Important Upcoming Events

After a long hiatus, we will have ECO once again this coming Monday (3/16). Though temperatures are warming up, your child will still need to come prepared with all of his/her winter gear including: boots, snowpants, jacket, gloves or mittens, and a hat. We will take the Montpelier Circulator bus after 10:30am to North Branch Nature Center to learn about traditional maple syrup production methods in Vermont. We will eat lunch at the Nature Center, so please make sure that your child packs a lunch, water, and snacks unless he/she is getting school lunch. Please make sure that your child has everything needed on Monday.

Also, next week we will take a walking field trip to the Vermont History Museum on State Street. On Thursday, March 19^th at 9:00am we will head over to the museum to learn about Abenaki daily life before European contact. Chaperones are encouraged to attend. Please email me (wendym@mpsvt.org) or call (225-8238) if you are interested in attending and helping.

Finally, due to parent-teacher-student conferences on Friday, March 20^th there is no school. Please remember to bring your child to the conference, as they are student-led to showcase your child's learning.

Thank you for taking the time to read about these important upcoming events.

-Wendy McGuiggan

Abenaki Project

Our class is learning about early Vermonters, the Abenaki.  Students are learning about and demonstrating an understanding of Abenaki daily life in Vermont before European contact.  Ask your child how he/she is creating a representation of daily life that includes examples of interdependence, how the environment and natural resources affected life, and artifacts of history.  This project is due on April 7th.

ECO Cancelled

Due to extremely cold weather ECO is cancelled today, February 16th, 2015.

Nonfiction Unit of Study

In Readers' Workshop we have been studying the nonfiction genre.  Students have learned about the features and structures of nonfiction.  Now, we are immersed in learning strategies for getting the most information out of nonfiction.

Students are learning about how to read nonfiction while reading information about Abenaki life before European contact.  The content that they learn in Readers' Workshop will be the basis of research for a project about Abenaki daily life.

Skinny Pancake Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 10th at 10:20am our class will visit Skinny Pancake to learn about our mission:  improve the kids' menu while honoring Skinny Pancake's business philosophy to provide healthy, local, and affordable food.

Parents are encouraged to come and help out!  If available, please come to our classroom around 10am.

Thank you!

Skinny Pancake Project

Our class has been given a great opportunity!  We will help improve the kids' menu at Skinny Pancake.  At some point soon we will visit the restaurant at 1:20 to sample crepes and get more information from the company.  We were planning on going this week, but weather has prevented the Skinny Pancake marketing director from getting into town.  I will let you know when the new time will be.  Parents are encouraged to join us if able.

Students will learn about locavore food choices, VT agriculture, and persuasive writing in this mini-unit as they work to improve kids' choices at Skinny Pancake.  Only a few ideas from our class will be chosen to be placed on the Skinny Pancake menu permanently.

Publishing Party Success

Thank you to all the families that came to support our class' Publishing Party.  Kids worked so hard on their stories, and you helped celebrate their success.