Snowshoe Hare, Penguin Parade, & Snow Motion!

 

Did you know the darkest days are now behind us? This week I noticed the extra light that we are now having toward the end of the day, it snuck up on me! Spring will be here before we know it!

This week we wrapped up our Math unit with a fun and memorable celebration—a Penguin Parade! The students marched through the school, proudly showing off their creations. It was a wonderful way to end the unit and see the kiddos' excitement about their hard work.

In Social Studies, we focused on the idea of Perspective—our word of the week. The students explored what it means to see things from different viewpoints, from a bird’s eye view to a ground perspective. It was fun to see how their thinking evolved as they discussed how things look different depending on where you’re standing.

As you know we began Snow Motion at Cochran's! Day 1 on the slopes was a blast. It was so much fun watching the kiddos who were trying out skis or snowboards for the first time, and equally exciting to cheer on those who were already mastering the hill! This is such a wonderful program and it is amazing to see the growth that the students make during it. 

Our animal focus in our Track & Scat program was the Snowshoe Hare. They are known for their incredible adaptations to snowy environments, especially their large, furry feet that help them stay on top of the snow. 🐇

Kindergarten Tea Party:  During art next week, kindergarten students will have a tea party as a way to celebrate the completion of our clay tea cups. Students always enjoy being able to actually USE something they've made. I will offer lightly sweetened mint tea and anyone who declines is welcome to sip water instead. We will even have a special royal visitor to make the tea party extra fancy! Looking forward to it! 

Best wishes, Kim Aucter

                                  Have a wonderful weekend!

 This week, our class wrapped up a fascinating study on penguins, exploring some of the most interesting species. Our focus was on the Little Blue, Chinstrap, Rockhopper, and Emperor penguins, and we spent time comparing their unique characteristics. We learned all about their size, behavior, and habitats, and how each species adapts to its environment. As a culminating activity, each student had the challenge of creating their own penguin model out of paper. The task wasn't just about crafting; it was about making sure the dimensions of their penguin were as accurate as possible. Students worked hard to capture the proportions of their chosen penguin.  They are all so cute and unique.  These will be hung in our classroom for a bit.

In Writing, students finished their Nonfiction Features. This week, they’ll be adding the finishing touches with fancy covers created in collaboration with Mrs. Neeson! 

We also continued our Vermont Fish and Wildlife program by learning all about the Bobcat, an elusive creature that roams our forests. To test our tracking knowledge, we went on a hike in search of deer and bobcat tracks. Students did an amazing job hiking through the deep snow!

Mrs. Hackett's Reading Challenge:  Please encourage your child to find reading time!  For every 15 minutes read, they can color in a penguin!  Return the Winter Reading Challenge and receive a small prize from the treasure bin!

Snow Motion is finally here!! This Thursday, grades K-2 will head to Cochran's in Richmond at 9:30 a.m. for a 10:00 a.m. start. We will return around 11:30 for lunch. Dress warm!!

Lastly, I wanted to apologize for last week's video. YouTube has upped its copyright system, not allowing different things even quick shots of books.  It has been a puzzle trying to figure out what the problem is in many videos. Thank you for your patience with this!  This one should be good to go!

 

This week we dove into a fantastic program called Scat and Track through the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department! First graders participated in this last year, and we will look at more animals this year.  In this program, we get to discover the incredible world of wildlife right here in Vermont. This week, we focused on one of our most iconic animals – the Whitetail Deer. Did you know that whitetail deer are named for the white underside of their tail, which they raise when they sense danger? 

In Math, we took a plane ride all the way to Antarctica. While there, we met three types of penguins: the Little Blue, the Rockhopper, and the Chinstrap Penguins. These penguins are all unique, and we enjoyed learning about their size, habitats, and what makes them so special. We even measured each penguin’s height to see how they compare! We have 1 more to go this week and then a final project!

We’ve also begun exploring the world of nonfiction books in Literacy. These books are filled with fascinating facts, and we've been learning how they use special features to teach us new things. So far, we’ve looked closely at features like photographs, maps, bold print, and captions. These features help us better understand the facts and information the books are sharing. For example, bold print highlights important words, while photographs show us what animals, places, or things really look like. This week we will finish this up and create our very own book with all of these parts and pieces!

📢 Battery Collection Drive by Mrs. Bernier’s Class! 📢

Mrs. Bernier’s 3rd and 4th grade class at Underhill Central School is partnering with Call2Recycle to lead a Battery Collection Drive from January 20 to February 18! This is a wonderful opportunity to recycle old batteries, help protect the environment, and support our class in the running for a pizza party and a special prize!

Here’s how you can help:

• Collect old batteries from your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors.
• Drop them off at Underhill Central School in our designated collection bin.
• Help us spread the word—every battery makes a difference!

Thank you for supporting Mrs. Bernier’s class. Let’s recycle, protect the planet, and work together to win! ♻️🔋

Happy New Year🥳

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a joyful and restful holiday season. First, I must apologize for the New Year party blowers your child came home with! I have to admit, I had a moment of regret about 30 seconds after they were given out. 😄

As we dive into 2025, we kick off the year with exciting learning! Our Kindergarten and First graders have joined forces to embark on a new mini-math unit centered around measurement. And the best part? We’re taking an imaginary trip to Antarctica! Brrr... it’s cold there! During this unit, students will explore fascinating facts about this frigid land while also learning to measure length and height in inches. Not only is this a fun, hands-on way to learn math, but it also ties perfectly into our nonfiction reading and writing study in literacy. It also connects with our new Social Studies unit on Geography, where students will begin understanding the world beyond their classroom.

Here's to a fantastic 2025!