The Woodland Weekly

We are off to a wonderful start to the school year! Classrooms are already buzzing with learning, new friendships are forming, and students are settling into routines beautifully. It has been a joy to see so many smiling faces each day. Do we still have a few tears? Of course! But the teachers will stop crying soon enough! 😂

To showcase all the hard work your students have been doing, we are extending an invitation for you to join our Open House on Wednesday, September 24. This is a great opportunity to meet teachers, see your child’s classroom, and learn more about the year ahead. The Book Fair will also be open during Open House—perfect for finding a new favorite story while supporting our school.

We hope you will join us and look forward to seeing you there!

Warmly,

Emma and Kayla

erood@stgrsd.org

kbrady@stgrsd.org

413-569-6598

1. Do NOT pass busses. We know it's a bummer to wait, but it's the law for a reason.

2. Do NOT park and walk your students across the driveway. Let them out in the drop off lane. If they are having difficulty getting out, feel free to park and call the school; a staff member will help.

3. Do NOT arrive when preschool is dismissing. Wait until all preschool busses and cars are gone, about 3:10.

Remember, you can always park and walk if the car line is bothersome, or even better, enjoy your coffee at home in the morning and send them on the bus!

September 24: Open House 6-7 pm

September 26: 1/2 Day Staff Collab., 12:00 Dismissal, No PM Preschool

October 1: School Picture Day! Wear your smile!

October 9: 1/2 Day Parent-Teacher Conferences, 12:00 Dismissal, No PM Preschool

October 10: 1/2 Day Post Conferences, 12:00 Dismissal, No PM Preschool

October 13: Columbus Day, No School

October 16: PAWS PTO @ 5:30 Woodland Cafeteria

October 31: 1/2 Day Staff Collab., 12:00 Dismissal, No PM Preschool

Please click the link below to read our student handbook. After, please follow the next link to fill out the from stating that you have received and read the handbook.

HELLO FAMILIES! I hope you've had the best summer and a great start to the school year. I know I have! This year, Specials Teachers are lucky enough to have classes with the preschool students every week! I have really enjoyed having them come into my classroom. They've really impressed me with their color knowledge and basic classroom skills already! I look forward to what the rest of the year brings.

Kindergarten is reviewing basic skills in art, such as gluing, cutting and painting. It's always fun to see what their strengths are, and practice those basic skills that we'll be building on for the rest of the year. A couple more projects (and a little more practice), and then we'll be onto the super fun stuff!

First Graders are shaking off their summer brains and jumping into color theory! We've done a beautiful rainbow sun project so far, and are currently reviewing painting expectations while working on something colorful and creative. Stay tuned to see the finished products!

Second Graders started art off by making personalized name art! We then reviewed the Zones of Regulation by making our own zones emojis, and now we're working on self portraits with a twist- Minion self portraits! We hope you enjoy seeing them as they come home!

During the month of September, Pre-K-2nd grade students have been learning about the rules and expectations in the gym during their PE classes.

They have been practicing locomotor skills through games and learning how to travel safely in the gym.

Our first unit of the year was recess and playground games. Students learned about some of the games they can play while at recess like Tic Tac Toe,

Hit the Stick, and Four Square.

Our next unit will focus on Soccer skills. Students will learn how to dribble, pass and even juggle a soccer ball!

During each class, we always spend time talking about our Woodland CARES and how to show good sportsmanship while participating in PE class!

If you have any questions, please contact me at marchambeault@stgrsd.org

Stay Active,

Mr. A.

Hello Woodland families!

We’re off to another great start this year in the STEM room. And in case anyone was wondering, STEM stands for:

Science

Technology

Engineering

Math

2nd and 1st grade started off the year with a paper chain challenge. 2nd graders worked collaboratively while 1st graders worked individually to make the longest paper chains they could in a limited time.

Kindergarten had a STEM challenge of their own, making a “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” tree that would hold letters without falling down. Even though the challenges were a little tricky, everyone did an amazing job! Preschool learned that “STEM is science” and got to experiment with baking soda and vinegar using pipettes.

We’re now moving on to our first STEM topic of the year: our solar system! As always 2nd and 1st grade students continue to impress me with what they remember and know, and I’m looking forward to teaching kindergarten fun facts about space. I hope your students come home just as excited about the school year as I am!

--Mrs. Brown

We have started the year off great in Digital Literacy! In our preschool through 2nd grade computer classes, we will explore technology in fun, hands-on ways. We have already started some fun projects and will be starting our typing and coding courses soon.

What We’ll Be Learning:

Preschool & Kindergarten: Learning how to use the mouse and keyboard, using simple robots, learning how to use search engines on the internet and starting basic block coding.

1st Grade: Strengthening typing skills, introducing simple coding activities, using robots, and practicing safe ways to explore online tools.

2nd Grade: Developing stronger typing skills, working with word processing and creative programs, building problem-solving skills through coding and using robots, and learning about digital citizenship.

Focus on Digital Citizenship:

Even at this young age, we begin learning how to use technology responsibly. We’ll talk about being safe, kind, and respectful while using computers and other devices.

How Families Can Help at Home:

Encourage your child to practice typing their name.

Play simple computer games that involve letters, numbers, or puzzles.

Talk about using technology responsibly (like asking before going online).

We will have a great year together!

Hello and welcome back to school!

My name is Mrs. Peirce and I am so excited to be making music with your students! We are already having so much fun in the music room - check out some of our favorite activities from September!

In Pre-K music, we've been singing about our names with Weliphant the Elephant. Students have been so creative while singing "The Wheels on the Bus" and we've enjoyed some Pete the Cat books.

Kindergarten students are learning about their 4 voices - whisper, speaking, singing, and shouting. We learned my favorite game - Bee Bee Bumblebee - and we've been learning about the music class expectations.

First graders are learning how syllables can create rhythm patterns. We've been practicing our steady beat and singing out loud and even inside our heads.

In Second Grade, we learned about the 5 lines and 4 spaces of the music staff. We will be creating musical patterns by placing notes on the lines and in the spaces.

All of the students here at Woodland have really been enjoying September's Musician of the Month - Ranky Tanky. Look for more information and some music videos at the end of the month.

If you would like to check out some of our favorite songs from class at home, you will find a link to my YouTube channel below. This is a kid-friendly channel - all the videos are songs that we sing in the music room. I look forward to making even more beautiful music with your students this year.

Mrs. Peirce

kpeirce@stgrsd.org

Mrs. Peirce's YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@kirstenpeirce3359

📖📚 WE NEED YOUR HELP! 📚📖

The Fall Scholastic Book Fairs are coming up soon and we really need volunteers to help students shop for books and check out books at the register!

The dates for the Woodland Book Fair are Tuesday, September 23rd and Wednesday, September 24th.

The dates for the Powder Mill Book Fair are Tuesday, September 30th and Wednesday, October 1st.

Please click on the Sign Up Genius links below to sign up to volunteer for your child’s class or for a longer block of time if possible- any amount of time is greatly appreciated! If your child’s class becomes full and you would like to volunteer, please email us at pawsptoswk@gmail.com

If you are signing up to volunteer for the Book Fairs and do not have a current CORI on file, please complete a CORI as soon as possible at the main office at Woodland, Powder Mill, or Central Office.

Woodland Sign Up Genius:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050948ACA82EAAFD0-58467799-woodland

Powder Mill Sign Up Genius:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050948ACA82EAAFD0-58525929-powder

We appreciate your support in making these events possible!

Woodland School needs substitutes for the 25-26 school year. Being a substitute offers great flexibility, because you can choose the days you want to work! When teachers are absent, they leave the substitute a detailed lesson plan to follow. Interested? Have questions? Give us a call at 413-569-6598 or apply online: https://www.stgrsd.org/departments/human_resources/employment_opportunities.

PAWS PTO is a volunteer organization run by parents for the kids. They host many events like the Book Fair, Turkey Trot, Barnes & Noble Night, and many more. Come join a meeting to see how you can help out! Meetings are monthly on Thursdays at 5:30 pm and alternate between Powder Mill and Woodland.

9/11 PM

10/16 WS

11/13 PM

12/11 WS

1/15 PM

2/12 WS

3/19 PM

4/16 WS

5/14 PM

6/11 WS