Good Afternoon Families,

Over the past two weeks we have learned so much. In reading, we compared how Pizza and Sushi came to America, read about the different moon phases and practiced our Mountain Language skills. In social studies, we started our government unit focusing on the difference between the types of government, state and federal government, the three branches, and the preamble. In math, we are finding the area of boxes by multiplying mixed numbers and sorting quadrilaterals based on their properties. In science, we are continuing our learning of the planets. During explore time today we researched how to make successful egg drop contraptions. Next week, we will test our contraptions!

Over the next two weeks, I will be soloing. This means that I will be the lead teacher in the classroom while Mrs. Miller is in the building, but will not be in the classroom. Please feel free to email me with any comments or questions.

Have a great weekend!

Ms. Spencer

sam.spencer@colchestersd.org

Good Afternoon,

For our upcoming Genius Hour I-STEAM projects we are working on an egg drop, making model rockets, and keeping a cube together. We are looking for materials to do these projects!

We need:

• rubber bands
• bubble wrap
• tape (all kinds)
• waxed paper
• recyclables (boxes, containers, plastic bags)
• string
• yarn
• aluminum foil
• cotton balls

Thank you,

Summit 5 Teachers

Dear Families,

This week we learned about the purpose of government and taxes, what happens when we microwave grapes, the distance between the moon and Earth, the different phases of the moon, how to convert metric units, how to make a line plot, and many other things. We are researching facts about Vermont and writing reports. For DARE, students are making projects and presentations about something they feel passionate about. These presentations will be next week.

We filled our fish bowl with tokens, so we will have a class celebration next week! Thank you for continuing this work at home. The students voted and we will have a fort technology time.

If your student needs extra practice with math skills, they can log onto Xtramath and practice.

As a reminder for homework, they should be reading for 25 minutes every day and practicing math using Dreambox for 25 minutes every day.

Have a great weekend,

Ms. Spencer

Dear Families,

We are so happy to learn together again. In three days we have learned so much new information! In Reading, we read about the conservation of endangered wolves and discussed the laws put in place at Yellowstone National Park. In math, we learned how to multiply and divide by powers of ten. In Social Studies, we started research-report writing on our lovely state of Vermont. We learned that Vermont is the 14th state, the state animal is the Morgan Horse, and we have many industries that help boost our economy. In Science, we learned about the Sun and the Earth’s rotation.

Before February break, we put our minds together to create some really innovative STEM developments! We made circuits using circuit boards and ordinary objects like bananas, apples, paperclips, putty, construction paper, and so much more. I implore you to ask your student what they invented! We also filmed Stop Motion Videos. We put on plays about Medusa’s life and a farmer’s life. We observed and explored the Sun’s impact on our shadows. We learned about the life of a young boy growing up in Nazi Germany during World War II. We read Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech and went to the Flynn Theater to see a performance of it. We celebrated all of this hard work by going bowling at Spare Time.

In our classroom, we are focusing on being respectful. We have discussed what it means to be respectful both inside and outside of the classroom. We have been working on helping others to do their best, being polite and using kind words, and listening in order to understand.  I encourage you to continue this work at home.

I am eager to meet you all at our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences next week. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns.

Have a great weekend,

Ms. Spencer

sam.spencer@colchester.org

Please be aware that my parent conferences will be held on a different day than it says on the school calendar.  My conferences will be held March 11, 13, and 14 after school.  You will receive an invitation from the school on Signup Genius to sign up for you conference.

Be on the lookout for a note to be coming home tomorrow from our new student teacher, Ms. Spencer.  There will be something you need to sign and return.

There is no homework the week of January 7.  The students met their goal of filling the fishbowl with tokens and chose to celebrate with a no homework week.  We will resume regular math and reading starting next Monday the 14th.

With all of this lovely winter weather we have had to start wearing outside gear a lot earlier.  With that we have started to have a very distinct odor in the classroom.  Can you please help your child remember to take out ski pants, hats, and gloves from their back packs and dry them each night?  Thank you.

On Thursday of next week we will be having a school-wide celebration as we filled Oscar to the top this week.  Please look for the slip that explains the movie choices for that celebration.  You only need to send the slip back if their is a movie on the list that you do not want your child to see.

We will be celebrating our July through December birthdays on the Friday before winter break with a special treat.

If you have not already done so, please schedule a conference for your child for next Monday or Tuesday.

Even with the craziness of Halloween the kids did awesome this week.  They took their unit 2 math test and the pretest for unit 3.

They have also filled the fish bowl and earned a class celebration.  Tomorrow, Friday November 2 they are having pj day and movie.  We tried to pick the movie today, but ran out of time.  It will be a g or pg movie.  If you don’t want your child watching a pg movie please let me know.

Lastly, the students will be seeing a presentation by Sweethearts and Heroes tomorrow.  Check them out on line.