News From Mrs. Crowther!

In literacy, we continue to think about and work on our stamina in both reading and writing.  Additionally, we're focusing on word meanings - using context clues to help us understand our reading more deeply, and also some explicit vocabulary instruction using words from our class read aloud: Wonder by RJ Palacio.  

As a way to support developing reading and writing stamina at home, please be sure your child is reading for at least 20 minutes 5x/week.   Another good idea is to have them journal or write in some form at home regularly.  Maybe you want to start a dialogue journal with them?!!

Next week we are lucky enough to have Vermont author Natalie Kinsey Warnock visiting SCS as an artist in residence!  She'll talk to the students about her life, how she gets her ideas for her writing and being an author!  This will be a fantastic way to start our October focus of narrative writing!  Expect the students to come home asking about family stories!

Walking Wednesdays!

Please join us for Walking Wednesdays!

October 2017

October has arrived, and you know what that means...Walking Wednesdays!  This year we thought we’d continue an opportunity for more students to participate in this wellness activity.  

Beginning October 4th, all K-8 SCS students and families are invited to meet at the “parade” green on the corner of Church Street and Route 7 (Farmer’s Market location).  We will meet up with buses,E, D, G and H at about  7:45-7:50.  Any students who want to get off the bus and walk to school are encouraged to do so.  There will be cones set up on the right (north) side of Church St. with the Shelburne Police there to assist.  Teachers, staff, and community members will supervise students as they cross Route 7, walk down the sidewalk by the library and coffee shop, and head west on Harbor Road.

• October 4th, Bus E,      Driver~PJ
• October 11th, Bus D,    Driver~Diane
• October 18th, Bus G,    Driver~Damian
• October 25th, Bus H,    Driver~Lucy

Although, we would love to have everyone participate, this is an optional activity.  Any students remaining on the bus will continue on to the school.

Rocketry At SCS!

Students in 3-5th grade - come join Bob for the Fall Model Rocketry Class! Build test and launch the Estes Photon Disruptor. Class begins Monday 10/23 from 3:00-4:15pm, and runs for five weeks - completing the week after Thanksgiving break. Cost is $91 and includes the model rocket and supplies. Sign Up here.

So much to tell you!

This morning we totaled up our donations and we have over $200 to support hurricane victims world wide.  We have decided to share 1/3 of the money with a 5th Grade class in Houston, Texas!  The classroom Teachers are Ms. West and Ms. Fowler.  We will send the money in the form of a Gift Card to Amazon so they can get needed supplies for their classroom.  The rest of the money will be donated to the Red Cross in hopes of supporting victims of Hurricanes Irma, Maria and Jose! 

We built our classroom norms last week and landed on an amazing collection of actions we hope to participate in on a daily basis here at school!  We signed these norms by leaving our mark as Vashti does in the story The Dot!  Ask your child about it!

We continue to be engineers in science class! We have focused heavily on the vocabulary we will engage in as we build our solar ovens!  We will be using different materials, thinking about their properties, finding ways to create a sustainable solar oven that is efficient and inexpensive.  We will design and redesign our ovens in hopes of improving their success in making s'mores!

Ask~Imagine~Plan~Create~Improve~Ask~Imagine~Plan~Create~Improve

In math class we have been focusing on our multiplications strategies while discovering volume and what it means to our friend Brad who is running a baseball business!  He sells baseballs in packages of 12 and 24 and we are designing multiple ways in which he can box up his baseballs!  We are keeping track of our models by noticing the lengths and width and height of of the boxes we design. We are generalizing the formula for volume while also discovering the congruency between some of our designs.  As a bonus we have also been focusing on strategies for addition and subtraction!  I am most proud of our dedication to multiple pathways, perseverance, mathematical representations, critique and debate and accuracy and precision!  Way to go efficient mathematicians!  

Don't forget on Friday, we are headed to Shelburne Farms!  Your students will need comfortable clothes appropriate for the weather, sneakers, snacks and a lunch, as well as a water bootle!  Thanks!

Vasanthi 

Donating to Harvey!

Here we are counting our donations!  How much money will we raise for Hurricane Harvey?Changing our mission next week to support citizens affected by Hurricane Irma!  Please continue to send in your spare change, every penny counts!