March 16, 2014

Portfolios

Students have completed their personal plan reflections and are currently putting the last of the class reports into their portfolios.  They will receive their reports from World Language and Related Arts classes on Tuesday.  Please look for portfolios to come home that day.  You will find students' personal plan evaluations as well as reports from three literature groups, math, science, social studies, word study, related arts, and world language.  You will also see students' final Independent Project reports and Poetry unit assessments to represent writing class.  Finally, there is evidence included related to each of the students' personal plan goals.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to review the portfolio with your son or daughter.  Core teachers are in the process of scheduling 2nd Trimester conferences as well.

Swift House Theater Festival

After completing the audition process, cast lists were created, stage managers named and technical directors assigned.  Our theater unit is now in full swing.  This is a fast and furious process, already interrupted by two snow days, and an Engineering Challenge and Music Concert Tuesday and Wednesday.  Students are working hard on learned their lines and where to be on stage.  We will carry on for the next two weeks with rehearsals only taking place during literature class.  Then the technical rehearsals begin when we add sound effects, props, lights, scenery, etc.  This process keeps us all busy, and may not be perfect in the end, but we all learn something about Shakespeare, the stage, technical aspects of the theater, and teamwork every year!

Remember to save the date for our evening performance on April 3rd at 6:30 pm.  Tickets will go on sale shortly.

Engineering

The First Annual WCS Engineering Competition will take place this Tuesday in the auditorium throughout the day.  Seventh and eighth grade students have been working in teams to create a machine to solve a task.  The zip-line delivers a ping-pong ball down an 8 meter line.  The moon lander lands a marshmallow safely from an extended drop.  The launcher sends a marshmallow into a buckets 5 meters away.  Finally, the rubber band car moves forward and stops promptly at a 5 meter line.  We will post photos and results next week.

Good Egg: 5th and 6th graders observed osmosis using eggs whose shells had been dissolved with vinegar.  This egg absorbed the colored water through osmosis due to the concentration variation from one side of the membrane to the other.

Basket Raffle

A reminder of our FAP Basket Raffle themes for this year:

Ms. Donnelly- BACKYARD BBQ
Donation suggestions: Grilling tools, tablecloth, hotdog griller, salt and pepper shakers, BBQ fork, grilling cookbook, marinades, timer, basting brush, grilling basket, mesquite chips, apron, thermometer, portable grill, charcoal, cooler. Gift cards to Dick’s, Wal-Mart, Hannaford’s or Shaw’s, or Shelburne Meat Market.

Mr. Hunt- TEACHERS TOOL BOX
Donation suggestions: school supplies, binders, desk calendar, graph paper, Ticonderoga pencils, markers, erasers, protractor, calculator, planner, post its, colored pencils, glue sticks, sticky notes, index cards, book covers, gift card to Staples, Wal-Mart

Ms. Laberge- ROAD TRIP
Donation suggestions: travel mugs, first aid kit, car safety kit, National Parks guide, travel games, VT/US atlas, car organizer, neck pillow, national chain restaurant gift certificates, car wash coupons, duffle bag, car trash holder, universal phone/ipod car charger, towelettes

Ms. Skapof- GIFT CARDS GALORE
Donation suggestions: Gift cards to any place in Chittenden County or credit card gift cards

*We are currently accepting donations now through April 4th.  Thank you!*