ELMORE School News

Dear Elmore School Families,

Our 35th week of school is in the books! It was a busy and adventurous week, both in the classroom and outdoors! We had our first taste of summer weather early in the week with rainy mornings and sunny warm afternoons for the first half of our week, then the cold front came through and
Thursday was sunny, but chilly! We ended the week with the most perfect day for hiking Elmore Mountain during our final ECO of the school year. It was a "Goldilocks" kind of day with a clear sky and the temperature was ideal...not too hot, not too cold!

We began the week by attending the PAML musical, Sponge Bob. The Musicial, which as a treat to see. We had several older siblings in the play and there were several former Elmore Students ! The music was fun and the storyline was relatable.

It is the time of year where we are doing more benchmark assessments. I began reading assessments with some students, and everyone did the STAR Math assessment. I shared growth graphs with the students upon completions. You should find these in their folders if they did not already share them with you.

The students had an interesting art lesson with Ms. Autorino (Ms. A) on Wednesday. They learned about Italian artist, Michelangelo, who is famous for painting the Sistine Chapel among other works of art. It took Michelangelo 4 years to paint the Sistine Chapel where he had to paint laying on his back, working overhead. Students created a drawing by laying under their desks and drawing and coloring over their heads on paper that was taped to the underside of their desks (see photos below).

On Friday, we challenged ourselves and persevered as we hiked Elmore Mountain. For some, this was their first hike to the "top" of Elmore Mountain. I was proud of their effort and positive attitudes. during the hike, students had a Nature Scavenger Hunt to help them stay focused and engaged. While at the "lookout" we had a picnic lunch with an amazing view. Before descending the mountain, we had an extended "sit spot" (one of our ECO routines), where students recorded one last journal entry in their ECO Journals. It was our longest and quietest "sit spot" of the year, and felt truly magical as I watched students thoughtfully recording in their journals. This is a true testament that a classroom needs no walls. Our "classroom" can be wherever we are. We had several parents join us for our hike. Thank you Ashley Reynolds, Ashley Eident, Rob Bowen, Megan Batchelder, and Joy Many!

Next week we have a field trip to the ECHO Leahy Center in Burlington on Wednesday. Chaperones are Paige Bowen and Ben Many. The bus will leave at 8:15 and we will return at 2:30. Students need a bag lunch. If you order a school lunch, we will bring those with us. If you have not returned your permission slip yet, please do this Monday.

On Friday May 29th our 3rd graders will be visiting MES as part of our transition process from The Elmore School to Morristown Elementary School for 4th grade. Parents need to provide transportation to MES for an arrival time of 1:30. your are encouraged to work out a carpool. At the same time Elmore Kindergarten students who will be joining us next year for 1st grade will be visiting the Elmore School. We are excited to meet our new classmates! 3rd grade parents need to return your permission slip by Wednesday!

This brings me to my next request. On Wednesday MES families with current K, 1st and 2nd graders received an invitation to for their children to attend the Elmore School next year. We can take up to 5 additional students. With new legislation requirements, our goal is to keep our enrollment up. If you know a Morrisville family with a current Kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd grader who you think would enjoy the unique, small school, multiage, environment the Elmore School offers, please encourage them to submit their interest by email to Lisa.Cross@lamoillesouth.org or by calling 802-888-4541.

On Friday, June 5th, The Elmore School will be hosting Weather at you School with Melissa Vigevani from News Channel 5. We will need students to participate in reporting the weather every 30 minutes between 4:30 and 8:00 am. I am going to share a sign-up sheet for you to sign your child up for a time slot. It would be great if we could have 100% participation. students who sign up for an early time slot can go back home after they do their weather report and then come back to school at the regular time.

I think it would also be nice to have some refreshments available for parents and students to enjoy while they are there. Please considering bringing muffins, bagels, doughnuts, fruit, and juice. ( I will provide coffee for parents who would like a cup!). Sign up using the green button directly below this letter.

Our last day of school is quickly approaching on Tuesday June 16th. Dismissal will be at 12:15. Our 3rd Grade Graduation and end of year family picnic potluck will be that evening from 5:30 - 7:00. All family members are invited to attend and all students will be performing (3rd graders on their recorders, and all students will be singing). We will send off our third graders with a brief graduation ceremony and then have a potluck picnic after. I will share a potluck sign-up sheet with you soon.

Thank you to Kristin Soriano for our delicious lunch on Monday. Students enjoyed Pesto chicken Pasta, fresh Fruit Salad, and cupcakes for dessert. Next week, we will have School Hot Lunch on Tuesday and Thursday. Please submit your orders via email by Monday at 6:00 pm.

Sending you warm wishes for a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

In gratitude,

Diane Nicholls

Announcements:

Tuesday - 3rd grade recorder lessons

Tuesday - Last School Banking of the school year! - bring your deposits!

Wednesday, May 27th - Field trip to the ECHO Center in Burlington.

Thursday - Library next week!

Thursday- PE - Bring sneakers!

Friday, May 29th - 3rd Grade MES transition visit

Friday, June 5th - "Weather at Your School" - News Channel 5 - 4:30 am - 8:00 am

Thursday, June 11th - Picnic lunch at the Twombly's!

Tuesday June 16th (Early release) - Last Day of School

Tuesday, June 16th 5:30 - 7:00 pm - 3rd Grade Graduation and Elmore School Family Picnic (for ALL families)