Thanks for an AMAZING year!

Dear 1st Graders (now 2nd GRADERS!!!!), 

You were a fantastic class, and I will miss you so much. Stay active this summer--play hard, read a lot, and be creative. Although I'm not going to be at UMS next year, I will find a way to stay in touch. Please feel free to send me an email any time: sorensonvt@gmail.com

Lots of love,

Mrs. Sorenson

Field Day

I hope your 1st grader told you all about UMS Field Day 2014! It was a fun, full day, and we were very fortunate (once again!) with the dry weather. Water balloon toss, sponge relay, Duck Duck SPLASH, bouncy castle, picnic lunch, playing catch, stilts and balance boards, roller racers, frisbee, bubbles--there were so many amazing activities!

The pictures don't even begin to cover the fun we had, but aren't our t-shirts so great?! Thanks to Mrs. Lucier for the design idea and guidance with making them.

Another phenomenal bike trip!

Wow! What a day we had! I heard several students say, "That was the best day EVER!" after the trip. I love this trip for many reasons--the chance to get outdoors and be active together, primarily. But I also love seeing students in a totally different environment, in many cases showing me their amazing biking skills with obvious pride. And amazing biking skills come in many forms, from the students who are using training wheels and peddling away, trying to find their sense of balance to those who are cruising on two wheels with ease. Then there are the students who are new to the world of biking without training wheels, and are cautiously moving outside their comfort zones. Life in the classroom is the same in some ways--students are moving forward in their academic work at different levels, working towards the next level of challenge that is right for them. It's just neat to see this at work in such a dramatically different setting. I am proud of everyone, and this is one UMS 1st grade tradition I will miss immensely when I leave.

Thank you, all families, for helping to make this happen! It could not happen without you. I managed to get a few photos, but not many. If anyone took pictures you'd like to share, send them my way and I will post them on the blog.

Bike Ride Field Trip

Happy (warm) Monday! I hope you are enjoying the summer-like, sunny day. A very important note went home with your child today about our bike ride field trip on Wednesday. In case it did not make it, here's the link to see it. We're hoping for great weather, but we will go even if it's raining lightly. Please help your child dress appropriately for whatever weather conditions we may have that day. Thank you!

Chick Hatch/Spring Reading and Writing Celebration

I truly enjoyed seeing such an amazing turnout on Friday afternoon for our celebration of your children's learning. Thanks again for your flexibility with the date change and understanding my situation. It was a great afternoon, even without the freshly hatched chicks in the room. And, truthfully, it was a lot fresher smelling in the room than it was when the chicks were there! :-)

I took quite a few photos on Friday, and I have photos of every child holding a chick when we took them outside on the Wednesday after they hatched. Enjoy the slideshow! Your children are truly amazing, and I am so proud of how far they've come this school year. It takes a village!