Cursive FUN!

Dear Students and Parents of Room 10,

      Last week was quite busy with NYS ELA testing.  During testing time, it can be very stressful for all of us.  With testing comes the promise of Spring and the attempts to get outside for a bit to relax and let the kids be kids.  I LOVED watching them play tag on Friday afternoon. They ran and played together, and I watched with amazement. Ah, to be 11 years old and carefree. Or better yet, to be 11  years old and be able to run all around the playground without breaking a sweat or huffing and puffing!

      Cursive has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Several years ago, I was interviewed by a staff writer for the Times Union about the dying art of cursive. Although I wasn't crazy about the angle that the writer took in constructing this article, I appreciated the time given to the "Latin" of written communication. As you know, I have been working on cursive this year with your children. On Friday, we used shaving cream to practice all of the lower-case letters. This week, we will focus on upper-case letters. Whether you share my enthusiasm for cursive or view it as archaic, I have taken some really cute photos of the children using shaving cream to write their letters.  Unfortunately, Dylan and Harrison are missing from these photos.  Lester B. and class

5B Happenings!

Greetings from Room 10,

       First of all, I want to extend my sincere thanks to all of the 5B families for your support during our 5th grade musical. It truly takes the support of all of you to make this event happen. Despite the snow and postponements, this year’s musical was amazing! I am so proud of all the children!!  I am attaching a photo of the whole cast and crew!  

       This week the children completed their final assignment for our second book club.  They did an outstanding job presenting with their groups.  Their Google Slides were beautifully done, and they were all so poised during their book talks.  Kudos to all 21 members of the Betor Bunch! Attached are photos of each group!  

       Our persuasive writing unit is winding down. The children are preparing to finalize their piece. I have one last mini-lesson to present on Monday. Then the children will take one final look, print and publish.

       Next Thursday evening is our Wax Museum. The children should arrive no later than 6:15pm, and the museum will be open from 6:30-7:30pm. If you would like to send in either a sweet or healthy treat for our bake sale, please use the following link for “Sign-Up Genius.”

http://www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C084AACA92DA1FF2-waxmuseum

       The final two pictures I am posting are the March Phenology photos.  Enjoy!

DARE Graduation

Good Afternoon,

       I am posting two photos in our Blog today. One photo is a class picture from our DARE graduation on Friday. Congratulations to Connor O'Malley for delivering an amazing speech. Not only was the content on point, but the delivery (animated and with lots of eye contact) was spectacular.  Also, thank you to Thomas Seedhom for calling off our class roster as the DARE diplomas were being given out.  The DARE song was beautifully orchestrated! Over all it was a terrific event. Thank you Detective Beck for teaching the children the DARE program so well.

      

       The second photo is from our Thursday book talk. I had 11 young ladies read Wish Tree, a book written by Katherine Applegate and join me for a book discussion. We enjoyed talking about the book during recess and lunch, as well as Clementines and cookies. I appreciate their insight and willingness to give up recess to sit with me and talk about a book. 

     

       PLAY REHEARSAL REMINDER:  Tuesday is play rehearsal day. Children should be brought to school by 7:45am.  Last week at 7:45am, there were 9 children missing. We had children arrive as late as 7:55am. It may not seem like a lot of time, but when we only have until 9:10am, every minute counts.

Thank you and enjoy the holiday tomorrow!                Lester Betor and Class

First Post of 2018

Dear Families of Room 10,
       Today was our class holiday party! Thank you to everyone who sent in a delicious breakfast treat.  The children enjoyed their time together socializing. Special thanks to Mrs. Nace and Mrs. O'Malley for organizing the snacks.
       This week we began working on grammar, starting with nouns, verbs, subjects and predicates. I shared the Grammar Rock videos from the 1970s with the children. They are still a great resource.  Next week we will begin vocabulary. The children will be given 10 words each Monday for the next five weeks. They will be responsible for knowing both the spelling and definition of each of the ten words.  This unit will culminate with a 50-word spelling/definition test.
       Our DARE graduation will be next Friday, January 12th at 9:45am in the gymnasium. You are all invited to attend.
       The Applebee's pancake breakfast will be held on Saturday, January 20th from 8-10am. You may submit the volunteer form thru next Friday. Please consider volunteering along with your child. Also, don't forget to bring some cash with you so you can participate in our 50-50 raffle.
       I am attaching photos from this morning. Today is friendship/twin day.  Enjoy! Lester Betor and class

Last Post of 2017

Greetings Families of Room 10,

      This will be our last post for 2017. I wanted to share some photos I took of the children playing dreidel with their buddy class.  For Hanukkah gelt we used Starbust fruit chews because they do not contain, nor are they manufactured in a plant that uses peanuts/tree nuts.  It seemed like the children thoroughly enjoyed this experience, and all of them were very kind to their 2nd grade buddies.
      I will not be sending home a Weekly Reflection on Friday.  Please have your child share all of the exciting things we did this week, including making gigantic snowflakes to decorate our room.  Following multiple step directions proved to be difficult for some, but for the most part, the snowflakes look beautiful.
      Rehearsals resume on Tuesday, January 2nd.  It is the first day back from Winter break.  Please make sure your child is dropped off on time for the morning rehearsal and picked up on time from the afternoon or evening rehearsal. Things are going along well, and I am really enjoying my time with your children.  They are an amazing group of thespians, with big hearts and encouragement for each other.
      I wanted to take this opportunity to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and/or a Happy New Year.  I am looking forward to working with your children during their last 6 months of elementary school!                   Take care, Lester Betor & Class

December Phenology Photos

Good Afternoon Families of Room 10,
      Despite the frigid weather, we went outside to take our December Phenology Photo. Suffice to say that, because not all the children were wearing boots, we broke tradition and took the picture at the edge of the woods.  I still love the way the photos came out! You can tell from the photos how cold it actually is right now!  But the sun made it a little bit better.
      Don't forget that next Friday at 9:45am we will be celebrating. You may send in the goodies the morning of the party either with the children, or feel free to stop by for the party. I can always use a bingo caller!
      Enjoy the photos!                                                                                       Lester B. and Class

November Phenology Photos

Dear Parents of Room 10,

      I am attaching two photos that I took in November after our first little snowfall.  It was really cold out and we walked in a dusting of snow to get to our photo spot.  These photos look remarkably different from the ones I took in October.  Enjoy!  Lester Betor and Class