IAA Newsletter

Dec 7 Jon Gailmor Concert PreK-2 1:45 pm

Dec 13 Early Release 11:30 am

Dec 14 Jon Gailmor Concert Grades 3-5 & STEP 1:45 pm

Dec 20 FILL THE BOWL: 6-7:30 pm Community Dinner and Fundraiser

Dec 21 IAA Sing-a-long Friday Town Meeting 2:15 pm

Dec 22-Jan 2: NO SCHOOL

Jan 3 First day back to school

5th grade students are immersed in a Math & Art unit about volume and form.

Our mathematical definition of volume is the amount of 3-dimensional space an object takes up. In Art, Form is an element of art that is three-dimensional (3D) and encloses space. Like a shape, a form has length and width, but it also has depth.

To explore these concepts, Students constructed 3D boxes out of cardboard. They then calculated the volume of their sculptures and painted about these math and art ideas on the outside. Keep your eyes peeled for a dynamic installation of their sculptures coming in mid December!

We've had a busy month in the library!! All classes have been working hard on learning the areas of the library and the systems that make them work. Students have been participating in a scavenger hunt that takes them all over the library. They need to identify the title, author, and the call number (what tells us where to find the book in our library). Book circulation has gone up a lot since we started this, as students discover new and different (to them) areas of the library!

In the 5th grades, we have been reading and having a discussion with one of this years Dorothy's List Books, Ban This Book. We've had lots of conversations about our right to read and who can tell us what books we can read. In this book, there is a list of books that have been pulled from a school library, and we have most of these books available to students in our IAA library. Students have been very interested in discovering these books (a list of the books and their descriptions can be found here). I recommend having a conversation with your student about these books. If you have any questions about what we are learning, or want to know more, please reach out.

Thank you to everyone that ordered Square 1 Art! Without you, this fundraiser for the library wouldn't work. If you missed out, it’s not too late – and IAA will still benefit from your order! You can order online at square1art.com/shop using your art access code from your catalog. Or, call Customer Care at 888.332.3294 for assistance. Orders will be arriving around December 11th and I would love to have some parent volunteers that would be willing to sort by class for ease of delivery.

Kindergarten and Third Grade students had a visit from Flynn Teaching Artists Jeff Mandell and Hanna Satterlee this week ahead of field trips to see Cirque Mechanics at the Flynn Theatre. The students practiced circus skills such as balance, team-work, and the art of concentration!

Second Graders are engaged in a interdisciplinary integrated arts unit. They’ve taken a boat trip to mystical Wild Island, where they’ll be studying animals, working on math problems, and writing about their adventurous pursuits.

Jenny Norris

jrnorris@bsdvt.org

"The Zones of Regulation is a curriculum geared toward helping students gain skills in consciously regulating their actions, which in turn leads to increased control and problem-solving abilities. Using a cognitive behavior approach, the curriculum’s learning activities are designed to help students recognize when they are in different states called “zones,” with each of four zones represented by a different color. In the activities, students also learn how to use strategies or tools to stay in a zone or move from one to another. Students explore calming techniques, cognitive strategies, and sensory supports so they will have a toolbox of methods to use to move between zones. To deepen students’ understanding of how to self-regulate, the lessons set out to teach students these skills: how to read others’ facial expressions and recognize a broader range of emotions, perspective about how others see and react to their behavior, insight into events that trigger their less regulated states, and when and how to use tools and problem solving skills.(www.socialthinking.com/Products/Zone)."

There are a lot of fun things to do outside in the winter. However, it is important to consider safety. It’s a good time to review some winter health and safety tips.

Ice skating and sledding are great ways to get exercise on a cold winter day. Children should be supervised. Advise your child to: Sled feet first or sitting up, instead of lying down head-first. Sled on slopes free of obstructions (like trees or fences), not too steep, that ends with a flat runoff. Skate only on approved surfaces. Skate in one direction with the crowd. Never skate alone. Do not chew gum or eat candy while engaged in winter activities. Wear a helmet. Stay away from crowded areas.

When it is cold outside, remember to set a reasonable time limit on outdoor play and have children come inside periodically to warm up. Remember to consider the windchill when deciding how long they can safely remain outside. Pay close attention to cheeks, nose and forehead if they are not covered. Dressing in layers is the best way to stay warm. If they have a choice, mittens will keep hands warmer than gloves. Students will have winter recess so please send them to school with all their winter gear. If your child should need some winter clothing, please inform their teacher as we have a limited supply of donated items.

Nosebleeds If your child suffers from winter nosebleeds, try using a cold air humidifier in the child’s room at night. Saline nose drops or petroleum jelly may also help. To stop a nosebleed, apply finger and thumb pressure on the soft part of nostrils below the bridge of the nose for at least 5 minutes. Their head should remain level.If severe, consult your pediatrician.

A fun activity for indoor winter play is creating paper snowflakes. This link gives directions for simple as well as intricate snowflake designs. Enjoy!

https://www.origamiway.com/how-to-make-paper-snowflakes.shtml