Trailblazers for Hunger Hike

Trailblazers Against Hunger Hike 

Friday, October 13 (Rain date: October 20)

We are excited to once again participate in our annual all-school hike to help support the Thetford Food Shelf! On Friday, October 13th, our school will participate in Trailblazers Against Hunger (formerly Hike for Hunger), a whole school hike up to the top of Mimi’s Trail. At the top of the trail, students will enjoy lunch and then hike back down. This event will take most of the day. 

Trailblazers Against Hunger is a culminating event to celebrate our food drive and an opportunity for students to learn about food insecurity, while also supporting the Thetford Food Shelf. 

This year we will also be offering an opportunity for students to collect financial pledges for each mile they hike. Money donated will go directly to the Thetford Food Shelf. Pledging is optional, and families may choose which option (or both options) to participate in. Please see pledge forms for more detailed information.

We will accept food in the Main Lobby on October 2 through October 13. Permission slips are due by Wednesday, October 11th. Pledge forms are due by Friday, October 13th. 

Please direct any questions or concerns to Sara Bailey at sara.bailey@oesu.org or 785-2426 Ext.122.

POSITIVITY PROJECT

Parents & Caregivers,

During the month of October we will be focusing on the character strengths: Integrity and Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. Below please find a description of these two characteristic strengths and how we will teach them to students.

Integrity means you are honest and speak the truth. You present yourself genuinely and sincerely.

Integrity is doing the right thing when nobody is watching. People with integrity practice what they preach and maintain a consistent pattern of behavior aligned with their values. They have the courage not to follow the crowd if it means going against their beliefs. Integrity is closely aligned with the terms of honesty and authenticity. People with integrity tell the truth and have alignment in their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence is the ability to identify and enjoy that which is admirable in the world. There are three types of goodness in which positive psychology focuses: physical beauty (e.g. a sunset, a song, or building); an exceptional skill or talent; and moral goodness (e.g. a character strength). Appreciation of beauty can generate awe; appreciation of a skill can generate admiration; and appreciation of moral goodness can generate moral elevation. All of these feelings (awe, admiration, and moral elevation) help us forget ourselves and find increased joy and meaning in the world. 

Students will engage in a variety of activities throughout the month of October related to our two character strengths. These activities are grade level based and include videos, movement activities and group work to name a few. You can find more resources and information related to the Positivity Project on posproject.org or feel free to reach out to me at anytime to have further discussion. 

Happy October,

Caitlin Toleno, SEL Coordinator

News from the Music Room with Mrs Hollander

Hello T.E.S. Families!

Students in Kindergarten through 2nd Grade have been playing some musical games. First we played “Do As I’m Doing”. We stand in a circle and each person takes a turn coming up with a movement that the rest of the class has to copy as we sing the song. Next we played a similar game called “Pop-See-Ko”. In this game we stand in a circle as well. There is an exchange of rhythmic chanting that is called “call and response”. Each student has a turn coming up with a movement that the rest of the class copies. We learned what the words Solo and Unison mean. Solo means one person at a time. Unison means everyone together in the exact same way. The third game that we played is called “Who Took the Cookie From the Cookie Jar?”. This is also a call and response activity that uses rhythm patterns, solo, and unison. With “Pop-See-Ko” and “Who Took the Cookie?” I ask the students if we are singing. The answer is, “No”. I then explain that singing involves pitch, sounds that vary from high to low. Although we are not singing in these activities, we are still practicing important musical skills.

Another really fun thing that I have done with just about every class is to allow students to play both pianos in the music room. We have an upright wooden piano and a black electric piano. These instruments are very tempting to many students, so I figured it might be fun to allow everyone an opportunity to try them out. Each student was given 30 seconds on both pianos. 

I am pleased to announce that Band and Chorus are up and running! Students in Band started group lessons during the week of September 18th. Everyone is doing a fantastic job so far! Currently we are working on learning the first 5 notes of the concert B flat scale. We are focusing on posture and breathing, as well as correct finger combinations that correspond with the notes on the staff. Percussion students are practicing proper playing technique and exploring simple rhythm patterns. Students in band should be practicing their instruments for about 20 minutes every day. We will have our first FULL BAND REHEARSAL next Thursday (October 12th) from 2:00-2:40. Please click on this link for the rehearsal schedule.  

Chorus students met for the first time last Wednesday (September 27th). This is a small group of students who love to sing. We started with a few vocal warm ups. Next we put our whole bodies into it with a fun activity involving the song “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”. Students stand or sit on words that start with the letter “B”. To close out our first rehearsal, students wrote down three of their favorite songs on post-it notes and put them in a bucket. I picked from the bucket and we sang along with the lyrics videos on youtube. I was pleasantly surprised when we sang along with a song from Hamilton. Students sang out loud and proud.    

Counselor Corner with Sara

K-2 Graders: Feelings Identification



Our primary students have been diligently working on identifying their feelings and understanding why this is an essential skill. Emotions play a significant role in a child's overall well-being and social development. Learning to recognize and express their feelings allows them to:

• Improved Communication: Being in touch with their emotions helps children communicate their needs, thoughts, and concerns more effectively with their peers and adults.
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• Emotional Regulation:Understanding feelings empowers children to manage their emotions better, leading to improved self-control and resilience in challenging situations.
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• Enhanced Empathy: Recognizing their emotions helps children develop empathy towards others, fostering positive relationships and reducing conflicts.

Our primary students have engaged in various activities, such as using playdough, books, songs, drawings, and group discussions, to explore different feelings. Kindergarteners have focused on six feelings words (happy, sad, mad, surprised, angry and disgusted), while first and second graders have explored the concept of “comfortable” versus “uncomfortable” feelings and expanded their knowledge of feelings words and more complex emotions. 

In anticipation of our annual Trailblazers Against Hunger hike, first our primary students have also begun learning about how the Thetford Food Shelf supports our community.

Third-Sixth Graders: Addressing Food Insecurity

Our older students have been tackling the important real-world issue of food insecurity. Food insecurity is a pressing concern that affects individuals and families in our community. During SCC, we have been discussing why this issue is important and learning about our local resources, including the Thetford Food Shelf.

Through literature, activities and class discussions, our older students learned about food insecurity and the challenges faced by those who do not have reliable access to nutritious food. Students also learned about our local resources, such as the Thetford Food Shelf.  

Our third and fourth graders designed posters to help promote our Food Drive to benefit the Thetford Food Shelf. 

Our fifth and sixth grade students are working on a project to help spread information about food insecurity during our Trailblazers Against Hunger Hike on October 13th.