Greetings Doty Families!

I don’t know what happened on that snow day but we all had a hard time getting back in the swing of things! Sometimes that happens, it’s not like anything bad happened, we all were just a bit out of step. It was a really good opportunity for us all to practice giving ourselves grace and patience. We seem to have hit our groove today, just in time for the weekend!

Teachers here are working on learning about our new literacy assessment that we will be launching in January. The training itself isn’t the most exciting but we are all super excited about the tool itself. This screening tool tests the foundational skills for reading. As we work with students on learning to read and improving their skills, one of the most important things that we need to know is what do they understand about how words and letters work together. The platform that we are using will give us this information quickly and break the results down by foundational reading skill.

I was thinking today about how teaching has changed when I was with the fifth and sixth grade. We had set up a point and reward system for participation in our experiments that had a lot of movement in them. I understood the math I was doing in my head but I couldn’t explain my thinking for the life of me and it wasn’t that complicated. When I go into math classes, I listen to kids sharing multiple strategies for solving problems and clearly explaining why those strategies work. Miss Tavelli and Miss Mead might have taught me how to memorize facts and “do” math but I certainly don’t understand it the way kids do now. It’s pretty great how much more we understand now about how we learn.

I hope everyone stays dry this weekend, it looks like it is going to be icky and drippy. Watch out for slippery melting snow!

As always, thank you for sharing your students with us!

Gillian

Hello Doty Families. I’ve been asked how many hours children should sleep at night. We have also seen some students without car seats or arriving in the front seats of cars. The suggested age of sitting in booster seats is until 10-12 years old.

And I want to remind you that every season in Vermont is “lice season”. Please review the WCUUSD Head Lice Procedure & Facts. Please remind your child that hats and hair brushes are not to be shared. Thank you and have a great weekend.

SLEEP

The amount of sleep you need changes as you grow. For little ones aged 3-5 years old, around 10-13 hours of sleep each night helps them grow and play happily. As you get a bit older, from 6 to 12 years old, aiming for 9-12 hours of sleep is perfect for keeping you energized and ready for all the fun during the day. Remember, sleep is like fuel for your body and mind, so make sure to get the right amount for your age to feel supercharged every day!

CARSEATS

Keeping safe in the car is super important, and car seat safety is a big part of that! Always make sure you're in the right type of car seat for your age and size. As you grow, you'll move to a forward-facing seat with a harness and eventually to a booster seat. Remember, the back seat is the safest place for kids under 13 years old. Buckle up every time you're in the car, and ask a grown-up to double-check that your seat is snug and secure before you hit the road!

According to HealthyChildren.org: Children should stay in a booster seat until adult seat belts fit correctly, typically when children reach about 4 feet 9 inches in height and are 8 to 12 years of age. Most children will not fit in a seat belt alone until 10 to 12 years of age.

Thanks for keeping your child well slept and safe.