Hello, Newton families!
I am incredibly grateful to be able to spend each day with the Newton community. The students here are kind, thoughtful, resourceful, curious and much, much more. This month, I have been spending time getting to know the students and visiting their classrooms. I have observed their love of learning and genuine care for each other and it has been inspiring to witness. In addition, I have been spending time individually with students who need extra support throughout the day and working with them to identify how to find meaningful and useful strategies to deal with their struggles--these strategies are most commonly referred to as “coping skills.” As the year progresses, I will also incorporate coping skills into my social-emotional learning (SEL) time in the classrooms.
|
|
Please remember to send in your PTA Membership Forms, if you want to give us a thrill and up our membership!
The next PTA meeting will be Tuesday, October 5th at 6 pm. If the weather cooperates, we will meet outside the school...and if not, we will be virtual. The topics for discussion include plans for Halloween, so please plan to join!
|
|
One Planet is off to a great start! We've had a lot of fun with our first week of enrichment programs. On Tuesday at the 'Crafty and Creative Kids' program, the students made scarecrows to get ready for fall (pictured).
Everyone's Invited on a Field trip on Friday Oct 1st
There's still time to sign up for our Fall Field trip. We'll be going to Riverview Farm in Plainfield, NH for an afternoon of fall fun with a corn maze, apples, and pumpkins. We'll leave after the half day dismissal. Email if you'd like to sign up ( jfriedman@wrvsu.org).
We have two new enrichment programs: Elementary and Middle School Tennis and Tabletop Games. See the updated enrichment schedule below. Email Jennie with questions or to sign up at jfriedman@wrvsu.org.
Monday Tennis Clinic (4 weeks) with Karen Didricksen (K-3rd Grades)
Dungeons & Dragons with Simone Pyle (4th-8th Grades)
Tuesday Crafty and Creative Kids with Leslie Berger (all ages)
Wednesday Nature Club with Jennie Friedman (all ages)
Thursday Tabletop Games with Simone Pyle (all ages)
Friday Animal Universe with Leslie Berger (K-3rd Grades)
Tennis Clinic (4 weeks) with Karen Didricksen (4th-8th Grades)
|
|
FLU & COVID Vaccination Clinic
Date of Clinic: September 28th, 2021
Description: The flu and covid vaccines will be administered outside under the tent in the parking lot at the Newton
School. Dr. Ashley Miller from the South Royalton Health Center through Health HUB will be administering the vaccines. We will be sending home a note that states that your student has indeed received the flu vaccine if you have signed up your child for this already.
COVID TESTING SITES
DHMC has a fast turnover for getting test results back. There is no need to go through PCP, but you have to be an established patient. Visit their site here.
It is recommended to NOT use Clear Choice Urgent Care. At this time it is very slow, and negative test results are snail-mailed. You will end up having to repeatedly call and get a verbal only, which is not acceptable for a return to school.
The Vermont State Portal has many various state-run test sites are run through this portal. They have a 48-72 hour turnover to get test results, and at least they are e-mailed rather quickly. Create an account easily and sign up for an appointment at a site nearest you.
Other Options:
Use of your PCP may be efficient also. Please ask the turn-over time from time of test until return of results before making an appointment to get a test. Some PCPs are quicker than others at this time.
You must GET A PCR TYPE TEST. RAPID-type TESTS cannot be accepted (they have a large margin of error) to return to school. Thank You.
Stay Safe! Be Well!
|
|
Our resident middle school entomology expert, Levi, identified and taught us about a caterpillar found outside near the classroom Friday afternoon. This student also supplied our classroom with many chrysalises at the beginning of the year which we saw turn into butterflies and let go. |
|
Last week in kindergarten the big group work was creating classroom rules. To meet all of their goals in school, we will need to follow rules. Working together, the class came up with many rules. We practiced saying them as what we should do and how we want to behave, rather than what not to do.
Another day, we reviewed this big list then sorted them into groups of similar rules. Finally, we named these groups and came up with three big rules: Be safe; Be kind; Take care of stuff. We will of course practice, discuss, and work more with these continuously. They did great work on rules!
|
|
|
The K-2 students sing to the seniors through the windows of Barrett Hall. |
|
First Grade
Mrs. Robinson
|
The first graders have really gotten into the swing of things. Our calendar time includes pennies and nickels, counting them and putting them on a graph to see which we have more of. We have also been focusing on the teen numbers: ten and some more. We have also added on to our work place bins. We now have geoboards with rubber bands, dominoes, and 2 work places practicing numbers.
Reading groups are in full swing now. We have finished the Fountas and Pinnell testing and are ready to roll. We have many options for word walls now: colors, fall words, the regular word wall, and themed words on rings. The children are really enjoying using these resources to write in their writing journals.
|
|
|
|
|
This past week we explored and created our own number racks in math. We began our discussion of the types of communities we are part of in social studies. In reading, we continued working on consonant clusters and completed beginning of the year reading records. Reading groups will begin this upcoming week! We also had our first class visit from Charlie, the therapy dog! |
|
|
|
|
The third grade has continued to be mindful of each other as we are all trying to have a growth mindset. This means we are harnessing The Power of Yet. For example, a student might say, "I can't multiply numbers yet." We believe we all can meet our goals by believing in ourselves and practicing. This means that at recess we let someone have a second or even third chance at Four Square. This means that in math, a student is taught about the mistake they made and how to fix it. These are opportunities for success. Here in the third grade we value how making mistakes helps us grow as learners. |
|
|
|
|
What a great week it's been in Alligator Alley. We have been studying weather in science, and the kids have been learning how important clouds are when predicting forecasts. They did an art project that showed their knowledge about cirrus, cumulus, and stratus clouds. |
|
|
|
|
6-8 Humanities, 5 Social Studies
Mr. Breen
|
In humanities, the 6th graders are just now finishing up their (very persuasive!) opinion essays, while the 7/8 wrapped theirs up last week. Seventh & 8th are currently reviewing some of the building blocks of fiction (plot, theme, setting, symbolism, these kinds of things) and reading A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, as a device to wrap our heads around these concepts. In 6th grade we are going over some of the structural concepts of the United States government, as we go into our larger unit on civics & citizenship. |
|
|
|
|
Art classes are starting to get into the swing of things! Kindergarten has been learning about color and shape, which is a great connection to what they are doing in math class. They learned about how to mix colors using model magic, and also made some fun autumn trees using warm hues because ’tis the season! First and second graders have been working with colors as well, creating warm and cool landscapes from chalk pastel, and working on colorful paper quilt squares with the third grade to create a quilt display based on the book Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold.
The fourth grade been their exploration of color by working together to create a giant color wheel out of magazine collage, and are now beginning a tessellation project that combines math and color theory with fun shapes and creative ideas. The sixth grade has art twice a week this trimester, so they’ve been able to dive into more detailed projects already, including acrylic color wheel mandala paintings and self-portraits made out of their own fingerprints. We’re looking forward to a creative and colorful year!
|
|
|
Learn More About The Sharon Academy High School -
Come to TSA’s in-person Information Event for Prospective Families
The Sharon Academy is working to develop the leaders our world urgently needs. To learn how, join our upcoming in-person “Learn More” Information Session, Sunday, October 17, from 3:30 – 5:30. Learn more about TSA High School’s approach to nurturing leadership abilities through rigorous academics and a deeper learning curriculum. We will answer questions, explain TSA’s Open Enrollment Policy, and describe transportation options. Students and families are both encouraged to attend. For more information, please call Amber Wylie - 763.2500 x203, email: awylie@sharonacademy.net, or visit our website: www.sharonacademy.org/explore-tsa. |
|
|
|
THE NEWTON SCHOOL
newtonschool.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
