Wednesday, September 5, 2018

The Blogger Page & The Facebook

Hello!  By now, you should have received Ms. Weisburgh's newsletter that went home with the students.  Also, there is a very good chance that you received an electronic invitation to join our Facebook page.

Here is sort of a fun fact: Ms. Weisburgh uses Facebook, and Mr. Murphy does not (in fact, he is kind of freaked out by social media in general --- though he is trying to be brave about this).

In short, if the Facebook page works for all/most people, we may go away from using this blog page that was used last year.  Please feel free to share your thoughts with us about that.

Next Wednesday, September 12, is our Open House --- we can't wait to see you there!

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

The New School Year is Upon Us!!!

Greetings!  Mr. Murphy and Ms. Weisburgh cannot wait to see the students next week!  We realized today that the "welcome letter" did not make it out yet, so we are attaching the text of it  here (and sending it out first thing tomorrow morning in the mail).

August 2018
Dear Member of the Murphy/Weisburgh Learning Community,
We hope you have been having a restful and generally great summer vacation! Also, We hope you are ready for another school year as you officially start middle school! Ms. Weisburgh and Mr. Murphy have been resting up and cannot wait to see you. Our rooms look a little different, but you will definitely recognize this home away from home!
We will have many new items and tools available in the classrooms (such as art supplies, notebooks, folders, and an agenda for each student). We would like to ask that you bring a few items to school with you, if you can.
To share:
a box of tissues and a container of wipes for desk cleaning
For your own use:
a 3-ring binder, a package of crayons (a small set of 8 crayons will do), a package of colored pencils, and a package of pencils
For snack time during the school day, please try to bring healthy items (for a good article with lots of ideas, please see: https://cspinet.org/protecting-our-health/nutrition/healthy-school-snacks.

Enjoy these beautiful last days of August, and we will see you next week!

Welcome to Sixth Grade

My name is Casey Weisburgh and I am so excited to be your student's sixth grade math and science teacher this school year. I grew up and went to school right here in St. Albans Town. I am so excited to be teaching at the school that taught me so much. After high school at BFA St. Albans, I received my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Plymouth State University as well as my Master's Degree in Special Education from Johnson State College.
It's going to be a year full of fun, learning, and MA adventures. I look forward to getting to know your student and watch them grow this year. I am excited to meet you at our Open House. Please let me know if you ever have any questions or concerns. It is important to me to keep communication open between us. I look forward to a great year together!

Friday, June 15, 2018

For the Last Week of 5th Grade: June 18-20

Please note that the 5th grade celebration has been switched to Tuesday (due to weather concerns about Monday).

Thank you again for offering so many fruits and salads (Murphy homeroom) or salads and deserts (Gleim homeroom).

If at all possible, please send items in with students on Tuesday.

                                          Image result for kid with food

Also, while we will have celebrations and some lighter activities going on, we also will wrap up other studies and work that students are expected to complete.

Report cards will go home with students on Wednesday.


Friday, June 8, 2018

Looking forward to the week of June 11

     Almost all of our students have completed their Language Arts Common Local Assessment this week.  They spent time each day from Wednesday until Friday on this work, and they demonstrated a great deal of determination and growth in putting together their essays.

     You really should be proud of their efforts, and you also really should ask them for their own opinions about how video games influence children (that was the essay topic).

                                            Image result for play video games

     Thank you to all who have been willing/able to supply fruit or salads (Murphy homeroom) or salads/deserts (Gleim homeroom) for our 5th grade End of Year Celebration on Monday, June 18!    

     Also, there is still time to submit the paper with your choices for your student's enrichment blocks for next year.  If the papers are not handed in, choices will be made for your students based on our best knowledge.

     Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Week of May 29, 2018

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We hope you enjoyed a wonderful Memorial Day!

Your student should have an informational packet about next year's Enrichment blocks.  Your student received it to take home either on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.  If you would like to influence next year's Enrichment choices for your student, please check it out!

Chorus students have a concert coming up this Thursday -- good luck!

Students will have a "post-assessment" in Language Arts on Thursday (this will be similar to a "pre-assessment" that they took before starting the reading/writing workshop.  The purpose of this is to see how much their thinking and writing has grown while we worked through this unit.

Monday, May 7, 2018

Week of May 7, 2018

We would like to congratulate our participants in the Fitness Team competition last Thursday!!

Great job representing SATEC and our community!  Great job showing off your hard work, too!

Monday, April 30, 2018

Week of April 30 - May 4

Please note: 
- Friday, May 4, no school for students
- SBAC testing for 5th grade begins on Monday, May 14.

It's time for spring conferences!  


Image result for conferences
The Pick-a-Time notices were handed out two weeks ago, and information is available on the SATEC web site if you would like to schedule a conference.  There are still a few slots open each day.  We are near 60% of families coming in for conferences ~ thank you for taking the time to do that!


Here is an update on the Jamestown model: some students worked with Mr. Galle in the Collaboratory to learn basics of the Tinkercad program.  After, they used the program to design a cannon with geometric shapes and shared the design for 3D printing.







Friday, April 13, 2018

Week of April 16

Please note that informational papers for scheduling spring conferences went home Thursday or will go home on Monday with students.  Here is a copy of the paper:

Mr. Murphy may be at a conference on May 4. If that happens, he will have alternative hours for conferences as well as feedback left with Mr. Gleim.

Below are a few recent photos of students'  reconstruction of the first successful Virginia colony at Jamestown.  They have been doing an excellent job, and more photos will be shared as the work progresses! 

- showing what a palisade is (the fort walls) with popsicle sticks


- attempting to create origami models of canons (and showing great patience)


- creating miniature tents for the settlers
Palisades are almost done, and green, origami cannons are outside the walls


Monday, April 9, 2018

Week of April 9



This Friday, April 13, is an in-service day.  Students will not be at school. 

School conferences are coming up in early May; scheduling information is in the works.

Thursday afternoon this week, students will watch a performance of this year's drama play: Olivia!  Congratulations to our performers and stage crew who have been working to make this a success!

These are photos from our "Cocoa with Your SRO!" celebration event last Thursday.  





 
Students enjoyed about twenty minutes chatting with Officer Langevin about their prepared questions and impromptu questions over a cup of hot chocolate.


Thank you to Officer Langevin for his time!




Monday, April 2, 2018

Week of April 2



We are pleased to share that one of our community's students is a part of "Team Balsa" This is part of the Odyssey of the Mind competition, and a SATEC team that hopes to travel on to the national competition's World Finals in May in Iowa!

If you would like more information or the chance to support the team, here are two options:

1) https://www.gofundme.com/teambalsavt   This explains more about the team's success so far and can accept financial donations!

2) there is a bottle/can drive happening at school for the next few weeks; Bottle drive April 21st, bottles can be dropped off from April 15-21 at Beverage Mart and mention they are for Odyssey of the Mind, contact us to pick up at your home or bring returnables into one of the many boxes that will be located around the school starting April 3




Upcoming important dates:

Odyssey of the Mind Bottle Drive: On-going!!
Thursday, April 12: we will see the school's production of Olivia during the school day
Friday, April 13: in-service (no school for students)
April 23 - April 27: spring break

Monday, March 19, 2018

Week of March 19

This is a busy week for the students with our field trips and other fun.

Tuesday (3/20) is our final, scheduled Jay Peak trip -- where there will be LOTS of snow!  Please make sure your student is comfortable with layers of clothing!  This is the trip when we will take a big, group photo of the students.

Thursday morning we will be off to the Flynn Theater (from roughly 9a - 12noon).  We are bringing lunches that day, whether from home or from the Abbey.

Other fun is planned for the school on Friday afternoon.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Week of March 14

Despite the weather -- or in spite of the weather -- we are back at it today!

On a positive side, we should have plenty of snow for the 3rd Jay Peak trip next week!  Thank you for returning the completed Jay Peak papers as soon as possible.

Also, this is a little late, but thank you for returning the permission slips for our trip to the Flynn Theater next week in Burlington to see the Vermont Symphony Orchestra in a concert with the Vermont Youth Orchestra.  Below is a link with additional information about this event:

https://www.flynncenter.org/education/student-matinees/details.html?perf_no=12208&prefix=SMM16V
 Image result for vermont youth orchestra

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Week of March 7


Welcome back to school!

sap buckets
















Upcoming important dates include:
March 15: Language Arts practice SBAC test
March 20: Jay Peak trip (the last scheduled trip; papers have not gone home yet)
March 20: also, Explorer project is due
March 22: Flynn Theater trip (papers have not gone home yet)
March 30: in-service day

Monday, February 12, 2018

Week of February 12


💟This week, we will make some Valentines to spread kindness here at SATEC and in the community.

Please keep in mind the following dates:
next week, Feb.19-23, is Spirit Week
   Monday: celebrate America
   Tuesday: Twin
   Wednesday: Wacky Hair/Clothes
   Thursday: Learning Community theme (TBD)
   Friday: wear blue (we are paired with 1st grade)

Vacation: Begins on Saturday, February 24 and goes until the day after Town Meeting Day.  Return to school Wednesday, March 7.

March 15: SBAC practice test in Language Arts

March 20: 3rd scheduled trip to Jay Peak

March 22: our learning community is going to see the Vermont Youth Orchestra at the Flynn Theater in Burlington (permission forms have not gone out yet).



Sunday, January 21, 2018

Week of January 29

Important Dates coming up:

January 30 and 31: students in our learning community will take an i-Ready math test; it will be broken into 2 sessions, one each day for 45 minutes.

Wednesday, January 31: we welcome guests from the Flynn Theater to talk with students about the field trip we have in March to see the Vermont Youth Orchestra and Vermont Symphony Orchestra

Friday, February 2: report cards should be going home with students

March 20: 3rd Jay Peak Trip


Photo from Monday's Jay Peak trip -- icy conditions, but no wind.  This student made it up the chair lift for the first time!

Recent book report work during enrichments - learning how to describe the setting in a story: these students decided to do "edible arrangements" that showed where major events took place!  Candy has never been so educational!







The band students did a fantastic job at their premier recently.  Here are a few photos of how they were dealing with their nerves before the concert began!