If it is 10 degrees or warmer, all students are outside getting some fresh air at recess time!!!
     Please make sure that your students come to school every day with all the winter gear they need to stay comfortable outside at recess!  Everyone needs a warm coat, snowpants, boots, hat, and gloves or mittens.   

The second session of after school clubs are starting this week!  They begin Wednesday, January 11 and go until March 1. Notices will go home tomorrow stating which club your student is in.

The OTES talent show is coming up!  If you have not already turned in your permission form, get it in ASAP !  There is a lot of talent in room 217, I hope to see some of my kiddos up on the big stage!

During the week of January 16th, We will participate in the Civil Rights Team’s NO NAME CALLING WEEK! More info to come on what are class will be doing to support the Civil Rights team's initiative in our classroom.

LEARNERS ARE LEADERS - Our for January criteria is: Civic Minded Community Member. Students who demonstrate these qualities consistently demonstrate concern for others, demonstrate responsibility for the school, their classroom, and their learning AND they demonstrate kindness towards the world and want to make a difference with their actions.

The next Learners are Leaders Assembly will be January 26th at 1:15 pm

I will be placing the Scholastic Book order on Friday, December 9, so the items are delivered in time for the holidays.  Please be sure to get your order in if you are planning to make one!

  

  Now that winter has finally hit, please send your student to school with winter gear for the time they spend outside!  All students need boots, a winter coat and snowpants, hat and mittens.  It is also good for them to have a pair of shoes that they can leave at school in their cubby to change into in the morning so they don’t have to wear their boots all day.

    Along those same lines, please put a set of extra clothes in a plastic bag that can be in their backpacks for when they get wet or messy! These small changes will make for a more comfortable day for your child.

Our class tried their hands at the Mannequin challenge during our science explorations of force and motion - Check it out!

Thanksgiving break is here! I hope everyone has a restful week filled with family and lots of good food to eat.  Drive safely! 

I sent home a Thanksgiving Break Reading Challenge! Have your child read at least 20 minutes each day and fill in the feathers.  If they bring it back when it is all filled in, they get a free book!

     Now that we are a little past the Fall Season, (I refuse to admit that it is winter) please remember to send your child to school with winter gear! It is no longer warm enough to go out to recess in a shirt and shorts. They need boots, a warm winter coat, snow pants and warm hats and gloves. If students do not have boots, they are not allowed on the snow at recess time, and that is no fun.

The 4th annual PTC online auction is coming up! Bids open up Nov. 28, and close Dec.2 at 5pm.
The web address for this auction is: www.32auctions.com/oldtownelementary2016
Some of the amazing items up for auction are a whitewater rafting trip, 100 gallons of heating oil, concert tickets, classroom artwork, and much more!

     Last week was a difficult week to say the least. In our classroom, we talked about the recent tragedy in our community. As the discussion unfolded, I was struck by the compassion and thoughtfulness that are in these little minds. Instead of thinking of themselves, their talk turned quickly to how they can help the family and the firefighters feel better. So far, some students chose writing letters of condolence to the family, others chose to write thank -you notes to the firefighters, police and first responders. As they continue to process and think, I am sure there will be other acts of kindness from this sweet group of kids.

  A heartfelt thanks from all of us goes out to all the hardworking and heroic firemen, policemen and first responders - we notice and appreciate all you do to keep our school and community safe.

   Families, pleasepleaseplease check your smoke detectors often, and

have a fire safety plan for your family. It could save a life.

     November 13 is World Kindness Day!  To celebrate, on Monday 11/14 the only homework will be to go home and do a random act of kindness and report back to the class. Tuesday we will get to hear about all the kind things that these kids chose to do to make their world a better place.

This is the homework page that will go home tomorrow: 

Yesterday (11/13) was World Kindness Day!  To celebrate, the only homework tonight is to plan and do a Random Act of Kindness for someone in your family or in your community, and write it down. It can be big or small, all acts of kindness are important! Please give this some thought, and make someone’s day better. On Tuesday, we will get to hear what we all did to make our world a kinder place.  I will post about this on our blog as well, so our readers can enjoy it too!  Maybe your choices will inspire others to do their own acts of kindness!

What random act of kindness did you do to make your community a better and kinder place? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It is November already, I can't believe it.  It seems like just yesterday was the first day of school!

Our class received a donation of packaged snacks for kids who forget theirs or don't have one from a couple of families this week - thank you so much!  Your generosity is much appreciated!  We always need things like pencils, tissues, pencil top erasers, and post-it notes if you find good deals in your travels and feel inclined to donate them.

I would also like to thank Nicole Morgan and Bangor Savings Bank's Be Kind program for their donation of 50.00 to our room. We are going to use that money to go toward the purchase of blank hardcover books! We will use them when we publish our informational non-fiction books in the third trimester, and the students will get to bring them home at the end of the year.

The students chose Mrs. Costello as our person to thank in November on our gratitude board!  Her hard work to help keep our school healthy and care for the kids and families at OTES does not go unnoticed!

The week of Halloween we worked on spooky stories based on the Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris VanAllsburg.  There is a lot of creativity in this room!

Our guest reader this week was Griffen! He did a fabulous job reading this difficult book fluently and with expression.