Dear Parents,

Hopefully, everyone is staying warm through this cold snap! Unfortunately, the children can't go out to recess and and some of them are getting rather 'antsy'. Others have taken it upon themselves to do a little extra learning during our indoor recesses. They have been involved with an Art club, research of NH skiing, and reading up on some history. It is great to see them so eager to learn.

We have begun to write persuasive letters. The children might have told you about choosing their topic and now they are going to try to convince you of something that is of interest to them. Please support them in their quest to make our planet a better place to live.

Speaking of which, the administration has asked that we try to conserve as much energy and resources as we can in all parts of the school day. One initiative is to limit the amount of paper we use, so I will be doing my part by running off as few papers as possible. Please, keep checking the website and cubby's corner for the latest information. Also, we have been told that any rubbish coming into the school needs to go home with the child. Just like camping! I am encouraging the children to use containers, such as Tupperware, for their snacks and lunches, so that they aren't throwing away plastic bags everyday. Earlier in the year, I asked the kids to bring in water bottles that could be washed and used again, such as sports water bottles. Most of the children are doing that. As far as heat is concerned, our room is not cold, but just in case we have a change in temperature (Mondays are usually colder than the rest of the week), please put an extra sweater or sweatshirt in their backpack.

We have spent some time on the Civil Rights movement and its effects on our present day events. This is a favorite topic of mine, since I lived through that era and I can tell the children what I remember from that period of time. On Tuesday, I hope that we can spend some time discussing the inauguration. This will lead up to studying some more presidents next month.

I know some parents are teaching their children to divide the standard way, but I would prefer you wait until they understand the partial quotients that I have been teaching them. They are getting confused with different teaching methods. Believe me, this is the best way for them to understand the meaning of numbers and they will learn the standard way soon. What you can do to help is make sure they your child practices his/her multiplication facts every night. I asked the children how many studied, and only a handful did. When we were trying to problem solve this situation, one child suggested that I give written problems nightly. That may work, but when you consider the paper shortage, it isn't the best solution. Please, let's get these multiplication facts memorized!

Sincerely,
Ms. Hamilton