STEP AFRIKA

Lots of fun!  I am sure the kids will be dancing to their own beat with inspiration from this performance.

It Was a Party Indeed!

Pierson Library Trip

They did such a great job walking to and from the library.  Katie, the librarian, read them one story then they had a special guest reader.  The kids made a special pumpkin craft.  Here are a couple photos from our trip:

New Math Workplaces

Numbers and Rekenrecks

Also Count and Compare Numbers

Here They Go!!!!

Yesterday marked the beginning of reading groups!  They are impressing me with how far they have all come in only 36 days of kindergarten.  Each child is in a small group reading books at  "Just Right" levels with me and working on skills that need to be practiced.  

Upcoming Class Trips

As part of our new "Me and My Community Unit", our team will be taking a couple of walking field trips in the coming weeks.  So far we have one planned to the Pierson Library this Friday, 10/25.  We will leave school at 9:30 and return by 11:15 for recess/lunch.  More trips are being planned to New Village Farm and The Arbors.

Our Journey Team will be traveling by bus to the Flynn Center on 10/31.  We will be going to see Step Africa.  It is a 10 am show.  The kids will need to bring a bagged lunch as we hope to stop for a picnic on the way back if weathe permits.  We will return to school by 1:00 that day.

Other trips are being planned so stay tunned...

Super Problem Solvers

Essential Understanding:  All people have SUPER Problem Solving Powers that they must use to solve issues that they encounter in life.

As a class, we have been discussing how children have super powers to help them become better readers, writes, mathematicians, scientists, and friends.  When they are reading, they can use their powers to be word detectives so that they can read either by words, pictures, or by memory.  When they are writing, they can use their powers to help them figures out their writing topic and how to stretch words out and write the sounds they hear.  In Math, they use their powers to figure out how to solve their number problems, how to listen to understand someone else's thinking, and how to justify their work.  They have these powers all day long as inquisitive thinkers!  See if they can use them at home as well and try to point out when they are being SUPER PROBLEM SOLVERS!

1,2 Buckle My Shoe

Ask your child to read it by pictures, memory, and words.

PTO Meeting Notes for October

PTO Minutes– October 8, 2013

Principals Report

▪ UA Curriculum night will take place on October 22nd
▪ Building committee formed to look at upgrades to facility and maintenance of big ticket items. Forum on November 12^th
▪ Great attendance by the SKAT program 86 kids attending per week (separate from after school athletics)
▪ Part 2 has 70+ kids after school, starting to increase programming
▪ Professional development: Math Studio for teachers

Treasurers Report

▪ Genevieve fundraiser is behind estimates: estimated 8k net fundraising vs. 13k in 2012
▪ Delayed the budget approval until November to adjust Genevieve fundraising numbers
▪ Discussed team donations: should they go through the school directly and not through PTO
▪ Discussed possible reasons why there was a reduced gift wrap sale this year
▪ Don't forget box tops and Hannaford Helps Schools (end Dec 1)

Fundraising Update                                                                                                                       

▪ Genevieve Gift Wrap – estimated 8k net fundraising vs. 13 k in 2012

▪ School Directory Business Listing - has brought in an estimated $1,717.42(plus $750 from Volvo & Health Living still to come in)

▪ Amazon School Rewards Program - we will be placing a link on the school website where people can click on it, order things off of Amazon and SCS will earn money off of every $$ that is spent.  More information to follow shortly.

▪ Donate Online – you can now donate online to the SCS PTO through Paypal https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=83QQ22GDZFRLJ

Fund Spending Update

▪ School Directory - Printing Estimate $1400

▪ Visiting Artist Program - we will not be using Jon Gailmor this year and instead we will be doing a program with the Flynn Theatre and integrating the arts into the classrooms

▪ Fall Grant Committee Meeting – will take place on November 4^th from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm.  Anyone interested in participating in this committee meeting which awards grants to teachers and staff, is welcome to come.

                 

Mark Your Calendars                                                                                                                                            

▪ Walking Wednesdays - every Wednesday in October (meet at 7:30 at Jaime 2 Coats or the Parade Grounds)

▪ Newberry Cup Bake Sale – October 12th

▪ UA Curriculum Night – October 22^nd

▪ Genevieve Gift Wrap Distribution – October 22^nd

Help Wanted                                                                        

▪ Flower Gardens (lisawvt@hotmail.com)

▪ PTO Bulletin Boards (sweeneyrs@gmail.com)

▪ Newberry Cup Bake Sale (amybknight@gmail.com)

▪ CY Mentor Program (aliceandy@myfairpoint.net) - Alice Brown is the new coordinator, a great opportunity to help kids that can benefit from an extra adult relationship in their life.  Mentoring takes place once a week during the school day

Sign Up to Volunteer Online - you can sign up to volunteer any time online:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlIV5TlL1TUvdDA0MXhsUDNqbnNuYUFNOS1XU1o2TXc#gid=0

Other Business                                                                                           

▪ Parent Education Nights – Amy Buckley, the new SAP Coordinator is working with the Burlington Police to hold an event to discuss cyber bullying and monitoring.  This event will be appropriate for all ages.

▪ Coat Drive – kids and adult’s warm winter gear is still needed.  The drop box is right in front of the Front Office

▪ Parent Survey – a survey will be sent out shortly with questions to parents on how to raise funds, what sort of events people want to see, and where should the money go

▪ After School Programming - Matt Wormser discussed different opportunities for parents to help lead after school programs, 1, 4, 12 week curriculums? Math club, Spanish, cooking, anything! What sort of after school enrichment can you help support?

▪ Facebook – be sure to “like” us on Facebook and keep up to date with everything happening at the school

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelburne-Community-School-PTO/112842845467209

Thank You’s                                                                                                                                                 

▪ Genevieve Gift Wrap - Ginger Williamson and Zynnia Seidita for heading this up and Jennifer Cairns, Dawn Fragola, Lisa Merrill and Jana Cowan for their help getting the sheets reconciled

▪ School Directory – Dawn Fragola and Corinne Levinthal for their help soliciting business listings

▪ PTO Bulletin Board – Rita Daley and Teresa Shuptrine

Busy Day

Foot Handshake Greeting

Playing "Which numeral will win?" during Math Workplaces

Playing "Beat You to Five" During Math Workplaces

Mathematicians making numbers on ten frames and one gel boards.

Reading and coloring "Little Miss Muffet" books during Reader's Workshop independent reading time.  They have been learning that readers can read in three ways:  by using words, pictures, or their memory.

What's Happening in Our Classroom Now

Here is a brief summary of the topics that your children will be studying in Kindergarten this week:

Math-Patterning

Reading- Continuing with our Nursery Rhyme Study, one-to-one match while reading words,          building reading confidence by reading "Just Right Books" by memory, by words, or by using the pictures. Adding more books to their independent reading book boxes.

Writing- Building writing confidence, writing "Telling" books (informational texts).

Social Studies- We will be beginning our next unit called " Me and My Commmunity".

Fundations (Our Letter/Word Study Time)- Letter sound, identification, and formation of letters a and g. Continued work on proper sentence structure and punctuation identification.

Unified Art Curriculum Night

Save the date:  October 22, 2013
6:30- 7:30 pm

Unified Arts Curriculum Night

An opportunity to meet the unified arts teachers, visit the classrooms, and learn about each program through student work, and hands on activities.
This evening is for parents and students.
More details to follow.