SCHOOL ZONE 6-11-15

VES YEAR END VIDEO PROJECTS

VES students produced videos at the end of the school year to highlight what is best about their school, and say goodbye to the old building.  First, third graders took musician Jesse Ruben's October "I Can" message to heart, by making four goals and working toward meeting them on the playground throughout the school year. Recess monitors, office staff, and teachers gave students "I CAN" coupons when they were observed meeting their goals.  At the end of the year students made video clips to document their success in meeting their goals. The clips were used in a movie students produced for Jesse Ruben, in hopes of securing a return performance for spring, which they were lucky enough to experience the week before the end of the school year.  Here is a link to the movie students sent to Jesse Ruben, as evidence that they met recess goals, inspired by his fall performance: https://youtu.be/YmA7QEZi-uA

Second, VES third graders put together a "song and dance" to celebrate the end of the school year, and their anticipated promotion to middle school.  Nine students practiced choreography during recess, then performed the dance while two third grade classes sang an accompaniment.  You can view the video at https://youtu.be/Q4c1cI2STMA

Finally, all four VES grade levels contributed to a "Goodnight VES" movie, documenting the end of the school year, and the end of the Vermilion Elementary School "Decatur Street" era.  The link to the video is http://youtu.be/OF6HthfWBrI

SUMMER LEARNING RESOURCE GUIDE

Looking for ways to engage your student this summer and prevent the over 2 months of knowledge loss that typically occurs over break? Technology Coach Jennifer Bengele can help with her list of online tools that will help to keep students fresh and ready to learn in the fall. 

1.      Prodigy Math Game. Prodigy is an adventure game for students in grades 1-7 aligned to the common core math standards. Students will create a wizarding avatar and defeat enemies using their math skills. https://www.prodigygame.com/USA/?

2.      TenMarks. Tenmarks, an online math program created by Amazon, is offering a free summer program for families with students in grades 1 - Algebra 2. https://www.tenmarks.com/summermath

3.      ReadTheory. Read Theory offers free reading and writing exercises for all grade levels designed to increase critical thinking skills. http://www.readtheory.org/

4.      CommonLit. If you are looking for a piece of literature you can discuss with your 5th-12th grade student, look no further than Common Lit. This program allows you to select a text centered around a theme and discussion question. http://www.commonlit.org/

5.      Summer Math Challenge. Metametrics, the same company that brought us the Lexile measure for reading, is offering a free math skills maintenance program for students that have completed 2nd-6th grade. https://www.quantiles.com/content/summer-math-challenge/

6.      Activate Instruction. If you really want to go crazy with the online curriculum this summer, check out Activate Instruction which provides content in a diversity of subjects delivered playlist-style for your student. http://www.activateinstruction.org/

7.      Cool Math. Cool off on a hot day with free math lessons and games at all skill levels from cool math. http://www.coolmath.com/

8.      Braingenie. Braingenie is a curriculum program offering content videos and questions in science and math grades 1-12. https://braingenie.ck12.org/

9.      ReadWriteThink. Do you want to encourage your child to further their reading and writing skills, but need ideas on how to help? ReadWriteThink is the site for you. http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/

10.  Book Adventure. Using this free Sylvan Learning program, students in grades K - 8 are able to take comprehension quizzes on library books and earn prizes as incentives for reading. http://www.bookadventure.com/Home.aspx

11.   Reading Bear. Reading Bear for emerging readers introduces young ones to letter sounds and blends. http://www.readingbear.org/ 

2015 RETIREES

Please join us in congratulating our teaching and non-teaching employees who are retiring this year.  We will miss all of these experienced employees, but wish them the best as they move on to the next phase of their lives.  Retirees this year are:  Phil Brickner, athletic director; Lisa Fiedler, teacher; Marvin Gibson, custodian; Steven Hansen, teacher; Hope Ingersoll, educational aide;  Paul Nabors, teacher; Linda Rayl, cafeteria worker; Heidi Riddle, Director of Blended Learning; Joy Sigrist, teacher and Susan Winiasz, teacher.