WISE OWL: February 9

February 9, 2014

"Have You Seen the Owl Today?"

HAPPY NEW YEAR UNION ELEMENTARY!

Welcome to the Union Elementary Wise Owl!  We hope that you enjoy this new way of learning what's going on at UES! If you'd like to have the Wise Owl sent to you, please send your email address to chrish@mpsvt.org. I'll be updating the Owl every few weeks with both news and celebrations, and I'd love to be able to send it directly to you if that's what you'd like.

Here is what's new at UES:

UNION ELEMENTARY: OUR STORY Go to the link below to see the first part of our new ongoing series Union Elementary: Our Story. Teachers and students have been eager to share why they love coming to Union every day and why our work together is so important, and you'll get a chance to hear from them directly. The plan is to add to Our Story the rest of the winter and spring, so if you'd like to share your story, we'd love to hear from you!

JANUARY CARES ASSEMBLY!  Once again, the 5th graders outdid themselves in putting on an entertaining and informative show for all of us at UES. January's C.A.R.E.S. theme was "Self-Control", and the students used a game show format to get classmates up on stage to test their C.A.R.E.S. knowledge against mine! I'm happy to say that the students and I were always on the same page. Congratulations to Mrs. Adams' class for the great show!



NECAP RESULTS ARE IN! We just received the math, reading, and writing NECAP scores for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders today. Please look for your child's scores in the mail before the February break.

ECO DAY! I had the pleasure of joining 1st graders last week on a special ECO Day at the North Branch Nature Center! It was a bright and beautiful 27 degree day, and the children had a wonderful time. On behalf of all of us in the UES community, I'd like to thank Amy Butler and the entire ECO staff for providing our children with the best in experiential learning. If you ever have a chance to join your son or daughter on an ECO day, don't miss the opportunity!

Mrs. Wrigley's class has fun on the igloo!

 

Wise Owl: January 21

January 21, 2014

"Have You Seen the Owl Today?"

HAPPY NEW YEAR UNION ELEMENTARY!

Welcome to the Union Elementary Wise Owl!  We hope that you enjoy this new way of learning what's going on at UES! If you'd like to have the Wise Owl sent to you, please send your email address to chrish@mpsvt.org. I'll be updating the Owl every few weeks with both news and celebrations, and I'd love to be able to send it directly to you if that's what you'd like.

A SPECIAL VISIT FROM MRS. KOCH'S CLASS  Last week, I had the pleasure of being visited by some very happy "Super Students" who told me that they were having a a special party.  Here they are delivering the good news:

 

Moments later, Mrs. Koch's whole class came down to visit and join the other super heroes in my office!  Congratulations to Mrs. Koch's students for earning over 1500 Hoots!

 

 

UES ROOF UPDATE  On a more mundane but very important note, I'd like to share some news about the condition of our roof.  The recent freeze/heavy rain pattern of winter weather we've been experiencing has put some major strain on our roof, and we have had some significant leaks as a result.  During the last rainy weekend, some teachers and I noticed water coming down through the stairwell by the music room at an alarming rate.  Contractors came in last week and assessed the situation, spending a good part of this long weekend repairing the ceiling and making sure the building was safe.  These workers did an extraordinary job in a very short period of time, and I want to assure you all that the stairwell is safe for all of us.  An asbestos abatement was completed in 2005, so we're fine there; also, there was no mold found in the affected areas.  Good news for all of us!

                   BEFORE                                                                               AFTER   

                                                                       

REPORT CARDS NEXT WEEK!  Report cards will be issued on Friday, January 31 for all of our students.  Please look for your child's report card in his or her folder, and feel free to contact teachers if you have any questions.  I'll have more information about report cards in the next Wise Owl.

PLAYGROUND MONITORS NEEDED! UES recently put an advertisement in the papers for a playground monitor. If you or anyone you know of would be interested in helping us out on the playground from about 11:15 to 1:15 on a daily basis, I'd love to hear from you! This is a paid position, and your presence would greatly help us improve the students' playground experience.


UES DELAYED OPENING PROCEDURES: Winter is in full gear, and with the unpredictable weather comes the possibility of cancellations or delayed openings for school. There has been some confusion in recent years about the exact time school opens at UES on delayed opening days, so here is what you need to know in case Mother Nature throws a snow or iceball at us one of these mornings:

UES DELAYED OPENING PROCEDURES 

9:30     Teachers arrive 

10:00   UES doors open; IAs arrive; buses begin to arrive; we're open for business!

10:00-  Students will begin arriving to class; transition time; Morning Meeting.

10:25

10:25   UES schedule officially begins.  Students will proceed as normal where the schedule would be normally at 10:25.  Lunches will not be effected.

CELEBRATING EVERYBODY WINS!  UES students and Everybody Wins! mentors were honored at the State House last Tuesday with recognition from the legislature and a "power lunch" in the cafeteria!  For those of you who don't know, Everybody Wins!, the largest mentoring program in Vermont, provides students with a mentor for weekly reading partnerships designed to foster a lifelong love of reading.  Both of my daughters participated during their years at UES and will never forget their mentors!  Kudos to EW Coordinator Patty Valentine for organizing such a fun and valuable day for our students!

 

Wise Owl: 1-1

January 1, 2014

"Have You Seen the Owl Today?"

HAPPY NEW YEAR UNION ELEMENTARY!

Welcome to the Union Elementary Wise Owl!  We hope that you enjoy this new way of learning what's going on at UES! If you'd like to have the Wise Owl sent to you, please send your email address to chrish@mpsvt.org. I'll be updating the Owl every few weeks with both news and celebrations, and I'd love to be able to send it directly to you if that's what you'd like.

C.A.R.E.S. ASSEMBLY! The latest outstanding, student led C.A.R.E.S. assembly was put on by Mrs. McGuiggan's 5th grade class on the 18th. What a terrific job the kids did! Empathy was this month's theme, and many of us were treated to Superman-style "E" emblems to wear for the day. The show included sketches demonstrating empathy and a dance number performed with Mrs. Closter's 1st graders. Below are some highlights:

                    

Check out this video of the dance performance:

UES STUDENT REPS AT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING Representatives from grades K to 12 (the MHS Classes of 2014 to 2026!) shared their thoughts on what makes a great school with our school board and the Montpelier community at last month's board meeting. I had a wonderful opportunity to work with our middle school students, while Mrs. Arnold worked with students from the high school and Mr. Bunting worked with our children. The result was a presentation that beautifully put into perspective the notion that everyone who works for the Montpelier schools works for all of our kids. You can catch the whole presentation on the Orca website, but I took some footage of the K-5 segment of the presentation with Mr. Bunting, and it's well worth your time to check out. It's difficult to hear the younger children at first, but the audio improves as it goes on. 

UES DELAYED OPENING PROCEDURES: Winter is in full gear, and with the unpredictable weather comes the possibility of cancellations or delayed openings for school. There has been some confusion in recent years about the exact time school opens at UES on delayed opening days, so here is what you need to know in case Mother Nature throws a snowball at us one of these mornings:

UES DELAYED OPENING PROCEDURES 

9:30     Teachers arrive 

10:00   UES doors open; IAs arrive; buses begin to arrive; we're open for business!

10:00-  Students will begin arriving to class; transition time; Morning Meeting.

10:25

10:25   UES schedule officially begins.  Students will proceed as normal where the schedule would be normally at 10:25.  Lunches will not be effected.

UES WORLD CHORUS OPPORTUNITY Union Elementary School, in partnership with Community Connections, is launching a wonderful after school opportunity for Union students: The UES World Chorus. Students will meet weekly for an hour long choral instruction class led by the wonderful John Harrison, and will build a repertoire to perform at the end of the school year. John will be selecting traditional music from around the world, as he challenges the students with harmony and rhythm. Students will learn why people make music, why people sing, and how songs are created, as they themselves learn to raise their voices together to create beautiful and meaningful musical stories.

When: Thursdays 2:45-3:30 optional supervised before care/snack 3:30-4:30 UES World Chorus
Where: UES Auditorium
Dates: January 17-May 27 (Performance in June)
Cost: $180 + $54 optional before care ($10 per class + $3 for before care & snack)
Scholarships available for students with Free and Reduced Lunch. A staggered payment plan will be available as well. CC students will pay a prorated rate.
Registration: Registration will begin on January 3rd. Please look for hard copy flyers as well as online registration/payment options. 

To register online, click here

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR From the UES Parents Group: "The Union School Parents Group would like to thank all the volunteers, families, students, and staff who helped make the Fall Scholastic Book Fair a success!  We had about 20 volunteers helping to set up, run the book fair and pack up everything.  We couldn’t have done it without all of your support!  Although we do not yet have the final numbers from Scholastic, it looks like this Book Fair earned the USPG  over $2000 in cash to directly assist the students and teachers of UES through field trips, art projects, classroom activities, etc.  In addition, we earned over $400 in free books for students and classroom libraries!  Thank you all for your support!   See you at the Spring Scholastic Book Fair!

Suzie Smith, Angie Buckley, and Sidney Collier, Co-Chairs of the Scholastic Book Fair"

4th GRADE BAKE SALE From Ms. Lloyd and the 4th grade team: "I want to thank all of you who sent in items for the Craft and Bake Sale.  Today, we raised nearly $250 to donate to The Water Project, a non-profit that provides sustainable sources of clean water to communities in Africa.  You can read more about The Water Project here:

http://thewaterproject.org/

Students were professional, engaged, excited, cooperative, flexible, and very proud of what they accomplished.  What a worthwhile way to spend a day at school!  Thank you for your support.

-Morgan"

Here is a great photo of the students tallying the results:

GREEN MOUNTAIN YOUTH SYMPHONY AT UES The UES community was treated to a wonderful performance by the Green Mountain Youth Symphony on the 19th! Thanks to Mrs. Goldblatt for organizing the concert, and to the talented musicians for sharing their love of music with all of us.

Wise Owl: December 9, 2013

December 9, 2013

"Have You Seen the Owl Today?"

Welcome to the Union Elementary Wise Owl!  We hope that you enjoy this new way of learning what's going on at UES! If you'd like to have the Wise Owl sent to you, please send your email address to chrish@mpsvt.org. I'll be updating the Owl at least once a week with both news and celebrations, and I'd love to be able to send it directly to you if that's what you'd like.

4th-5th GRADE CONCERT!  Those of you who attended last Thursday evening's concert were treated to some wonderful performances by our students!  Special congratulations are due to the 4th grade band who were performing publicly for the first time.  I'd also like to give credit to Mrs. Goldblatt and her colleagues in the MPS music department for their commitment to the performing arts for all of our children.  Student participation in music at UES is as high as it's been in many years, and the kids' enthusiasm was a beautiful thing to watch.  Check out these photos:

This doesn't look like "pre-show jitters"!:

The Performance:

                     

                     

Post performance Celebrations!:





NEW SECURITY SYSTEM AT UES!  The first week of the new security system at Union has been a huge success!  I'd like to thank those of you who have contacted me by email, phone, and in person to thank me and the faculty for taking these measures to keep our children safe.  It's clear to me that the Montpelier community fully understands the need for these changes.  For those of you who are learning about this for the first time, here are the basics:

Exterior doors will now be locked at all times before, during, and after school.  Guests visiting UES will now enter the building through the main, front entrance using a video/buzzer system linked to the front office.  Upon entry, guests (parents, contractors, etc.) will sign in at the front office and be given a guest ID pass.  From December 2 on, all faculty, staff, and guests must have an ID or guest pass visible at all times while in the building.  If you don't have an ID and are in the building, an adult (or maybe even a student!) will ask you to return to the office to get one.

We fully recognize that this is an entirely new way of allowing access to our school for the community, but we hope that you can all understand that these changes need to happen.  As we all get used to this new system in the coming weeks, we welcome your questions, suggestions, and feedback.  Please let us know what you think!

SCHOOL EXPERIENCE SURVEY:  In an effort to get more feedback from UES families, we've put out a School Experience Survey on our website.  The survey will only take a few moments to fill out, so please look at it when you have a chance.   We really want to know how you think we're doing!

You can click here to take the survey right now!

8:00 START TIME:  With the cold weather and new security system going into effect after Thanksgiving, we think it's a good time to remind the community that Union Elementary does not open its doors until 8:00.  As of December 2, the doors to the school will be locked and staff will not be available until that hour, so it's very important to make sure your child isn't dropped off before that time. Adult supervision inside and out will begin at 8:00 in the cafeteria for those who want breakfast, the playground, and "Quiet Start" in the library (which is limited to the first 40 students who choose to go to the library).  The bell rings at 8:20 for the official start to the day. The half hour between 7:30 and 8:00 is always busy for our faculty and staff preparing the day and participating in meetings, so we really appreciate all of your cooperation with this!  Please let me know if you have any questions.


RIDDLE OF THE DAY:

What do you call a pig who plays basketball?

Last week's riddle:  Why did the math student do her multiplication problems on the floor?  (Answer:  The teacher told her not to use tables!)

November 25, 2013

"Have You Seen the Owl Today?"

Welcome to the Union Elementary Wise Owl!  We hope that you enjoy this new way of learning what's going on at UES! If you'd like to have the Wise Owl sent to you, please send your email address to chrish@mpsvt.org. I'll be updating the Owl at least once a week with both news and celebrations, and I'd love to be able to send it directly to you if that's what you'd like.

NEW SECURITY SYSTEM AT UES!  Beginning on the morning of Monday, December 2, the UES community will enter a new era of security and safety as we continue to do our best to keep our children and staff safe.  Faculty and staff will be issued photo ID cards today, and these cards will each have a chip embedded in them allowing entry into the building. Keys will no longer be necessary.

Exterior doors will now be locked at all times before, during, and after school.  Guests visiting UES will now enter the building through the main, front entrance using a video/buzzer system linked to the front office.  Upon entry, guests (parents, contractors, etc.) will sign in at the front office and be given a guest ID pass.  From December 2 on, all faculty, staff, and guests must have an ID or guest pass visible at all times while in the building.  If you don't have an ID and are in the building, an adult (or maybe even a student!) will ask you to return to the office to get one.

We fully recognize that this is an entirely new way of allowing access to our school for the community, but we hope that you can all understand that these changes need to happen.  As we all get used to this new system in the coming weeks, we welcome your questions, suggestions, and feedback.  Please let us know what you think!

SCHOOL EXPERIENCE SURVEY:  In an effort to get more feedback from UES families, we've put out a School Experience Survey on our website.  The survey will only take a few moments to fill out, so please look at it when you have a chance.   We really want to know how you think we're doing!

You can click here to take the survey right now!

NOVEMBER ASSEMBLIES:  RESPONSIBILITY!  If you happened to stop by our assemblies before or after your Thanksgiving lunch last week, you got to see quite a show!  Ms. Kelley's class had the task of putting together a show with the theme of Responsibility, and did they ever come through!  The students presented a well rehearsed and planned out show that was both informational and entertaining.  Outstanding job!

Mrs. Beaupre's class anxiously awaits the show!

Mae and Destiney:  MCs extraordinaire!

The Flash Mob!

8:00 START TIME:  With the cold weather and new security system going into effect after Thanksgiving, we think it's a good time to remind the community that Union Elementary does not open its doors until 8:00.  As of December 2, the doors to the school will be locked and staff will not be available until that hour, so it's very important to make sure your child isn't dropped off before that time. Adult supervision inside and out will begin at 8:00 in the cafeteria for those who want breakfast, the playground, and "Quiet Start" in the library (which is limited to the first 40 students who choose to go to the library).  The bell rings at 8:20 for the official start to the day. The half hour between 7:30 and 8:00 is always busy for our faculty and staff preparing the day and participating in meetings, so we really appreciate all of your cooperation with this!  Please let me know if you have any questions.

"LIGHTS ON AFTER SCHOOL"!  Congratulations to Diadel Ortiz and the Community Connections staff for putting on a successful event last Friday night at UES!  The kids showed off their work and talents while the adults learned about and celebrated the many accomplishments of our Community Connections after school program.

RIDDLE OF THE DAY:

Why did the math student do her multiplication problems on the floor?


Last week's riddle:  Which side of a turkey has the most feathers?  (Answer:  the outside!)  

Wise Owl: October 29

October 29, 2013

"Have You Seen the Owl Today?"

Welcome to the Union Elementary Wise Owl!  We hope that you enjoy this new way of learning what's going on at UES!

CAVE ART AT UNION!  What a beautiful project Ms. Kane and her students have shared with all of us!  Take a look at Ms. Dostie and her students learning about Cave Art in the "Kindercave" the other day, and feel free to take a tour yourself the next time you stop by...

THE GENEROSITY OF THE MONTPELIER ROTARY:  Ed Rousse and Bill Miles of the Montpelier Rotary stopped by Union yesterday to deliver dictionaries and atlases to classes. Each 3rd grade student received a brand new dictionary, and each 5th grader is the proud owner of a new atlas!  All of the students had an opportunity to learn about the charitable works and good deeds of the Rotary around the world for the last sixty years.  Thanks to Bill and Ed for their generosity!

Mr. Rousse talks about the potential to learn 37,000 new words with Mrs. Beaupre's class

COLD WEATHER COMING!  

As we approach colder temperatures we are collecting gently used items for families and children.  We would appreciate any donations of winter gear in both children and adult sizes (jackets, snowpants, boots, hats, and gloves/mittens).  We could also use a few blankets to help out in the colder months.  

With colder temperatures also comes the very busy holiday season.  Our community has been struggling alongside the rest of our country during these hard economic times.  If your family, or another family you know of, could use some holiday assistance (regardless of what holiday is observed) please contact our School Social Worker, Erica Farnham at 225-8232 to get connected to services in place this time of year.  


HALLOWEEN AT UNION ELEMENTARY:   The faculty, staff, and I made a difficult decision last week:  we've decided that Halloween cannot be celebrated at school on October 31.  As much fun as it would be to celebrate with costumes and parties, we believe that such revelry would be simply too disruptive to the learning environment for an entire day.  Please help us maintain a healthy learning environment the following days as well; we ask that all candy remain at home.  If you have any questions or concerns, please call me or stop by.  

RIDDLE OF THE DAY:

Why is a cemetery a great place to write a story?

Friday's riddle:  How do you fix a Jack O' Lantern?  (Answer:  with a pumpkin patch!)


DID YOU KNOW?  ...that the last time the Boston Red Sox had a World Series Game 6 in Boston was in 1975?  I had just turned ten years old and was in the 5th grade, and my parents let me stay up late to watch New England's Carlton Fisk hit a game winning home run off the left field foul pole.  Here he is, "pushing" the ball fair:

  

Wise Owl: October 25

The Union Elementary

WISE OWL

October 25, 2013

"Have You Seen the Owl Today?"

Welcome to the Union Elementary Wise Owl!  We hope that you enjoy this new way of learning what's going on at UES!

THE GENEROSITY OF THE MONTPELIER ROTARY:  Ed Rousse and Bill Miles of the Montpelier Rotary stopped by Union yesterday to deliver dictionaries and atlases to classes. Each 3rd grade student received a brand new dictionary, and each 5th grader is the proud owner of a new atlas!  All of the students had an opportunity to learn about the charitable works and good deeds of the Rotary around the world for the last sixty years.  Thanks to Bill and Ed for their generosity!

Mr. Rousse talks about the potential to learn 37,000 new words with Mrs. Beaupre's class

Mr. Rousse and Mr. Miles talk about the work of the Rotary while Ms. Kelley's students check out their new atlases

 ANTI-BULLYING ASSEMBLIES  Union Elementary gathered all students yesterday for an entertaining and informative assembly focusing on being Assertive to prevent bullying in our school.  Our K-2 students met in the big gym, and our 3-5 students met in the auditorium, and they all did a beautiful job!  Here are the oaths that we pledged together:

K-2 Oath

• I promise to help put a stop to bullying behaviors by treating people kindly, including everyone when I play, and asking a grown-up for help if I see bullying behaviors at UES. Together we can help to prevent bullying behaviors!

3-5 Oath

• I promise to help put a stop to bullying behaviors by treating others kindly, by expressing my feelings without hurting people’s bodies or feelings, by including my classmates in games that I play, and by letting an adult know if I see bullying behaviors at UES. Together we can help to prevent bullying behaviors!

Here is a link for the song the K-2 students sang together:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70Uy7d4b-HY

COLD WEATHER COMING!  

As we approach colder temperatures we are collecting gently used items for families and children.  We would appreciate any donations of winter gear in both children and adult sizes (jackets, snowpants, boots, hats, and gloves/mittens).  We could also use a few blankets to help out in the colder months.  

With colder temperatures also comes the very busy holiday season.  Our community has been struggling alongside the rest of our country during these hard economic times.  If your family, or another family you know of, could use some holiday assistance (regardless of what holiday is observed) please contact our School Social Worker, Erica Farnham at 225-8232 to get connected to services in place this time of year.  


HALLOWEEN AT UNION ELEMENTARY:   The faculty, staff, and I made a difficult decision last week:  we've decided that Halloween cannot be celebrated at school on October 31.  As much fun as it would be to celebrate with costumes and parties, we believe that such revelry would be simply too disruptive to the learning environment for an entire day.  Please help us maintain a healthy learning environment the following days as well; we ask that all candy remain at home.  If you have any questions or concerns, please call me or stop by.  

RIDDLE OF THE DAY:

How do you fix a Jack O' Lantern?

Thursday's riddle:  What do you get when dinosaurs crash their cars?  (Answer:  a Tyrannosaurus Wrecks!)

DID YOU KNOW?  ...that you can make a skeleton by simply gluing dried pasta to dark paper?  Check out this project along with some other fun crafts at the Enchanted Learning KidLink:

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/halloween/