January 5th

Happy New Year, everyone!  A few highlights from this first week of school for 2024:

• We have gotten back into the robotics unit that we started just before break....some pics are below.  Next up will be learning some coding skills in order to control the robots remotely.

• We are mid-way through the Phantom Tollbooth, and just started writing a 'character snapshot' writing piece, with 'word play' as a major component of the piece.

• We are seeing a decent amount of illness in school these days.  Thanks for keeping a close eye on your child(ren) and their health.

• Ski-Ride begins next Wednesday, January 10th.  Let it snow!
• 'We can do hard things' continues to be a theme in our class....yes we can!

December 15th

 

We started our read of The Phantom Tollbooth this week, which coincides with our study of wordplay in writing and in art.  This is definitely a book that is pushing the limits of our imaginations!

Yes, we are spending as much time out of doors as we were in September...thanks for helping to get jackets, boots, hats, and mittens/gloves in your child's possession as they head out the door each morning!

'Yet' continues to be a theme for us this year, based on a growth mindset.  As in, 'I don't get it.....YET!'

December 1st

More information on tonight's 5/6 dance at the Warren School:

This Friday evening, December 1st, The Warren School will be holding its first dance since the pandemic. Students in grades 5 and 6 from Moretown, Waitsfield, and Fayston may be dropped off at 7:00pm and need to be picked up no later than 9:00pm.

The dance will be chaperoned by our principal Sam K, our Upper Unit teachers Drew and Elizabeth, as well as 6-7 staff members. There is no formal dress code for this event. We have a strict no-devices policy at school that extends to the dance. If a student needs a phone to communicate with parents for pickup or some other reason, they can bring that device and check it in with a staff member for safekeeping while they are having fun at the dance.

The suggested donation for admission is $5.00. All funds raised will be donated to community service organizations. Anyone wanting to attend the dance is invited regardless of ability to pay, as long as they are a student in the 5th or 6th grade in Warren, Waitsfield, Moretown, or Fayston. Refreshments will be provided thanks to generous donations from families. The kids will receive coupons for food and drinks. Students should plan on eating dinner before coming to the dance, as the refreshments provided will not constitute a full meal.

We are excited to support our student leaders with their grand plans! We hope your child will be able to attend the dance tomorrow night.

Thank You,
The Warren School 5th and 6th Grade Dance Committee

The Mighty Ducks started a new Wit & Wisdom unit this week, with a focus on 'Word Play' and the essential question 'How and why do writers play with words?'. Next week will begin the book 'The Phantom Tollbooth', by Norton Juster, and this week we viewed and picked apart the Abbott and Costello skit 'Who's on First?' Hoped for student learnings from this unit include:

• Language can convey meaning in both a literal and figurative sense.
• Writers use wordplay and figurative language to engage readers, create humor and interest, develop plot and theme, and convey meaning.
• Writers make choices about narrative structure, characters, setting, and wordplay to create dramatic effects and develop themes.
• Characters in stories sometimes undertake journeys that can transform the way they perceive and approach the world. Along the way, characters learn about the world and themselves as they meet new people, discover new places, and face challenges.

River of Light Parade this Saturday in Waterbury Village- The theme this year is Toys & Games and the students at Brookside Primary School have worked extremely hard on their lanterns this year. Top it off with middle school and community artists lending a hand to large scale lanterns, and you will not be disappointed. The parade leaves promptly at 5:00 PM from the front parking lot of Brookside Primary School. As always, there is no parking in the front lot of the school or on Armory Ave. in the back of the school. Feel free to park in the 3 parking lots behind the school or anywhere downtown that is a designated parking spot. The parade loops through town and ends at Dac Rowe Field.

November 10th

 

Many, many thanks to the large number of you who took the time this week to come in and dialogue around your child's learning!  I always find these conferences very helpful in helping me shape and differentiate opportunities to learn as the year unfolds, and in accenting the very real need for a strong home-to-school partnership in fueling learning for your child.  

We started a 'Compare and Contrast' essay this week, which is due at the end of next week.  This essay focused on the 'Thunder Rolling in the Mountains' book which we just finished.  It is a great read, and if you care to read it ask your child to bring home a copy of the book.

We also just finished a read aloud book entitled 'ReStart', and we so wish there was a movie version, but there is not one.  Great book!  Next up is 'Millionaires for the Month', by Stacy McAnulty.  

Note that there is no school for students the week of November 20th.  May your Thanksgivings be filled with gratitude, great food, and supportive family and friends!

November 3rd

 

I look forward to seeing you all at next week's Conferences!  Please do bring your 5th or 6th grader with you, as we will be discussing their learning experience and setting some goals for the upcoming months of learning ahead.   If you have yet to sign up for a conference, you can do so at https://www.canyoncreeksoftware.com/scheduler/vt/wwsu/index.cfm

The Mighty Ducks continue to grow, as Desi D. has recently joined us as the 18th member of our crew.  Welcome, Desi!

We finished 'Thunder Rolling in the Mountains' this week...be sure to ask your child how it ended.  Next week we will be diving into a compare-contrast essay, based on the book and our Wit & Wisdom learning thus far.

At our Open House I learned of a science program called 'Kesler Science', and it looks very promising for 5th and 6th graders.  More on that as time comes.  

Happy Fall to you all!

-Tom

October 20th

Greetings, parents and guardians of Team Mighty Ducks members!

You may have noticed some homework happening in the last couple of weeks.  I am working hard to lay out assignments for the week on Monday morning, to carve out some 'work session' time during class during the week, and to keep the amount of work needed to be completed after 2:30 to a healthy level.  If school work being done at home is interfering with your child's ability to do what they do after 2:30, please let me know.  I will be adjusting/tweaking the approach to homework as time rolls on.  

We had a new student join us this week.  She is a 6th grader, named Delia, and she recently moved to Waitsfield from Craftsbury.  She has jumped right in to the action with both feet, and we are excited to have her on our team.  

Conference sign-ups will be announced soon, and I look forward to seeing many of you at those sessions.  

Enjoy your weekend, all!

-Tom

October 6

 

Team Mighty Ducks

Yes, it took us a while, but we finally were able to settle on the team name of Mighty Ducks.  Mighty Ducks on 3!

Homework sheets- beginning next week, I will be creating Homework Sheets which will be shared with students on the first day of each week, communicating homework assignments for the coming week.

Independent Reading expectation- 100 minutes a week of reading independently is the goal, and students submit a document on the last day of each week documenting their reading time.

Some talking points to help raise dialogue about school between you and your child:

• What is Chase Ambrose like in the book ReStart?
• What is your opinion on the 'Wooly Bear' issue in your classroom?
• Was Coyote a hero or a villain in the Nez Perce story 'Coyote and the Monster'?
• What is an ecosystem, and how fragile are they?