This week, we worked hard to publish our very first stories as third graders -- small moment stories about one time in our life. Throughout the unit, writers were working to use a storytelling voice instead of a new reporter voice. So, in celebration of all of our hard work throughout this unit, we invited Superintendent Alberghini in to our classrooms to share his own small moment stories!
You see, Mr. Alberghini grew up in Derby Line, Vermont, and he has LOTS of stories to share from his childhood shenanigans with his two older sisters. Today, our writers were honored to hear his retelling of his run-in with an old, forgotten bear trap near a hunting cabin in the woods around Derby.
Here is Mr. Alberghini's impression of a gray squirrel...
And here is the moment Mr. Alberghini accepts his sister Gina's dare to jump over the bear trap...uh oh!
Mr. Alberghini's gift of storytelling certainly had us all hooked from the very beginning...we really felt like we were hiking through the woods with him on an adventure!
And, in case you were thinking that maybe Mr. Alberghini is a big fibber (!), here's the scar to prove it!
What a wonderful way to celebrate our work as storytellers! Thank you, Mr. Alberghini, for inspiring us to continue our work as writers...we look forward to hearing more of your stories in the future!
And, if you're curious, here's the RES Podcast of Mr. Alberghini's Bear Trap story from a previous year!
Or a YouTube video from another year:
As you can tell, this is a favorite story of our RES 3rd Grade authors!
Last week, we had the opportunity to visit Echo Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in order to further our learning about watersheds and the issues that impact them.
First, we listened to a presentation from the Lake Champlain Basin program about invasive species in Lake Champlain, why they are troublesome, and what is being done and how we can help.
Then, we helped to tell the story of Lake Champlain's history with fossils and artifacts. Did you know...that a beluga whale was found in Charlotte? How did it get to Vermont?
We also built our own model of a watershed with a housing development, roads, a farm, and thought about ways we might be able to prevent the farm runoff from getting into our lake. We talked about impervious surfaces and absorbent surfaces, too.
A HUGE thank you to the chaperones who helped us make this trip successful. Thank you, also, to Echo for providing us with this field trip (and the bus!) at no cost! (Third grade teachers took a class at Echo this summer to write the curriculum; Echo gave us a field trip as a thank you for helping to further develop the education program offerings at Echo.)
SAVE THE DATE: Richmond Elementary School Lantern Parade Thursday November 3rd, 2016
at 6pm
(Rain Date: Thursday November 10th)
We are EXCITED to announce that students from Richmond Elementary School will be working with talented visual artist Gowri Savoor, during a six day artist in residence in mid-October. During this residency every K-4 student will create a paper lantern during their weekly art classes. Students will have a chance to create something beautiful, using varied materials and will be supported by Ms. Savoor and art teacher Mrs. Kim Aucter as they create.
The lantern parade will allow us to showcase our work to families and each other and we hope you can support this great artistic opportunity for students by saving the date and attending! The parade will include a lighted walk, music and hot cocoa.
We are so thankful for our community partners who support amazing opportunities for our students! This Artist in Residence was made possible by grants from the Vermont Arts Council and the Huntington Valley Arts.
Are you interested in helping to support the arts and this event at RES?
1. We are looking for a few recyclable items for the lantern making (drop off at school by October 14th):
Large Yogurt Containers (32 Ounces)
Shallow Plastic Containers
Small Bubble Wrap
Yarn Scraps or rolls
Plastic Tablecloths (Perhaps a birthday party leftover?)
2. We need to borrow:
Small Handheld Pruning Shears (label and we will return)
3. We need as many adult helpers as we can get—! If you have some time to come in and create with a class (or two) or could help us to organize materials and the parade. Parade organizers include helping set up materials, serve hot cocoa, and sharing your musical talent! Please sign up here: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/805084FABAD292-lantern
In the month of October, third graders at RES will be participating in the "Reading Without Walls" Challenge by National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Gene Luen Yang! During the challenge, third graders are encouraged to expand their reading horizons by reading a book outside of their comfort zones!
Read a book about a character who doesn't look or live like you.
Read a book about a topic you don't know much about. (STEM, history, sports)
Read a book in a format you don't normally read for fun. (picture book, comic book, book in verse)
Throughout the entire month, third graders will get to check out an extra book from the RES Library to help meet the goals of this challenge. We hope you have fun and enjoy finding new books to read with your family! For more information, check out the website here!
