Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:
- Lisa K., Heather E., and community member Rachel for coming to the Act 46 Study Committee meeting.
- All of you who have sent in your students' lunch account money!
- All the parents who helped chaperone/drive for the Pre-K swimming field trips.
Other Items of Interest:
Breakfast Hours - Breakfast is served from 7:15 - 7:40 AM. At 7:40 breakfast is cleared up. If a child arrives after 7:40 AM, they will need to bring something from home to eat. Snack is usually served by 10 and lunch at noon.
Afterschool Program - Due to overwhelmed schedules, we will be postponing the after school offerings until Jan.
Act 46 Study Committee - It was great to have 3 representatives from RES there last meeting. The committee will be meeting again Sun., Dec. 11 from 6 - 8 PM at the WCSU Central Office. Hope you'll join us!
Ski Runner Details - Update - Greetings! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are getting ready for the snow to fly. We are here at Woodstock Ski Runners and with a new 4 seat lift—so is the mountain! We hope to see you there!! Because we want to give everyone a fair chance to register, we are extending the last day to register without an increase in cost through Sunday 12/5/16. Price will increase by $10 on Monday the 6th.
You can go to http://skirunners.org/friday-program/ to find more information about the program or download the forms at the bottom of that page to register. However, the easiest way to register is to click on “Register Here” at the top of the page and follow the prompts. We are also extending the deadline to apply for a SCHOLARSHIP until Sunday as well. You may download the form at the bottom of the page (http://skirunners.org/friday-program/) and either email or send by mail to WSR, PO Box 171, S Pomfret, VT 05067. (It MUST be postmarked by December 6th!!) SUPPORT YOUR PROGRAMS: As an FYI we are currently running our Wreath Fundraiser that helps to support all our programs and keep the rates low. Please purchase a wreath from one of our racers if you get the chance. We look forward to a Great season and hope you will join us too!! Thank you Chic
Where: Suicide Six Ski Area Base Lodge
When Fridays 1/6, 1/13, 1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 3/10 (2:00 – 4:00 PM)
Fee: $75 until 12/01/16 OR $85 after 12/01/2016
There is NO program Feb. 24 due to Presidents Week, or March 3th due to the Special Olympics. Registration opens October 5, 2016. Registration closes December 18, 2016.
Snowflake Bazaar - Time to Get Ready for the Snowflake Bazaar! Dear Reading Families: The Snowflake Bazaar is just ten days away, and we couldn’t be more excited. Attached to this letter is an envelope especially decorated for your child. You are invited to fill it with up to $5.00 (no more, please) in cash for your child to spend at the Snowflake Bazaar next Monday, December 12. On the back, help your child make a list of people she or he would like to shop for. Please note: We know that money can be tight during the holiday season, so we will make sure that every child has ample funds to spend at the Bazaar, regardless of how much you put in the envelope. We have assured the children here at school that they will all have a chance to shop. Return the envelope to your child’s teacher any time up until December 12 and she will keep it safe until then. You can read more about some of the big ideas behind the Snowflake Bazaar in the Principal’s Blog from the last few weeks. . Please let us know if you have any questions!
p.s. We have heard about a lot of great items coming into the Bazaar next week. We will also need wrapping paper, ribbons, gift bags, and gift tags. Cardboard jewelry boxes are always handy, too. Recycled, repurposed is just fine! This is also a chance to get rid of your stash of packing peanuts and other packing materials. And please stop by to volunteer as a gift wrapper. It’s a lot of fun and you can come for just awhile or the whole day!
Message from the PTO: Hello All & Happy Friday, We are trying to get a meeting planned for January & establish a meeting schedule. We would like to try meeting the 1st Wednesday of each month, at 6:00 p.m., at the school. I know that we may not be able to accommodate everyone’s schedules, but we will do our best. Does anyone have any strong objections to this proposed plan? Would we be able to use a classroom? I apologize I do not have all teacher emails, so please share with teachers I may have left off this email. Thanks so much! ~Tots - Tatiana Werner-McCarthy, Farms For City Kids Springbrook Farm, 734 Caper Hill Rd, Reading, VT 05062, 802-484-1236
Summer Soak - Hello, Once again, it is hard to believe we are now past Thanksgiving and quickly moving toward the Holiday Recess. It is amazing how quickly time goes by. Before we know it, summer will be here. So, I would like to invite all interested to join the SOAK Parent Advisory team to plan and prepare for 2017 Summer SOAK. Our first meeting will be on Thursday, December 8, 2016 at 6:30 pm. We will meet at the Windsor Central Supervisory Union office. Please let me know if you will be able to attend. Please respond to summersoak@wcsu.net Thanks for your help in making 2017 Summer SOAK another great experience for all who participate. Kind Regards, Tom Emery, Summer SOAK Director.
MESSAGE FROM OUR TEACHERS:
From Ms. Faulkner, Pre-K Teacher:
A great big thank you to Donna and Rick for the second set of shelves for the pre-k room!
From Mrs. Drinker - Gr. 1/2 - December Happenings for the Trailblazers
The Trailblazers’ classroom will be buzzing with activity this month as they take on two big challenges: completing personal narratives to share with their families and hosting the Snowflake Bazaar December 12. Add to this their hard work learning to read harder books and the amazing studies they are doing in math class about the properties of numbers, and it adds up to a busy and productive month ahead.
Our unit on personal narrative writing is called “Small Moments” because the emphasis is on writing about the little stories that make up the total of our lives. So far the stories are rich with the highlights of childhood: holiday meals, birthday parties, adventures in the woods, skating lessons, ballet class, and time spent with Mom or Dad doing something special. The students are learning not only how to tell a story in sequence from beginning to end, but also to bring their writing to life by adding details and using “juicy” words to convey their meaning. Each child’s story is a unique memory preserved forever. Our aim is to publish these before our winter break so children can share them with their families over the holidays.
The Trailblazers are also beginning their study of economics in conjunction with planning the Snowflake Bazaar. First, they will examine the difference between wants and needs in preparation for deciding on fair prices for the many donated items we expect to receive. Does an item fulfill a big need? Is it something people really want? How does that affect the price? They will also explore the concept of supply and demand: If we have 50 teddy bears to sell, do they get priced differently than if we only get one? Students will further explore the idea of basic needs as they debate the merits of several different causes to which they can contribute the proceeds from the sale. Previous classes donated their funds to children’s health care, the food shelf, energy security, and education for children overseas. It awaits to be seen what this year’s class decides is of most value to them.
If you would like to be a part of the holiday bazaar, we welcome your donations of gently-used goods (or items you’ve never opened!) as well as wrapping paper, gift boxes, ribbon, and gift tags. (If you are wondering what to donate, “dad gifts” are always needed while clothing generally does not sell well.) We also would love to have some of your time on December 12 as a volunteer to help children wrap and label their gifts. We will be holding the bazaar all day, so any part of the day you want to share with us would be welcome.
From Your Library Media/Technology Teacher:
Our library media/tech classes are participating in a project based learning which they have titled the oxymoron, "Wasted Time." (For those of you who don't know, it's a country song that represents their thoughts.) They are conducting a survey and creating a digital living history to represent the past and present of Reading Elementary School and we need your help! Did you attend Reading Elementary School? Do you know someone who did? Please ask them to complete the attached SURVEY. Students will be researching their town and school history and preserving it digitally.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP READING SCHOOL
-Come to a Reading Elementary School Board Meeting!
HOLIDAY SHOPPING - The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers. If you'd like to help, please go to smile.amazon.com, and choose "Reading Parent Teacher - Organization Reading PTO" from the list of organizations. Every little bit helps our students!
TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS - How Tools for Schools Works - Price Chopper
OUR SCHOOL CODE IS - 13970 Register your AdvantEdge Card and designate a school at the Guest Services desk at your local Price Chopper, at your school, or online at pricechopper.com. Schools can redeem accumulated points for free supplies and equipment. Tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers to register their card and designate Reading Elementary! Thanks for your support!
BOX TOPS ADD UP - During the Holiday cooking, please save those Box Tops for us! Please ask your relatives and neighbors to clip and collect as well! Every one of those is worth 10 cents!
LUNCH & BREAKFAST MENU FOR THIS WEEK:
Lunch accounts should be paid in full each month. Please send in your payment if you have not already done so. If you need help complete the Free/Reduced Paperwork, we are here to help! ALL APPLICATIONS are kept confidential. Thank you!
- Mon., Dec. 5 - Turkey Cheese Sandwiches, Pears, Spinach Salad with Carrots, Potato Wedges, Whole Grain Bread - The Regulars
- Tues., Dec. 6 - Chicken & Broccoli, Pineapple, (broccoli), Whole Grain Rice; Breakfast: Hard Boiled Egg - The Regulars
- Wed., Dec. 7 - Vegetable Frittata, Melon, (assorted vegetables), Whole Grain Bagel; Breakfast: Muffins & Sausage - The Regulars
- Thurs., Dec. 8 - Kielbasa, Apples, Baked Beans, Iceberg Lettuce, Whole Grain Bun, Breakfast: Hard Boiled Egg - The Regulars
- Fri., Dec. 9 -
English Muffin Pizza(cheeses & meats), Grapes, Mixed Green Salad with Tomatoes,
(whole grain english muffin); Breakfast: Hard Boiled Egg - The Regulars
Happening this Week:
- Sun., Dec. 4 - Ski Runners sign-up
- Mon, Dec. 5 - Library - any books to return??
- Wed., Dec. 7 -
- Picture Retake Day 8 - 9 AM
- Thurs., Dec. 8 - Students practicing at Town Hall for the concert
- Sun., Dec. 11 - Act 46 Study Committee 6 - 8 PM
Mark Your Calendar/Upcoming Events:
- Tues., Dec. 13 -
- Thurs., Dec. 15 - 6 PM - Winter Concert (Kids there at 5:45 PM).
- Sat., Dec. 17 - Caroling at Town Hall
- Tues., Dec. 20 - Act 46 Study Committee 6:30 - 8:30 PM
- Wed., Dec. 21 - RES Board Meeting
- Fri., Dec. 23 - Mon., Jan. 2 - Winter Break - ENJOY!
- Fri, Jan. 6 - Ski Runners
- Thurs., Jan. 12 - Literature PD - see Google Doc.
- Fri, Jan. 13 - Ski Runners
- Mon., Jan. 16 - Inservice - NO SCHOOL
- Wed., Jan. 18 - RES Board
- Fri., Jan. 20 - Ski Runners
- Fri., Jan. 27 - Ski Runners
LIFE AT READING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Please help support the Reading PTO by selling raffle tickets for the “12 Gifts of December Raffle”We have many wonderful gifts donated by our incredible community. They include amazing Handcrafted items, gorgeous VT photos, maple products, Local cheeses, gift certificates and much more! Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. Ticket sales will end Thursday, December 15th, so please get them turned in.Drawings will be done daily throughout the following week, during morning meeting. Tickets were sent home with students Friday, and will be send via e-mail with the blog.Thank you all so much for you continued support!
