Tradition Share #17

Tradition Share #16

This student talked about how his family makes a new Christmas ornament for their tree each year.  He also brought in his favorite Christmas music and we all sang along to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Seeing Our Cells

The kids had a real treat today.  A real life scientist came to visit.  Jill's dad, Sean, came in and brought a microscope for the kids to see the cells from the inside of their mouths.  Very cool!

Tradition Share #15

Tradition Share #14

The kids learned about a new tradition today.  This child shared about his Swedish tradition of having a special meal on Christmas Eve as well as a special dessert with a surprise baked inside of the pie.  He also brought in a book written by a Swedish author.  

Finger Knitting

Today Bradie, Jacob's mom, came in to teach the kids how to finger knit.  Although it was tricky at first, they all did a great job trying something new and persevered.  They each have a bag with extra yarn and beads to try again at home.  I have included directions in their green folders.  Try the link and view another way to finger knit.  Have fun learning to finger knit!

Tradition Shares #12 & #13

Tradition Shares 7-11

December PTO Meeting Minutes

DECEMBER PTO NOTES & NEWS

PLEASE TAKE OUR SURVEY! The PTO needs your feedback. Please go the PTO page

of the SCS website and click on the survey link.

If you shop on AMAZON please take an extra step and enter the site through the link

on the PTO page. The PTO will earn up to 15% of your purchases! Please remember

that you need to use this link each time you shop for the PTO to benefit.

The HOLIDAY FAIR earned over $5000 for teams and students and more

importantly fun was had by all who attended! Thanks to Leslie Borrok, Dawn

Fragola, Kate Danforth and Sharon Harkness for all their hard work putting the fair

together.

An ON-LINE PARENTING WEBINAR is being offered on Thursday, December 12

from 1p - 2p: "Children & Technology: Helping Parents Have a Lens for Making the

Right Choices" In a culture dominated by screens, gadgets and remote controls, we as

parents must be aware of the impact it has on our children's overall development and

well being. Professor of Early Childhood Education and author of "Beyond Remote-
Controlled Childhood," Dr. Levin will share how screens affect children, how to make

informed decisions about the media and technology in our children's lives, and how to

work together as a family to promote the positive and counteract the negative.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/

260232775

You can also view past webinars from this group at: http://childcare.ors.nih.gov.

WINTER GEAR DRIVE still happening! There is still a need for all sizes of winter

gear. A special need right now is for large gloves.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PRINCIPALS REPORT:

• Welcome to Hannah Chavalier a new ELL teacher teaming with Rachel

Thibault.

• 8th Graders hosted a celebratory wrap-up to their 1st cycle of Arts and

Citizenship with a public sharing of their work. Their "gallery" showcased

artwork, music and presentations on their experiences.

• A Unified Sports team from SCS participated in a competition recently with

SCS athletes earning podium medals!

• David Southworth is currently preparing students in grades 3-8 for the

Scripps Spelling Bee and schoolwide Geo Bee. Lisa Phelps and Carol Specht

are providing math activity times as part of the MathCounts program.

Christine Hertz and Megan Maynard are hosting a weekly math club for 3rd

and 4th graders.

• Rehearsals for the Middle School play Fiddler on the Roof have begun.

Performance will be in February.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

• 1/21 @ 7p Community Budget Forum at the Town Hall

• 1/24 @ 6p International Pot-Luck Dinner (Info. to come home in January)

• 1/29 @ 6p - Parent Education Night with Detective Nash - "Keeping our

Children Safe on the Internet." Topics will include online exploitation, social

networking sites, and cyber bullying.

HELP WANTED:

• December 18 2:30p - Packing Holiday Baskets C: Cathy Townsend

(cjovt@yahoo.com)

• Pot-Luck Dinner - Set-up, clean-up and help during event

Next PTO Meeting on Tuesday, January 14 @ 6p in Alpha space. Pizza and

babysitting provided! ALL ARE WELCOME!

Tradition Share # 6

This child loved to share about her Dutch traditions.  On December 5th, she gets a visit from Sinterklaas.  She gets to eat pepernoten (like a gingerbread cookie) and unwraps presents.  She shared a fun cd (in Dutch).  She also taught us how to count to ten in Dutch.  How cool!

Tradition Share #5

This great kiddo enjoys his family traditions of reading Christmas stories, decorating the tree together, and pulling out the Santa hat to wear.  He also shared that his family loves to get together to play with all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins throughout the year!

Tradition Share #4

This eager share student was happy to tell about making Christmas sugar cookies with his family to give to family and neighbors.  He looks forward to listening to Burle Ives' Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer because "it reminds him of his happy family this time of year".  He brought in The Legend of the Candy Cane story and gave each child a candy cane to take home.  

Sneaker Award

I almost forgot to brag that our class just won the prestigious Sneaker Award.  The P.E. department gives it to the class that gets the most sneaker stickers for each month.  A class earns a sticker for each P.E. class they attend where all students have sneakers for the class.  So a big thank you to all our classroom families for helping them to remember their sneakers every Tuesday and Thursday!

Tradition Share #3

This student was really excited to share her tradition of having her Elf on the Shelf named Carrot come to visit every Christmas.  She also loves listening to the song Silent Night.

Tradition Share #2

This happy girl had a lot to share today.  Her family makes a candy cane coffee cake to eat every Christmas morning.  She also enjoys being read The Night Before Christmas and listening to the Polar Express CD.  Her favorite song from the CD is called Hot Chocolate!

Tradition Share Day 1

This student was so excited to share about getting together with family after Thanksgjving dinner to do some creative crafts.  This year he made a sock snowman, reindeer, and a turkey.

PTO November Meeting Notes

SUPPORT THE PTO WHEN YOU SHOP ON AMAZON!  Click on the link on the PTO page of the SCS website each time you shop at Amazon and the PTO will receive up to 15% of your purchase!

The PTO wants your input!  Please take our  SURVEY by clicking on the link on the PTO page of the SCS website or click on the link below:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5TSTHSL

The SCHOOL DIRECTORY is finished and has been distributed.  Extra copies can be purchased for $5 from Esther or at the Holiday Fair.  We raised over $1500 in business listings.  Please solicit these LOCAL BUSINESSES that have supported the PTO.

HANNAFORD HELPS SCHOOLS program ends on December 1.  Please remember to bring all of your "schools" receipts to the office or put in the kiosk at Hannaford.

The PTO decided to replace the Flower Power fundraiser with a new local plant fundraiser through Hinesburg company, RED WAGON PLANTS.  More info. on this in the spring.

The PTO FALL GRANT COMMITTEE met and distributed $5000 in grants to teachers and staff!  Some of the great things we've funded are:  New instruments for K-8 music programs, books to support the Common Core, an on-line book subscription, playground equipment for EEE/Kindergarten, and math tools.

The WINTER GEAR DRIVE is still happening.  The need is as great as ever for winter gear for all age children and adults.  Box in front of office.

IMAGINATION PLAYGROUND is at SCS again!  This interactive mobile exhibit on loan from the Green Mountain Children's Museum will be shared by all of our primary classrooms through November.

The CVU ROBOTICS TEAM treated middle school students to demonstrations of various robotics and a 3-D printer!

The 2 Vermont based stars of the documentary WRETCHES & JABBERERS visited with 6th graders culminating their lesson of a Skills4Life Bullying & Harassment unit.

7th graders enjoyed STEPAFRIKA at the Flynn as a powerful conclusion to their world music culture unit.

David Southworth's 7th graders had the opportunity to take control of a CAMERA ON BOARD THE INT'L SPACE STATION and took some great pictures!

Officer Thomas Nash is giving presentations to all middle school students on INTERNET SAFETY.   We will also be sponsoring a parent education night with him on January 29.

Teachers and staff have attended PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT on the topics of suicide prevention and youth stress and anxiety.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

HOLIDAY FAIR:  Sat. 12/7, 9:30a - 1:30p.  Adult and child made crafts and goodies. and games! Great place to do your holiday shopping - fun for the whole family!

HELP WANTED:

• Setting up and decorating for the Holiday Fair:  Friday, 12/6 from 3p - whenever.
• Clean-up and breakdown after Holiday Fair:  Saturday, 12/7

C:  Leslie Borrok (leslie@borrok.com)

THANK YOU TO:

• Amy Knight for coordinating the Newberry Cup Bake Sale.
• Everyone who donated baked goods or helped at the Newberry Cup.
• Everyone who supported and helped distribute Genevieve Gift Wrap.
• Leslie Borrok and Lisa Merrill for coordinating the directory and Kim Schmitt, Valerie Richardson, Corinne Levinthal and Elaine brand for their tremendous amount of work on the directory.

NEXT PTO MEETING:   TUES. DEC. 10 @ 6P.  Pizza and babysitting provided and we will have a cookie swap - bring 3 dozen of your favorite cookies!

Field Trip Photos

Imagination Playground

Cones, Cones, Cones

Today was Hands On Nature.  The topic was cones.  Here is a YouTube link to visit at home with your child about spirals, Fibonacci numbers, and being a plant.

http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahXIMUkSXX0