Final Cochran's, Tree Friends, Dog Sled Visit

Another busy and joyful week in kindergarten is in the books! From dog sledding to skiing and all the laughs of Spirit Week, we packed in so many special moments. We were lucky that the weather cooperated, allowing us to participate in all four Cochran sessions at Cochran's Ski Area! A huge thank you to Amanda Cowan for organizing such a wonderful experience. We are also incredibly grateful to all of you who volunteered your time to support your own children and others. And thank you to everyone who lugged ski gear to school and helped pack your child's bags with all of the necessary supplies — your support truly makes this program successful!

Math
This week in math, we focused on breaking down subtraction (also known as “takeaway” or minus). Students played a game called Build It, using ten-frames to practice subtraction and create equations. They also continued solving word problems by showing their thinking with both a picture and an equation.

ECO & Literacy
We connected our forest studies in literacy to real-life exploration during ECO time. After reading a story about food chains in the woods, students ventured to meet a “tree friend,” marking it with a ribbon. We then created bark rubbings and observed the unique designs and textures of different trees in our forest. We will watch for changes in our trees in the coming months!

Have a great break!

Important Dates:

3/3 Voting Day!

3/4 Back to school

4/3 Our class runs the All School Meeting!! You are welcome to come for this from 8-8:30.

100th Day, Cochran's, and Dance Parties!

❤

Greetings, Families!

We kicked off the week celebrating our 100th day of school with lots of fun activities! Students counted all the way to 100 and explored what it means to think of 100 as 10 groups of 10. We’ve been sneaking in place value practice whenever possible, and the kids are really starting to make those connections!

Later in the week, we had our third visit to Cochran’s. The snow was a bit tougher to move through this time—especially on the bunny hill—but the children gave it their best effort and are making wonderful progress. Their perseverance and growing confidence on the slopes have been awesome to see!

On Friday, we wrapped up the week with a joyful celebration of friendship. Students enjoyed games and an afternoon party filled with laughter and connection. A huge thank you for supporting your child with this special day—and thank you for the delicious treats! They were very much appreciated.

During literacy time, we explored forest ecosystems. This is a biome many of us are familiar with in our everyday lives—from dappled sunlight through the trees to the sounds of birds, and sometimes even spotting animals or their tracks. The students loved making connections between what we’re learning and what they’ve experienced outside.

In literacy groups, we continue to strengthen: letter and sound recognition, CVC words, digraphs (sh, th, ck, wh), & blends.  We are also practicing our growing Power Word list. Some new words we’ve added include: are, want, here, have, and for. Your continued support with reading practice at home makes such a difference—thank you!

Upcoming Dates

Spirit week this week!!

2/18 Vermont Sled Dogs and Adventures

2/19 Final Cochran's 

Another chilly weekend greeting! ❄

What a fun-filled week we’ve had! Students have been resilient, chugging right along through these busy days. The whole school headed to the Flynn this week to see Cirque Mechanics: Tilt, a mesmerizing act of skill and strength. A huge thank-you to the UCS PTO for supporting this trip—students were on the edge of their seats the entire time! 🎡

We also wrapped up our second week of Cochran’s. Each week, students grow in skill and bravery on the hills, pushing themselves to go farther. It’s wonderful to see the quick progress that happens every year. ⛷

In the classroom, we began a short science unit on Force and Motion. We use pushes and pulls throughout our day, and this unit is filled with experiments and hands-on activities that reinforce these concepts. It connects nicely with the Olympics and our whole-school Iditarod mini unit this month! 

In literacy, we continued exploring the toasty savanna. Students loved learning about the adaptations animals use to survive—such as camouflage, long legs, and sharp teeth and claws. This week, students wrote about the savanna, pushing themselves to add more details and facts while tapping out sounds as they wrote. 🦒

In math, we started the week with some Groundhog Day math. On the following days, students counted items from mystery bags and played a caterpillar counting game. Their goal was to reach 60 by coloring in circles and tallying as they moved along the caterpillar.

We have another busy week ahead—rest up! 🌞

Upcoming events:

• Tuesday: 100th Day of School

• Wednesday: Buddy Dubay 🎸 & early dismissal

• Thursday: 3rd Cochran’s Ski/Ride

• Friday: Friendship Party 🎉