Learning About Composting Through Complex Instruction

This week we took on a big project; learning about composting through cooperative learning. Students' worked in groups of three or four to work through open ended learning tasks. Students each had a role that switched daily to practice powerful group work. The theme of this unit was, "What are the benefits of composting, and how can I change my behaviors to live more sustainably?" Students rotated through three different activities. The first activity was creating a garden with composted soil and non-composted soil and making a prediction regarding plant growth. The second activity was creating a skit that represented our world in twenty years if we do compost, or our world in twenty years if we don't compost. The third activity was creating a brochure or poster convincing people to compost. Students learned the benefits of sustainable living, and also practiced how to work cooperatively in a group and follow group norms. The norms we practiced were, "We listen to and value everyone's ideas", "No one is done until everyone is done", and lastly "No one of us is as smart as all of us together". We focused in on all the different ways we are smart, and how we need everyone in our classroom to be successful. Each student group created very impressive products, and if all goes well you will have some of our seedlings home with you soon!

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Junior Great Books

This week we enjoyed working as a whole class during Reader's Workshop reading a Junior Great Books story called The Little Daughter of the Snow with Mrs. Makay.  We looked for places where the parents were "good parents" and "bad parents", created our own stories about sons and daughters of nature and participated in discussion groups to share our ideas and opinions about the story along with evidence to support our ideas and opinions.  A huge thank you to Melissa Makay for providing this very enriching experience for our entire class.
Miss Blair began doing Skill Builders this week to prepare the class for her Complex Instruction Unit next week.  Students were placed in cooperative groups to practice their collaborative skills while completing a task.  Some of the skills they worked on were "We listen to and value everyone's ideas", "No one of us is as smart as all of us together", and "No one is done until everyone is done".  Next week students will be grouped again and will work together to learn about composting.
We also enjoyed a wonderful Hands On Nature lesson this week about "Birds".  My friends actually had an opportunity to perform the puppet show themselves and did a terrific job.  They also had an opportunity to create nests and see if they could actually hold eggs.  Another huge thank you to our Hands On Nature parents for providing another wonderful enriching experience for our class.
We began our new science unit this week.  It is called "Catching the Wind:  Designing Windmills".  Miss Blair is leading this unit.  By the end of this unit students will have an opportunity to design and build their own windmill!  Thank you to those of you who have sent in milk cartons for this project!
Have a terrific Spring weekend!

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March PTO Meeting Minutes

March PTO Notes & News

Join the PTO List Serve - think of this as Front Porch Forum specific to Shelburne Community School, a periodic digest of announcements, help wanted and other topics. It can allow for more timely, easy managed communication within the school and parent community, for key subjects such as upcoming happenings (budget forum, school play, soccer tryouts, get out the vote, etc.),  as well as help wanted (‘we could use a hand with International Pot Luck cleanup’, mentoring volunteers wanted, etc.), among other relevant topics.

If you would like to be added to the List Serve, please e-mail Courtney Tharpe at ctharpe25@gmail.com.


Fundraising Update                                                                                                                                       

▪ Dynamic Dates – the information went home this week.  If you didn’t get the forms and the tickets, you can download them here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lpy2qn5YMkvVYqysh1X_cjUttFkshYJVsWFsdg10Fy0/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Feb79CPmbCDxPcD8wt2nEF7dCF1RCGIbmzqPcXTf8bk/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QiSEeCOkgzZLhgnFfZTKc3d8CyvF2Rz9h1Ol3Zlao0w/edit?usp=sharing

Because of the snow days we've postponed the Dynamic Dates drawing from Monday, 3/17 to Wednesday, 3/19.  This means that tickets will be due on Tuesday, 3/18.

▪ New Spring Fundraiser - Red Wagon Plants – we will be selling vegetable plants and herbs for your garden along with flowers all from this local company in Hinesburg.  Look for your order packets to come home on March 28^th, with orders due back April 11th and pick up on May 22^nd.

▪ Amazon – the PTO has made almost $500 so far this year.  So please remember, if you shop on AMAZON please take an extra step and enter the site through the link on the PTO page.  The PTO will earn up to 15% of your purchases!  Please remember that you need to use this link each time you shop for the PTO to benefit.


Fund Spending

▪ March Grant Meeting – will take place on April 2nd from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm.  Anyone interested in participating in this committee meeting, which awards grants to teachers and staff, is welcome to come.


Help Wanted                                                                                                                            

▪ Red Barn Delivery – help with unloading and distributing the Red Barn delivery on March 19^th.  Contact Randy Sweeney at sweeneyrs@gmail.com  if you are able to help anytime between 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm

▪ PTO Board Positions – the PTO is looking for a new Secretary that would start next school year (2014/2015).  Also, if anyone is interested in being Treasurer or Co-Chair starting during the 2015/2016 school year, please let us know as we would love to have an apprentice program in place for next year with these positions.


Other Business                                                                                                       

▪ Bruegger’s Fundraiser for the Choir and Wind Ensemble – Sunday, March 16^th from 7:00 am – 3:00 pm if you bring in the flyer below, 15% of your purchase will go back to the Choir and Wind Ensemble.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1IV5TlL1TUvZnpHay1rbWp4dDQ/edit?usp=sharing

▪ “Like” Shelburne Community School Facebook Page


Highlights from Principals Report
▪ Spelling Bee 2014 - after 3 hours and 45 minutes and going 42 rounds without misspelling a word, Thomas Daley prevailed as the winner and will represent SCS in the Statewide Bee to be held next month at St. Michael’s College.
▪ Fiddler on the Roof - congratulations to the 32 middle school performers who provided four great performances in front of crowds in excess of 200 each night!

▪ Read Across America – a big thank you to Nancy Nakhleh, Jenn Niles, Shannon Baird, Natalie Watson and the cafeteria staff for organizing the annual Dr. Seuss celebration.

▪ Arts and Citizenship Gallery II – the latest round of eight grade student work from the Arts & Citizenship Project is on display in the C wing hallways of SCS.  It is a great culmination of the work celebrating the skills and interests that students have been practicing throughout their time at SCS.

Mark Your Calendars                                                                                                                                                            

March 19^th – Dynamic Dates Drawing

March 19^th – Red Barn Pick Up

May 9^th – Comedy Night Fundraiser at the Old Lantern

**The Parent Education Night on “The Library’s Many Online Resources” will be rescheduled and will not be held on March 19^th**

We look forward to seeing you next month at the PTO meeting on April 8^th at 6:00 pm in the Alpha Space.  Pizza and Babysitting are provided!

1/2 Music Concert Date Change!

The first and second grade concert has been changed from Tues,. April 8th, toThurs., April 10th, at 6:30pm. Please note this is different from the date on the school calendar. Your child will be bringing home their song pack this week, which includes a letter with the concert details.
Thanks!


-- 

Diana Burritt
Shelburne Community School
K-3 Music Educator

Read Around America

Our "Read Around America" celebration was great fun on Wednesday.  We had an all school assembly in the morning to kick off this special day.  Throughout the day we enjoyed stories read by guest readers Patrick Halladay, John Madden and Vasanthi Meyette.  We had a terrific day filled with reading and fun Dr. Seuss activities.

We began a geometry unit in math this week.  We are learning about 3-D shapes and exploring their similarities and differences.  We also began a poetry unit during Writer's Workshop.  We are spending time using our "poets' eyes" to see objects with our hearts and minds and write about them.  Every student received a new "Poetry Notebook" they will be using throughout this unit for their poetry.  We have also regrouped during Reader's Workshop and are enjoying practicing Reader's Theater plays that we will present to the class at the end of next week. In science, this week, we have been figuring out ways to make the best mortar for the walls we will be building next week.
Have a great weekend!

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