SRES Eagle Times

Inspire, Create and Grow a Community of Lifelong Learners

Greetings SRES Families!

Our 2nd graders facilitated an engaging All School Meeting this morning! Together we did rainbow breaths, a group juggle, sang, and found each other using animal sounds. Second graders shared a poem about plant life which highlighted their fluency skills as well as their ability to work together! Excellent work 2nd grade!

Three cheers to our 3rd and 4th graders for showing what they know on the VT CAP (new State assessment) - they persevered and finished! Families: we will share the results with you soon!

Our Dress as Your Favorite Book Character Day was awesome! We had Waldo, Dog Man, Elsa, Cinderella, princesses, Harry Potter, Tinkerbell, Matilda, Sam I Am, Thing One, lots of crayons from The Day the Crayons Quit, and more! In fact, everyone was able to join in the fun as a crayon!

Next week:

• Monday: 4th grade BFMS transition day
• MAP (Tuesday/Thursday) and DIBELS (Wednesday) assessments for all students!
• Book Fair - students will create "wish lists" on Monday and the Book Fair will be open for shopping on Friday during the school day and also from 4:30-5pm on Thursday
• BINGO for BOOKS! Thursday at 5pm!! (see below for details)

Looking ahead:

• Week of May 22nd: Scholastic Book Fair
• May 22nd: Montshire Museum visits K, 1st and 2nd grade; 4th Grade visits BFMS
• May 25th: BINGO FOR BOOKS at SRES; 5:00-6:00pm (see below for details!)
• May 29th: No School; Memorial Day
• June 1st: Egress Drill
• Week of June 5th: Artist in Residence with local artist, Mark Ragonese: Puzzle Murals!
• June 12th: Special treat!
• June 14th: VINS visits 3rd grade
• June 15th: Field Day! (rain date June 16th)
• June 19th: No School; Juneteenth
• June 20th: Last Day!; Early Release; Family BBQ at 11am

Enjoy the weekend and be sure to smell the lilacs before the rain comes!

Your partner in education,

Laura Hazard

laura.hazard@wnesu.com

After-School Programs Update:

Please participate via the ThoughtExchange platform to provide feedback on the 2022-2023 After-School Programs. Click the link to participate, or scan the QR code!

https://tejoin.com/scroll/564866695

Dear Parents and Families:

Get Ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming our way (YAY!). Choosing their own books empowers kids and inspires them to become Bolder, Prouder, and Stronger Readers. AND—as always—every book they buy earns rewards for our school.

Here’s what you need to know about the Fair, which will take place from May 25 & 26, 2023 at Saxtons River Elementary School.

This year, say goodbye to cash and hello to eWallet—your child’s digital payment account.

Before the Fair, set up eWallet for worry-free, cash-free purchases.

If you can’t make it to the Fair, then shop at our school’s Online Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Your online orders will also benefit our school.

Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping:

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/saxtonsriverelemschool1 or scan the QR-code above.

The countdown to more Bookjoy is on! Catch you at the Fair!

Happy reading,

Laura Hazard

Principal

Saxtons River Elementary Schoo

K-2 classrooms have been learning about the problem solving steps during SEL class this month! Students have practiced Saying the problem (without blame), Thinking of Solutions, Exploring Consequences, and Picking the best solution. These lessons are part of Unit 4 of the Second Step curriculum. Puppy and Snail did several puppet shows to show the kids how to solve a problem following these steps!

3rd and 4th have completed lessons on online safety. We will finish up the year by reading some of my favorite SEL books and doing activities to accompany them. I hope to also do some of our SEL classes outside over the next few weeks so that we can complete some teamwork and problem solving activities in the fresh air!

1st graders all had their second lunch bunch of the year! Now it is time for Kindergarteners to attend lunch bunch! All Kindergarten students will have the opportunity to join me for a lunch bunch before the end of the year. Here are a few pictures from recent lunch bunches!

Do you or someone you know want to learn more about the programs we offer?

Visit our website at: www.pcavt.org/family-support-programs,

email us at familysupport@pcavt.org or

call 1-800-CHILDREN

Nurturing Parenting® &

Strengthening Families Programs

Curriculum-based, parenting education programs for families experiencing stress.

Upcoming Programs:

All programs are offered virtually and FREE!

Programs are 2 hours per week for 12-18 weeks

Nurturing Fathers Program -

starting May 17, Wednesdays 9pm

Nurturing Skills™ for Families -

starting June 5, Mondays 7pm

Nurturing Program® for Families in Substance Use Treatment & Recovery

starting June 15, Thursdays 5pm

Nurturing Program® for Families in Substance Use Treatment & Recovery

starting June 21, Wednesdays 12pm

Nurturing Skills™ for Families -

starting June 21, Wednesdays 4pm

Strengthening Families Program for Families with Teens

starting June 21, Wednesdays 6:30pm

Nurturing Skills™ for Families -

starting June 26, Mondays 8am

Nurturing Fathers Program -

starting July 11, Tuesdays 7pm

Strengthening Families Program Birth to Age 3

starting July 24, Mondays 1pm

Nurturing Program® for Families in Substance Use Treatment & Recovery

starting August 4, Fridays 11am

*Participants may start up to 2 weeks after class begins

Reach out to familysupport@pcavt.org for more information

1. PROTECT: Avoid areas where ticks live, use EPA-registered tick repellents, and cover up.

1. CHECK: Don't let ticks hitchhike inside and check your whole body.

1. REMOVE: Remove attached ticks as soon as you can.

1. WATCH: Watch for symptoms and tell your provider if you get sick.

Please visit the Vermont Department of Health for more information at:

https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/tickborne-diseases/prevent-tick-bites-tickborne-diseases

Attendance:

If your child is sick and going to be absent, we ask that you notify the school by calling the main office at 802-869-2637.

Illnesses (please read)

If your child is sick (fever greater than 100.4, vomiting and/or diarrhea) it is imperative that you keep your child home. Your child can return to school 24 hours once they are fever free (without the use of fever reducing medication) and free from vomiting and/or diarrhea.

Medications:

There may be times during the year where your child needs to have medication administered at school.

Prescription medications: a note from your child’s doctor with instructions for use and parental signature are required to administer any medication during school hours. An adult must deliver the medication to the health office in the original container.

Non-prescription medications: parental signature is required to administer any “over the counter” medications. An adult must deliver the medication to the health office in the original container.

Prescription and non-prescription medication permission forms are available in the health office.

Head Lice:

Please do your part by periodically checking your child's head for head lice and treat as needed. SRES no longer excludes children from school for head lice per instructions from the American Academy of Pediatrics. If head lice is found during school hours the parent/guardian will be notified and proper treatment will need to be done before your child can return to school. Please Note: Mass head checks are no longer done in school

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child's health.

Phone: 802-869-2637 or Ema: jennifer.vaughan@wnesu.com

Last week we finished our Mother’s Day project. Kindergarten students decided to write a book for their moms. They worked so hard for weeks and were proud of all their hard work.

In ELA we have been working on short vowel sounds and reading in our Reading Groups. We are currently on the short /o/ sound. We are becoming amazing cvc word readers. We are currently at 40 sight words

In Math we are learning about measurement. Today Kindergarteners lined up by height and worked to figure how to compare their own height to others.

As the weather warms up please make sure to send in a water bottle everyday with your student.

☆ Reading: During Reader’s Workshop time we have been reading books about planting and growing such as “Jack’s Garden” by Henry Cole and “From Seed to Plant” by Gail Gibbons. We have been comparing the two different nonfiction texts and how they are similar and different. Ask your first grader about what they have learned about planting and growing from these nonfiction books!

☆ Phonics: In word work time, we have been learning about vowel teams! We learned about how most of the time with vowel teams, “the first one does the talking and the next one does the walking”. We learned about vowel teams that make the long a sound (ai, ay) and the long e sound (ea, ee, ey). Next we will learn about vowel teams with the long o sound (oa, oe).

☆ Math: The first graders have been rocking their place value understanding to add and subtract numbers within 100! Students began to apply their learning in context in story problems. We have also been working on using our place value understanding to add 10 and subtract 10 from any two-digit number quickly. Ask your first grader what is 10 less or 10 more than a two-digit number within 100!

☆ Writing: We read the book “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!” by Mo Willems and wrote opinion pieces about if they would let the pigeon drive the bus or if they would not let the pigeon drive the bus. It was an anonymous opinion that we should not let the pigeon drive the bus! Students worked on stating their opinion, three reasons, and a closing to their writing.

☆ Science: We began our last science unit of the year on plant and animal traits and survival! We started with a Mystery Science lesson of “How can you help a lost baby animal find its parents?” Ask your first grader what they discovered!

☆ Note to Families: Thank you all who attended our First Grade Marketplace Day! We had a terrific turn out! The students were so excited to share their projects with all of you. We especially enjoyed reading your “Yelp” reviews! Each student wrote a reflection about what they thought went well at their marketplace, what they thought was challenging, what they would change, and what their favorite part was.

Reminder to please send your child with a water bottle each day! Thank you for your support with this!

Reading

• Second Graders are learning how to retell the important information from a text using a format, like SWBST. Ask your student what those letters mean. They are learning how to do this verbally, and then will practice being able to write a retell down.

Writing

• These writers are writing their opinions with reasons to persuade their readers. They are using the OREO format to help them organize their writing.

Phonics

• Students have learned different vowel teams that spell the different long vowel sounds. They are practicing reading and spelling words with these spelling patterns.
  
  

Math

• Second Grade Mathematicians practiced collecting data and organizing it in a representation that is easy to understand. They also learned how to ask and answer questions using different types of graphs in order to better understand what the data is showing them.

Theme

• These scientists are learning about the biodiversity of animals and how they can be categorized. They are using Mystery Science to explore how animals live and survive in specific habitats.

REMINDERS

• PLEASE REMEMBER WATER BOTTLES!

Math: The third graders have continued to study fractions. Now that the students feel comfortable identifying fractions by looking at models, they have learned how to compare them. They have also learned different ways to find equivalent fractions.

Reading: The third graders have continued to study consonant blends and have started to learn about diphthongs. They have focused on the diphthongs: AU, OI and OY. They will soon study the letter combinations EA, AI, and the different sounds for OO.

Science: The third grade students started a unit on magnets and magnetism. They made predictions about different materials and then tested them. They discussed how it’s important to test all theories and predictions even when people think they know the outcomes.

Writing: The students have worked on their descriptive paragraphs. This week, they focused on writing opening sentences and how to inspire audience members to continue reading. They will use the five senses to describe the place they chose to write about.

• May sure seems to be flying by with all of the end of the year projects, activities, and assessments.

• In math we completed both sessions of the VT CAP and are now reviewing decimals. We have learned the place value notation for tenths and hundredths as well as how to add and subtract decimals. We will use this learning in conjunction with a data unit.

• In our reader’s workshop we completed both sessions of the VT CAP and continued to work on building comprehension skills. We have used poetry to guide our learning by paraphrasing stanzas, finding themes, and studying the author’s word choice. We are also practicing prefixes for multi-syllabic vocabulary.

• In writing we have taken a closer look at figurative language: similes, metaphors, idioms, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and personification. Today we took all that we had learned and participated in a task card challenge.

• Last week we completed our Vermont geography study by creating a Vermont cookie, hopefully it was shared with you all. Thank you to 13 families for providing ingredients to make our activity a success! Were you able to find the major lakes and rivers, mountain peaks, Green Mountain ranges, Montpelier, and Rockingham?!

• We are now learning about the parts of an ecosystem: producers, consumers, decomposers, carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, food chains, food webs, and photosynthesis are our major vocabulary words. Today we took a short walk by the school to find examples of producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Upcoming Date(s):

• Monday, 5/22: BFMS visit

• Thursday, 5/25: Book Bingo/Book Fair evening!

• Monday, 5/29: Memorial Day - no school

Another fun math game that you can play at home is called Going To Boston. You can play this game with a partner using 3 dice.

• Roll all three dice. Put the largest number off to the side. If there are 2 of the same largest numbers, only put one off to the side.
• Roll the other two dice again. Put the largest number off to the side. If there are 2 of the same largest numbers, only put one off to the side.
• Roll the last die one more time.
• Add the numbers on all 3 dice. If you and your partner have the same sum, play that round again. The partner with the greatest sum wins that round!

Decide on how many rounds to play. Record the sums for each round to see which partner wins the most rounds. Have fun!

Next week is the Scholastic Book Fair at SRES, and setting up for this event began this morning. Books are being spread out on tables, bookshelves are opening up, and students walking into school today were excited to see some of the books that are available for sale.

Next Thursday, bring your family to Bingo for Books! From 4:30-5:00 pm, there will be a family Book Fair Sale, and there will be book prizes and games during the event. I will be performing a kamishibai for SRES families. Come if you can and see why the children love kamishibai!

Students in all grades continue to learn and understand the importance of communication. Students are learning that communication can be both verbal and nonverbal. In this game of Bird in A Nest, students must collaborate with each other to switch nests. Students must agree to switch nests in order to be successful in this game.

Kindergarten, First and Second Grades are busy at work, bearing down on week six of our final 12 week lessons in our First Steps In Music Curriculum. I am incredibly impressed at their daily creativity and musicality skills!

Kindergarten absolutely loved their Movement Exploration "plate balancing". First they practiced balancing plates on their head, wrist, hand, shoulder, back, etc. Then we played a game. If the plate fell to the floor, they had to freeze until another student came to their rescue and handed them back their plate. As you can imagine, this turned into a really fun activity with students "frozen" all over the room (see pictures). Also, have your student recite "The Sun Is In My Heart". Their favorite part is "BEAST"! It will definitely make you laugh!

First Grade has LOVED "Jump Jim Joe" jumping on cue to the word "jump" in the song. They enjoy being partners with their friends and this song always creates megawatt smiles throughout the room! Ask your student to jump with you as they sing the song! Also, have them recite "The Clapping Mouse". You can clap along and help them make some funny sounds at the end!

Second Grade is great at reciting "Here Is The Boat". They began coming up with some great group movements that complement the song! Also, they love singing "She Sailed Away". See if your Second Grader can sing you this song. Maybe you can figure out what happens in the end...

Third and Fourth Grades continue to folk dance. They have learned "The Bridge of Athlone" and began learning the "strip the willow" dance element. We will learn the Virginia Reel soon ("strip the willow" is the "reel" in the dance). They all love to sing "This Land Is Your Land" and have begun singing "These Green Hills" the Vermont State Song. Every student asked for a print out of the lyrics. I have heard them singing at recess and have heard reports of them singing with their families. This is what EVERY Music Teacher LOVES to hear! Third and Fourth Grade continues to explore the treble clef notes and staff.

I look forward to our final few weeks together this year!

Mrs. Daigneault, Music Educator

Pictures above and below are of the Kindergarten "plate balancing" activity, as well as their "stuffed animal day" when all their pals came to meet Honey and watch our Music Class

Fourth Grade

These artists have begun to explore drawing 3D works that show shadows and cast shadows! We explored the artworks of Wayne Theibaud and his focus on desserts. Inspired by his work we created our own donut drawings. We will be completing these works of art in the next classes to come!

Third Grade

Third Grade artists have begun their introduction into 3D drawing by creating a decorated cake! Inspired by the works of Wayne Theibaud and his dessert themed paintings, we created our own work that shows shading and casts shadows!

Second Grade

Second Grade has begun to explore styles of work inspired by other countries' folk art. We explored the works of Huichol Art, found from the Huichol people who live in the states of Jalisco, Durango, Sacatecas, and Nayarit in Mexico. Students inspired by these works created a radiating pattern of colors from a drawing to create new designs in the artwork.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten has finished working on their totem poles in Art! They had to draw an animal's face and then cut and attach the animals stacking them on top of one another to create our own classroom totem pole!

ASP students have been very busy with their new clubs. We are really enjoying the great weather.

Monday - Gardening Club: This week we made beds for plants in the garden space. Then we started some carrots,radishes,kale,lettuce and potatoes in our garden. Next week we plan to plant our seedlings.

Tuesday - Woodworking Club: Our door hangings are moving along. Meghan from Truelywooden taught us about different paints for different surfaces. Students were able to start painting their projects.

Wednesday - Keeping Memories Club: Lots of memories were shared over the picture we worked on this week. Each student's pages are amazing.

Thursday - Grafton Nature Museum Club: Sam worked with the ASP students catching and identifying instincts . We found some very interesting instincts in our school garden space.

Friday - Board game/Outdoor Game Club: The ASP students enjoyed outdoor play on the playground, Legos and rubber band bracelet making.

Looking Forward: No ASP Monday May 29th in observance of Memorial Day

Last day of ASP Friday June 16th

As always if you have questions please reach out.

Email: laura.hazard@wnesu.com
Website: https://sres.wnesu.org/
Location: 15 School Street, Saxtons River, VT, USA
Phone: (802) 869-2637
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sresvt