Marybeth & R.J.’s Class Notes

The beginning of the school year is all about laying a solid foundation upon which we build our learning. At the end of the first full week of school we are encouraged by the ground we have already covered. First day jitters have quickly given way to budding friendships, joyful smiles, and a growing culture of kindness and hard work.

In an effort to get to know one another and establish our sense of community we have spent a lot of time telling and listen- ing to stories, working collaboratively on art projects, and sharing our hopes and dreams for the year ahead. Together the children created a set of classroom expectations and boundaries that will insure everyone can do their very best learning between now and June. Thus far everyone has been respectful of our class agreement and has shown themselves to be an industrious and thoughtful group of children.

Within our reading and writing workshops we’ve been busy conferencing with each of your children to identify their indi- vidual learning goals. We will use the information we collect to begin creating small groups where children with shared goals can learn side by side. We look forward to sharing these goals and others with you at our fall conference on October 25th.

Apple picking was a perfect way to end our first week together and to solidify our newly formed classroom community. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! —September 22, 2024