Monday News for May 2nd

Wow!  It is hard to believe that May has arrived!   With the arrival of May, the children will begin practicing and getting ready for the second grade play, Aesop's Fables.  There will be a daytime performance for the younger grades and an evening performance for parents on May 25th @ 6:00pm.  Please be sure to mark your calendars.  The children have been learning songs in Music class that they will be performing in the play.  These songs are very catchy so don't be surprised to hear your child humming and singing these songs.  I know I can't seem to get them out of my head!  This play is perfect for supporting learning goals in both reading and writing.  Currently the children are all reading fables and learning the characteristics of fables so they can eventually create and write their own fable.  The children are learning all kinds of morals which lend themselves to some wonderful conversations at reading group and whole class discussions.

On another note, the children will continue to have word study, however there will no longer be weekly spelling tests.  Instead we are focusing on writing words in dictated sentences and in student writing.

In Science we are studying plants. Last Friday, the children sampled various vegetables and learned about different edible plant parts.  They also planted peas and corn that they will measure and make comparisons on their rate of growth for math.  The children will also be conducting experiments, controlling variables and measuring and recording results.  The garden will be a big focal point of our unit with lots of hands on opportunities.  If you would like to volunteer some time to help with the Hinesburg garden, please let us know.  The success of the school garden depends on many helping hands!

We will begin testing children in reading the second week of May.  This time of year can be challenging for children with many after school activities which translate to later bedtimes.  Children also begin to understand that the school year will be coming to an end and that change is in the air. This can create anxiety in many children. We have found that if you are able to stick to a regular bedtime routine this will help your child have a more successful end to their school year.

As always, please feel free to give a call or e-mail us if you have any questions.  Have a great week ahead!

Seed and Sample Day

Kids played so well together during building time on Friday morning before vacation

Champ came for a visit. Some students gave him such a speedy high-five, I missed it!