Friday, June 29, 2007

Congrats to high school grads!

Just wanted to say congratulations and best wishes to our Ashford Alums who recently graduated from high school. This group of students was my first class (my first August to June kids!) and I have enjoyed keeping in touch with them as they travelled through high school.

Class of '03&'07: Remember The Guy in the Glass and continue to make me proud!
Way to go: SA, JB, NB, KB, CB, DB, Ant, MB, AB, GC, AC, JC, CC, TC, JC, DD, MD, KD, RD, AEP, SE, JF, KF, AJ, LF, KF, TF, BF, CF, JG, MG, BG, BG, JH, EH, VH, AH, GV, AJ, AJ, SK, KK, DK (way to go, teacher!), AL, JL, RL, DMcK, MMe, MMo, JN, CO, MP, BP, CR, KR, CR, MR, GR, TR, AR, VR, CS, JS, KS, MS, PV, KW, CW, JZ and AZ.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Eighth Graders Enjoy Class Picnic

What a total blast we had today at Holiday Hill on our class picnic! Students enjoyed the pool, played volleyball, whiffleball, basketball-- you name it! The sun was hot, juice and water were available and spirits were really high. Some kids were sunburned, everyone was tired... it was a really fun way to end the year. Tomorrow is our exit assembly and then we say goodbye to our students!

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Congratulations Class of 2007


Last night our class of 2007 had their "Class Night" and were graduated from our school. The kids were awesome--we practiced all day (literally, all day!) and, in spite of our exhaustion, we all stayed sane! Speeches were delivered by Mr. Breault, our Superintendent; Mrs. Johndrow, our principal; and Mrs. Olson, Chair of the Board of Education as well as Colleen E., Chris N., and Ryan B. all graduates. Sterling Y. led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance. The Junior High Chorus sang a beautiful version of Sarah MacLaughlan's "I Will Remember You." Graduates were reminded to set their goals high, strive to reach them and remember to take part in community service--no matter what it might be.
As their teachers and eighth grade co-advisors, we were proud and thrilled to send this class off into the world!

Congratulations Class of 2007!


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Monday, June 11, 2007

SWINGS and Eighth Graders--a Winnning Combination!

Today the eighth graders shared their leadership talents with our first and second graders at SWINGS. Some eighth graders led activities (buddy walkers, alphabet soup, etc.) and some traveled with a group of students. It was a blast to see my students lead and interact with the little kids. We teachers enjoyed the day travelling among groups, helping out when needed, but mostly sitting back and watching our leaders shine. The eighth graders (as always!) impressed me tremendously with their dedication and creativity. It is hard to believe we only have 5 1/2 days left with these amazing kids. I will miss them!

Sunday, June 10, 2007

E.O. Smith Campaign to Save Darfur a Success

From 1pm to 9pm yesterday, E.O. Smith produced a huge fund-raising event to provide aid to Darfur. There was face painting, GREAT bands, true fellow-ship and fun times. The event was created by a group of Seniors and put into action by many, many E.O. Smith students. Teachers and Students manned informational booths, auctions and games. Student bands performed on several stages. We are so proud of the Ashford School Alums who helped to create this amazing day!

Midnight Beach: Wonderful Eighth Grade Dance

The young men and ladies who entered the cafeteria on Friday night were not the same eighth graders who filled the halls during the school day! From the seventh grade hosts--including the VERY talented and successful dance committee!-- to the soon-to-be-leaving-us eighth graders, the style and grace was astounding! The cafeteria was decorated with cool blue colors, palm trees and white lights. The food included fruit platters, munchies and cake. A DJ played great music that encouraged lots of dancing. It was a wonderful evening for us chaperones!

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Seventh Graders visit Bluff Point

WOW! What a great day I had accompanying the seventh grade class to Bluff Point in Groton. In addition to thoroughly enjoying the time I got to spend with some AWESOME kids, I got to experience some really cool science in action.
We hiked on some beautiful trails until we came upon an estuary where we used seine nets to explore the aquatic nursery environment. What did we see? Tons of snails, crabs, grass shrimp, flounder and even a baby squid. (Did you know they change color?!) We saw the carcasses of TWO horseshoe crabs, too! The kids got wet, measured salinity, turbidity and took notes on wind speed, temperature and wildlife. Then, we marched out of the estuary and enjoyed time on the beaches where we continued to search for wildlife. The area was, at one time, an oyster bed-- The hurricane of 1938 did major damage, and after a hike through the woods, visitors can see the remains of a foundation.
This post is sort of stream-of-consciousness because I am still reeling (pun intended) from the great day...
We topped it off with yummy ice cream sandwiches from Dairy Queen.
Loved this trip!

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Creative Writing in Seventh Grade!


Seventh graders are working on a creative writing unit that allows them to express their talents through poetry, short (and long!) stories and other written work. Some of the lessons we have completed together include "If you want to get to know me" poems, poems about a most cherished item and odes to everyday items! Given the sentence, "He shaved his head." students were told to use it as either the first or last sentence of a short story. We typically share our work for about ten minutes at the end of each period--students can choose to share or not, but everyone is expected to share something before the end of the unit. Even I share some of my writing! We will be compiling a book as the unit comes to a close for each student to take home. Be sure to ask your seventh grader about it!