Wednesday, December 18, 2013

4th Grade Field Trip

Shopping for healthy food.

Using bake sale money to pay the cashier.


Walking to the John Graham Shelter.

Donating food.

Feeling happy because we made a difference!

News from the Math and Enrichment Room



VUES Kindergartners earned a POPS Paw and chose to pay a visit to our “play” room!



The 4th grade starts on the Winter Village by sifting and sorting through thousands of Lego pieces to reconstruct the 5 year collection of holiday sets.
The Winter Village is in minifigure scale. We also did some micro and macro building that produced GIANT figures and tiny toys.




The Master Builder photographs his classmates for the school blog. We will miss you, EB. Good luck in your new school!




Happy vacation, and may all your Lego dreams come true!

Monday, December 16, 2013

Christmas Concert


Our very excited Kindergarten gets ready to sing a very sweet song,
and it is also their first concert.  They are so adorable, they are, they are!




Fifth and sixth chorus getting ready to sing "Wind and Snow".

Mr, Sawyer singing with the song,  Auld Lang Syne with the kids.

Written by fifth graders,  A.Y and K.A.



  


Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Puppets in Education visited on Tuesday




Yesterday, our school was fortunate to have had "Puppets in Education" come to our school. They talked to us about bullying and how to prevent it by using various strategies for example: being assertive, or even just finding humor in the conversation to distract the bully.  Thank you, VUES Community Group for providing the funds for Puppets in Education!
Written by 6th graders C.A. and K.W. 





Monday, November 11, 2013

Veteran's Day Assembly




Today in our school we celebrated Veteran's Day, by having many veterans come in and introduce themselves to the school. We also had Julie Grace from the high school come and read a poem of hers about Veterans Day. Julie also came with other high school students.  Joey Tatlock, Alyse Beauchemin, Emily Martin and Stephanie Anderson each contributed to the our assembly by either singing a song or reading poem or a speech.

Article by KW 6-2 and HW 6-2.


Student Council walked the veterans into the gym.



George Merkel and Chief William Larrabee (Navy) 

Chief John Lenk (Navy) on his 95th birthday!  

Sergeant Al Reynolds (Marines) 




Thursday, November 7, 2013

Book Fair is Online until Nov. 19th!

Browsing for books!
Wow!  There was lots of excitement for new books at the Book Fair this year.  All students were able to visit the fair during library class. The VUES Online Book Fair will be available until Nov. 19th.   Items ordered online will ship free to the school.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Super Spellers

Photo: Congratulations to the VUES spelling bee team!  First place .... Now onto States :)
First place!

On Saturday, November 2nd THE BEST SPELLERS IN THE COUNTY competed in the Regional Spelling Bee in Williston. After winning the District Bee at VUES: our team of 5th and 6th grade students went on to the Regional competition. Starting from the beginning they were in the lead. We had 12 rounds each, 4 represented as 1 big round. We won Regional and will now compete at the States on November 16th!

Written by A.B. in 6th grade.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Fun Run 2013











Did you heard about the Fun Run on  Halloween?

The whole school could wear their costumes as they ran about mile through the outdoor classroom and the high school sports fields. K-6 got to run really far to get back to the elementary school to win a certificate for 1 - 5 place or a certificate for participating in the Fun Run.

During the Fun Run we run and its lots of fun.


By K.N.K.6-2 and A.G.G.6-2




Costume Parade



A minion costume walks in the parade.


Every year, there is a costume parade at VUES. First, kindergartners who have costumes go. Then, it goes progressively forward through the grades; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th in that order, until finally the teachers and staff. This year, we saw a lot of different costumes, and a lot of very creative costumes. The parade happened on Thursday, October 31st. It was a lot of fun! It always is. Below are some more photos from this event.

By BH, 5-2 and TF, 6-2.


A werewolf walks in the parade.

A flower blooms in the gym.

Autumn visits again. 

A farmer enjoys the parade.


A Violet from the incredibles has some fun in the parade.  




Monday, October 28, 2013

WE ARE HAVING A BOOK FAIR NEXT WEEK!



This is a photo from last year's book fair.  

Every year we have a book fair here at VUES. We are having a book fair next week! We have a bunch of different books every year. It is a fundraiser for our school. A lot of kids go to the library for the book fair. Some of the books get sold out fast! A lot of pens and markers and erasers are sold because a lot of kids like all those stuff.



VUES BOOK FAIR
Nov. 4th -8th during the School Day, 8- 3:30
***Special Evening Hours ***
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5th from 6-8pm

Article by B.B. and J.D in 5th grade

Basketball at V.U.E.S




Did you know there is a basketball team at V.U.E.S.? K-2 will be coed and 3-6 will be gender based.  Our season runs December through February. We hold our jamboree in February at the V.U.H.S. If you are interested in coaching, helping, and refereeing please contact our athletic director Sandy Kayhart @877-3761 or Skayhart@anwsu.org.  

Article by C.W. in fifth grade.

VUES at Trunk or Treat!






Some sixth grade students and Mrs. Sargent distributed Halloween treats to 240 community children, and collected a few donations for the Addison County Humane Society last weekend at the local Trunk or Treat event.  

VUES Annual Family Fun Night was a Success!




On Friday, children dressed up in their costumes and went to Family Fun Night. They played games with tickets in the VUES gym. 5 dollars got you 20 tickets. So that means 10 dollars got you 40 tickets! $705 dollars were raised for the 5th and 6th grade team! About 200 people were there! Outside the gym were delicious desserts on sale on a table. With this money, the 5th and 6th grades hope to go on some fun field trips or do some fun activities.   Fifth and sixth grade students worked at this event.  They organized and supervised the carnival games such as the Sponge Toss and the Coin Drop.  We hope you all had fun at this annual event.
 

By: R.B and Z.B

Monday, October 14, 2013

We're Happy to See that Mrs. Tyler is Back!



Mrs. Tyler in her office

We are interviewing Mrs. Tyler. She is the new school counselor at VUES. She worked here as a sub of Mrs. Cormier for a few months last year. Now she’s back full time! And we are happy that she’s back. Here are some questions that we asked her about herself and her new job.

Who is this teacher and what is she doing here?

My name is Mrs. Tyler and I am the School Counselor.

When did she get here and where did she come from?

I worked here last school year when Mrs. Cormier was out for
3 months, and I came back for this school year after working at
Mt. Abraham Union High School last spring.

Why did she come back and how did she get here?

I loved working here last year and enjoy my time with the
students at VUES, and I drive here in my car each day.

If you have any other questions for Mrs. Tyler, please leave a comment. Thanks for reading! 

 Interview by GD and ZB/phots by GD

Meet Ms McCormack, a New Teacher at VUES




This is Ms  McCormack. 

We sent these questions to Ms McCormack. She just started working at our school this year. These are some of the questions we have emailed her.


What is your position ?

Kindergarten Teacher

Why did you decide to  apply  for a job here at VUES ?


I have always wanted to teach Kindergarten and was very excited when I saw that a Kindergarten position had opened. When I visited the school I loved the environment and community and wanted to be a member of it.


What do you like about your job ?

I like being able to work with children every day. I also love that I have the opportunity to introduce children to school and create their academic foundation. I also like that I get to play!

Where did you go to college ?


I went to The University of Vermont.                             


Please tell us a  little about yourself.


I have always lived in Vermont. I have two sisters and I am the middle child. I love to read, run and play music. My favorite color is purple and my favorite animal is a giraffe. I’ve been told that ever since I was in Kindergarten I knew that when I grew up I wanted to be a Kindergarten teacher.



How are you going to make learning more fun.


I plan to make learning more fun by adding more movement into learning and making sure that the children in my classroom have a chance to learn about what they are interested in.

I hope you had fun learning about our new teacher Ms McCormack.
By, CW 5-1,KK 6-2

Monday, October 7, 2013

Ms Marsh Now Works at Our School, VUES




Ms Marsh
             
Ms. Marsh is new to this school.  She teaches literacy and helps out in many classrooms.   Below, we have included an interview with this new teacher.  


1. Who and what do you teach?
I teach literacy, reading and writing, to students in grades 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6.  I work with small
groups or teach with another teacher to an entire classroom.
2.What did you do before you came to VUES
I taught English as a Second Language in Montpelier, Burlington, Winooski and Concord, Vermont before I came to VUES.  I worked with children who either moved to the United States from another country, or who have parents at home who speak a different language than English.


3. When did you get your teaching degree?
I got my master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and teaching license in 2011.


4)  Where is your classroom and where in the school do you work?
My classroom is in the back of the school, between Mr. Brindisi and Mr. Samartoni.  I share my room with Mrs. Raphael and Mrs. Mulliss, who are the other two literacy teachers for the school.


5) Why did you choose to work at Vergennes?
I chose to work at Vergennes because it is a great community and there are lots of great kids here!  


6) How do you like it here?   
So far, I’ve really enjoyed working here.  I’m having a lot of fun teaching and I’m learning a lot from everyone!

 That is all we can now tell you about Ms Marsh                                                                                                    written by BTB and JFS grade 5

Mrs. Trudo Now Works at VUES


This is Mrs. Trudo. 


We sent email questions to Mrs. Trudo about her new job here at VUES.


What is your new job at VUES?
My job is to help kids learn math.  Right now, I am working with first graders, third graders and fifth graders.  
Why did you want  to come to VUES?
I have worked in other schools nearby and always felt that VUES was a great school and would be a good place for me to work.


Do like your job at VUES?
I love helping kids with math and enjoy seeing their excitement when they learn new things.


Where did you go to college?
I went to college at the University of Vermont


Why did you decide to be a teacher?
I decided to be a teacher when I was in tenth grade.  We had to write a report about a job we might like to have and I have always enjoyed working with kids and decided then to become a teacher.


Where do you live?
I live in Whiting, VT.


Where is your classroom?
My classroom is just off the library but I also spend a lot of my time working in other classrooms.

We are looking forward to working with Mrs. Trudo on some math activities this year.


Blog article written by JND in fifth grade and TJF in sixth grade





Meet Mrs.Fritz, the New Mrs. Hayes.

                                               
Mrs.Fritz sitting at her desk.
She is the new Student Services Assistant and Receptionist for VUES. This interview will tell a little more Mrs. Fritz.She announces when we are dismissed to go home and any other announcements that are important. So we chose to write about her.

This is our interview with Mrs. Fritz:


Who is Mrs.Fritz?  (Please tell us a little about yourself.)
I live in Bristol with my husband, 3 kids, 7 chickens, 1 cat, 1 dog, 2 gerbils, a hamster, and a bunch of fish.  I used to be a teacher but am loving my new role here at VUES!  

What is your job at VUES? (What do you do?)
I work in the front office.  I have a lot of jobs; I work on the bus list,  write the weekly newsletter, and answer phones, to name a few.

When do you feel busiest?
As busy as I am at work, sometimes I feel like my day is just beginning when I leave work!  I have 3 kids who are very busy with sports and other activities, so my afternoons and evenings are really full!


Where did you work before you came here?
For the last few years I worked as a substitute teacher at Bristol Elementary.  I also worked as a private tutor.


Why did you choose to work here?
I had a few friends tell me what a wonderful school VUES is.  They were right!  


How did you hear about this job?
A friend saw the position advertised in the newspaper and told me about it.


Did you hear it from Mrs.Hayes?  
No,  I didn’t meet Mrs. Hayes until after I was hired for the job,

That is as much as we can now tell you about Mrs.Fritz. Say "Hi" to her in the hallway or whenever you see her. She is the nice new 
Student Services Assistant and Receptionist at VUES.

Post by BH, grade 5.

Ping Pong POPS

Fish tank in the main lobby


What does a fishbowl  full of ping-pong balls have to do with POPS? Here in V.U.E.S. we have a system called P.O.P.S. Positive Organized Polite and Safe. We used to get paw stickers for being a good student. We had a big paw that used fifty paws to fill up and when we did we got prizes. But now we (3rd-6th graders) have new lanyards that we carry around. It is a 4x4 square divided into four groups of four. The groups are Hallway and Bathroom, Classroom, Cafeteria, and Playground. When we get a paw we open up the lanyard and put the paw where you got it. When you fill up a whole 16 paws you cash it in for an orange ping pong ball. When you get the ping pong ball you put it in a fish tank. When the school fills up the tank we get a POPS reward.That is the new school system for POPS.


Written by A.G. in 6-2 and B.B. from 5-2

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Mrs. Woods Has a New Role this Year at VUES


Mrs. Woods in her new space at VUES!
Mrs.Woods has been here for 44 years as a classroom teacher. Now she is retired but still helps as a volunteer.
1. Who is Mrs Woods?
I am a 72 year old educator who lives in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. After working at VUES as a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th  grade classroom teacher, an Art teacher, and Science teacher, I retired this past June and am now a volunteer at Vergennes Union Elementary School.


2. What is it like having kids play in your room?
It is a very special time when kids come to our new space for Enrichment. We are working on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) projects using Lego. Yes, we are having fun and “playing” with ideas as we build each week, but we also have assignments. We are learning to make models of structures, and are using different Lego elements to make things move or do work.


3. When were you first here?
When my family moved to Vermont in 1969, I was a substitute teacher at VUES. I first started teaching here, full time, in 1971. During the ten years I was the Art Teacher, I worked at the High School with writing, yearbook, and photography classes. In the early 1980s, I also taught Art at Ferrisburgh Central School one day a week.


4. Where are you in the building?
Mrs Trudo and I share the small room off the library, right next to the Computer Lab. Although I miss my big classroom, this space is very special to me because it was the Art room when Mrs. Sargent, our Principal, was in 5th and 6th grade!


Article written by VUES fifth graders, A.B in 5-2
Photo by ELB in 6-2

Friday, September 27, 2013

Garden Harvest and Reading Party




Look at all the wonderful vegetables!

Fresh and ready to eat. 

More healthy food for VUES


Information on our Farm to School program.