I jump from group to group solving simple tech issues, they seem monumental to those involved at the time. Soooooo much learning is taking place. This type of engagement is just what we needed to pull us all through the end of the winter season. I have found an online storage site that can accommodate Power Point slide shows. As soon as we have some finished products I'll begin posting them. Make sure to ask your child about their World Wide Research!

2009-02-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

Big Basket Raffle - Scrapbooking Fun
The Williston Families As Partners are gearing up for the annual Big Basket Raffle. Each classroom gathers items for a theme basket that will then be raffled off the evening of April 3rd.
Donation Suggestions:
Album, scrapbook paper, stamps and ink pad, acid free glue, glue dots, stickers, scissors, markers, scrapbook kit, organizer, gift certificate to Michaels or Creative Habitat, etc.
*Families with more than one child in a House may choose to donate one item per child or one item per family.
*Students are not limited to only one donation item
*Students may join together to donate larger items
*Donations will be collected from February 16 to March 18, 2009, and then be assembled into beautiful theme baskets to be raffled off at the
Big Basket Raffle on April 3rd

Happy 100th Day of School

2009-02-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

After celebrating 100 in as many ways as we possibly could the children ended the day by making Fruit Loop necklaces . . . 10 groups of 10. Podcasts are coming along. The question of the day is "How many takes did you have before you actually had a keeper?"

Welcome Prince

2009-02-01T04:43:00.000-08:00

I would like to welcome our new student, Prince, to our classroom blog. Prince has come to us via the Congo in Africa, speaks only french, and is already teaching us as much as we are teaching him. It is my good fortune to have Camille who speaks fluent french and Sophie who is right behind her with thousands of words and phrases, not to mention an incredible ability to pantomime just about anything, both acting as interpreters. Everyday has brought on new challenges in translation. We couldn't have asked for a better way to add spark to the mid winter doldrums. Who needs Phil the groundhog? We've got our very own Prince!

This week the children will be creating podcasts from a variety of sources; poetry, excerpts from stories, their own writing, etc. Check the new gadget on the sidebar and click on student names to hear them reading their latest selections.

We are beginning 2 new units of study in literacy. Writers Workshop will focus on "trouble stories". The children will focus on describing how their characters feel, go in to greater detail with setting, and build tension into their stories. Readers Workshop will delve deeper into story comprehension, building stamina, and fluency.

Wednesday marks the 100th day of school. We'll be attempting to read 100 poems all about the number 100 and creating 100's in hundreds of ways.

Happy Groundhog Day! Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow? I sure hope not!

Check it out for yourself - www.groundhog.com .

Art Pad

2009-01-23T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Kids,
I am learning so much at the technology conference! I found a really fun tool for drawing. After you have made a picture you can replay the strokes you made and watch the picture create itself all over again. Check out what I made. http://artpad.art.com/?kdxzuj1fqthw
Fun, fun, fun! Try it yourself. http://artpad.art.com/artpad/painter/

Washington DC

2009-01-22T05:34:00.000-08:00

Hello Vistonians,

Mrs. Bianchi and I changed plans in Washington DC yesterday and upon our departure the pilot was kind enough to circle the city for us before taking off for Florida. We had the most wonderful view of the White House and the Washington Monument. We also had a birds-eye-view of The Pentagon. Do you remember how many sides a pentagon has and who works there? Send me a comment and let me know your answer!!

Click on this link to find out more about The Pentagon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pentagon

Inauguration Day 2009

2009-01-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

Inauguration day was one for the record books in Vista. We spent the entire day celebrating, creating, and watching history in the making. It is said that children need to learn 40 new vocabulary words a week at this point in their development . . . I believe we learned 40 on January 20th alone. Check out this Flip video movie for a brief look at our day.

Cream Cheese, Bagels, & Lox

2009-01-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

How do you help 19 first graders distinguish between lox and locks? We had a cream cheese, bagels, and lox party! Everyone knew the difference between lox and locks after eating smoked salmon. I was most impressed with the number of children who were willing to try something they had never eaten before and how many really liked the strong flavor.

New Units of Study

2009-01-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

We are fast at work on many new units of study. In Writers Workshop the children have been introduced to COPS (capitalization, organization, punctuation, and spelling). This week we focused on two parts of punctuation; sentence enders (. ! ? . . . ) and middle of sentence (, - " "). Next week we will venture into the land of organization which primarily focuses on handwriting and spacing, both huge topics when you really break each one down.

In Readers Workshop we are beginning to read and discuss books in a series. This week we have discussed how to determine the main character and then get to know them by determining their strengths and weaknesses as a person. Next week we will begin to look at the secondary characters since they reappear in the series and using what we know about them and get a voice in our heads for these characters.

Our new theme unit of study is entitled World of Difference. Williston Schools has adopted the curriculum from the Anti Defamation League - World of Difference Institute (http://www.adl.org/education/edu_awod/default.asp) and our lessons seek to help participants: recognize bias and the harm it inflicts on individuals and society; explore the value of diversity; improve intergroup relations. Currently we are having a lot of fun with our names! Our 2nd grade mathematicians are focusing on whole-number operations. We are bumping up our strategies for solving addition and subtraction problems by using two 3 digit numbers and beginning regrouping for subtraction. We will begin multiplication, a right of passage for these folks, by introducing array models. Every day is packed full of fun and learning!

2008-12-29T11:04:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of a wordle? Very soon we'll be creating wordles using stories that we write. Here is a wordle using all the words in this blog! The biggest words are those that are used more often. Click on the image to enlarge it and find out which word we use the most.

Bunnies and Pigeon

2008-12-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends,

I hope you are all getting outside to play in the snow; sliding, skiing, and making forts and snowmen. I found this delightful story about two unlikely animal friends. It makes me think that if creatures can be this compassionate than just imagine what we humans are capable of doing for each other. Click on this link and enjoy - Bunnies and Pigeon .

I would love to hear what you are up to during the vacation. Comment and fill me in please:) Make sure to check back regularly for more interesting tidbits!

Gingerbread Houses

2008-12-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

The children had a grand time constructing their gingerbread houses this morning. Their creativity was limitless and uniquely individual. The houses could be found with recycling centers, porches, decks, breakfast nooks, bear caves, walkways, flags, antenna, fencing, sleighs, snowmen, and much more. The volunteers are to be commended for their patience and steadfastness. Many a sidewall was reconstructed and saved by their quick hands. Thanks to everyone for sending in the candy treats and royal icing so that we could make this happen for our children. Have a warm and merry everything!

Origami Cubes

2008-12-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

The 2nd grade mathematicians created cubes from 6 pieces of paper folded just so. The language used while folding the paper parralelled the geometry unit we just completed. There were a lot of tongues hanging out, patience was tested, and they all agreed it was the most fun they had ever had while doing math!

BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.

Thank you note from the Humane Society

2008-12-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

I can't think of a better way to learn about Election Day and the democratic process than through "Kids Vote" and the special ballot question posed at Allen Brook School and Central School in Williston..... It takes courage to make a choice and you did it! We, at the Humane Society of Chittenden County, are so honored that you made the decision in our favor.

As we move past Election Day and into the Vermont winter season, you can all feel good about the fact that homeless animals are safe, warm and fed because of your generosity and thoughtfulness.

You should all be very proud of yourselves. I know we're proud of you.

Warm Regards,
Ellen Goodman
Development Coordinator
Humane Society of Chittenden County

Food Drive

2008-12-15T15:59:00.001-08:00

Allen Brook School is sponsoring a food drive for the Williston Food Shelf. In the past we have delivered food to the Burlington Food Shelf and have always had great community support. It feels really great to work for an organization a whole lot closer to home. For each item that a child brings into Vista they will trace their hand on various shades of green paper, cut it out, and then add it to a growing wreath in our kiva. We are in hopes of have a very full wreath!

Our holiday gingerbread house making party is well underway. The children are very excited and are beginning to draft designs of what they want their homestead to look like. Please visit the wiki and sign up for an item or two to donate to the party. Many thanks to the early birds who have already signed up.

Gingerbread House Party wiki sign up

2-D shapes

2008-12-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

The 2nd grade mathematicians have been developing classification skills through the concepts of point and line segment, symmetry, and polygons. Today we used right triangles and rectangles to make a variety of other shapes. By simply rotating or fliping a triangle an entirly different shape would emerge. It was almost magic!

Sounds Abound

2008-12-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of the children in small groups sharing their findings from the various sound activities they encountered. It was interesting to see who choose what role in the group and how well they planned their sharing.

May the force be with you!

2008-12-03T12:15:00.001-08:00

Hi Trevor,
We have been experimenting with lots of different magnets and have been quite surprised by what we have found out.
1) Tinfoil is non magnetic. We thought for sure that because it looks like metal it would be
magnetic.
2) Coins are not magnetic. They look metal too.
3) Spoons are made out of different kinds of metal and not all of them are magnetic.
4) The wire we used bends like a paperclip, which is magnetic, but the wire is non magnetic.
5) Some magnets are stronger than others.
6) If you are very careful and hold a magnet close to a magnetic object you can feel the force!
Have you found anything magnetic at Disney? Do any of the rides in the parks use magnets?
See you soon Trevor,
Your friends at school

A post for our friend Trevor in Florida!

2008-12-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

Hi Trevor,
We are beginning a study of magnets. We are wondering what do you think of when you hear the word MAGNET? Here is what we think of when we hear the word MAGNET.
Beckett - bar magnet
Camille & Sophie- The big whiteboard.
Riley - A bunny magnet.
Lily - A robot.
Tommy & Patrick- The word magnetic.
Eric - A compass.
Sam - It sticks on to the wall.
Zach - Batman magnet.
Evey - If I had a magnet I would be able to take nails out of a board.
Noah - Sticky
Chase - Magnets stick.
Adele - I think of my two magnets on my locker.
Lily - I think of a magnet stuck on a window.

We hope you're have a great time in Florida and we want you to find magnets all over Disney! We will be expecting a report.

Fun Night

2008-11-25T12:26:00.000-08:00

Allen Brook School has invited you to Fun Night on Saturday, December 6th. We are going to have a food drive for The New Williston Food Shelf. We welcome you to bring food for the food drive. You can drop off your food and your kids from 6:00 pm - 8:00pm and have a night to yourself. There will be many activities. Here are some of them. bowling, crafts, bounce castle, face painting, and much more!!!!! If you pre-register it costs $6 per child and for a family $12. If you walk in it costs $8 per child and $18 for a family. If you have a 4th grade child they can help run a station with a friend. The forms went in the Friday folders last week. Just remember to bring in food for the food drive.

by Olivia in Calliope

Good Vibrations

2008-11-13T11:27:00.000-08:00

The children have been experimenting with a number of sound activities. Everything from watching and feeling the vibrations of stringed instruments, making waves with tuning forks, making maracas and egg shakers, and creating a human sound wave with their bodies. As with most activities we begin with one outcome in mind and they very quickly reroute our efforts turn it into something so much more. After determining that the sound from the tuning forks traveled in waves when submerged in water they began using the tables to determine that sound can travel through solid objects (we can thank Tommy for that stroke of experimental brilliance).

We are working on revising our stories in writers workshop. The children are quite adept at listening to others stories and coming up with questions that will encourage the author to include more details. Everyone now uses a writers carat to include information where ever necessary, highlighting tape to enhance the effort, and writers bandaids (paper strips) for entire sentences that may need revising.

Thanks to the generosity of so many of you we now have several new books in the classroom. Some we are reading aloud and all of them are being circulated through the room during readers workshop. The life size reptiles book has received many accolades, some mystified and some terrified! Thanks again for your thoughtfulness.

Election Day

2008-11-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

The children were so excited to inform me of our new president elect when they arrived at school yesterday morning. While greeting them at the lockers I overheard one child telling another that her mom got to count the ballots. The reply was, "You are so lucky!" We are in the middle of coloring a US map with either a red state or a blue state and learning what an electoral vote means. A little closer to home the children are feeling how democracy works first hand. Two weeks ago they voted to adopt a new job chart system where everyone would have a specific job each day. Unfortunately it was a bit too complicated and left us in chaos and scrambling to get out the door and on the buses. We had a new vote as to whether or not we should keep the new system, it was a landslide vote to keep the chaotic system. Unfortunately the vote was vetoed and went back on the table for further discussion. After much discussion and a few wise words from Sophie, Tommy, Eric, and Patrick we had a another vote and the old system was readopted with a new look!

Two coin drops collided in our school system. The book fair coordinators were soliciting for a penny drive however they didn't realize that on the children's election ballot they were voting on a charity in which to raise money. It was decided that the children's vote should stand so all coins sent in will be put towards the charity that was chosen by the children, The Vermont Humane Society. Thanks for your generous donations!

Harvest Festival & Voting

2008-11-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

The children had a wonderful Harvest Festival thanks to the many helping hands who made it possible. Our gardener, Andrew, put in countless hours of preparation and with the help of a few parent volunteers made 40 gallons of delicious Stone Soup. Almost everyone enjoyed a steaming hot cup of soup with delicious homemade bread. We exchanged songs with Esprit as a gift in celebration of our garden and it's bounty. The children took part in a variety of activites ranging from folk dancing, paper hat making, and orienteering.

After the outdoor festivities we moved inside for a reading of the Bill Martin Jr. book Old Devil Wind. The children acted out the parts and joined in the repetitive text. Wearing the spider hats that we had made earlier in the day everyone enjoyed a plate full of seasonal treats. Thanks to all who donated and came in and helped out. A good time was had by all.

If you are able to take your child with you on Tuesday while you vote please do so. It will surely be the climax of our civics unit of study. As an added bonus you can dot the bubbles next to your candidate and allow them to fill in the bubble! We'll be switching gears mid week post elections and starting a science study on sound and magnets. If you happen to have any magnets that we could borrow please send them in with your child. Make sure they are clearly labeled with your name. Thanks!

Harvest Party

2008-10-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Sarah Forbes for offering to be our room parent. Lets make her job easy and sign up early for a contribution to the Harvest Party! Harvest Party wiki

Erosion

2008-10-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some quotes from the children after todays very exciting Four Winds workshop on erosion and weathering. The children took part in 4 experiments highlighting the powerful agents of erosion that constantly alter our landscape.

Beckett - Erosion moves stuff around. Where one thing is it can move it to a different place.

Sam - Water causes the rocks to move.

Camille - Water goes over sand and the sand moves.

Eric - A form of erosion is when rocks and riverbanks get washed away by the stream.

Zach - Wind can cause erosion.

Adele - We covered dirt with leaves and stuff from nature so the water wouldn't move the dirt.

Trevor - Rocks are moved down mountains and hills by gravity. Then they crumble up and turn into little rocks.

Lily - We shook rocks in a jar with water and little bits of rock came off and when we were done it looked foggy.

Democracy

2008-10-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

Monday started out with a bang! I raised a situation in the classroom that has been somewhat problematic and asked the children what we should do. The situation is that we seem to have difficulty lining up to go anywhere. Line up is code word for social hour and if I didn't intervene several minutes would pass before anyone noticed that we hadn't moved an inch. You would have thought I asked them to solve world peace. We spent at least an hour over the course of the day discussing the issue and brainstorming a solution. The day ended with a landslide vote and we now have a "caboose" who is in charge of the line, there are many complicated stipulations to the new job. Chase was our first caboose and he did his job so well that we didn't have a single problem! Later this afternoon we voted either YES or NO to a variety of issues ranging from I like broccoli to All whale killing should be stopped. The children then discussed which vote gave them power and why. Without hesitation they all said that the issues that were important gave them power. I can't wait for tomorrows activity based on the book Would You Rather by John Burningham. The activity that follows the book ends with a discussion on whether or not it's okay to disagree, the changes voters can bring about, and our right to vote vs others without that right. Make sure to ask your child about each days lesson.

I have posted a sign up for fall conferences. Hopefully you received an email notification. The link above is a shortcut. Those of you with multiple children in Vista may prefer to have us assign you a day and time so that the conferences are back to back. If neither of the dates set aside by the school calendar work for you please give me a call and we'll work something out. Thanks!

Thanks for celebrating the children of Vista!

2008-10-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

What a wonderfully delicious way to celebrate the children of Vista. They were so proud to show off their work with family and friends. Thank you to everyone for bringing in food to share and for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come in and see the children's work. I hope it was as great a way to start your day as it was for all of us.

We'll be taking a few days to enjoy some "place based" nature studies before we embark on our civics unit that will end with the Vermont Kids Vote at ABS. If you are available to help check off names of students, hand out ballots, and count votes on November 4th please let me know. It should only take an hour or two.

Open House Breakfast

2008-10-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

We are calling this week "project week" as everyone is feverishly working on completing the many projects we have going on presently. The children are excited to share all of their hard work with you on Thursday morning as well as have breakfast at school with all their friends. They have been talking about this endlessly! Coffee, tea, and juice will be provided. Please bring something to share and remember Chef Shaw is an option.

I have added a couple of new links to math websites. The Virtual Library of Mathematics is loaded with activities that mirror much of what we do at school and hits grades preK - 12. Math Magician is one we are currently using to help us gain fact power. The children like it because they are timed and can choose the set of facts they want to practice.

Hope to see you on Thursday morning between 7:30 and 8:30.

Who has more fun than us?

2008-10-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

What a wonderfully exciting week we have had! Mrs. Eaton helped the children celebrate the completion of our first unit of study in readers workshop by reading The Lorax and started a new tradition, Tasty Tuesday. The children pretended they had truffula branches (fancy toothpicks) and speared truffula fruit (pineapple, kiwi, and mango) which was then dipped in yogurt. Mmmmm good!

We saved the best for last . . . today Charlie Wilson, our district technology teacher, brought 4 computers into the classroom and let the children take them apart and investigate the inner workings first hand. You would have thought we piled each table high with candy and said eat all you want. They were first showed various components and told what they were and how they were important to the computer. While checking out the inside they then had to find all these parts and unplug wires and replug them. Do you know where the I/O Bus, RAM memory, CPU fan, or motherboard are and why they are there? Ask your child!

SEE YOU TOMORROW AT THE FUN RUN AT 1:30. It's going to be a beautiful day.

Mapping our Houses

2008-09-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

The children are having a great time mapping their houses on a huge Williston map that one of our tech guru's, Jessica Wilson, made for us. We'll have to do an activity that teaches them what a scale on a map means as they think that someone 3 inches away is an immediate neighbor!

Monday we will be sharing our best written work to date with Nancy Leonard's class in Esprit. Make sure to ask your child what piece he/she shared and who they shared it with. We will then embark on a new unit of study in writers workshop entitled "Small Moments". Our current readers workshop unit of study will also be coming to a close and of course we will be celebrating the children's work and then begin a new unit of study based on the characters within the books that we read.

Wednesday, October 1st we will be having a quick bus safety orientation with Donald the bus driver. Thursday, October 2nd all of ABS will gather together in the gym for our annual Red Clover Kick off ceremony at 8:15. We will have a parade of books presented by the staff members that will be reading them throughout the year to each classroom. It's always a thrill to watch the entire student population get excited about books! Check out the Red Clover book list at http://www.mothergooseprograms.org/lit_red_clover_nominees.php

I've made it easier for our blogging audience to leave a comment. All you have to do now is click on the comment button, leave a comment in the comment box, click on the name/URL button and leave your name, and then enter the letters as seen in the funky image.

Video created by several students! They're getting better every day.

The Four Directions

2008-09-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Four Winds Nature Studies workshop this week all about finding your way. The children had a great time orienting themselves around ABS and finding everyday objects that they don't always pay attention to. We tied it into our mapping studies by talking about the 4 directions and a small group came up with various phrases to remember north, east, south, and west. They were also responsible for the filming using the Flip Video!

Williston Village Field Trip

2008-09-17T08:47:00.001-07:00

Our trip to Williston Village was a huge success! The children had many questions for our presenters and were quite attentive. One would have thought we took them to a far away land full of mystery and intrigue. Here are some of their responces when we arrived back at ABS and were enjoying well deserved apples from Adams Farm.

Eve - There is a lot of old fashion stuff upstairs in the library that I didn't know about.

Beckett - I saw the old bell that Mr. Allen was talking about.

Camille - We got to go inside the old church. I wish we could have gone into the bell tower.

Lily B. - Mr. Allen told us about how the church caught on fire by lightening. Most of the damage was done by smoke and water.

Riley - I liked the big light in the church.

Sophie - We got to vote for the real president when we were at the town hall.

Adele - When we voted we got to get a sticker.

Ben - At the town hall we found out the things that Williston does like ambulance, police, and road construction.

The FUN RUN is scheduled for October 4th and we hope that everyone will be able to participate. In the past the FUN RUN was a Vista House team building event that brought everyone together for an afternoon of family, health, and fun. It turned out to be a great way to raise funds to help support the extra curricular needs in the house as well. All fundraising efforts in the lower houses will now be combined to benefit the greater good of the school. We would like to make this years FUN RUN the most successful fundraising event of the year as well as kick off the school wide initiative. Make sure to check out the FUN RUN flyer in your childs Monday Folder and send in your registration early. We will also be holding an informational meeting this Monday after school in our kiva at 3:15. If you are able to help with the last minute details or work the day of the event please attend this meeting or send me an email letting me know you would like to help and we'll plug you in somewhere. Children are welcome at this meeting. They can play in their classroom while we meet.

We have been reading Barbara Cooney books and learning little tidbits about her life. The book Miss Rumphius inspired us to think about what we could do to make our school a more beautiful place. Each of the children came up with their own idea and turned it into a personal quote, wrote it on large drawing paper, and surrounded it with fingerpainted lupines. That wasn't enough for them so we also started a wall size mural with lots and lots of lupines and everyones quote woven throughout. It was a wonderful way to bring a busy week to a close.

Guided reading groups begin this week. The two classrooms have been mixed together creating 8 groups. Caitlin, Jessica, and I will split the load and spend twice as much time with each group as we would be able to if we each ran groups for our individual classrooms. The beginning readers will be bringing books home in ziplock bags that we hope will be read at home, several times if possible. Please make sure the books are sent back to school the very next day as we begin the next days lesson by rereading the previous days book. More advanced readers will also bring books home, just not as frequently as they will have assignments in class pertaining to their books that require more than one day for completion.

Our first writers workshop unit of study is off and running. The children are mass producing stories with illustrations, covers, and title pages. Our lessons have been based on writing stories with a beginning, middle, and end, sentence completion, punctuation and capital letters, and most recently determining the most important part of the story in order to add more details. My favorite part of each lesson is the daily sharing. The children are expected to give feedback to each child who shares. They are brutally honest, ask great probing questions, and say the nicest things to each other about the stories they are hearing. Most of the time the child sharing walks away with a plan for how to make their story better by making a very simple change or addition.

I would really like to hear from you as to what changes or additions you would like to see in this blog. I am very open to any and all ideas and want the time and effort I put into informing you best meet your needs.

Happy Reading,
Julie

Parent Information Night

2008-09-15T17:05:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

A reminder that this Wednesday evening the Vista teachers will be sharing a typical day in the life of a Vista student at our annual Parent Information Night. We will be discussing curriculum, homework, communication, team events, FAP, and much more. We begin at 6:30 in the Kiva and then move into the classrooms for 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th grade discussions. I look forward to seeing many parents and sharing our plan for the year and beyond!

We began a study entitled Then and Now in the classroom today. The children are taking a close look at everyday items that are between 50 -100 years old and comparing them to the same items from today. We have a broom, medicine bottles, candles, toys, milk bottles, jars, and skis. If you happen to have something old hanging around the house send it in for a quick comparison.

Wednesday morning we'll be traveling to Williston Village for a guided tour of the Town Hall, Library, and hopefully the old school house. I'm not sure which part of the field trip the children are more excited about; the guided tour or seeing their Esprit friends again.

We finally got around to the final stage of our mask making project, adding the embellishments. The children were given a wide assortment of materials and had to make a plan as to what they wanted their mask to represent and then justify the use of the materials they requested. They were incredibly thoughtful about the entire process. The attached video has the thoughts of a few of the children as to how or why they made their mask the way they did. Some of the interviews were achieved in one take while others met with unforeseen challenges and required a second or third take!

Happy Reading,

Julie

Upcoming Events

2008-09-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

We have several upcoming events that you may want to mark on your calendars. More information either has been sent or will follow, but I wanted to give you the dates and times:

September 17 - Williston Village Field Trip for Esprit and Vista 1st and 2nd Graders - 8:20 - 10:20 am. We will be sending home the permission slip soon. Please sign and return it as soon as possible. There is no cost to students for this trip and we will be providing apples for snack that day. Do let me know if your child cannot eat apples.

September 17 - Vista Parent Information Night from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Parents are invited to join us to learn more about curriculum and other important information.

October 4 - Fun Run

November 3 - Vista 1st/2nd grade Flynn Theater Field Trip to see the Velveteen Rabbit. I believe the 2nd half of this permission slip was inadvertently left on the copier. We'll back track and get that out to you in the next folder!

Ms. Rogers Class

2008-09-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

The first 2 weeks of school have simply flown by and we are off to a great start! We are hard at working making new friends, learning new routines, and adjusting to a full day of activity. Sam helped me make our first class video. Now everyone wants to learn how. Here are a few of the highlights from the children:

Evey - I liked going to Esprit and making new friends. It was fun.

Trevor - I am reading the book Stone Fox and it is really exciting.

Camille – I liked painting my mask because I like making projects. I had fun in music class too.
Zach – I liked learning new facts about Williston with Mr. Allen.
Adele – I liked writing a story with Mrs. B.
Sam – I liked making the gingerbread mini-me’s.
Beckett – I liked reading with Mrs. Barfield.

Hello Cupcake!

2008-08-24T10:19:00.000-07:00

August always brings the sweetness of corn on the cob. It's a tradition out at camp to have fresh from the farm corn at just about every meal. But wait a minute, is this really farm fresh corn on the cob? It sure was sweet but it's actually cupcakes! Everything about this corn on the cob is candy sitting on top of cupcakes. Alita and I went to a demonstration at the Flying Pig bookstore in Shelburne by the co-authors of the amazing cookbook entitled Hello Cupcake. That evening we witnessed the food stylists at work and then created our own cupcakes that looked like sunflowers, centipedes, and 2 sleeping beauties all snug in their beds. We learned several tricks that make cupcake decorating easy and super fun. Click on the Hello Cupcake book title above to visit the website. Of course we had to create the corn on the cob cupcakes for a day out at camp.

Fowl Play

2008-08-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

While water skiing yesterday a huge bald eagle swooped down and attempted to catch a fish in the lake. It wasn't any luckier than Bill as far as the fishing went and came up with empty talons. We watched it soar through the sky and land on the branch of a very tall white pine tree. We zoomed back to our camp and picked up a pair of binoculars so that we could check out the eagle a little more closely. We were able to watch it take flight one more time. Quite a sight to see. As it left the lake the resident loons became a bit angry and sounded off with a new intensity. Shortly after that we came upon a new beaver lodge. No beavers in sight however. Back at camp while roasting marshmallows over the fire mama duck and her babies, who are getting bigger every day, stopped by for a visit. The babies are quite brave now and waddle right up on shore. Mama duck was squawking at them nonstop. Not sure what she said but they never got out of the water. What a great day out at camp.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone Wednesday morning at the Open House. I've found a really cute book and have a yummy treat to share.

Summers End

2008-08-14T03:36:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Every day I notice something else that tells me summer is wrapping up and autumn is fast approaching. I've seen several maple trees with a few golden and orange leaves. It's dark outside when I get up in the morning and I am back to wearing my reflector vest when I run so that cars can see me better. A couple of crickets have moved into the house and boy is their chirping loud! Our barn swallows have moved out and the orb weaver spiders have moved in. The spiders build the most amazing webs and then hang around waiting for unsuspecting bugs who quickly become trapped and then become dinner. We run into the webs ourselves quite frequently. It doesn't seem to bother the spiders as they make repairs and move on to the business of bug catching. I'm off to the back field in search of milkweed and hopefully a monarch caterpillar or two for the classroom. I haven't had any luck so far. Perhaps it's a bit too early for the little stripped fellows.

Pets

2008-08-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Happy August Everyone!

Do you have pets at home? We have 3 cats who are more like family than they are pets. Our oldest cat is Eleanor Roosevelt. She loves to be with her people and is the "lap cat" of the bunch. Stella Luna is our mighty hunter who presents us with "gifts" almost every day; voles, moles, mice, rats, frogs, and snakes. Ginger Rogers was a rescued kitten who is afraid of her own shadow. She eats every meal as if it were going to be her last which is why she is as wide as she is long. They provide me with great stories which I then turn into books. Can you guess which cat is which?

Water Play

2008-07-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

Goodmorning Sunshine!

How nice to wake up to a day filled with blue skies and sunshine. Alita spent last week at Eliteam summer camp for ski racers. The camp coordinator and former Olympian, Doug Lewis, recorded the daily events in his blog. The pictures showed the kids having a blast mountain biking, climbing on a ropes course, playing soccer, skiing down sand pits, and hiking; all in the rain and mud. Alita never had so much fun. Doug also has a camp for adults at the end of the summer. Hmmm, wonder if I have time to squeeze in a week of outdoor adventure?

We managed to get in some water skiing this weekend in between the storms. It was quite windy and the water was choppy, tough skiing but lots of jumps! Alita and I even managed to ski double.

Remember to play for at least an hour a day outside. That goes for adults as well as kids.

Have Fun,

Ms. Rogers

Making Books

2008-07-21T08:13:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Glad to see the sun shining after a very wet weekend. The gardens and lawns are so happy I can almost hear them growing!

I received a postcard from someone, not sure who as he or she did not sign their name, asking if making books counts. I'm thinking that this person is wondering if making books counts as time on your reading calendars. I would love to know what the rest of you think about this idea. My initial response is that YES making books can count as time on your calendars. Especially if you share your work with others afterwards and I would love to have you bring your writing to school and share it with everyone in the classroom.

Happy reading and writing boys and girls!

Basketball

2008-07-18T10:55:00.001-07:00

Hello Boys & Girls,

Do you like to play sports? Everyone in my family loves to play and watch sports of all kinds. My favorite sport is skiing, any and every kind of skiing. I water ski at our camp in the summer and alpine and telemark ski anywhere I can in the winter.

My son's first word was ball! He had 2 basketball games this week so I made a movie that features some of his best moves. If you think you know which player is Sam respond and tell me what number you think he is and I'll let you know if you're correct. Good Luck!

Empty Classroom

2008-07-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hello Boys and Girls,

I went into school today to work with the other Vista teachers. I always enjoy going into the classroom in the summer and spending time organizing books and materials. Today I had a huge surprise. The custodians had cleaned the carpets in the classroom and piled everything up in big heaps in the Kiva. It was really quite a mess. Here's a quick Flip video showing our empty classroom and the piles of all of our classroom stuff. Guess I know what I'll be doing next week!

Thanks to Hailey, John, and Noah for sending me postcards. Check your mailboxes for a return postcard.

Keepin' Cool

2008-07-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

The summer heat is on and it sure feels good. That is if you can find a way to stay cool! Here's a Flip video movie of how we stay cool on a hot summer day. The Flip movie making software has a couple of "cool" effects. Enjoy :)

4th of July

2008-07-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone - Hope you all had a fun filled 4th of July. Bill, Alita, and I marched in the Richmond parade with the Cochran's float. The ski club was celebrating the new snowmaking machines by having one big long water fight the entire length of the parade route. We were all soaked, as were many of our friends and family who cheered us on from the audience! We're all excited for next years ski season and looking forward to shooting water (and air) out of the snowmaking machines in order to make snow. The video footage was taken using my new Flip Video camera. Everyone in the classroom will be using it next year and creating their own movies. It's so much fun and quite easy to use. The possibilities are endless!

Keyboarding activities

2008-07-01T03:43:00.000-07:00

Olivia reminded me in her comment that in order to build your keyboarding skills you must practice, practice, practice. I found a fun game on line that will help you do just that. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Click on the link below and have fun!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

Maine

2008-06-30T05:29:00.001-07:00

Alita and I spent the last 4 days in Maine at the Regional Soccer Tournament. Her team played really well and had lots of fun. The event began with a parade of athletes and an opening ceremony that felt as if we were at the Olympics! The sun finally came out on our last day there so we headed to the beach for some very chilly wave jumping and cool critter catching. It felt great to squish my feet in the sand and breath in the salty air. Thanks Noah for your postcard from Maine! We must have both been there at the same time. I hope to hear from more of you over the summer.

Hope your vacation is going as well as mine!

2008-06-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Can you guess where I am?

2008-06-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

I've received a couple of postcards in the mail from happy Williston children enjoying summer! Watch your mailbox as I'll be sending out a bunch myself in the next few days. Until then I hope you are finding lots of great books to read. Here's a list of some of my summer favorites.

Summer Reading List
Agapanthus Hum and Major Bark , by Jennifer Plecas
Aloha, Dolores, by Barbara
Bonaparte, by Marsha Wilson
Cam Jansen and the Birthday Mystery, by David A.
Cold Feet, by Cynthia C.
Corduroy at the Zoo, by Don
Everything to Spend the Night From A to Z, by Ann Whitford
Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep: A Yarn About Wool, by Teri Sloat
Hamster Chase, by Anastasia How To Catch An Elephant,
Amber Brown, by Paula Danziger
Letters and Sounds, by Rosemary Wells
The Lion and the Mouse and Other Aesop Fables, by Doris Orgel
Minnie and Moo Go to Paris, by Denys Cazet
Old Thunder and Miss Raney, by Sharon Darrow
The Other Side, by Jacqueline Woodson
Ring! Yo?, by Chris Raschka
Three Cheers for Catherine the Great!, by Cari Best
Willie's Birthday, by Anastasia Suen
Yoshi's Feast, by Kimiko Kajikawa
Young Classics: Alice in Wonderland, by Julie Fior
The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash, by Trinka Hakes Noble
The Art Lesson, by Tomie de Paola
Swimmy, by Leo Lionni
If You Were a Writer, by Joan Lowery Nixon
Author: A True Story, by Helen Lester
Amelia's Road, by Linda Jacobs Altman
Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney
A Chair for My Mother, by Vera B. Williams
The New Kid on the Block, by Jack Prelutsky
Freckle Juice, by Judy Blume
Charlotte's Web, by E. B. White
Ramona Quimby, Age 8, by Beverly Cleary
Fudge-A-Mania, by Judy Blume
Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein