Tuesday News – March 26th


🌸🌿🌷Spring is here!🌷🌿🌸


Our Farmer’s Market with Ashley’s class is this Wednesday at 12:30, rain or shine!
Before our spring break, our class along with our big buddies, were busy making snacks and crafts for the market.

Spring Art & Poetry

The sights, sounds, and smells of spring are so inspiring!
We had lovely weather to paint our spring trees, and we are continuing our poetry this week in our new moon journals.

Repetition in Poetry – Student Poems – March 26th

Red tulips, orange blossoms, petals are colors
yellow daisies, green mint blossoms,
petals are colors
blue bluebells, purple lupines, pink roses,
petals are colors  

By Maya

Gems are shining
in the spring
bee stings, owl toes,
are shining in the spring
skunk nose, jelly swabs
are shining in the spring   

By Harben

The grass sways, in the wind
the clouds drift
in the wind,the trees dance
in the wind,  
you play, in the wind   

By, Seva

When a seed is planted, 
flowers bloom,
when birds fly over you,
flowers bloom,
when the sky is blue,
flowers bloom   

By, Michael

Progress Reports

Progress reports were handed out the Thursday before Spring break.
I included pages of new spelling patterns from this last trimester if you want to support their spelling progress.
Please return the manila envelope if you haven’t already so that I may use it one more time this year. Thanks!


Thank you for reading,
*Miss Kristen*

P.S. – Stay tuned for some exciting news about letters written and sent out by students! 😁

“I raise up my voice – not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard … we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”
~ Malala Yousafzai
Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient

Tuesday News – March 12th

Upcoming Dates:

Next Week – Spring Break!
Wednesday 3/27 – VCS Farmers Market
Wednesday 4/24 – Field Trip to Hallberg Butterfly Gardens
Friday 5/3 – MAY DAY

Farmer’s Market

We had a great time at the Farmer’s Market last week!

Now it’s our turn to partner up with Ashley’s class to put on another Farmer’s Market right here in our courtyard. 
This will take place the Wednesday after spring break… see below to see how you might help!

We have several crafts and cooking projects in the works, including banana chips…


…And sparkly headbands!


Last week students came up with project ideas for what to make for the market, and we had a VOTE. One of the winners was BLUEBERRY MUFFINS.  Because we do not have the capability to make a bunch of muffins here at school, we are asking for your help!
If you would like to help make muffins at home (ideally with help from your student), please read the details below….

Students voted on blueberry muffins, but flavors are negotiable.
Muffins should ALL be NUT-FREE
We are looking for vegan varieties as well as traditional recipes.
Muffins should be as healthy as possible (ie low sugar/alternative sugars)
Muffins should be ready by Tuesday 3/26 or morning of 3/27

If you’d like to volunteer, please send me an email with your recipe idea and any questions.

Science

Mixing colors with Ms. Parent!


Thank you for reading!
*Miss Kristen*

“All adventures — especially into new territory — are scary.” 
~Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space

Tuesday News – March 5th


Farmer’s Market Field Trip is Tomorrow!

We are going to the farmers market with our big buddies!
Please send your student to school tomorrow with their booster / car seat!

  • Please do not send money with your student. In order to promote equity among all students, we will be providing each student with $6 to spend at the market. We will pass the money out to each student in an envelope and they will be responsible for keeping track of this while at the market. Students can share their money with their buddy if they want to help someone out with a purchase. Any leftover money will be passed back to Ashley. Consider sending your students in clothing that has pockets, or with a small coin purse, so that they can more easily keep their envelope safe and secure.
  • Ashley will be providing all students with their $6 out of her own pocket. If you are able to donate money to our classes for this field trip, you can give cash directly to Miss Kristen or Ashley or send money to Ashley’s venmo: @VCSfarmersmarket
  • We will be leaving the school around 9:05 a.m. and will be returning to the school around 12:00 p.m.


Some Reminders
  • Tardies & Absences – Please aim to have your student to school on time. Please inform Carolyn in the office and me when your student is going to be absent from school.
  • Raincoats on Rainy Days – please send your student to school with their rain coat.


Pajama Day!

Friday was a fun rainy day in celebration of completing two thirds of the school year!

Pajama Twins and a Stuffy Hotel!

Thank you for reading,
*Miss Kristen*

“Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, creativity, or curiosity. It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.”  
~ Mae Jemison, first African American woman astronaut in space

Tuesday News – February 20th


Upcoming Dates
  • TOMORROW 2/28 – Field trip to the Luther Burbank Center for a school show!
  • This Friday 3/1  – PAJAMA DAY in celebration of completing our 2nd trimester!
  • Wednesday 3/6 – Field trip to the LBC Farmers Market with our Buddies

**If my newsletter ever doesn’t make it to you by email, or you want to easily browse old newsletters, check  our class’s page on the VCS Website! The rest of the site has all weekly newsletters and other info posted and updated regularly.

Field Trip Tomorrow, a few details and reminders:
  • Please send your student to school with their booster or car seat if applicable.
  • We will be leaving by 9:00, please have your student on time to school
  • Please provide a BIG BREAKFAST and/or pack a small, easy to eat snack (like a granola bar, etc) that they can eat during our morning meeting.

Reader’s Theater

These kiddos have been reading up a storm!
In addition to reading stories, chapter books, and non-fiction, they are also practicing their reading through scripts.
In the coming weeks we will continue to practice short skits in preparation for our play, coming in Spring (Late April?! ). Stay tuned!

Fun and Friendship out at Recess, with Christopher, Keahi, and Alexander!

Thank you for reading,
*Miss Kristen*

“I believe in kindness. Also in mischief. Also in singing, especially when singing is not necessarily prescribed.”
~Mary Oliver

And now a double twins pics with Sidney and Seva, boots and fuzzy jackets. Was this planned or just coincidence? 🩷

Tuesday News – January 30th

Our Trip to the Library!

We had such a great trip! Here are a couple logistical details:

  • If students are bringing books home because they used their own library card, books are due back February 20th.
  • I will remind you and the students as this date approaches, and I am willing to take books back to the library if needed.
  • I have encouraged students to put their new cards in a special place at home so they know where to find it for their next library adventure!
Conferences & Student Growth/Goals
  • Conference week is coming up, and if you would like to discuss your student’s progress please sign up for a slot  HERE.
  • Conferences are optional. 
  • Students will also soon be bringing home a self-assessment / teacher assessment of growth and goals to guide the rest of the year.

Valentines Day
  • As a reminder, and for those who don’t yet know, our school celebrates Valentine’s day in a way that encourages autonomy and creativity.
  • Please no store-bought Valentines or anything with media/characters
  • Any handmade Valentines for classmates are OPTIONAL
  • If students choose to make Valentines, they can bring them to the classroom beginning on Monday 2/12 and I will hold onto them until it’s time to pass them out.
  • I have provided a list of student names inside students’ Homework Folders today.

Thank you for reading,
*Miss Kristen*

“Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.” 
~ Dalai Lama

Tuesday News – January 23rd

Upcoming Dates

January 30th – Buddies Bus Trip to the Library (date changed)
February 14th – Conference Week Begins, Details next week!
February 28th – School Show Field Trip to Luther Burbank Center

Buddies Trip to the Library!

We will be taking the bus with our BIG BUDDIES in Ashley’s class to the library!
If students have their own library card already, please send it to school tomorrow!

If students don’t yet have their own library card, I will be sending home a form tomorrow to be signed so that they can get their card next week during our trip.

SKY SCHOOL has begun!

“Sky School” is a series of lessons and activities centered around our moon, sun, planets, and space! 
Last week students took turns noticing how the moon “changes shape” depending on the light it receives from the sun compared to its position with the sun and earth.

After we complete these lessons together as a class, students will have the opportunity to explore and research a topic further, create a project, and be the teacher of their topic for the rest of the class.

Looking for ways to help out and support our classroom?

There are still classroom support jobs available for trimester 2 and 3! Click  HERE to sign up for a job.
Are you skilled or interested in repairing book binding / ripped pages? Let me know… we have a box of broken books that needs your love!

Thank you for reading!
*Miss Kristen*

“When you start to develop your powers of empathy and imagination,
the whole world opens up to you.”  

~Susan Sarandon

Tuesday News – January 16th

Upcoming Dates

February 2nd – Buddies Bud Trip to the Library
February 14th – Conference Week Begins, Details TBA
February 28th – School Show Field Trip to Luther Burbank Center

This week’s homework

No new spelling words again this week, instead we are sending home a follow-up question page (oddly titled “Title”? Oops!) to accompany the family trees you filled out. 
Here’s what you need to know:

  • There are 3 questions in total, one for each day. Please answer just one question a day, or, if you are unable to get to Tuesday’s question tonight, you may complete two tomorrow, and so forth.
  • These questions are for you and your student to reflect on and answer together. You may write down the answers.
  • For tonight’s question, if you/your student did not learn anything new yet, is there something new you could tell them tonight?
  • Students should return the question page inside their homework folder each day so that we may see progress and can use completed answers to facilitate discussion (and to reinforce this daily routine!)

January Life Skill: Empathy

We are discussing empathy this month! This is often a challenging concept for kids and adults alike to understand, but we are giving it a go through discussion, I-messages, and skits.
If you’d like to continue the discussion at home, here is the definition we are working with:
Empathy is understanding how someone else is feeling.

Village Friday

We’ll present our empathy skits to our Village this Friday! Students got their lines today and they will have the opportunity to improvise the ending scene. If your student brings home their script on Thursday I invite you to run lines with them!

And speaking of Village Friday, here is a bit of the fun from last week hosted by Mr. Robbins’s class!

And now for another edition of… TUESDAY TWINS

Thank you for reading!
*Miss Kristen*

“You cannot solve a problem with anger or hatred.  
It takes empathy, patience, and compassion to overcome anger, hatred, and resentment.” 
~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.


Tuesday News – January 9th

Happy New Year!

What a way to close out 2023 – celebrating the Winter Solstice with our Village!
I hope you enjoyed our festival as much as I did! Our class had such fun being in the solstice story skit with our big buddies’ class and learning and performing songs with the whole school. Preparations for the festival involved a lot of hard work, cooperation and patience….
….but here’s Seva and Adella enjoying a break with a little wassail gifted to us by Miss Barnum’s class. 

Homework This Week – Book Review

There is no spelling-oriented homework this week, instead students are coming home with a book review to complete. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Students have all week to complete it – it is not due until Friday
  • No new spelling words this week, instead I’m encouraging everyone to READ!
  • Reading might look different for every student; reading a book or chapter book on their own, reading along with someone, being read to (ie: some families are reading books/chapter books together)
  • For a short book, students can read the book then begin to fill out the details on the bookreview. For a chapter book, the review can be written about one or two chapters.
  • Students should fill out the front side on their own (with support). Adults you may take dictation for the back side if needed.
  • I will be giving these periodically for the rest of the year, please let me know if you have any questions.
  • Homework folders are still due back everyday they are given so that students can practice the routine!


Rainy Days are Here to Stay

Thank you for continuing to send students with rainboots and rain coats!
As a reminder, rain coats can be left here inside the classroom if needed so that all students are prepared for the rainy days.

Thank you for reading,
*Miss Kristen*

P.S. Students practiced writing winter similes today!

“Snow was falling, so much like stars
filling the dark trees, that one could easily imagine
its reason for being was nothing more than prettiness”
~Mary Oliver

Tuesday News – November 28th

Greetings!

I hope everyone had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving week!

Here are a couple upcoming events…

Tomorrow! – VCS November Farmer’s Market – put on by Ashley’s and Miss Barnum’s classes.
The event will take place during school from 12:30 until 1:00 and there will be some food available. If your student is interested in getting soup or other food items from the market please send them with a small plate and/or bowl and utensils.
Thursday, December 21st – Village Winter Solstice Festival 
 – This is a very special event that I hope all can attend We will be getting our songs and poems ready in the coming weeks, and if you know that your student cannot attend the festival please let me know as soon as possible.

Pajama Day & Field Trip!

We got to celebrate completing the first trimester of school with a pajama day followed by a super fun field trip to the Luther Burbank Center. 
For the field trip our class got to sit with our big buddies from Ashley’s class. They have been reading Magic School Bus stories with their big buddies, and we were all very excited to see the “Lost in the Solar System” story put to action on stage!

Invitation:

We are beginning to explore in more depth the phases of the moon and the night sky. As the sky is darker earlier, on clear nights I invite you to explore the moon and the stars and planets in the evenings with your child. We’ll be learning more in class in the coming months and I hope they will share their new knowledge with you at home!

Thanks for reading!
*Miss Kristen*

“There was always something new to be seen in the unchanging night sky”
~Fritz Leiber

Tuesday News – November 7th

Upcoming Dates

Thursday 11/9 – PAJAMA DAY (please no media/character PJs. one stuffy is welcome)
Friday 11/10 – NO SCHOOL
Tuesday 11/14 – FIELD TRIP 
(Check for reminder page to be sent in homework folder tomorrow)
Friday 11/17 – Progress Reports
 will be sent home before Thanksgiving break

Greetings!
Wow, our Dia de los Muertos Festival was wonderful and magical!Thank you all for attending and supporting this special evening by way of sending loved-ones’ photos, sharing stories with your child, and helping to dress your child for the occasion. 

“Survey Says” Project 

Our first project continues with making our own bar graphs!Students have come up with their questions, surveyed two classes, and are now graphing their data. We look forward to sharing some results with you soon!

Fall Is Here! 

(and rainy, puddly weather, too!)
Just a reminder that students should have rainboots at school everyday for the rainy season.
Some students might keep theirs here in the classroom, some might wear them to and from school, and some students might be borrowing a pair of extras.
Also, though we can’t completely predict rainy days, please do your best and send your student with a raincoat on expected rain days.
Thank you!


Thank you for reading,
*Miss Kristen*

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.

~Emily Brontë


Tuesday News – October 24th

Dia de los Muertos

• We are preparing for our school’s  Dia de los Muertos festival with songs, dances, poems, and art.
• Our class will put up an altar in the tradition of Dia de los Muertos. Families will have an opportunity to look at the altars during our festival.
• 
Las Ofrendas – the altar for the Dead takes great meaning through the offerings that are presented to the deceased relatives (or other family members such as pets) for whom it is dedicated. Please have your children bring in photos (preferably in standing frames) of those who have died. If it was someone your child never met or doesn’t remember, then it is a wonderful opportunity to tell some stories and paint a picture of this person in your child’s mind. Your child will be invited to tell us about their loved one as we put together our ofrenda.
• 
Festival Attire – Students may put together their own outfit to be warm, comfortable, and match our festival themes; black-based attire for honoring loved ones (as in, feel free to get a little fancy!) , calaveras (skeleton) clothes, monarch butterfly, flowers, appropriate face paint is ok (read  HERE for guidance) … no halloween costumes
• 
As a reminder for next Tuesday, at the Village we do not celebrate Halloween (and please no candy in lunches)
• 
Let me know if you have questions – more info about the festival coming next week.

Mental Math & Graph Exploration

Last week students played a math card game “Math Peace – What’s the Difference?” (Have you heard of the game “war”, well we call it PEACE.)…
But before the winner takes their cards, they must find the difference by subtracting one number from the other. Students are practicing their mental math strategies such as…

• counting ON from the smallest number
• counting BACK from the biggest number
• Making 10
• DOUBLES facts and DOUBLES plus 1

….and the idea is that with repetition they become more fluent in these math facts.
I invite you to play at home with your student!

And for this week’s edition of Tuesday Twins… Wren V. and Keira!

We are also beginning our SURVEY SAYS  project this week!Yesterday students explored surveys from years past and learned how to interpret the graphs. We are excited to begin our own!

Life Skills

All month we have been discussing the life skill of RESPONSIBILITY. In our classroom students are practicing their personal responsibility – exercising self-control and taking responsibility for their own behavior, and academic responsibility – following school routines, directions, and procedures.
One way students practice this skill is by collecting their homework folder from their cubby at the end of the school day and bringing it back the next morning. This also helps us get it prepared for the next day.  
How can you help? With this simple question: “Do you have everything you need in your backpack?”

 Thanks for reading!
*Miss Kristen*

“Nothing will ever change while you point the finger of blame.  
Out of responsibility comes possibility.” 

~Lisa Villa Prosen

Tuesday News – October 17th

Traditions

Last week, we began a new classroom tradition – Surprise Apple Cider!
Each student had a chance to cut, core, and juice a batch of local, farm-fresh apples (thank you for these, Miss Rachel!) in small groups. We enjoyed our warm, spiced cider as a class during lunch and created a rainstorm-brainstorm (pictured below) about what traditions mean to them.
Here is what they came up with:
 familiar, having fun, sharing, family trips, doing things together, holidays, warm inside, making memories, doing special things with & for the people we love. 💛

“My Family Tradition” Page coming home tomorrow
Please be on the look-out for this page coming home in your student’s homework folder tomorrow! It may be kept at home through the weekend and turned in sometime next week. There will be a page attached with further instructions.

Writing

Did you see the sky this morning? The fog lingered over the mountains and the clouds were pink!

Students have completed their final drafts of one of their recent writing journal entries.
In this particular one, they focused on using adjectives to describe their chosen noun, as well as adding punctuation, namely question marks and exclamation points, to the ends of their sentences.
Students have learned and practiced these writing and grammar rules so far:

  • nouns, verbs, adjectives
  • Upper-case letters at the start of a sentence and with Proper Nouns
  • 3 kinds of punctuation at the ends of sentences, statements, questions and exclamations

Thank you for reading!
*Miss Kristen*

“And the song, from beginning to end, 
I found again in the heart of a friend”

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Tuesday News – October 3rd

   Conferences
Tomorrow’s Homework – We Request Your Stories!

Please check your student’s homework folder tomorrow for a special assignment that will require your help:
Oral History Project #1
 – the template and directions will be provided.
This will NOT be due this week, please take your time over the weekend and return next week when complete. Thank you for your help with this project!

Rainy Season Preparation

Let’s get prepared for the rain! We will go outside in the rain and the puddly/muddy field during the rain season. Below are a few items to begin to gather:

  • Extra Clothes – although we aim to stay dry, muddy-puddly accidents do happen. If you have not done so already, please send an extra set of socks, underwear, and pants (think leggings/sweats). We will keep them in the classroom – You can send them in anytime in a labeled ziplock.
  • Rainboots – I would like these to either live here in the classroom or come back and forth EVERYDAY during the rainy season. Students will need them everyday because of the wet grass/muddy field.
  • Raincoats – Please check the weather and send your student to school with a raincoat on rainy days!

Gardening!

Today students helped Ms. Parent and Amber plant drought tolerant and native plants in the community garden boxes!

Thank you for reading,
*Miss Kristen*

“The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.” 
~Michael Pollan

Tuesday News – September 27th

Upcoming Dates!

Hoedown!: Friday, September 29th
NO SCHOOL:
 Friday October 6th & Monday October 9th
Conferences:
 October 11th – October 18th
Field Trip! Sebastopol Community Apple Press:
 Friday, October 13th
Field Trip! Luther Burbank Center for the Arts:
 Tuesday, November 14th

Zero Waste Village, Part 2

Our first school festival is coming up and we are talking about how we can REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE while enjoying potluck with our community….

  • Please bring reusable plates/bowls and silverware for your family on Friday if you are joining us for our potluck at the Hoedown.
  • Our class is requesting small USED canvas bags to repurpose into a customized tote for future potluck events.  While we won’t have these ready for this Friday, we will be beginning to collect these items to add our artistic flair to being GREEN at our next community potluck. If you have any extras already lying around that you would like to donate, please send them in!
  • P.S. – We are still requesting gallon water jugs! Please see last week’s newsletter for details.

Peace & Pinwheels

Last Thursday was the International Day of Peace. 
We celebrated by discussing what Peace means to us, and making PINWHEELS.

Peace is….

“Getting along with others” ~Maya

“Having people to play with, being kind, and having people to stick with you when you are lonely” ~ Wren V

“Hanging out with your cat and doing homework” ~Phoenix

“Helping people when they’re hurt” ~Ella

“Love and friendship ~Kayla

“Having friends” ~Christopher

“Peace” ~Vivi

“Mindfulness” ~Avery

“When people get along” ~Michael

“Friendship, kindness, love and calmness” ~Adella

“When people go outside and help each other out and they love their life” ~Alexander

Thanks for reading!
*Miss Kristen*

 for a special assignment that will require your help:
Oral History Project #1
size: 139%;”>“Peace begins with a smile”
~Mother Teresa

Tuesday News – September 19th

Upcoming: 

Save the dates… more details soon!

This Friday, 9/22: NO SCHOOL.. and also the autumnal EQUINOX!
Hoedown!:
 Friday, September 29th
Conferences:
 October 11th – October 18th
Field Trip! Sebastopol Community Apple Press:
 Friday, October 13th
Field Trip! Luther Burbank Center for the Arts:
 Tuesday, November 14th

Zero Waste Village, Part 1!

Last week we had a special guest from Recology talk to the students about TRASH!
Our class already had awesome knowledge about what gets thrown away, recycled, or composted, and they asked excellent questions.
Along with lessons and activities with Ms. Parent, our class has a few other ways we want to help our Village School reduce, reuse, and recycle! 
We’d appreciate your help too, please see the request below….

One way our class reduces waste is by making sure that any small or soft plastic from our classroom (think snack wrappers, etc) does not end up in the landfill. We are beginning a special project to make building materials out of plastic “bricks”. This project will likely take all year, but we are getting started now and could use empty, used (not new with water) gallon water containers such as the one pictured here. (Please do not buy one if you don’t use these already, but if you already use or have these kind of containers, we will take them!)

We have another project in the works… please stay tuned for “Zero Waste Village, Part 2” next week!

September Life Skill – Friendship

Here are some thoughts from students…. 

Friendship is everything to me, and its also fun” ~Christopher
Friendship is kindness” ~Adella
Friendship is having fun with each other” ~Alexander
Friendship is being friends with people and helping when they’re hurt” ~Ella
Friendship is having a play date with your friend” ~Vivi
Friendship is kindness and helping others” ~Seva

Thank you for reading,
*Miss Kristen*

Here’s a couple of friends at recess time!

“Wherever you are it is your own friends who make your world”
~William James

Tuesday News – September 12th

Greetings!

Thank you again to those who came to our meeting last night!
If you were unable to make it, I have a handout of discussion points / reminders, ask me and I’ll give you one after the school day sometime this week!

Upcoming: Save the dates… more details soon!

Hoedown!: Friday, September 29th
Conferences:
 October 11th – October 18th
Field Trip! Sebastopol Community Apple Press:
 Friday, October 13th
Field Trip! Luther Burbank Center for the Arts:
 Tuesday, November 14th

Thank you, Volunteers!

Thank you so much to our volunteers who are helping keep our spaces clean, and to Arlo’s dad Jeff for installing a new faucet for our sink. If you are interested in helping out throughout the year there are still jobs available at the link below.
SIGN UP FOR A SUPPORT JOB!

Sight Words

Today during rotations students learned / reviewed our first 30 sight words.

We use the  FRY SIGHT WORDS list if you want to help support your student at home.
Our goals are to learn to read sight words with automaticity, as well as eventually spell them accurately.
Today we grouped our words into two groups; those that DO NOT “follow the rules” (which most sight words do not) and those that DO “follow the rules” (but we use them a LOT)… then we played some BINGO!

Art Skills – Stencils

Students have been following instructions during guided art and learning to use all kinds of stencils. For our recent half-moon art we used plates and torn paper as stencils!

Thank you for reading! (the words “you” and “for” are in the first 30 sight words!!)
*Miss Kristen*

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy. 
They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

~Marcel Proust

Tuesday News – September 5th


Upcoming Dates

Parent meeting this Monday September 11th at 5:30!

The Moon and our Moon Journals

Did anyone catch that full blue super moon last week? WOW! 
Students made some incredible artwork I look forward to sharing with you at our parent meeting next week.

In addition to moon-themed art, our writing journals are named “Moon Journals”. This is where students learn and practice a variety of things; handwriting, spelling, grammar, and most importantly, IMAGINATION.
We have been focusing on nouns. I always invite you to support their learning at home related to these themes whenever possible. This might look like a simple activity on the way home from school; name all the nouns you see, is it a person, a place or a thing?

Life Skills

A large part of our classroom discussions revolve around life skills. This month we will be focusing on FRIENDSHIP and CURIOSITY.

We have been talking and sharing about friendship and what it means to be KIND.
Stay tuned in future newsletters for student quotes and ideas about these important topics!

Thank you for reading, I look forward to sharing some more details of our classroom next week at the meeting!
*Miss Kristen*

“Readers are lucky, they will never be bored or lonely”
~Natalie Babbitt

Tuesday News – August 29th

Hello!

Parent Meeting

Please join us on Monday, September 11th at 5:30 for our parent/caregiver meeting!
This is for parents and caregivers only, and there will not be childcare available.

Homework

Homework has begun this week!  
I will talk more about this at the parent meeting, but here are some logistics to know regarding this routine:

 • Homework is given Monday through Wednesday
 • Homework folders come back to school the day after they are given out (in the case of absences, etc, they come back asap!)
 • Spelling lists are given at the beginning of the week and are kept AT HOME (students may have a special spot that works for them; the fridge, the wall, a desk, etc. Sometimes their homework might involve their spelling words and they need to know exactly where to find them, and I also I encourage students to look at them daily)

 • The homework routine is mainly about students practicing their responsibility and organization.
 • It is the students’ responsibility to be in charge of their homework folder and bring it back to school. You may give reminders, but the ultimate goal is for them to learn to keep track of it.
 • If there is no time in the evening or morning for them to get it done, that’s ok! I know families are busy, some days are easier than others to sit down for this task. Just do your best.
 • The homework is NOT individualized to each students’ needs.  Some students love it, some dread it. Some students may think it’s easy, some may think it’s challenging and need a lot of help. That’s ok. Help as much as you are able, and remember that the main goal is for them to turn it in. Please let me know if you have questions about how you might help your child at home.
 • Steps for students to remember:  Take home folder, look at paper, put name on paper, put paper back in folder, put folder back in backpack, bring folder in backpack to school the next day, turn in homework. (We discussed these steps in class today)

Student Groups

We like to mix it up here in the classroom throughout the day, and so students are grouped for lessons and activities in a few different ways. Last week they were assigned to their Element Groups – Earth, Water, Fire & Air. This week they were assigned to their Celestial Groups – Suns, Moons, & Stars. I invite you to ask your student which groups they are in!
Here’s a group working on some art related to our 4 elements….

Thank you for reading!
*Miss Kristen*

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.
It is the source of all true art and science.”

~Albert Einstein

Tuesday News – August 21st

We’ve had a great first 5 days of school! 
We are all making new friends, learning new classroom routines, and practicing new skills.

Reminder: If you want to volunteer on field trips this year you must attend the mandatory meeting this Thursday the 24th. There are 3 time slots to fit your schedule. Check the Friday Bulletin for more details.


Miss Kristen’s Class Parent Meeting – Monday September 11th – 5:30-6:30pm

 • You’ll hear about a typical school day and have an opportunity to walk through the classroom
 • We’ll discuss helpful routines at home to help support your student.
 • I’ll introduce what it means to volunteer in the classroom.
 • Theweight: 400;”> • Bring your questions!


Classroom homeSupportp;; font-size: 25px; font-It is the students’ responsibility to be in charge of their homework Jobs

If you are able and would like to sign up for a classroom support job, here they are:

 • Towel Team – I’m calling it a team because I ask that your student helps out, because I will often forget to send the basket home and they may be better at remembering! This job is best done over the weekend – you’ll take the basket of towels home to launder and then bring them back all clean and folded and ready to dry our clean, clean hands.

 • Porch Patrol – Our front porch & ramp gets a lot of wear and weather, and therefore dusty and dirty. We spend a lot of time there, eating, working, and playing so it’d be nice for it to be clean. This would include dusting, vacuuming and wiping down the cubbies, sweeping the ramp, and even finding all the little bits of trash that make their way down into the berry garden below. Perhaps a good cleaning every other week or so would do the trick?

 • Water Wizard – Just when the students think the water cooler in our classroom is empty and they can’t fill their water bottle, voila! I grab the other 5-gallon bottle that has been magically and mysteriously filled by our water wizard and fill it up again. Thank you water wizards, for hauling those heavy things to the classroom from your car, often undetected… we couldn’t stay hydrated without you!

 • If there is no time in the evening or morning for them to get it done, that’s ok! I know families are busy, some days are easier than others to sit down for this task. Just do your best.
 • The homework is NOT individualized to each students’ needs.  Some students love it, some dread it. Some students may think it’s easy, some may think it’s challenging and need a lot of help. That’s ok. Help as much as you are able, and remember that the main goal is for them to turn it in. Please let me know if you have questions about how you might help your child at home.
 • Steps for students to remember:  Take home folder, look at paper, put name on paper, put paper back in folder, put folder back in backpack, bring folder in backpack to school the next day, turn in homework. (We discussed these steps in class today)

Student Groups

We like to mix it up here in the classroom throughout the day, and so students are grouped for lessons and activities in a few different ways. Last week they were assigned to their Element Groups – Earth, Water, Fire & Air. This week they were assigned to their Celestial Groups – Suns, Moons, & Stars. I invite you to ask your student which groups they are in!
Here’s a group working on some art related to our 4 elements….

“The things that make me different 
are the things that make me ME.”

~Piglet

Tuesday News – August 15th

Welcome to the School Year!

Welcome back to those families returning, and a very warm welcome to the 5 families in our class that are new to our Village this year. 
These newsletters will be sent every Tuesday with updates, special dates, requests, information, and photos about what’s going on here in our classroom.

Hi, I’m Miss Kristen!

This will be my 10th year here at Village, and I am excited to start the year alongside old friends and new. I love teaching in a multi-age classroom and helping to facilitate students’ academic learning and social and emotional growth.
In my free time I like to sing and make music, go hiking, paddling, or swim in the river… and I love ice cream! 🍦

Meet Miss Rachel!

We are pleased to have Miss Rachel as our instructional aid and music teacher!! Rachel has been working with Village students for the past several years teaching music, and we are thrilled to have her helping in our classroom again this year.

Our first day of school is tomorrow, Wednesday, August 16th – 8:45 – 1:15

 • If arriving early, students may hang their backpack outside the classroom and put their lunch in their cubby, then head out to play on the blacktop.
 • I will blow my whistle to gather our class at the start of school – join us if you are able for our all-school morning circle & spiral dance.
 • Students will be excused from class at 1:15 each day this week
 • You may pick up your student outside our classroom, otherwise please communicate with me if you would like your student to walk out with someone else (an older sibling, older friend, etc.)

Communication

Thank you in advance for respecting the flow of the school day and my time away from work! Here’s what that looks like:

 • Please read my Tuesday Newsletters and the Village Friday Bulletin! These are our main modes of communication and contain important details.
 • Morning, before school begins, is my time to prepare for the day and is not always a good time to communicate questions or concerns. If you would like to discuss something please send an email first, and we can find a time to meet in person if needed.
 • I will check my email mainly before and after school hours. I will not not check or respond to emails on the weekends. 
 • If there is something that needs to be communicated to me during the school day please call Carolyn or send her a message and she can relay it to me.

Support, Classroom Jobs and Volunteering

We appreciate and need the support from our families during the school year. Support might be on field trips or in the classroom OR behind the scenes:

 • Wishlists: I will periodically post a wishlist in my newsletter for items and/or help with tasks.
 • Classroom Jobs: Please see next week’s newsletter for a classroom job sign-up. These jobs are regular behind-the-scenes tasks that significantly improve the health and cleanliness of our classroom.
 • Volunteering**: Volunteering may include driving and/or being a chaperone on a field trip, or leading an activity with students in the classroom. As field trips come up, I will send a request for drivers and chaperones. Beginning in late September I will open up a classroom activities volunteer schedule.

** to volunteer this school year you must attend one of the meetings on August 24th.

Thank you so much for reading!
Here we go, see you tomorrow! 🤗

*Miss Kristen*



“Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.
I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”
~Lousia May Alcott