Adventurers Team    

Team teachers Pam Wise/Joplin James                     

ParaProfessional: Cheryl Thomas

Student interns: Alex Larson/Heather Fox

Welcome to the Adventurers Parentlink for Friday, April 6th, 2001.

Next Wednesday we'll be going to the Webb Gallery at Shelburne Museum to see the exhibit, so today Mrs. Pilla came in to help us prepare for the visit. We looked at some paintings and she helped us think about things to look for and discussed how to enjoy an art gallery. Please make sure your child is wearing appropriate shoes.

On Thursday we had a special visit from some former Adventurers Siobhan and Taber. Siobhan, a fourth grader on the Voyager team, taught us about Dian Fosy work with Gorrillas in Uganda, and Taber is a third grader on the Voyager team who taught us about Guinea Pigs.

Some of the books we read this week included: "The Donkey and the Rock" by Demi, "Harry and Lulu" by Arthur Yorinks, and "The Night Stella Hid the Stars," by Gail Radley. In the afternoon we finished reading "Stuart Little."

This week, Laura filled our estimating jar with plastic spoons. There were 79 and we had so many close estimates that it was difficult to decide who should take it for next week. Lucia drew the longer straw so she'll get to put something new and interesting inside.

This week we practiced a French song and at the end of the week many Adventurers performed it for us. You can find our poem or song of the week on our homepage or go directly from here to: http://shelburne.k12.vt.us/TEAMS/ADVENT/PoemSongs/FrenchSong.htm You can also hear Steele and Troy sing the song if you click on the basket of cherries (Don't tell us they look like apples).

For the art project this week the students made "Exotic Spring Bats." We designed popsicle sticks for the body of the bat and then glued them to colorful bat wings! The students were then able to design the bat wings as they wished using markers, crayons, and pipe cleaners.

The challenge this week was to transform plain circles into different pictures. On a sheet of paper there were nine circles for the students to be creative and use their imagination and turn the circle into something.

This week in our math groups the Kindergartners worked on number families and finished making a big book with a page for each family. The students will be able to bring the book home overnight, but please be sure it is returned so other students may borrow it. The first graders continued working with money. We've been having a good time exploring with different coins and money word problems. The students are working very hard at understanding the concept of exchanging for fewer coins as well as getting change back once too much money has been given. Today we split the group up so half the class could play "money games" while the other half worked on mental arithmetic. The two groups switched mid way so all had similar experiences. The games we played were: Money War, Money Match, Money Memory, and $1.00 Line-Up.

The Second graders have been practicing our addition and subtraction facts using money. We also played a memory game to practice telling time.

Your child has a new record in his/her backpack today, please make sure it goes in a place where you can find it and return it next Friday.

On Wednesday, Jim McGuinness took Daphnee and Maureen to the Vermont Teddy Bear Company to accept a check of $400 for our parent group work there before Valentine's Day. This money will support our year end trip to the Granby Zoo. They also gave us a scholar bear who is now sitting in Pam's rocking chair. We need to give her a name, so part of the homework this weekend is to think of at least one good name and write it on a piece of paper. If you'd like to see her: http://shelburne.k12.vt.us/TEAMS/ADVENT/images/bear.htm

Next Friday is our E.L.F. workshop on "Wind and Clouds". In preparation for this, the homework for this week is to learn the words to a song called "Lightning and Thunder". The words to this song can be found at: http://shelburne.k12.vt.us/TEAMS/ADVENT/PoemSongs/thunder.htm

The annual SCS book swap is coming Thursday, April 19th. Students may bring in books they would like to swap before that day and will be given tickets to exchange for books.

Next week Heather and Alex will be doing the first of their two "solo" week, which means Pam and Joplin will be stepping back to give them the opportunity to develop, carry out, complete, and assess their own plans. They have been very thorough with their planning. GOOD LUCK Alex and Heather, we know you'll do well!

FYI: School officially begins at 8:05 a.m. Students should be ready to start the day at that time. We realize that with the time change the sun is up much longer. We encourage you to set a resonable bed time for your child so that they can easily arise in the morning and arrive at school, ready to start the day by 8:05 a.m. Thank you!

Upcoming trips: Friday, April 20: Shelburne Veterinary Hospital and Green Mountain Aquarium,

Friday, May 18: Green Mtn Audubon Center,

Thursday, May 31: Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Friday, June 15: Granby Zoo

If you have an opinion about Senator Jefford's pivotal opposition to Bush's budget plan or about his support of special education funding, he really needs to hear from you today. This is an important time for you to speak up. Send him a quick note at; vermont@jeffords.senate.gov

Congratulations to those who figured out that "Neophitic serendipity" is another way of saying "beginners luck." How about a different kind of challenge for those whose strength is not linguistic? Thanks to the guys from CarTalk on VPR for this one:

You're given $1000 in $1 bills and ten envelopes. Divide the $1 bills among the envelopes so that without opening any of the envelopes you can make any combination between $1-$1000 with some combination of the envelopes. How much should go in each envelope?

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOUR STUDENTS NEEDS SNOWPANTS AND BOOTS TO KEEP THEM DRY AND SHOES TO WEAR INSIDE. Thank you!

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Home Page maintained by Joplin James / Pam Wise
jjames@shelburne.k12.vt.us
Last updated: 02 May, 2001