Announcements 6-1-12

Sixth Grade Bike Trip

The sixth graders had a fantastic day biking on The Rail Trail. They culminated their bike safety gym unit by biking from the start of the trail to The Abbey Restaurant in Sheldon to enjoy a BBQ and some volleyball. Thank you to the students for working so hard and also to the adults and staff whose time, patience, and hard work made this day incredibly fun and successful day possible! 


VKAT Students


The VKAT meeting is at 9:45 in Mrs. Koontz's office with the Store Manager from Hannaford. Please remember to wear your VKAT T-shirts!


Field Trip


Kindergarten is going to Manning Farm for their culminating event from 9:15-1:30.


Culminating Event


Team Triumph is having their culminating event on Magnets & Electricity from 9:00am-12:00.


Hot Lunch Entree for Friday June 1st


Marinated Roasted Chicken Breast 
Roasted Red Potatoes 
Wheat Bread Slice 
Fresh Fruit 
Farm Fresh Milk

Announcements 5-31-12

Celebrating the Decades in the Cafe

The latest PLU sticker challenge in the cafe has us celebrating the decades! We have four posters, each with a decade, some things that were popular during that period, and a picture of a staff member who was a teenager during that time. Students use their PLU stickers to vote for their favorite era. We kicked off the challenge by hula hooping to music from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. These challenges are not only fun but they also keep our compost contamination free! We will post the winning decade when the challenge is over.


YEARBOOKS!

There are only a few copies left that are available to order!

Reminder to 8th Graders who still haven't ordered yet - Bring in your money to order ASAP if you want to guarantee a yearbook!

Reminder to interested 7th Graders - 7th Grade Discount Sale $12 only available until the end of this week!

Cash or check (payable to SACS with "Yearbook" in the memo) to Ms. Maguire in Dynamic Design ASAP!

PE Field Trip for 6th Graders


6th grade students will be biking the Rail Trail and having lunch at The Abbey.

RAIDER  Treasure Chest

 

The last day for the school store will be this Friday, June 1st.

Regal Gymnastics Cheer Camp


This is a cheer camp for boys and girls in grades 1-9. For more information call 655-3300 or go to www.regalgym.com

Hot Lunch entree for Friday May 31st


Cheesy Quesadilla or Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla on Soft Flour Tortilla
Brown Rice Pilaf
Black Bean Salsa
Low-Fat Dessert
Fresh Fruit
Farm Fresh Milk

Announcements 5-30-12

Open Doors

The Open Doors Hip Hop Dancers perform to a packed gym!

Please be aware that the Open Doors Spring Session has ended 
except for the athletic club.


Summer acceptance letters will be going out shortly.


Field Trip


Kindergarten classes will be traveling to The Fanklin County Humane Society in shifts throughout the day.


Reminder from PE

What not to Wear for Physical Education?

 

NO flip flops

NO sandals

NO skirts or dresses

NO saggy baggy pants

 

YES sneakers!

YES shorts or pants that are easy to move in!

YES tee shirts!

 

Remember the school dress code applies in PE.

Share Time in Kindergarten!

Hot Lunch Entree for Wednesday May 30th




Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap
Chicken, Romaine, Caesar Dressing on Soft Flour Tortilla
Seasoned Couscous
Fresh Fruit
Farm Fresh Milk

Announcements 5-29-12

Reminder


There is no school on Monday May 28th in observation of Memorial Day.


Open Doors Performance 

The Open Doors Hip Hop Extreme and the Ultimate Hip Hoppers

will be performing for the K-6^th grades on Tuesday, May 29 from 1:30-2:30 in the Big Gym.

The Votes Are In!

We all voted with our PLU stickers at lunch for our favorite smoothie name -- and the winner is... "Berry Blast"! Look for it on the menu in the Fall.

Hot Lunch Entree for Tuesday May 28th



Italian Style Meatball Sub On Wheat Roll 
Sweet Potato Wedges 
Fresh Fruit 
Farm Fresh Milk

Announcements 5-25-12

News from The Voyagers

The Voyagers went on a whirlwind trip through time when they visited the Shelburne Museum this week.  There were so many activities helped us to experience and investigate life in Vermont from the seventeenth through the twentieth century  We participated in a dozen different hands-on sessions. Students were able to explore the Ticonderoga, visit a train station and send messages in Morse Code, decide who should go to jail in actual Vermont court cases, and even ride on a carousel that was over a hundred years old. A day of fun in the sun was had by all. The Voyagers want to send out a huge shout of 'thanks' to all the parents and family members who made this an incredible trip for all of us!

After School Tutoring

Just a reminder:  This was the last week for After School Tutoring.  If you would like your child to attend Summer School, please see your child's teacher.


News from Dynamic Design

Dynamic Design is organizing a final collection challenge for Box Tops and Labels for Education. So far the whole school has collected $1500.00 in box tops and we want to get to our goal for the end of the year which is $2000.00. We have also collected 16,675 points in Labels for Education and our goal for the end of the year is to get 150 more points. There will be an Ice Cream Sundae Party for the class that raises the greatest total number of Box Tops and Labels for Education.  Students will be sent home a collection bag of Friday, May 25, 2012 and should be returned to their homeroom teacher no later than Tuesday, June 12, 2012.  

Come on Raiders!!  Help St. Albans City School raise their goal.

For the last competition, Ms. Curleys 6th grade class won and had a sundae party and got an award. Were putting a challenge out to you to earn a sundae party for you class.

Attention all 8th graders!

Project graduation will be held tonight -- Friday May 25, 2012 at City School.  Dinner will be catered by Tatro's along with the following activities:

• Bungee Run
• Jousting
• Obstacle Course
• Black Light Volleyball
• Music by Super Sounds (14' Video Screen)
• Magic
• Hypnosis Show

The event is from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. 

8th Graders Step up to BFA

Eighth Graders will be walking to BFA at 11:00am today and they will be dismissed from BFA at 2:00pm.

News from Open Doors

Watercolors painted by Open Doors students

The Open Doors Hip Hop Extreme and the Ultimate Hip Hoppers

will be performing for the K-6^th grades on Tuesday, May 29 from 1:30-2:30 in the Big Gym.

Open Doors Summer Program:

Please be aware that scholarships are available as needed. The fee should not prevent students from signing up for a class that they are interested in. 

Hot Lunch Entree for Friday May 25th



Chicken Jambalaya 
Seasoned Chicken w/Vegetables & Rice 
Side Caesar Salad 
Wheat Dinner Roll 
Fresh Fruit 
Farm Fresh Milk

Announcements 5-24-12

Spotlight on Family & Consumer Science


Lots of fun things are happening in Family and Consumer Science. The fourth grade Voyagers are learning about the new Myplate and how to make healthier food choices. The fifth graders have started a unit called Look Good Feel Good where they are learning all about the important steps they need to take to be happier and healthier inside and out. Seventh and eighth graders just finished a Food and Kitchen Safety Unit where we calculated out, and created a visual model to see the growth of bacteria on food left out at room temperature every 30 minutes for two hours. We have now started a new unit that includes learning about kitchen measurements, and food science. On Monday all three communities made two recipes of Buttermilk pancakes. One was from scratch and the other from a box so we could compare the difference in flavor, color, texture and time. We also observed and recorded the chemical and physical changes that occurred during the mixing and cooking phases. We will complete the written portion of the lab next time we meet.


News from Renaissance

Renaissance Engineering Bridge Project

Students are creating proposals to present to the Renaissance Construction Company as party 

of a real-world bridge-building project. They're exploring engineering, design and 

manufacturing concepts as they plan out their bridges. The culmination of this project will 

include a presentation to their teachers that integrates finance and communication skills.

Hot Lunch Entree for Thursday May 24th



Nachos Supreme 
Seasoned Taco Meat,  Nacho Cheese Sauce, 
Lettuce, &  Corn Tortilla Chips
Spanish Rice 
Garden Salsa
Happy Birthday Cake 
Fresh Fruit 
Farm Fresh Milk

Announcements 5-23-12

Spotlight on Discovery

Earlier this month, students on Discovery were challenged to recite poetry. This was part of the poetry unit. Students participated in a Poetry Slam. Each student memorized and performed a poem of their choice in front of their classmates. The poem could be one they wrote themselves, a personal favorite, or one they discovered and enjoyed when learning about poetry. The students did a great job reciting the poetry and discussing the poems they chose.





Fourth graders have been working with Skittles to learn fractions and practice the central tendencies (mean, median, mode, range). Fifth grade had a drawing contest using geometric shapes. Sixth graders have been working on a digital newspaper they call the St. Albans Chronicle.


Culminating Event Schedule



Team            Theme                         Date                                Time


Incredibles Systems of the Body 5/25/2012 7:45-8:45am


Voyagers Magnets and Electricity 5/25/2012 12:40-1:40


Triumph Magnets and Electricity 6/1/2012 9:00 -12:00 


Discovery Solar System, Book Projects, Living in St. Albans 6/5/2012 Times Vary (More Info on the Discovery Website)


Imagination 2 & 3 Organisms 5/21/2012 8:30-2:30


Imagination Gr. 1 Environment and Organisms 5/25/2012 10:45- 12:00


Explorers Biomes and Weather 5/25/2012 10:30-11:15


Investigators Flower pot sale - all week 5/21 - 5/25


Travelers Publishing Party 6/8/2012

Renaissance Forces 6/14/2012 TBA


Dynamic Design Chemistry & Scientific Method 6/8/2012 12:00:00


USA TBA

Bright Beginnings Animals & their homes 6/1/2012 9:15-1:30




Hot Lunch Entree for Wednesday May 23

Meat, Tomato Sauce & Pasta 
Spinach w/ Chick Peas 
Oatmeal Dinner Roll 
Fresh Fruit 
Farm Fresh Milk

Announcements 5-22-12

Spotlight on Music Class

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Combining Science and Music

Students in the 3rd grade music classes with Miss Jarvis have been studying and singing about dinosaurs! We have learned the names of many dinosaurs in our "Saurus" song, but mostly we have learned about our favorite, the T-Rex. We found it interesting to learn that according to recent scientific study  this dinosaur was probably not a predator, but rather a scavenger! His front legs were way too short to catch anything, and he was designed for walking and not running! We still have some activities yet to do, but we did record some songs for you! 3rd grade classes from Travelers and Investigators recorded these two songs "Fossils and Footprints" and "Horns and Armor Spikes and Plates".  Hope you enjoy them.

 SACS Green Up Day Hosted by Renaissance - A Huge Success!

Wow! What an amazing first annual Green-Up Day. The Renaissance students were wonderful leaders. They organized the day, supported the teams as they worked in their gardens, and they were instrumental in getting the blueberry bushes planted. Even the weather worked and the results are just what our school needed. While we are not planting this year because of the construction this summer, the beds are all clean and the new Sustainability Garden is a beautiful way to greet guests and families as well our our students and staff as they enter from our main parking area.  

Thank you to everyone that made this day such a great one for our school, and a special thank you to Renaissance for their leadership and ownership of this new annual event. Another giant thank you to Heather Smith, our amazing master gardener/parent volunteer who designed and lead the planting of the Sustainability Garden.

Attention all 8th graders!

Project graduation will be held on Friday May 25, 2012 at City School.  Dinner will be catered by Tatro's along with the following activities:

• Bungee Run
• Jousting
• Obstacle Course
• Black Light Volleyball
• Music by Super Sounds (14' Video Screen)
• Magic
• Hypnosis Show

The event is from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. 

News from The Nurses 
The Health Office website is up and running. Visit the link below -- it is also posted on the SACS webpage.
https://sites.google.com/a/fcsuvt.org/nurses-office/


Hot Lunch Entree Tuesday May 22nd



Soup & Breadsticks
Homemade Garlic Breadsticks 
Brushed w/Garlic & Parmesan 
Marinara Dipping Sauce 
Hearty Chicken & Vegetable Noodle Soup 
Fresh Fruit 
Farm Fresh Milk

Announcements 5-21-12

Spotlight on Dynamic Design

Lots of work and activities have been happening in Dynamic Design!

On Friday, May 11th, Dynamic Design students got to play a game of "Real Life Junk Pile" based on their favorite SumDog computer game called "Junk Pile."  Dynamic Design teachers collected their own "junk" from broken printers to sleds and even a pair of old winter boots!  Two teams of students raced to answer trivia questions from all content areas (Where is the nucleus found in an atom?  Give an example of a simile.  What is 25% of 48?) to collect a piece of junk and get the most points for their team.  Then, the teams competed to create the tallest free-standing structure using all of their junk.  Many students of all ages were outside that afternoon and made the connection to SumDog right away!  It was a lot of fun, and we'd like to thank our Mathematics Content Coach, Lisa Lucas, for coming to check out the fun and take pictures for us!

Dynamic Design students have started working with our art teachers on the restoration of the library mural.  Students are working on this decoupaged mural by repairing and repainting the paper.   The work will continue through this school year and into the fall.

We are also continuing our work with our school-wide sustainable fundraising initiative with the Box Tops for Education and Labels for Education programs.  We celebrated with the winners of our previous Box Top Bonanza contest (Mrs. Curley's 6th grade class) by providing them with a Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Party.  Currently, students are collecting and sorting Box Tops and Labels for one last shipment before the end of the year.  Students will also be spreading the word and putting together materials about continuing to collect throughout the summer in the hopes of having a Back-to-School collection contest in the fall.

In Math, the 7th graders are working on an inquiry task about rate & unit rates.  They spent some time outside collecting data on their own rates while walking forward and backward, tiptoeing, skipping, hopping, and more, and will continue to use this data throughout the inquiry.  8th graders are into a unit on higher-level algebra tasks.  Both 7th and 8th graders have started a collaborative math Blog to discuss topics, ask questions, and compile resources.  In Language Arts, 7th graders are creating 'Zines about various aspects of City School, including the Arts, Technology, Enrichment, Health & Wellness, and School-Wide Beautification projects, among others.  8th graders are working on independent research projects on a topic of choice, while also drafting and revising graduation speeches!  In 21st Century, our last Culminating Event is based on the scientific method and chemistry, and the students have created their own Soda Companies.  Each company has divisions for Research & Development; Manufacturing; Design & Packaging; Sales, Marketing & Advertising; and Legal.  Their tasks include mock trademark and patent applications, creating formulas and recipes for their soda, samples of their product, packaging mock-ups, print ads, and 30-second commercial spots.  The culmination of this work will take place in a few weeks' time with a contest for votes from students across the school for best packaging and design, best advertising, and best tasting.

News from Team Triumph

Five IBM Engineers visited Team Triumph on May 16th as part of their Electricity Day.  Students had a chance to explore the concepts of voltage, current, and resistance by making circuits that completed certain tasks such as Flying Saucers and Alarms!


Cafeteria Reminder


Please make sure you are current on your child's lunch account. As of today, there will be no more charging on student accounts. If your bill presents a hardship, please contact Desiree Gunter at gunterd@fcsuvt.org or by phone 527-0565 ext. 1112. You can also download a Free and Reduced Lunch application here: http://www.education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/pgm_nutrition/school_nutrition/program/forms/educ_nutrition_fr_application_meal.pdf


Hot Lunch Entree for Monday May 21st


Fish N Chips 
Fish Sticks & French Fries w/Creamy Tartar Sauce 
Oven Baked French Fries 
Wheat Dinner Roll 
Fresh Fruit
Farm Fresh Milk

Announcements 5-18-12

Spotlight on Renaissance

IBM engineers joined Renaissance students on May 7th.  Students learned about engineering careers and explored  properties of electricity.  Students were actively engaged with the engineers with hands on inquiry projects.  Both the students and the engineers commented on what a wonderful joint activity this was.  The IBM engineers employees were so impressed with students enthusiasm that they asked to come back!

Renaissance students have been planning the May 18th Green Up Day!  They have been making maps, schedules, organizing supplies, and designing a productive school-wide event!  We are so proud of the leadership they have shown so far!  If you signed up to help out, please meet us underneath the pavilion on Friday.  We are returning the invitations so you will have a list.

Investigators’

Flower Pot Sale 

May 22, 23, 24, 25

Small                $2.50

Medium        $3.50

Large                $5.00

Special Deal:  $9.00/one of each size

For Sale in all Investigator Classrooms

SACS Dress Code

Now that Spring is here, please take a moment to review SACS Dress Code.

Students should wear clothing that is neat, comfortable, and appropriate for learning while keeping the weather in mind.

Specific Guidelines:

• Clothing must cover stomachs, backs and undergarments, including underwear and bras.
• No halter-tops,spaghetti straps, short shirts, see through items or tank tops with straps less than two inches.
• All clothing should provide coverage so that no cleavage is showing.
• Skirts, shorts, or skorts must be as long as mid-thigh.
• any item of clothing with sexual, drug, alcohol, tobacco connotations or hate or gang related activities or messages are not allowed.

If dress is inappropriate, students will be asked to change and if a change of clothing is not available parents will be called.

Hot Lunch Entree for Friday May 18th


Gourmet Filled Stromboli 
Pepperoni or Veggie &  Cheese Filled
Fresh Broccoli Spears w/ Ranch Dip 
Fresh Fruit 
Farm Fresh Milk

Announcements 5-17-12

Spotlight on Music & Band

The Junior and Beginning Band had a combined spring concert last week. The 5th and 6th graders have been practicing together since the winter and they played a wide variety of music and many solos. This is the first year that 5th and 6th graders have played together as an "Elementary Band" and the results are fantastic!


News from Team USA


Tuesday afternoon, Team USA hosted a discussion on 'old fashioned journalism' by Richard Cowperwaithe. He has worked for several newspapers and radio stations.

Some of Team USA also attended a bill signing by Governor Shumlin. The students had pictures with the Governor and Chuck Ross, the Commissioner of Agriculture. They also set up times to be visited by Senator Randy Brock and Senator Sara Kittell.  (The bill offers low interest loans to Vermonters who want to start or expand land based businesses.)

On Wednesday, the students will be visited by Mary Pickner. She will talk about addictions and drug issues in Franklin County. She is employed by the State of VT.

In a previous meeting with Chris from Channel 15/16, Team USA agreed to work closely with the administration to do viewer polls. The students have also been invited to sit and do real live sports announcing.

 If anyone has students interested in any of these activities, please contact Peter at Team USA.


Ms. Rawding to the Rescue!

Ms. Rawding, SACS Network Technician, has not only repaired an IPad with a broken screen, as seen in the picture above, she has also replaced a screen on  broken laptop! 


Hot Lunch Entree for Thursday May 17th


Chicken Fajitas 
Chicken, Soft Flour Tortilla, Cabot Sour Cream  
Brown Rice Pilaf 
Black Bean Salsa 
Fresh Fruit 
Farm Fresh Milk