Dear Families of Voyager House,
As some of you may know already, over the summer I did some major
damage in my right knee. I always find it funny in life, when bad things
happen while you’re doing something you love … in my case that would be
playing in a soccer game.
After the injury, and consultations with doctors, surgeons, and nurses
it became clear that having surgery was not only going to be necessary,
but needed to happen sooner than I had hoped. This surgery is not
elective, and according to my surgeon can not be pushed back any later.
With that said, I will be absent from Voyager House for about 2 weeks.
During this time I can get my surgery taken care of and start my journey
back to having a functional knee. I will be absent from October
8th-October 19th. My plan is to return to teaching on Monday, October
22nd.
I wish I could have pushed the surgery to a more convenient time, but
some things in life you just can’t budge! The students will be left in
fantastic hands, and I am hoping to do some Skype sessions while I am
absent.
I do want to just take a second to thank the Voyager team for all of
their support. Both staff and students have been extremely supportive
and positive about this whole situation. If you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to email me.
Thank you so much,
Lauren Wesnak
Friday, September 28, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Week of September 24
Voyager Housekeeping
BOOK SALE
- The Wiki to sign up to help with the Voyager Book/Media Sale at the WCS Craft Fair is ready.The Craft Fair is on Saturday, November 3rd from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. The success of this sale is directly related to the merchandise we collect to sell...so even if you can not help outat the Fair, it would be great to have you involved in collecting books, DVDs, music CDs, video tapes, and records prior to the sale. Merchandise will be stored in the Voyager Project Room.
- There are spots to sign up to 'adopt' a collection in your neighborhood, if you chose to sign-up for those spots, I will be in touch and hold a brief meeting on how best to undertake those collections.
- This book sale is a great fundraising opportunity. Last year, we raised over $1,000! The funds went directly to reduce the costs of the end-of-year field trip -- which ended up being FREE for ALL Voyager students. This year, there will be a 7/8 overnight trip to NYC as well as a 5/6-specific trip. We'd love to see the older students signing up for some of these spots and helping at the fair. Any questions, please send to apechaver@yahoo.com Thank you!!!!
Voyager FAP wiki http://voyagerfap.wikispaces.com/home
NECAPS
- NECAP testing will begin on Monday, October 8, 2012. Please schedule in extra rest, a focus on hydration and nutrition, and a cheerleader apporach to doing one's best on this assessment. It takes health, happiness, and stamina to attend for these long testing blocks!
5-8 Wish List
- We want to make our learning environment rich, interesting, and comfortable! If you would like to add a book to our library (we have a list of books we would love to have), purchase a Crazy Creek for your child to use in literature group, or add some green life (a plant, that is) to our windowsill, feel free! Just contact your child’s core teacher for more details! AND THANKS!
Mr. Merrill’s Wrap Up
⅚ Language Arts
We
started the week off with our “Reading Cafe.” Many students are ahead
of their reading goals and have finished at least one independent
reading book. We are going to move our “Reading Cafe” to follow our
Vocabulary time on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. This will make for an
easier transition following Vocabulary and give us an extra period for
instruction. If you signed up to bring in a snack for “Reading Cafe”,
please bring it in on that Tuesday.
During
our Writer’s Workshop, we focused on using commas. Students wrote a
story about a trip they took, including packing lists, dates, and
locations to practice using commas. Many students wanted to share their
stories with the class, so cool!
The Vocabulary books are finally in, so students should be completing their next lesson in the book. For students new to the Wordly Wise
program, the test they had this week was open book. We will correct
the test together next week, so students can understand what to expect
on future tests.
⅚ Social Studies
The WCS Candidate Forum is next Friday, October 5th. The ⅚
students are making posters for this event. This week, they selected a
candidate, completed research, and started working on a poster to
display for the forum. Colored Duct tape (blue and red) and colored
pencils are running low, if you would like to make a donation. Thanks!
News from Ms. O
5th Grade Math
We
are moving on to multi-digit multiplication! Students have wrapped up
algebraic patterning work and moving into multiplication. We took an
assessment Thursday that will be posted on Jupiter Grades and sent home
Monday. Please ask to see it; I’m asking all parents to sign assessment
so you are not in the dark about your child’s performance!
Students
have two additional math classes each week to pursue additional math
topics, many of which are centered around computation and skills, like
graphing. We have just begun a penny flipping activity to look at the
likelihood or chance of certain events happening. The discussion has
been rich! I’m very pleased with the focus and attention during these
two math days!
All
kiddos are enrolled in FASTT math and have taken an initial assessment.
Most students are in multiplication, even if it is above their grade
level, because this is the focus of the next unit. Students login is
firstlast and password is math. Please ask them to work on this 3 x a
week. I have a magic eye that can detect lack of activity. Don’t be
the one!
6th Grade Math
Students
wrapped up some initial discovery of properties of matter and will be
moving on Monday to some new ways to look at and understand numbers.
Investigation 2 in Prime Time! Assessment will come home on Monday and
should be signed, once you see the Jupiter Grades post. We are really
focusing on writing a good math explanation. It is a lot of work, but
I’ve already seen kiddos step it up so that they don’t need to do a
rewrite. I am working on not accepting anything unless it has capitals
and periods. I hope this makes the difference!
All
kiddos are enrolled in FASTT math and have taken an initial assessment.
Most students are in multiplication, even if it is above their grade
level, because this is the focus of the next unit. Students login is
firstlast and password is math. Please ask them to work on this 3 x a
week. I have a magic eye that can detect lack of activity. Don’t be
the one!
⅚ Science
This
week students continued discussions on two big ideas: What is matter?
and What properties of matter allow us to identify each substance as
unique and different from other substances? By investigating what
happens when you heat and cool liquids, solids, and gases, students have
come to the understanding that matter is stuff (anything in our world
and beyond) that has mass, volume, exists as solids, liquids, gases (or
plasma) and that this stuff, is made of atoms and molecules that are in
constant motion and are attracted to each other. When we know this, we
are able to explain why water droplets tend to move toward each other or
act sticky; we are able to explain why a thermometer can go up or down
based on the temperature of the liquid it is sitting in; we can explain
why cement walkways are built in sections instead of as one continuous
surface. We ended our week with an open notebook assessment where
students were asked to write about what they have learned based on
evidence and information. I am expecting students to use LEAF
paragraphs to explain or justify their thinking. If you don’t know what
that is, your child will! As scientists, we must communicate our
thinking in writing and to do this well, we need structure. The LEAF
structure is the perfect structure for this! P.S. - I would like all
assessments to be seen and signed by parents. Please feel free to ask
your child when you see the score posted on Jupiter Grades.
Ms. Q’s Corner
Science 7/8th
Monday,
I was up in the Northeast Kingdom participating in my science class. It
was chilly and the foliage was spectacular. In my Vermont Science
Academy class I am learning to push students to articulate their thought
process in making science meaningful. This year, my goal is to have
students write clear and concise “claims and evidence” statements based
on data that we find in our experiments. Another goal is to make sense
of the data we find in our scientific explorations and extrapolate what
could happen in other situations. Making meaning is key.
This
week in our 7/8th science class, we completed our seedlings experiment.
Our question: Does a seed in a closed system gain mass as it grows?
We measured our seedlings everyday, made observations in our inquiry
notebooks, and came to the understanding that the mass of the seedlings
will stay the same in a closed system. This major scientific concept of
conservation of mass was clearly seen in this experiment We moved
onto the Carbon Cycle and calculated how much carbon each human being
exhales everyday. We investigated our carbon footprint through an
online carbon calculator. Students completed a ecosystem vocabulary
worksheet that will be the basis of our investigation of the pathway of
energy through an ecosystem.
Math 7
Who
knew that there could be so much data around a bicycling trip. This
week we continued our investigations in the CMP unit “Variables and
Patterns.” We created graphs and tables as the bicycle tour group made
their way down the the coast toward Norfolk, VA. We talked about scale,
coordinate points and stories that can be told by looking at a graph or
table. Finally, we reviewed exponents and several skills from our
starter sheets.
Math 8
We
have been very busy this week. We continued our work in “Thinking with
Mathematical Models.” We looked at patterns and created algebraic
equations that would allow us to extrapolate. The class also worked on
reviewing simplifying algebraic expressions. We practiced one-step and
two-step equations. On the skills front, we tackled scientific
notation. Students received their first quiz grades on number systems
and mathematical operations .
The Week in Ms.Wesnak’s Room
Language Arts
This
week in LA both 7th and 8th graders have been working on some of the
basics in grammar and punctuation. We’ve been working on solidifying our
skills in the world of commas, homophones, and what it takes to write a
complete sentence. As a class we hunted down some real-world examples
of proper comma use. Students were asked to dig into their literature
group books to find examples of commas in published writing. Students
challenged themselves to think about what would happen if their author
didn’t use commas. Students asked themselves would this sentence,
statement, or question make sense without commas? What is this author
trying to say? 7th graders completed a review on these skills and took
their quiz on Friday. 8th graders will be completing their review
friday, and quizzing on Monday. 8th graders also took a little time to
watch an inspiring video on Friday. The hope was that the story in the
video would motivate them for their own 8th Grade Challenge. If you have
an 8th grader, be sure to ask them about their Challenge and how it’s
going!
Social Studies
We
are knee deep in the election race! Students have been working really
hard to learn all about the candidates in the Vermont race and what
their jobs are all about. All of our hard work around the government,
what it means to be a citizen, and our rights is about to pay-off with
the upcoming Candidate Forum! Students in the 7th and 8th grade are
given an amazing opportunity with the Candidate Forum to actually CREATE
the questions being asked of the candidates. Wow!! Voyager House has
been asked to create the questions for the candidates in the race for
Governor and Lt. Governor. As a house, we are all very excited about
this opportunity. We are getting pumped-up for the event and polishing
off our knowledge around the issues and the different views taken by
each political party. Students, individually, are being asked to pick an
issue and take a stand! Learning to take a stance on a political issue,
finding your voice, and backing-up your opinion is important and
inspiring work. I feel lucky to be having such discussions and
conversations around these topics with such a great group of students.
Talk to your child about the Vermont election and who is running the
state race! Also, please engage in conversation about the issues facing
our state and our country!
Friday, September 14, 2012
Week of September 17
Housekeeping:
Mr. Merrill’s Wrap Up
⅚ Language Arts
This week in Language Arts, we started our spelling/vocabulary instruction. This instruction will take place on Tuesday and Thursday. In each class (5th and 6th) there are 3 programs running at the same time. Students were placed in a program based on past performance and recent spelling assessments. Our goal is to find the right fit for each student, so placement changes may occur as needed. I will be facilitating small group instruction along with Courtney Sherman and Bob Mitchell during this instruction time.
The students received a packet for the first lesson, but once the workbooks arrive, the students will complete assignments in their workbook. If your student is in the Wordly Wise program, there are online activities that your student can use to practice the vocabulary words (http://www.wordlywise3000.com/). The Spellography program has many rich activities as well, but you will find those in the workbook.
The students also completed 2 journal assignments this week. Many of them were excited to notice an increase in their fluency and production on the second try. We also reflected on our journal writing and shared our writing in class.
Also, just a reminder that in most cases, your student should be reading a literature group (assigned) book and an independent reading book. Students should be reading for 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week. This can happen on weekends as well, whatever fits your student’s schedule.
⅚ Social Studies
In Social Studies, we are studying the candidates, offices and issues of the upcoming election. We identified the candidates who are up for reelection and their opponents. Students selected the candidate that they will be creating a poster for and started researching that candidate’s web site for issues and information. There have been some great political questions and discussions in class. Although we have not spent a lot of time on political parties yet, the students have many questions about the differences, which we will be exploring in the upcoming weeks. A great dinner topic for sure!
Today is the United Nation's calendar day for Peace. Through the work of PEACE ONE DAY, there is a worldwide effort to make this day a worldwide cease fire and day of non-violence. For more information and great videos (videos for 5th grade and up) see the website - http://peaceoneday.org/
The Global Truce 2012 is a 5 minute video and the 9 minute video gives a great background on the story of Peace One Day.
News from Ms. O
Grade 5 Math
Students in fifth grade have been working hard to manage all of the demands of math this year! I have tried to streamline the way that things get distributed (eg. giving them all the homework in one stapled packet), so that there isn’t a trail of missing homework in cubbies and on the floor around the house! I have already noticed that a lot less is ‘missing!’ The focus of this week has been: using our math observations to make sense of a growing cube sequence. This work is early algebra and demonstrates how essential it is to understand patterns. We have been using the questions:
What’s next!? Multi-digit multiplication!
We have also been working on building a best practices classroom by talking about norms for discourse (taking private reasoning time and using protocols for partner talk), justifying our thinking (How do I show and explain what I think?), and selecting and sequencing (teacher listens to students while they talk and scaffolds making meaning discussions based on student ideas). It is highly productive experience! I have told students that it is their obligation to themselves and others to think, talk, and act on their understanding! Please feel free to come in any time to watch us in action!
FASTT math will begin Monday. Expect that if your child does not have a written assignment for the night, they should be on FASTT math! If computer access at home is an issue, we can set up time during core to make sure this happens 2-3 x weekly!
Grade 6 Math
6th graders have been playing games this week, and last, that build their understanding of the properties that make each number unique! We have been playing the Factor Game and have completed some analysis of the math behind the game. Today, we will play the Product Game, another game that tugs on student understanding of what makes each number similar and different than other numbers. New/old vocabulary includes: FACTOR, PRODUCT, MULTIPLE, DIVISOR, PRIME, COMPOSITE and others. While practicing basic computation, students are also going to begin noticing patterns in certain numbers that dictate processes like finding the least common multiple so that you can add fractions.
We have also been working on building a best practices classroom by talking about norms for discourse (taking private reasoning time and using protocols for partner talk), justifying our thinking (How do I show and explain what I think?), and selecting and sequencing (teacher listens to students while they talk and scaffolds making meaning discussions based on student ideas). It is highly productive experience! I have told students that it is their obligation to themselves and others to think, talk, and act on their understanding! Please feel free to come in any time to watch us in action!
⅚ Science
Science has been fun! We have been moving molecules this week, playing with liquid water, solid brass, and air in a basketball! The focus of the unit, What is matter and what makes one substance unique? is a nice parallel to our work in 6th grade math with the properties of a number. I have been trying to integrate real life questions into the mix, so that students know why it is important to understand matter and its properties. Explaining frost heaves, learning about why a thermometer goes up and down, knowing why concrete sidewalks are made the way they are, and looking at bridge expanders help us make sense of the science we learn in class. Ask students what they know about moving, attracted molecules, hot and cold, and be AMAZED! They have learned a lot!
Ms. Q’s Corner
Math 7
This week we reviewed number systems, order of operations, a few basic math skills and had a geometry quiz on Wednesday. Students have received their quizzes; and they have been placed in the assessment section or their notebook. They may correct them to improve their score.
We logged onto Khan Academy. This nifty site will allow students to practice math skills at home or at school. If students get done with their math work early, they should plug away at this site. We have also begun our work on skill sheets. These sheets practice 24 math skills that students will become more proficient in as the year goes on.
Finally, we began our first Connected Math Unit: Variables and Patterns. We collected data about on how many jumping jacks we were able to perform over time. We looked for patterns and
trends.
Math 8
How many pennies can a paper bridge hold before buckling? Students looked at the relationship between the thickness of the bridge and the number of pennies it held, along with looking at the length of the bridge and the number of pennies it held. We graphed our results and looked at the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. How are x and y related? We finished the week with a retake of the number system and operations quiz. Students also worked on reviewing some basic skills.
Science 7/8th
The big question: Where does the “stuff” come from that transforms a seed into a tree? We created an experiment to see if seedlings in a closed system will increase mass, decrease mass or stay the same. We took notes about life processes and delved deeper into photosynthesis. We learned about the uses of glucose in plants and went out to identify and gather some wild food. We enjoyed some delicious sumac tea. We ended the week with the “Life” Series video on plants. We witnessed how plants adapt to their environment, how they obtain energy and insure their survival.
This Week in Ms.Wesnak’s Room:
Language Arts
The week started with our usual Independent Reading Monday Reading Cafe! The class decided that we should start bringing in some light snacks for this class period. Seeing as we are calling this time a “Reading Cafe”, we wanted to bring this title to life. Students who wanted to bring in snacks for the class volunteered and we put together a Snack Schedule all the way up to Thanksgiving Break. Please ask your child if they signed up, and if they did ask them for the Snack Schedule they were given Friday in class. As the week went on we started our work in punctuation, comma use, and a review on what makes a complete sentence. Students learned a very important lesson: Punctuation Can Save Lives! Ask your child how punctuation can save a life :) Through a “human sentence building” activity students started reviewing/learning the basic comma rules. We are also doing a very light-hearted review on homophones, seeing as the “to, too, two” and “there, their, they’re” can always be confusing. As we continue working on our constructed responses, or LEAF (Lead/Focus, Evidence, Analysis, Finisher) paragraphs, students had to take a stand on a current issue happening in schools all across Britain, and ask themselves whether or not what’s happening in Britain should happen in the United States. Students needed to make a decision and form an opinion with evidence and analysis to back-up their thoughts. Both 7th and 8th grade did some great work. Ask your child about what’s going on over there and what they think about it!
Students also shared out some writing from their Language Arts journals in class on Wednesday and Friday.
Social Studies ⅞:
- No school next Wednesday!
- Jupiter Grades is up and running. Some classes, like spelling, are just getting started. Encourage your child to be regularly checking in with his/her progress. Feel free to use your own login to support your child!
Mr. Merrill’s Wrap Up
⅚ Language Arts
This week in Language Arts, we started our spelling/vocabulary instruction. This instruction will take place on Tuesday and Thursday. In each class (5th and 6th) there are 3 programs running at the same time. Students were placed in a program based on past performance and recent spelling assessments. Our goal is to find the right fit for each student, so placement changes may occur as needed. I will be facilitating small group instruction along with Courtney Sherman and Bob Mitchell during this instruction time.
The students received a packet for the first lesson, but once the workbooks arrive, the students will complete assignments in their workbook. If your student is in the Wordly Wise program, there are online activities that your student can use to practice the vocabulary words (http://www.wordlywise3000.com/). The Spellography program has many rich activities as well, but you will find those in the workbook.
The students also completed 2 journal assignments this week. Many of them were excited to notice an increase in their fluency and production on the second try. We also reflected on our journal writing and shared our writing in class.
Also, just a reminder that in most cases, your student should be reading a literature group (assigned) book and an independent reading book. Students should be reading for 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week. This can happen on weekends as well, whatever fits your student’s schedule.
⅚ Social Studies
In Social Studies, we are studying the candidates, offices and issues of the upcoming election. We identified the candidates who are up for reelection and their opponents. Students selected the candidate that they will be creating a poster for and started researching that candidate’s web site for issues and information. There have been some great political questions and discussions in class. Although we have not spent a lot of time on political parties yet, the students have many questions about the differences, which we will be exploring in the upcoming weeks. A great dinner topic for sure!
Today is the United Nation's calendar day for Peace. Through the work of PEACE ONE DAY, there is a worldwide effort to make this day a worldwide cease fire and day of non-violence. For more information and great videos (videos for 5th grade and up) see the website - http://peaceoneday.org/
The Global Truce 2012 is a 5 minute video and the 9 minute video gives a great background on the story of Peace One Day.
News from Ms. O
Grade 5 Math
Students in fifth grade have been working hard to manage all of the demands of math this year! I have tried to streamline the way that things get distributed (eg. giving them all the homework in one stapled packet), so that there isn’t a trail of missing homework in cubbies and on the floor around the house! I have already noticed that a lot less is ‘missing!’ The focus of this week has been: using our math observations to make sense of a growing cube sequence. This work is early algebra and demonstrates how essential it is to understand patterns. We have been using the questions:
- How are new arrangements changing, how are they staying the same?
- Where is the original set of cubes from arrangement 1 in the new arrangement?
- What can you predict about the next arrangement; the one after?
- Could you figure out how many cubes in the 100th arrangement?
- What generalization did you use to make that prediction?
What’s next!? Multi-digit multiplication!
We have also been working on building a best practices classroom by talking about norms for discourse (taking private reasoning time and using protocols for partner talk), justifying our thinking (How do I show and explain what I think?), and selecting and sequencing (teacher listens to students while they talk and scaffolds making meaning discussions based on student ideas). It is highly productive experience! I have told students that it is their obligation to themselves and others to think, talk, and act on their understanding! Please feel free to come in any time to watch us in action!
FASTT math will begin Monday. Expect that if your child does not have a written assignment for the night, they should be on FASTT math! If computer access at home is an issue, we can set up time during core to make sure this happens 2-3 x weekly!
Grade 6 Math
6th graders have been playing games this week, and last, that build their understanding of the properties that make each number unique! We have been playing the Factor Game and have completed some analysis of the math behind the game. Today, we will play the Product Game, another game that tugs on student understanding of what makes each number similar and different than other numbers. New/old vocabulary includes: FACTOR, PRODUCT, MULTIPLE, DIVISOR, PRIME, COMPOSITE and others. While practicing basic computation, students are also going to begin noticing patterns in certain numbers that dictate processes like finding the least common multiple so that you can add fractions.
We have also been working on building a best practices classroom by talking about norms for discourse (taking private reasoning time and using protocols for partner talk), justifying our thinking (How do I show and explain what I think?), and selecting and sequencing (teacher listens to students while they talk and scaffolds making meaning discussions based on student ideas). It is highly productive experience! I have told students that it is their obligation to themselves and others to think, talk, and act on their understanding! Please feel free to come in any time to watch us in action!
⅚ Science
Science has been fun! We have been moving molecules this week, playing with liquid water, solid brass, and air in a basketball! The focus of the unit, What is matter and what makes one substance unique? is a nice parallel to our work in 6th grade math with the properties of a number. I have been trying to integrate real life questions into the mix, so that students know why it is important to understand matter and its properties. Explaining frost heaves, learning about why a thermometer goes up and down, knowing why concrete sidewalks are made the way they are, and looking at bridge expanders help us make sense of the science we learn in class. Ask students what they know about moving, attracted molecules, hot and cold, and be AMAZED! They have learned a lot!
Ms. Q’s Corner
Math 7
This week we reviewed number systems, order of operations, a few basic math skills and had a geometry quiz on Wednesday. Students have received their quizzes; and they have been placed in the assessment section or their notebook. They may correct them to improve their score.
We logged onto Khan Academy. This nifty site will allow students to practice math skills at home or at school. If students get done with their math work early, they should plug away at this site. We have also begun our work on skill sheets. These sheets practice 24 math skills that students will become more proficient in as the year goes on.
Finally, we began our first Connected Math Unit: Variables and Patterns. We collected data about on how many jumping jacks we were able to perform over time. We looked for patterns and
trends.
Math 8
How many pennies can a paper bridge hold before buckling? Students looked at the relationship between the thickness of the bridge and the number of pennies it held, along with looking at the length of the bridge and the number of pennies it held. We graphed our results and looked at the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. How are x and y related? We finished the week with a retake of the number system and operations quiz. Students also worked on reviewing some basic skills.
Science 7/8th
The big question: Where does the “stuff” come from that transforms a seed into a tree? We created an experiment to see if seedlings in a closed system will increase mass, decrease mass or stay the same. We took notes about life processes and delved deeper into photosynthesis. We learned about the uses of glucose in plants and went out to identify and gather some wild food. We enjoyed some delicious sumac tea. We ended the week with the “Life” Series video on plants. We witnessed how plants adapt to their environment, how they obtain energy and insure their survival.
This Week in Ms.Wesnak’s Room:
Language Arts
The week started with our usual Independent Reading Monday Reading Cafe! The class decided that we should start bringing in some light snacks for this class period. Seeing as we are calling this time a “Reading Cafe”, we wanted to bring this title to life. Students who wanted to bring in snacks for the class volunteered and we put together a Snack Schedule all the way up to Thanksgiving Break. Please ask your child if they signed up, and if they did ask them for the Snack Schedule they were given Friday in class. As the week went on we started our work in punctuation, comma use, and a review on what makes a complete sentence. Students learned a very important lesson: Punctuation Can Save Lives! Ask your child how punctuation can save a life :) Through a “human sentence building” activity students started reviewing/learning the basic comma rules. We are also doing a very light-hearted review on homophones, seeing as the “to, too, two” and “there, their, they’re” can always be confusing. As we continue working on our constructed responses, or LEAF (Lead/Focus, Evidence, Analysis, Finisher) paragraphs, students had to take a stand on a current issue happening in schools all across Britain, and ask themselves whether or not what’s happening in Britain should happen in the United States. Students needed to make a decision and form an opinion with evidence and analysis to back-up their thoughts. Both 7th and 8th grade did some great work. Ask your child about what’s going on over there and what they think about it!
Students also shared out some writing from their Language Arts journals in class on Wednesday and Friday.
Social Studies ⅞:
This
week classes have wrapped up their comparing and contrasting of the
Vermont constitution with the United States constitution. In our wrap-up
we learned some pretty cool things about the Vermont constitution,
including that Vermont was the first to require the creation of public
schools in their constitution! Once we wrapped up our knowledge around
the constitutions we started our work on the 3 branches of government.
Students did some great group work looking at the structure of our
national government vs. the state of Vermont’s government structure. We
will be finishing up the week talking about the balance of powers. This
work is leading us directly into our upcoming classes around the Vermont
elections: who are the candidates, and where do they stand on the big
issues in Vermont. Students will be doing a lot of work, research, and
conversation around this in preparation for the Vermont candidate forum
on October 5th!
Peace Day is today, September 21st, so we took time out of our Social
Studies class to talk about Peace One Day. You can learn more about this
and talk about it with your family by going to http://peaceoneday.org/.Week of September 10th
Voyager Housekeeping ...
Tuesday, September 18th - Picture Day (please send forms in
with your student)
Thursday, September 20th - Curriculum Night, 6:30-8:30
Please see the Voyager website for our posted Homework
Policy and Expectations
http://www.wsdvt.org/Page/2970
Special Thanks! We would like to thank a generous Voyager
family for their efforts to find a painter and pay for the paint to make our
KIVA one color! It looks fantastic!
Thanks to Joe, Caleb's stepdad, for painting the KIVA during
our field trip days!
Shout out to Phil Swett, Phil Martin, Laura McClure, Matt
Clear, Tom Moody, Nancy Gagne, Michelle Pierce, Mike Albertelli, Theresa
Schroeder, Sahve V-C, and Dave Schmidt. A special thanks to all of our
field trip chaperones! We are thankful to have such energetic and
committed parents!
Field Trip Photos!
Dave Schmidt has provided a link to photos from the trip.
We are all still working dump photos there. Take a look!
I've set it so people can "right click" and
"save as" to download them for their personal use. They can
also print off the site and any proceeds will go back to the class.
Gallery Password = Voyager
You can also ADD photos to this gallery via the link below:
What's happening in Ms. Wesnak's Room:
7/8 Language Arts and Social Studies: This week started up
our first unit on government and civics. Students will be focusing on trying to
answer the question: How can I make my voice heard and seen clearly? This
essential question or guiding question will be our "compass" for the
coming weeks. Leading us through learning about our government, the upcoming
local and national elections, and where we stand on the big issues! Our week
kicked off with our weekly independent reading, happening every Monday, and our
Current Events Catch-up! In LA students will read a book of their choice for 30
minutes. They will finish each class by having a book chat with a friend.
Students will talk about their likes/dislikes, connections, and more. Students
will also be making predictions about what will happen next in their books. In
Social Studies, our classes will take the time to try and catch-up on the
latest news and big story headlines! Looking at local, global, entertainment,
food, and sports news. As the week progressed we dove into a couple of our
country's important documents: The Constitution, more specifically the Bill of
Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. We asked ourselves what does it
mean to be a citizen? Students participated in heated debates about our rights
as citizens of the United States and also spoke about the everlasting impact of
these documents. Along with journal writes, building of vocabulary maps, and a
compare/contrast activity with the United States Constitution vs. the Vermont
Constitution, our week was pretty packed. Students were also given book choices
for our first Literature Groups, which will start on Monday. Our first Lit
Group theme across house is voyage and adventure!
Ms. Q’s Corner:
Math 7: We began with setting up class norms that
will help us to be engaged math learners. We plunged into geometry
by defining, drawing and exploring geometric terms. Students
explored four different types of plane symmetry: rotation, reflection,
translation and glide reflection. We used pattern blocks to create
patterns that illustrated these forms of symmetry. We examined several M.C.
Escher prints to look for additional examples of symmetry. Finally
we created our own tessellations. Additionally, we set up our math
binders, practiced math facts and performed several entrance tasks. It
was a busy week.
Math 8: This week we began using Edmodo as
a venue for our math communication, reflection and information. We
explored different types of numbers: natural, whole, integers, real, rational
and irrational. We practiced using Order of Operation, (PEMDAS)
while solving math problems. Through the week, discussed class
norms/habits of being that will allow us to be active, productive and engaged
math learners. We created a dedicated math notebook, took a math
fluency test and completed an entrance task. Students will have two math
classes on Thursday, Algebra seminar/math seminar and our regular math class. A
quiz on numbers will take place next week. (Tuesday)
Science 7th/8th: What are the characteristics of living
things? We began by taking a close look at a small living creature-
yeast! Our focus questions was: What are the optimum conditions for
yeast growth? We read articles, created testable questions, an experiment
plan, and then carried out our experiments. We collect data, created claim and
evidence statements, conclusions and then had a scientists meeting to review
our results and plot out more questions. There were a lot of surprises, interesting
discussion and reflection.
Mr. Merrill's Wrap Up:
⅚ Language Arts and Social Studies
This week, we had our first “Reader’s Cafe”, a 30 minute independent reading period, followed by discussion and reflection in our Reading Response Notebooks. We are planning to have a “Reader’s Cafe” every Monday. Please sign up on the pbworks site (link below) if you would like to provide a healthy snack for our weekly cafe.
Students were introduced to the book choices for Literature Groups on Wednesday morning and will start on Monday. Ask your student which 3 book titles he/she selected.
We also spent some time writing and reflecting on our trip to Siskin. Students completed a rough draft constructed response today, based on what they learned about themselves on the trip. Final drafts will be completed next week.
In Social Studies we started our unit on “Election 2012.” We are focusing on the candidates, offices, political parties and issues. We completed some brainstorming activities and used a “scanning” strategy for reading informational text. The text was an article on the presidential candidates and the issues. Students will start a candidate poster project next week and will also be blogging with students from other houses about the upcoming election.
This week, we had our first “Reader’s Cafe”, a 30 minute independent reading period, followed by discussion and reflection in our Reading Response Notebooks. We are planning to have a “Reader’s Cafe” every Monday. Please sign up on the pbworks site (link below) if you would like to provide a healthy snack for our weekly cafe.
Students were introduced to the book choices for Literature Groups on Wednesday morning and will start on Monday. Ask your student which 3 book titles he/she selected.
We also spent some time writing and reflecting on our trip to Siskin. Students completed a rough draft constructed response today, based on what they learned about themselves on the trip. Final drafts will be completed next week.
In Social Studies we started our unit on “Election 2012.” We are focusing on the candidates, offices, political parties and issues. We completed some brainstorming activities and used a “scanning” strategy for reading informational text. The text was an article on the presidential candidates and the issues. Students will start a candidate poster project next week and will also be blogging with students from other houses about the upcoming election.
News from Ms. O
5th and 6th Grade Math
Both fifth and sixth graders have been building norms in the classroom that promote private reasoning time, discourse (talking to others about the math), writing opportunities to share current understanding, and modeling. The practices we use have been informal to start, but as soon as we dive into more problem solving, the more deeply we will explore the different ways that students can share ideas, listen for understanding and justify their thinking with evidence. All of these behaviors are researched based, proven to be helpful in deepening math understanding.
5th Grade is using the last year of the spiraling program, Bridges. I have provided a link below for parent help and parent information. http://www.mathlearningcenter.org/resources/materials/parents/parents5
6th Grade is using Connected Math 2 6th Grade. Please see the hot link for more information for parents. http://connectedmath.msu.edu/parents/welcome.shtml
Grade 5 Math
Fifth graders have been working hard to internalize the new culture of Voyager House and have been doing a great job in math! We began our math learning by practicing how to make a good math observation. We played mystery object, where students could describe what they were looking at in the classroom, without naming it and I was psyched about the rich math language students are already using! Wow! We have also been working on representing height data for our classroom, allowing us to create a list of the elements of a good graphic in math. This has allowed us to ultimately tell the story “hidden” in the numbers. I am certain this first look at data and statistics will build a firm foundation for the concepts at the end of Unit 1.
5th graders have an additional math class on Mondays and Wednesdays. This is a time to practice and grow our computational fluency (80 minutes/week). Soon, students will also be connected online, to FASTT math, filling in the gaps of homework time that Bridges has (the program does not have homework every night). FASTT math works on building proficiency in the areas of multiplication and division. We have been competing for space in the lab. Hopefully we can get set up soon.
Grade 6 Math
Students in 6th grade math began their math investigations this week working to answer the question, “How tall was the statue of Hercules in the city of Amman, from head to toe, if we only know the length of the pointer finger from second knuckle to fingertip?” Students walked through some interesting problem solving strategies, taking both his/her own initial ideas, and the ideas of others and crafting best guesses of his height. We had some awesome conversations while practicing the work of real mathematics! On to Prime Time, our first Connected Math Unit, where we will learn about the properties of numbers that allow us see each number as unique!
5/6 Science: Our ultimate learning goal for the first part of the Properties of Matter Unit is to answer the question, What is matter and what makes one substance unique and different from other substances? Our investigation of matter began this week with some exciting inquiries with plain ole’ water! You would never believe how exciting liquid water can be until you hear a student shout, “This is cool!” Student use droppers and wax paper and described the properties or characteristics of water as well as exploring the way that dye behaves when dropped into hot and cold water!
Some comments from students included:
Both fifth and sixth graders have been building norms in the classroom that promote private reasoning time, discourse (talking to others about the math), writing opportunities to share current understanding, and modeling. The practices we use have been informal to start, but as soon as we dive into more problem solving, the more deeply we will explore the different ways that students can share ideas, listen for understanding and justify their thinking with evidence. All of these behaviors are researched based, proven to be helpful in deepening math understanding.
5th Grade is using the last year of the spiraling program, Bridges. I have provided a link below for parent help and parent information. http://www.mathlearningcenter.org/resources/materials/parents/parents5
6th Grade is using Connected Math 2 6th Grade. Please see the hot link for more information for parents. http://connectedmath.msu.edu/parents/welcome.shtml
Grade 5 Math
Fifth graders have been working hard to internalize the new culture of Voyager House and have been doing a great job in math! We began our math learning by practicing how to make a good math observation. We played mystery object, where students could describe what they were looking at in the classroom, without naming it and I was psyched about the rich math language students are already using! Wow! We have also been working on representing height data for our classroom, allowing us to create a list of the elements of a good graphic in math. This has allowed us to ultimately tell the story “hidden” in the numbers. I am certain this first look at data and statistics will build a firm foundation for the concepts at the end of Unit 1.
5th graders have an additional math class on Mondays and Wednesdays. This is a time to practice and grow our computational fluency (80 minutes/week). Soon, students will also be connected online, to FASTT math, filling in the gaps of homework time that Bridges has (the program does not have homework every night). FASTT math works on building proficiency in the areas of multiplication and division. We have been competing for space in the lab. Hopefully we can get set up soon.
Grade 6 Math
Students in 6th grade math began their math investigations this week working to answer the question, “How tall was the statue of Hercules in the city of Amman, from head to toe, if we only know the length of the pointer finger from second knuckle to fingertip?” Students walked through some interesting problem solving strategies, taking both his/her own initial ideas, and the ideas of others and crafting best guesses of his height. We had some awesome conversations while practicing the work of real mathematics! On to Prime Time, our first Connected Math Unit, where we will learn about the properties of numbers that allow us see each number as unique!
5/6 Science: Our ultimate learning goal for the first part of the Properties of Matter Unit is to answer the question, What is matter and what makes one substance unique and different from other substances? Our investigation of matter began this week with some exciting inquiries with plain ole’ water! You would never believe how exciting liquid water can be until you hear a student shout, “This is cool!” Student use droppers and wax paper and described the properties or characteristics of water as well as exploring the way that dye behaves when dropped into hot and cold water!
Some comments from students included:
“You can’t change the shape of the water. It
eventually returns to a blob!” (triggering a conversation about why drops of
water on wax paper, bubbles, and even the earth are all spherical).
“Over the time the dye spread out evenly.” (encouraging
students to ask themselves, how can the dye equally distribute without
stirring).
“The water is moving! It’s the molecules!” (allowing
us to all think about how water can move, if we cannot see it).
In addition to these explorations, we are also practicing how to be good scientists using science notebooks, open inquiry explorations, and planning practices that allow data/observations to be reliable and valid. Scientists are also readers and writers and we are working on building guidelines for how scientists learn and communicate with and from others!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Siskin Fall Trip Emergency Medical Info
Voyager House Fall Trip
Siskin Ecological Adventures @ Coutts Moriarty 4-H Camp, Derby, VT
September 6 and 7, 2012
Drop Off and Pick Up
●
Please be sure to makes plans for the transportation of
your child. Students may take the
bus to school on Thursday morning, but they may not be able to bring gear with
them. Therefore, you will want to drop gear off on Wednesday night, if you
cannot bring your child to school Thursday morning.
●
Thursday, September 6 – Please be sure that your child is at school no later than
8:10.
●
Friday, September 7 – Students will arrive by 3:45 PM
and will hopefully see you for our PIZZA party. We will arrive at WCS well after the busses head home for
the day, so do not plan on a bus option for your child.
WCS Daily Check-in
●
We will write a VOICE update each day for you to read
and enjoy, if we have WIFI. We
will include pictures and stories cataloguing the adventures of the day.
●
Students will be able to use cell phones between 7-9 PM
if they feel the need to call home, or you have requested they do so.
●
We often caution parents and students about calling
home when homesick. In prior
years, some students have felt the need to be picked up. If you know that this is the case, we
will be happy to let you know how they are doing, if you feel this is a better
approach. We have a heart, though,
and will be happy to do what is best for all.
Emergency Numbers
●
Siskin Ecological Adventures – 673.5638 or 673.4638
●
Colleen O'Brien – 999.6591
●
Aron Merrill – 777-2550
●
Lauren Wesnak – (603)801-8021
- Sahve
Vercessi-Clarke – 730-3909
- Nancy Gagne – 238-5983
- Therese
Schroeder – 343-6910
- David Schmidt -
578-7511
- Michelle Pierce
– 598-4992
- Mike Albertelli
– 279-0406
- Phil Swett – 734-0295
- Tom Moody – 734-8316
- Matt Clear -
- Philip Martin –
598-9516
Local Medical Services
●
North Country Hospital – 334.7331
Local State Police Services
●
Vermont State Police Services – 244.7345
Camp Location – Coutts-Moriarty 4-H Camp, off Rte. 111 in Derby,
VT
on the 4-H Rd.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Siskin Fall Trip Information
Student Backpack List
Voyager Spring Trip 2012
Try to pack compact and light, but don’t leave out things that will make you comfortable. It could rain
and will be cold at night! Remember, one bag per child, plus sleeping bag, pad, pillow, and backpack.
Necessary Items
- water bottle, bagged lunch, and snack for the bus ride to the center
- 1 sleeping bag
- 1 sleeping pad, egg crate foam or Thermarest (highly recommended)
- 1 Pillow
- 1 warm coat and a hat (night hikes/evenings)
- 1 raincoat
- 1 pair of old sneakers, old pants, and an old sweatshirt
- 1 pair of shoes for walking (laces, not slip-ons or flip-flops)
- 5 pairs of socks
- undergarments
- 1 pajama (tops and bottoms) *Girls and boys have separate bunkhouses; it will be cold at
- night!
- 1 clean pair of pants
- 1 long-sleeved shirt
- 2 t-shirts
- 1 pair of shorts
- 1 bathing suit (the water is not warm!)
- toothpaste and toothbrush
- bar of soap in ziploc bag
- hairbrush
- deodorant and other toiletries
- towel (there are no showers, but they may need towel for washing face, swimming etc.)
- sunscreen
- bug spray
- flashlight
Optional Items
A personal journal, pencil/pen, a reading book, a camera with ziploc, ear plugs, card games, drawing
paper, board games, an ipod,
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Field Trip Yum Yums!
Interested in making some snacks for the class trip? Donate a couple dozen brownies or cookies and bring them in on Thursday morning! The kids will really appreciate it! THANKS!
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