Have a Great Summer!

Hello families,

Our final week and a half was a busy time full of learning, fun and adventure. Here are a few highlights.

• We finished publishing our reports and sent them home last week.
• We learned a song about photosynthesis and made a diagram to show the important parts of this process.
• We planted our very own baby spider plants to take home that our classroom plants sent off on suckers (small shoots sent up from the roots to create new plants).
• We cashed in the 3 hours of bonus recess our class earned by mastering reading and/or spelling many pages of sight words.
• We read a few more African folk tales: Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears retold be Verna Aardema, Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock retold by Eric A. Kimmel, and Anansi Goes Fishing retold by Eric A. Kimmel.
• We had a great end of year 1/2 fun day at the Shady Rill Picnic Area. They loved playing for hours in the cold water, did some painting, had ice cream, and played an epic game of capture the flag!
• On Friday we made memory books during the last day our whole class was together (a few friends won't be at school next week; a few friends and myself are also moving on to new schools next year). 
• We read one final book as a class to help keep us together even though some of us will be apart. It's called The Invisible String by Patrice Karst. It taught us that as long as there is love in our hearts we will all be connected by the invisible string between us that holds our hearts together forever.
• On the last day we visited our new classrooms during Step-Up Day. This is
• We had a final All School Meeting and said goodbye to the 6th graders at the gauntlet.
• On Monday the class surprised me with cards they had made as well as a beautiful painting they made together with Ms. Campbell and Mrs. Joslyn. I'll hang it in my new classroom and think of them always!

1/2 Fox 2016-2017

Our last days together were short and sweet. This has been a wonderful year and I am so fortunate to have taught your children. I will miss them all, and all of Rumney, next year. Have a great summer and enjoy your classes next year!

❤ Mrs. Fox

End of Year Fun!

Hey everyone,

Here are a few pictures from the past few days. I'll have one final blog post next week. Hopefully the weather will be better for our field day on Monday. Until then make lemonade with this lemon weather!

❤ Mrs. Fox

Highlights 6-9-17

Hello families,


What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! I'm glad to be back this week with this great class. Thanks for your concern and well wishes while I was out sick last week. Our year sure is winding down quickly now!


In writer's workshop we proofread our final copies of our PLPs/Reports and began to carefully illustrate them. During read aloud we continued reading about cultures, countries, and folktales in Africa. We finished A New True Book: Kenya by Karen Jacobsen, Africa is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight, Water Princess by Susan Verde, Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky by Elphinstone Dayrell, and Head, Body, Legs: A Story from Liberia by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert.


Today we had lots of outside time. We played games with our buddies out in the rain garden and tennis/basketball courts in the morning. We had recess at midday. Then we finished our day with the whole school outside! Some of us watched the sixth grade vs. staff volleyball game. The rest of us played group games or had free play on the playground. It was awesome!


We have two upcoming trips next week! Here are the details for your reference:

Thursday June 15th is the end of year fun day for all the first/second grade classes. Permission slips went home for this field trip earlier this week. We'll be walking down to the Shady Rill Picnic Area at 11:00 and eating lunch there upon arrival. Then we'll play in the water (if the weather is nice), do some art, and play field games together for the whole afternoon. Since we'll be out in the woods and fields please plan clothes accordingly and do a tick check at home that night. We'll take a bus back to Rumney just in time for dismissal. For this trip please pack: lunch, water bottle, hat, sunscreen, bug spray, water shoes, bathing suit, dry clothes, and a towel. If you'd like to join us plentiful chaperones are welcome!


Friday June 16th is the All School Field Day at the Wrightsville Reservoir (rain date is the following Monday June 19). There are no permission forms going home as this is an all school event. We'll be leaving school at 9:30 and returning for dismissal at the end of the day. Lunch will be burgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers (pre-ordered from our kitchen). For this trip please pack: a water bottle, swimsuit, towel, sneakers, sandals, sunscreen, bug spray and a change of clothes.


❤ Mrs. Fox


Dates to Remember
Thursday June 15 - 1/2 End of Year Fun Day @ Shady Rill Picnic Area 11:00-3:15 pm
Friday June 16 - Field Day @ Wrightsville Reservoir (rain date Mon.6/19)
Tuesday June 20 - Step Up Day 9:30 a.m. (moving up to meet their new teacher and gather with the new class for next year!)
Tuesday June 20 - Final All School Meeting 10:15 a.m., 6th grade slideshow & t-shirt presentation
Tuesday June 20 - Last Day 1/2 day, 12:30 dismissal

Highlights May 26, 2017

Hello families,

Last week when we read Wangari's Trees of Peace the class was really interested in life in Kenya. Mrs. Woodard helped us find some books about Kenya so we've been reading about this country and how life there is the same and different from our lives here in Vermont. We've been reading A New True Book: Kenya by Karen Jacobsen.

Our writers have begun the process of wrapping up their report writing. Many wrote introductions, conclusions, and edited their final piece so it's ready for publication! Next week we'll begin editing and illustrating!!

It is shocking to me how quickly this year is ending. Please remember that we have our field trip to the Montshire this upcoming Tuesday. We are leaving right away to maximize time there so please be on time! Also if your child wants to purchase something from the gift shop while we're there, there is a $5.00 limit for what they can get (since it's a school trip). There is no requirement to send money to buy anything from the gift store but if you choose to please only send $5.00.

Have a great long weekend!

Fox Kits Corner News

• The first graders on Friday made balloon animals in math with Jack's grandparents.
• The first graders got to go to U-32 for book buddies.
• The second graders wrote letters to give to their next teachers at the end of the year.
• The second graders went to Mrs. Fox's Arts and Crafts store to spend $5.00 and make some cool stuff.
• Some people got red clown noses to celebrate red nose day. This was a fundraiser to help families living in poverty.
• We got past 1,110 minutes in Go Noodle. We also have 2 more points until we upgrade our indoor recess champ, Blog Ross.
• We planted carrot seeds or spider plants in our classroom for our experiments in science. Here are the variables we are testing: moss & soil vs. soil, growing in sun vs. growing in shade, a lot of soil vs. a little bit of soil, mud vs. clay.
• We have now earned 350 tallies (each worth 30 seconds) for bonus recess! That's 175 minutes of bonus recess. That's 2 hours and 55 minutes of bonus recess to cash in soon!
• We're experts at our new jobs!
• We had a birthday to celebrate this week!!!!
• We're super excited about a three day weekend and then coming back to school on Tuesday for our trip to the Montshire!!!
• We had a good week this week!
• We're awesome at writing the Fox Kits Corner News! We wrote this because we want you to know what's happening at Rumney Memorial School. 

❤ Mrs. Fox

Dates to Remember
Monday May 29 - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday May 30 - All First/Second Graders Field Trip to the Montshire Museum of Science 9 am-3:30 pm
Thursday June 1 - Fine Arts Night 6:00 pm
Thursday June 15 - 1/2 End of Year Fun Day @ Shady Rill Picnic Area 11:00-3:15 pm (save the date-more info to come!)
Friday June 16 - Field Day @ Wrightsville Reservoir (rain date Mon.6/19) - Save the date! (More details to come.)
Tuesday June 20 - Step Up Day 9:30 a.m. (moving up to meet their new teacher and gather with the new class for next year!)
Tuesday June 20 - Final All School Meeting 10:15 a.m., 6th grade slideshow & t-shirt presentation
Tuesday June 20 - Last Day 1/2 day, 12:30 dismissal

Our Plays!

Thanks again to all who came to our class plays today. It was a magical day! Here are videos taken during our dress rehearsals while we were practicing earlier in the day. I do think our best shows were the ones we did last for all of you. 😊  Enjoy!

"The Three Little Pigs"

"The Bremen Town Musicians"

"The Little Red Hen"

Highlights on the Eve of our Plays!

Hello families,

This week we continued our plant themed read aloud unit. We read about community gardens and how plants help people in City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan and Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa by Jeanette Winter. We also read about various ways plants make seeds and how these seeds travel to propagate new life in How a Plant Grows by Bobbie Kalman and The Dandelion Seed by Joseph Anthony.

We finished up our class experiment about what key ingredients a seed really needs to grow into a healthy plant. We had planted 3 seeds, giving one sunlight and water, another only sunlight, and the last only water. Our conclusion is that seeds need both water and sunlight to grow into healthy plants with a solid root system, thick stem and big leaves. The seed with sun but no water didn't grow at all--not even a single root! The seed with water but no light grew roots, seed leaves and a stem but it was yellow and wilted.

Our class experiment seeds on the last day we observed them.

Tomorrow is the day we've been waiting for! Our class has done an amazing job practicing, making scenery, props and costumes, reading and reciting fluently, and bringing our three stories to life. We hope you'll be able to join us for the shows! 

The Stage is Set!

We have our dress rehearsals at 9:30 and 10:15 for some people from our school community and our full showtime for families at 2:15 (2:00 seating begins in our classroom--if you're here before 2 please wait in the lobby!). If the 2:15 showtime doesn't work for your schedule it's fine to come to our dress rehearsals. We hope to see you tomorrow! Also if you plan on picking up your child after our plays (and cast party) please be sure to let Alissa know before the show so she can get the bus notes ready!

❤ Mrs. Fox

Dates to Remember
Friday May 19 - Our Class Plays, 2:00 seating, 2:15 showtime!! 
Wednesday May 24 - Spring Concert 6:30 pm
Friday May 26 - 1st Grade only - Book Buddies @ U-32 9:15-11:15
Monday May 29 - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday May 30 - All First/Second Graders Field Trip to the Montshire Museum of Science 9 am-3:30 pm
Thursday June 1 - Fine Arts Night 6:00 pm
Thursday June 15 - 1/2 End of Year Fun Day @ Shady Rill Picnic Area 11:00-3:15 pm (save the date-more info to come!)
Friday June 16 - Field Day @ Wrightsville Reservoir (rain date Mon.6/19) - Save the date! (More details to come.)
Tuesday June 20 - Step Up Day (moving up to meet their new teacher and gather with the new class for next year!)
Tuesday June 20 - Final All School Meeting, 6th grade slideshow & t-shirt presentation
Tuesday June 20 - Last Day 1/2 day, 12:30 dismissal

Highlights 5-12-17

Hello families,

This week we switched our theme for read aloud books to do some research and learning on our new science topic: plants! This week we read many science related pictures books about the plant life cycle and photosynthesis. The books we read are: Plant Secrets by Emily Goodman, Watch it Grow: Bean by Barrie Watts, Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life by Molly Bang and Penny Chrisholm, and What Do Roots Do? by Kathleen V. Kudlinski.

We made many props and pieces of our costumes here at school. This upcoming Monday we'll begin painting our scenery with help from Ms. Campbell! Next week please send in any costume parts from home in a bag labeled with your child's name! These will be staying in their cubbies but sometimes things get loose and many gray or brown pants look alike! Please send in all costumes by Wednesday so we can do our dress rehearsal during class times!

Writers continued organizing their facts into topic paragraphs. They also searched for juicy words to define in their glossaries. Then they read their drafts to a friend to get friendly feedback on if it sounded smooth or choppy.

Scientists learned more about plant parts and how they are important in the plant life cycle. We noticed the difference between living and non-living things. We figured out that living things all have a life cycle! We learned about how animals and plants help each other and really couldn't survive without each other! On Friday we repotted the classroom plants (spider plants and jade plants) and identified all the parts of these plants. We made diagrams to show what we saw. It was amazing to see how different roots can look!

We also had a special science presentation with Karen. She taught us about 4 kinds of fossils. We got to sort real fossils and make some trace and mold fossils of our own! Here's some information she shared with us!

Comparing cast and mold fossils.

Making our own trace fossils leaving behind prints from dinosaurs or mold fossils with imprints from shells.

Have a wonderful weekend!
❤ Mrs. Fox

Dates to Remember
Friday May 19 - Our Class Plays, 2:00 seating, 2:15 showtime!! (10:15 dress rehearsal)
Wednesday May 24 - Spring Concert 6:30 pm
Friday May 26 - 1st Grade only - Book Buddies @ U-32 9:15-11:15
Monday May 29 - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday May 30 - All First/Second Graders Field Trip to the Montshire Museum of Science 9 am-3:30 pm
Thursday June 1 - Fine Arts Night 6:00 pm
Friday June 16 - Field Day @ Wrightsville Reservoir (rain date Mon.6/19) - Save the date! (More details to come.)
Tuesday June 20 - Step Up Day (moving up to meet their new teacher and gather with the new class for next year!)
Tuesday June 20 - Final All School Meeting, 6th grade slideshow & t-shirt presentation
Tuesday June 20 - Last Day 1/2 day, 12:30 dismissal