8/18/2023
Preschool
This week PreK, we discussed classroom expectations, got settled into our daily routine, talked about our feelings with new friends, and what we would like to learn about this year. We read “How Will I Get to School Today”
Kindergarten
This week in Kindergarten we are learning the many ways that we use Math in our daily lives. One way is by using attributes to sort objects into groups. We practiced sorting buttons by attributes with a partner, then had a class discussion on all of the different ways we saw the objects grouped together
First Grade
Student are learning their classroom expectations, signed their classroom contract, and have reviewed their procedures for first grade for not only our room but also around the school.
We have taken our Words Their Way assessments for both phonological awareness and spelling this week. We will be completing our iReady diagnostics for math and reading soon, too. We have read through our grade level book for our first layer of the Bullying Hurts series and discussed how children everywhere may look different in how we look or dress but that we are all similar in the activities we participate in such as sports and hobbies. We have also begun our read-aloud, Charlotte’s Web and the children absolutely love it! The 1st grade went on a music field trip. They listened to the story of Babar, listened to classical music, and had snacks outside in the sunshine. This was a great first field trip.
2nd Grade
VBE second grade students are doing amazing work to wrap up this school year! We have been counting down this week to the end of school with letters R, S, T, U & V. So that means we were reading, wearing our sunglasses, twinning with a good friend, working in our uniforms underneath our desks, and last but not least…VACATIONER day!!! Students came decked out in sandals, flip flops, sunglasses, hats, and shirts to display their plans for the summer!
Third Graders
In third grade we spent the first few days of school getting to know each other and learning all about the expectations and exciting things that third will bring. A couple of our favorite activities were a STEM activity called, Saving Fred and an activity where we squirted whole tubes of toothpaste out. Students were then asked to try to get the toothpaste back in the tube with nothing but a toothpick. Later we talked about how some of our words we use are toothpaste words, meaning once we say them, we can’t take them back. We had a great discussion and I hope this will really teach us the power of our words.
Fourth Grade
Fourth grade mathematicians have been busy getting to know each other and learning how to work in groups. We made group work expectation posters complete with photos of us working together. We are also getting started with our iReady diagnostic. Pics Welcoming this year’s VBE fourth grade students has been such a blast so far! We’re going to take off in all sorts of amazing directions as we study morphology, essay writing, and reading comprehension. While not crushing it in the classroom, you can find us on a brain break coloring outside with sidewalk chalk, being silly with a GoNoodle video, or chillin’ in our library/cozy corner with our favorite books.
Fifth Grade
In 5th grade math, we have spent time the last couple weeks getting to know everyone and building a safe class community where we can comfortably ask questions, learn, and grow. We have also worked on building a positive math mindset and not being afraid of pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone and trying hard things.
Mrs. Fields is really enjoying the new 5th graders and look forward to working with them this year!
This week we had our first Greek and Latin root packet and are excited about learning them. We realized if we learn 10 new words every week, oh my … we are going to be soooooo smart!! We had fun creating posters of the different genres of fiction to use as anchor charts for our classroom. We really appreciated the Expectation Stations that Ms. Forest, the teachers, and paras ran to help remind us of the behaviors that are expected of us in all the areas of the school.
We are looking forward to all of the learning that is going to happen this year!
Science
Kindergarten – Kindergarten had their first class in Science this week. We had introductions, practiced calls and responses that we will use in Science class, and we started a science icebreaker game. This game helped students learn about animals they may not have known existed. We also learned about rewards charts that we will use in Science and started talking about behavior expectations.
1st Grade – This week 1st grade practiced calls and responses that we will use in Science this year. We also played an introduction game called “Can it be real?” where students used evidence to determine if a presented animal really exists or not. We also learned about reward charts that will be used in Science class. We also began to learn about Science class routines and expectations.
2nd Grade – This week 2nd grade practiced calls and responses that we will use in Science this year. We also played an introduction game called “Can it be real?” where students used evidence to determine if a presented animal really exists or not. We also learned about reward charts that will be used in Science class. We also began to learn about Science class routines and expectations
3rd Grade – This week 3rd graders began to learn about expectations for Science class this year. We also practiced on cues and calls that would be used by both teacher and students. We enjoyed playing a couple Science ice breaker games. We also learned about behavior charts, Science tickets, and the behavior reward system. We began to learn about classroom routines and a respectful classroom culture.
4th Grade & 5th Grade – This week we covered many expectations, routines, and rules in science. Students got to take part in choosing and deciding the rules we would use for the year in science. Students signed a paper showing that they agree to follow the science rules that they took part in creating. We also worked on what honesty, respect, and responsibility looks like in the science classroom and throughout the whole school. Students took part in some fun science ice breaker games as well. This included using science observations to find a partner and a game that revealed wild and unusual animals. We also practiced routines, learned how our behavior charts work in science, and discussed the reward system we will use.
School Nurse
Remember to wash your hands and use hand sanitizer when possible to help fight germs.
