We Lead The All School Morning Meeting! @resvt @yoga4classrooms @mmmusdcesu #PBIS #SchoolCommunity

I loved watching our amazing fourth graders shine as they lead the All School Morning Meeting!  They prepared what they wanted to do and say with our awesome new guidance counselor, Mrs. Spaulding!  What an incredible way to start the day!



Link to Video: https://animoto.com/play/cJ0TdNYmoN6hQEVa0RTaiw

Connecting With Friends To Learn More About Data: We Got To Measure Mrs. Hackett's First Graders! @Hackettb @resvt @Inv3_Math #VTED #Math

On Wednesday, we collected data about our heights and organized the information onto a line plot.  Today, we got to measure Mrs. Hackett's first graders!  It was so fun to compare our heights while learning how to share two connected sets of data!



Link to Slideshow: https://sharalike.com/s/rpDj

Poetry in Motion: Finding Inspiration Through Music & Art @resvt #Poetry #Write #Mindfulness

It was so wonderful to see you at Open House last night!  Many of you noticed the colorful art and poems on the wall.  The art and poetry came from a mindfulness exercise that we did.    
We listened to music.  We illustrated what we heard, felt & saw in our imaginations.  Sometimes we closed our eyes to better connect with the music, and just let our art flow from our bodies.

When the music stopped, we walked around and described each other's art using deliciously descriptive words.  Then we used the inspiration from our art, and the words before us, to write poems!  What we ended up with was pure magic!  We can't wait to do this mindfulness exercise again! 

 

Link to Video:  https://animoto.com/play/1Lsi6SOdwVZjEmIol02NJA

Focused Movement Breaks Help Our Bodies & Our Brains, While Also Building Community! @resvt @jratey @EvolutionYogaVT @yoga4classrooms @HemmettHealth #VTED

Why move? As John Ratey discovered, movement brings us joy, gets our blood flowing, strengthens our bodies and brains, and makes us ready and able to learn!  We take movement breaks everyday, throughout the day.  

Two years ago, Hemmett Health generously donated sitting balls to my classroom so that every student could have the option of using a ball to help them sit up straight, move, focus and learn--all while building core strength.  Alli Bologna, from Hemmett Health, also designed exercise routines to get our heart rates up while also working on balance, two things that strengthen our bodies & brains.  

This year, our staff is being trained in how to utilize yoga in our classrooms.  We love how yoga makes us feel confident and strong and ready to learn!

Link to Video: https://animoto.com/play/1SOvM334FZMY0nFnOIU0bA

Making Our Mark And Celebrating Our Creativity! Happy Dot Day! @darcierankin @kkidsinvt @ShaunLangevin @resvt @peterhreynolds @dotday @mmmusdcesu #CreateArt

"Just make a mark and see where it takes you!"
           -Peter H. Reynolds, The Dot


Link to our video: https://animoto.com/play/KuwB3MdIEa6eIsFj4VWf1Q

We had so much fun singing and dancing to "The Dot Song" with Mrs. Davison's kindergarteners!


Our classroom door reminds us who we are and what we stand for.  When you enter our room, you are reminded of the fact that our community celebrates & encourages making mistakes, while also nurturing one another's creativity!  We can't wait to make our mark!

Expressing Ourselves: Learning How to Write Powerful Similes! @resvt #Writer'sCraft #Write #Create #VtEd

I am so deeply impressed by the growth students have already made as writers!!!  Their words are powerful and create images in your mind.  Their ability to take hold of newly learned crafts and make them their own is inspiring!
A writer's craft we have studied is similes.  We noticed how they add depth and meaning to an author's words.  We took time to go outside and write similes of our own.  Then, we created AMAZING poems!!!

Here are some of our wonderful words:

Watch in full-screen: https://sharalike.com/s/rnSn

A Butterfly Is Born! Welcome to the World Bob! @resvt #Nature #ExperienceLife

This morning, Elle noticed that her butterfly was preparing to exit its chrysalis and enter the world.  She thoughtfully brought Bob into the classroom for all of us to enjoy!  Elle kept a lookout so we wouldn't miss this deeply magical moment!  When Bob's moment came, we gathered together to experience the magic! 

Setting Bob Free!

Exploring her chrysalis!

Dot Day: Unleashing Our Creativity @darcierankin @peterhreynolds @resvt @amyjccuddy @kkidsinvt #DotDay #breakoutedu #DotDay18

Today, we kicked off our celebration of International Dot Day with an awesome "Breakout" with Mrs. Rankin!  Students worked together to find and solve clues that lead them to Peter H. Reynolds' book, The Dot!  We read his story together and discussed its important message.  We found connections between Amy Cuddy's message "Fake it 'til you BECOME it!" and Reynolds' powerful lesson.

For Fabulously Fun Friday, we will make our mark through art and "Google Hangout" with Sharon Davison's kindergarten class in Williston.  We will read aloud The Dot to her students, and share our art.

Happy Dot Day Everyone!!! 



Link to Video: https://animoto.com/play/5sGQYsJQG3bzJNjy7rOQig

Is Your Life Too Plastic? How Can We Take Better Care Of Each Other & The World? @resvt @BagItMovie @kkidsinvt @TeachSDGs #Environment

We have been learning about the importance of recycling and taking care of ourselves and the environment.  Today we watched this video and discussed ways we can make small changes that have a big impact!  For example, asking for paper bags instead of plastic, or better yet, bringing our own bags when we shop!  We also loved the advice of getting our ice cream in a cone instead of a cup!  Talk with your child about changes you can make each day that help our earth, the animals and ourselves!

Launching Our Reader's & Writer's Workshops: Becoming Poets @resvt #Poetry #OutdoorClassroom #BuildingConfidentSkilledWriters

I always start the year with poetry because there is something very freeing about this genre.  Poetry also allows kids to play with writer's crafts, such as alliteration and similes, without the all the rules that come with other genres.  This freedom helps them take ownership of these crafts so they can later utilize them in future work.  It has been so incredible to watch these scholars growing as writers and becoming more and more passionate about their craft!  In our first poems, we have been playing with alliteration!


Link to Video: https://animoto.com/play/WqaLmsXrXTmGzqyzjfF5DQ

Math Is About Thinking Deeply, Taking Our Time, Making Mistakes, And Finding Relationships And Patterns! @joboaler @resvt #Math #GrowthMindset

Today we discussed that math IS NOT about memorization and speed, it's about perseverance and believing in ourselves!  I encourage you to watch this video that we looked at today.  Talk with your children and remind them that they can do ANYTHING they set their minds to!  And the best part is, this is true of everything, not just math!❤

Even Though The Year Has Just Begun, We Have Learned That TOGETHER, We Can Do ANYTHING!!! @resvt #community #FirstDaysOfSchool

In our first days together, we have begun to transform the classroom to make it our own.  We have shared our core values and discussed how these values will drive our relationships and learning.  We have taken care of our school community by gathering tomatoes for the cafeteria.  And we have begun to realize that TOGETHER, we can do ANYTHING!!!

Here is a little window into how we have been spending our days:


Before we discussed our core values, we watched Jason Mraz's video "Have It All".  After that, we closely read his lyrics and discussed what they mean, and what his words mean to us.  This close reading helped us then share our core values.

Our Core Values!

Everyone can learn!

People can have different opinions!

We believe everyone can & should follow their hearts!

We believe everyone is different,
and that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends!

Be nice to EVERYONE!

Everyone can succeed if they work hard,
make mistakes  and try their best!

You should always be grateful for the people
that are special to you and care for everyone.

We believe in choosing kindness!

We should always be respectful to ourselves & others!

We believe that even though life can be complicated,
we can always look on the bright side!

A wish can’t come true without effort!!!

Even though mistakes are hard, they help you learn and grow!

Be yourself, because you’re special just the way you are!

Two wrongs don’t make a right!

We are a community and we take care of each other!