The Talon Times

September 11, 2026

School-Wide Theme

Across every classroom, students are settling into routines successfully, building classroom community, strengthening independence, and beginning core literacy and math instruction. I see students smiling and settling in. 🦋

As part of our Responsive Classroom practices, every class starts the day with an 8 am Morning Meeting. Students who arrive after 8 am are missing a key transition into their day. It can feel confusing and difficult for children. Please help your child to arrive to school before 8 am. Thank you.

Teachers have shared the following:

Kindergarten

• Students are building independence through daily routines, self-help skills, organization, and classroom responsibilities.
• Literacy instruction has begun with Fundations letter formation and sound work, while math readiness focuses on counting, numeral recognition, and developing foundational school behaviors.

1st Grade

• Students are learning classroom routines and expectations while developing independence, exploring classroom materials, and beginning foundational literacy, writing, math, and science work.
• They have started science investigations, read and discussed multiple books together, and are building a positive classroom culture that rewards teamwork and positive behavior. Earlier this week they already earned a pajama day for their teamwork!

2nd Grade

• Students are continuing to strengthen classroom routines, listening skills, handwriting, and positive learning habits as they settle into second grade expectations.
• Literacy and social-emotional learning are being integrated through books and projects focused on friendship, writing, and communication, while students prepare to launch Fundations and their first formal math unit.

3rd Grade

• Students are establishing routines while engaging in collaborative learning experiences, caring for monarch caterpillars, and developing responsibility through classroom jobs and take-home folder systems.
• Academic work has begun with math, homework routines, and a class study of Shiloh, alongside science investigations into monarch butterfly lifecycles and migration.

4-5 Team

• Students are building classroom community, learning expectations, and developing positive habits for learning while settling into a new school year and classroom environment. Students are revisiting responsibility, respect, and independence as they transition back into school routines and prepare for a year of increased academic challenge.
• Academic instruction has started with personal narrative writing, phonics and syllable work, place value, reading expectations, and systems that encourage responsibility and independent reading at home. Literacy, reading, and writing instruction are underway, with a strong emphasis on nightly reading, academic growth, and helping students push themselves to higher standards.
• The office will be sending home last year's VTCAP testing results during the week of Sept 21

For the second year in a row, we're bringing our K-5 students to Ag Day at the Tunbridge Fair. On Thursday, Sept 17 we have the opportunity to celebrate the agriculture heritage of our community. It also exposes some students to sights, sounds and experiences they might not have. Teachers are encouraged to embed the day into some content they're teaching in the classroom and to try the scavenger hunt.

You should have received a permission slip on Wednesday. These are due Monday.

Samuel Morey Elementary is proud to be submitting carrots and butternut squash from our school garden to Tunbridge Fair Garden Exhibition in the Juniors Division! The 4th and 5th graders picked the carrots, and the 3rd graders picked the butternut squash. We hope to take home two blue ribbons this year!

This is the best time of year for procuring local foods from our farms for our school lunch program. We have sourced from Root 5 Farm, Crossroads Farm, 4 Corner’s Farm, and our school gardens. Some of the local items we have had are strawberries, raspberries, melon, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers! The kids are eating it up!

September

17: Tunbridge School Field Trip K-5

17: EARLY RELEASE, 1:45

22: Picture Day

24: EARLY RELEASE, 1:45

October

1: Bring Family to School Night (Open House) 5:30-7:00

1: EARLY RELEASE, 1:45

8: EARLY RELEASE, 1:45

9: No School - teacher in-service

12: No School

14: Picture Day - MAKE UP

14: Vision Screening

15: EARLY RELEASE, 1:45

22: EARLY RELEASE, 1:45

29: EARLY RELEASE, 1:45

30: (tentative) School Hike

Click the photo above to order your students photos. Paper order forms were sent home during the week.

The library is open MONDAY and TUESDAY this year. Please bring books back on Mondays. Thank you!

Karen Chase has 35 years of experience teaching elementary music. She has joined Sam Morey and Westshire to teach music for this year. She has begun with rhythm and singing, and is planning a holiday concert on Thursday, December 17th. Welcome, Karen!

Damaris Tyler will once again be offering after-school small group violin classes. Classes are private and are not a school program. They take place at school. Monthly fee is $45 plus $25 a month rental. Please contact Damaris Tyler for more information or to sign up. djeantyler@gmail.com

Email:mianello@rivendellschool.org

Website: sme.rivendellschool.org

214 School Street, Fairlee, VT 05045

802 - 333-9755