I want to take this moment to share my gratitude toward this wonderful community.  Every day these beautiful children fill the day with hugs, giggles, and new learning!  As you will see in this week's video students reflected on what they are grateful for.  Wishing you all a holiday week filled with gratitude and love.

The W.O.W. was scrumptious.  Students enjoyed helping to make some scrumptious pumpkin pie on Friday and enjoyed some scrumptious hot cocoa out in the woods on Wednesday.  Thank you again to those who donated cocoa and cups!

Kindergarten Math:  This week we continued composing shapes out of shapes like in the game Build a Hexagon.  Students found ways to build a hexagon using trapezoids, triangles, and rhombuses. 

First Grade Math:   This week we worked on fact fluency with partners to 10.  Fact fluency is important because it forms the foundation for higher-level math concepts.  Playing games is a great way to keep facts fresh.  A fun way to practice is 10's Go Fish.  Instead of finding the pair, learners match the partner to 10.  Students have also enjoyed this song to help them learn partners to 10.  

Toys and Stuffies

I am asking students to please choose only one toy or stuffy if they are bringing a toy to school. Recently this has snowballed into multiple stuffies and toys, which is difficult to manage. Thank you for your support with this!

Did you know Grey Squirrels, Red Squirrels, Groundhogs, and Chipmunks are all cousins? They are rodents known as ground squirrels. Each animal has unique traits and adaptations that help them thrive in their specific environments.  For example, Groundhogs are known for their burrowing, while Grey Squirrels are excellent tree climbers, and Chipmunks are often seen scampering around on the ground, storing food. Throughout the year we take the time to study the diversity of wildlife that surrounds us in our Green Mountain state!

Kindergarten Math:  Students spent time describing attributes of different shapes.  They created a collaborative shape mural and constructed shapes out of playdough by rolling ropes to form a shape.

First Grade Math:  This week first grade learners worked on addition and subtraction strategies. We worked with doubles, doubles plus 1, counting on, and counting back. Practicing counting forward and backward is a great way to continue to help your learner grow! When you’re in the car or in line at a store, ask your learner to solve a fact or count forward or backward from a number. This is a great way to pass the time and help improve fact fluency.

Literacy:  Students added the new W.O.W word Joy to their journals, in honor of World Kindness Day this week. 

Writers learned that adding speech bubbles and dialogue to their writing makes their stories fun to read. Dialogue makes the characters feel more relatable and the story more engaging.  

Social Studies: Students spent time thinking about the town of Underhill and brainstormed places they consider to be an important part of the town. 

Notes:

• November 21st  ~ UCS Lantern Walk -> INFO LETTER

• November 22nd ~ UCS Turkey Trot 

• November 25th - November 29th ~ NO SCHOOL 

Math this week...

Kindergarteners jumped into Unit 3 which is on shapes.  Students related 2-D shapes to real world 3-D objects. They began to notice that shapes are everywhere! Students will continue this practice and also work on describing attributes of a particular shape. 

First Graders - This week we started a new unit that will focus on addition and subtraction.  The unit begins with fact fluency, focusing on automaticity of doubles, doubles plus 1, and partners to 10.  This week students focused on double facts. Here is the song we used to help learn the facts. 

Literacy this week...

Our Word of the Week was Scamper, to run quickly with light steps. We read a beautiful story about a squirrel searching for a winter home. He eventually finds one and must scamper to gather leaves and food. 

Students continue to share beautiful small moment stories in Writing. Students are working on varying skills: adding more details in their pictures, adding labels, forming sentences, and writing multiple sentences that help the reader understand their story.  We will be wrapping this unit up in the next two weeks and we will celebrate all of this delicious writing!

                                                With a shorter week enjoy this shorter video!

Notes:

**Please pack a set of extra clothes or two for your child to have in our classroom. Thank you!!

**Also please remember to pack warm gear for your child, the weather is very unpredictable this fall! 

**Snow Motion forms are due this coming week!! UCS Snow Motion Questionnaire 2025

Fall Fun, Wild Things, & MMU Choir

 The weeks are flying by right now and here we are in November where it is nearly stick season in VT! Please continue to check your child for ticks regularly.  

Students are working hard every day in literacy gaining skills from letter ID and sounds to digraphs and blends.  This is done through drill practice, games, and activities.

Kindergarten Math - Students continued comparing lengths and quantities.  They are developing language for comparing lengths: long, short, shorter than, the same, and when comparing quantities: more, greater, less fewer, least, and equal. 

First Grade Math: Students wrapped up our 2-D shape unit by identifying attributes of a variety of shapes. This included counting the number of sides and vertices and composing shapes. Next week, we will start a unit on computation. Students will learn to find combinations of 10 automatically and solve problems with one addend unknown.  

On Friday, students were sent home with their passwords for Happy Numbers and Lalilo. This is not a requirement just something some families requested, so I wanted to share it equally. 

Notes:

• November 5th ~ NO SCHOOL (Election Day)

• November 6th ~ Picture Retake Day

• November 6th ~ Student Early Release Day/Staff PD

• November 7th ~ VT Plow Day Celebration (Penguin Patrol)

• November 7th ~ Virtual PTO Meeting

• November 21st  ~ UCS Lantern Walk

• November 22nd ~ UCS Turkey Trot 

• November 25th - November 29th ~ NO SCHOOL (Thanksgiving Break)