Permission Forms for Field Trips

September 30: Burlington Permission Form - requires $5 payment
October 14: Montreal Permission Form - requires $45 payment (additional $10 for a parent chaperone)
**Montreal Trip also requires families to submit an original birth certificate, passport or enhanced identification card to Mr. Pless before the date of the trip.

Fusion Communication: September 10

Hi all,

Hope everyone is enjoying the warm temps this weekend - next week looks much cooler.  Speaking of cool, see below all the cool things Team Fusion is starting - or has in store - for the coming weeks

Calendar

September 14 - Two Hour Delay

September 15 - Field Trip Lake Elmore (free)

September 27 - Open House (generally starts around 6:30pm)

September 30 - Burlington Field Trip ($5)

October 12 - Two Hour Delay

October 14 - Montreal Day Trip ($45)

Reading

All students were asked to get a book this week (from the library or brought in from home). Books should be brought to all study halls and LA class each day.

Upcoming Field Trips

Much more detailed explanations of the three field trips are in the attached documents, but a basic summary for each trip is listed below:

• September 15 - Lake Elmore State Park

• September 30 - Burlington
• Grade 7: Seventh Generation visit, investigate Church Street from a cultural perspective, possibly interview the Mayor of Burlington
• Grade 8: Melosira research vessel, Career Unit exploration

• October 14 - Invade Montreal!
• Grade 7: Act as tour guides to the rich culture of the city
• Grade 8: Act as tour guides of the historical connections between Montreal and the United States
• Both Grades: Archeology Museum and over two hours free time with chaperones to investigate the city

Academic Area Update

LA: Reading logs will be assigned on Monday. Starting next week students are expected to read 30 minutes each day for a total of 150 minutes per week. Reading logs will have a list of questions at the bottom. Students should select one to respond to.

I will be offering writing help after school on Tuesdays. Students are welcome to attend. I just ask that families send an email to let me know that your student will be attending - this way I know you are aware your student is staying after school and have arranged for transportation home. We end in time for kids to catch the 3:25 bus.

Math: We have started the year in all classes following the youcubed.com Week of Inspirational Math. This combines videos about brain science and growth mindset with engaging math problems and activities to prime students’ attitudes, thinking, and class processes for the year. We will begin our first units for each class at the beginning of next week.

Science

7th - Students began their study of life science by learning to practice the skills of a botanist!  We are collecting tree leaves from the restored buffer around the schoolyard, from home, as well as from the natural buffer along the Browns River. Using close observations of each leaf characteristic, students are learning to accurately identify their trees.

8th - Students were introduced to their study of physical science by considering the Big Bang Theory of how the universe began.  Currently, we are working to gain a perspective on the scale and organization of the universe.  Each student is researching one celestial object to summarize and then share with others next week.

SS

7th - Students have begun exploring the geography of the world through a continents review and have begun the current events program - students will use the Newsela program  for most of their current events.  In addition, much time has been spent exploring the capabilities of Schoology and looking at “digital footprints”, and discussing how student’s school accounts should remain for school use only.

8th - The major activity this week was introducing the current events website Newsela and having students prepare for a debate about the following question: Should the IOC (International Olympic Committee) build a permanent home for the Olympics?

Thanks and enjoy another great weather weekend… although we could use the rain,

Team Fusion

Weekly Communication: September 2

Hi all,

It was a fast and furious three days - Team Fusion hopes your children are coming home tired, but positive.  For those of you receiving this communication for the first time, Team Fusion sends home a weekly communication email.  Generally, the email contains a description of the week’s academics and any important dates and events coming up in the next few weeks. Given school just started, academic summaries will not be included this week.

As we will be digging into academics more next week -  please be sure students have all of their needed supplies. The summer letter (which has the supply list) has been attached to this email, and is located on the team blog.
Team blog link: https://teamfusion78.blogspot.com/

Calendar

September 14 - Two Hour Delay

September 15 - Field Trip Lake Elmore (free)

September 27 - Open House (generally starts around 6:30pm)

September 30 - Burlington Field Trip ($5)

October 12 - Two Hour Delay

October 14 - Montreal Day Trip ($45)

Reading

All students were asked to get a book this week (from the library or brought in from home). Books should be brought to all study halls and LA class each day.

Upcoming Field Trips

Much more detailed explanations of the three field trips will be coming early next week, but a basic summary for each trip is listed below:

• September 15 - Lake Elmore State Park

• September 30 - Burlington
• Grade 7: Seventh Generation visit, investigate Church Street from a cultural perspective, possibly interview the Mayor of Burlington
• Grade 8: Melosira research vessel, Career Unit exploration

• October 14 - Invade Montreal!
• Grade 7: Act as tour guides to the rich culture of the city
• Grade 8: Act as tour guides of the historical connections between Montreal and the United States
• Both Grades: Archeology Museum and over two hours free time with chaperones to investigate the city

Computer Contracts

The computer contracts have gone home for 8th grade students and will be going home Tuesday for 7th graders.  A student must return their contract before they will be allowed to take home their laptop home.

Thanks and have a great Labor Day Weekend,

The Fusion

Summer Letter and Welcome Back!

Summer Letter

Dear Students and Families,

Welcome to Team Fusion!  We hope that everyone has had an enjoyable summer and that you are excited for the year ahead. This letter is intended to provide information to help you begin the year as smoothly as possible. We look forward to a great start and a productive school year.

Our team consists of four core teachers: Mr. Keblin (Math), Ms. Windhausen (Science), Mr. Pless (Social Studies) Ms. Brosius (Language Arts); as well as our Special Educator (Jenn Cote) and several paraeducators who support students in our classrooms. For more information about each teacher, please see the profiles attached below.

Our Philosophy:

We are very much looking forward to building our team. In each of our prior teaching experiences we developed a philosophy grounded in the principles of teaching the whole student and cultivating a strong sense of community.

We are dedicated to improving student academic skills through inquiry tasks and mini-research projects.  An increasingly complex world calls for students to be proficient, not only in core skills, but in how to solve complex social, economic, and environmental problems.  We will strive to offer learning experiences tied to student interests, and will emphasize collaborative learning. We will also recognize the benefits of  integrated curricula and will link learning through common projects, assessments and homework assignments whenever possible. This process towards greater incorporation of learning experiences between the two grades, and the core disciplines - language arts, math, social studies and science - is an evolving one.

That being said, this school year will begin with a focus on building a lasting community based on respect and relationships.  As a team, we incorporate the ideals of Developmental Design into all aspects of our teaching.

Fall Breakfast:

We would like to invite you to join us for an informal breakfast on Friday, September 2nd from 7:30 AM - 8:00 AM in the team classrooms to celebrate the start of the school year.

Although not required, this is a great opportunity to meet all the Fusion teachers as well as other students and their families. We will provide juice and bagels with cream cheese; please feel free to bring a small breakfast item to share.

Fall Field Trips:

Fusion has a tentative team-building field trip in the works for September. More information will be given to students once school starts. The hope is to provide different program options for students to “challenge themselves by choice”.  While this field trip is likely to be for students and staff only, we are planning other field trips this Fall that will require parent chaperone support.  So far, these include:

• Burlington, VT;  late September/early October; 7th Grade Trolley Tour/8th Grade Historic Tour and Melosira research vessel.
• Montreal; mid-October; investigation of history and culture and practice with public speaking

More information on these trips will be shared early in the school year.

Please be advised: The field trips may occur the same day as sporting events - please contact us if there a need to discuss alternate transportation.

What To Bring for the Academic Year:

In preparation for the start of the school year, we ask that you do your best to have the following supplies:

• Pencils
• Colored Pencil Set (8 colors are enough)
• Hand held sharpener (recommended)
• One composition book to serve as a Science Notebook.
• Students will need binder space for all core classes, but especially for Math and Science. The Team recommends either one 2-inch binder for all classes, or two 1-inch binders, with dividers.
• Loose leaf lined paper
• Loose leaf graph paper
• Several different colored highlighters
• Scientific Calculator (The TI-30 models are great and are about $10-15 at Staples)
• Graphing calculators can be helpful, but are definitely not necessary. Since all students will have a laptop, everyone will have access to free web tools that can do the same work.
• Ruler with metric units (Rubberized is better – less likely to snap, or be snapped)
• Cheap earbuds or small headphones to use with the laptops
• A box of tissues to donate to your homeroom teacher (you will thank us later:)

** We will not require students to use assignment books as all assignments will be posted on Schoology. However, assignment books will be made available to students who wish to use them to stay organized.

We recognize that wellness plays a vital role in student learning and success. Students are encouraged to bring in the following items to take care of themselves while in school:

• Water bottle to keep at school - Students will have access to a Hydration Station in the hallway between classrooms

• Healthy snacks
• Extra sweater or jacket

Once again, welcome to the team! We look forward to getting to know all of our students and families!  We welcome your communication so please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have questions or comments. Our contact information is below.

Warmly,

Tom, Lisa, Bryant, Robyn

Team Bios

Bryant Pless - Social Studies

I have taught at Browns River Middle School since 1999.  Much of my continuing education over the past years have revolved around integrating technology and differentiated teaching methods.   Most of my formative teaching experience came from stints as an adventure-based educator and coaching basketball.  I originally hail from the southern United States, spending my summers and college years in Virginia, and the winters in Georgia.  Interests of mine include paddle boarding, canoeing, coaching, reading and exploring various hobbies (ie, puttering).  My family and I live in Jericho Center and can be found, on occasion, eating creemies in front of the store. Bryant.Pless@cesuvt.org

Lisa Windhausen - Science

This will be my ninth year teaching at Browns River Middle School!  I am a career-switcher, previously working in the natural resources management field as a botanist, wetlands ecologist, and invasive species coordinator.  I love science and math and enjoy making connections between these subjects and other content areas, as well as to real-world experiences outside the classroom.  I enjoy hiking, kayaking, swimming, gardening, reading, and skiing.  I live in Burlington with my husband, Jeff and my son, Dylan, who is now in middle school, and our new puppy, Bella!

Lisa.Windhausen@cesuvt.org

Tom Keblin - Math

This will be my fifth year at Browns River and my tenth year as a middle school teacher. My first five years of teaching were as a 7th and 8th grade Math and Science teacher at Milton Middle School.  As a resident of Huntington, I greatly enjoy being part of the CESU community and Browns River Middle School. Currently, much of my life is defined by teaching and time with my young family: wife Sarah, son Mason (age 9), and daughter Evalyn (age 7). However, I always try to find time to get outside, whether skiing (all kinds), running, or biking (road and mountain). I have also played guitar since I was in the 3rd grade and continue to enjoy playing and singing with friends. I always enjoy connecting with students over experiences and passions, and I look forward to learning about those of our students in the coming year. tom.keblin@cesuvt.org

Robyn Brosius - Language Arts

I joined the Browns River community last year and I am thrilled to be a member of team Fusion! I grew up in Huntington, Vermont and attended Chittenden East Schools. As a student I participated in Track and Field and I was actively involved in the Theater Program. After attending college at The University of Vermont, I enrolled in the CCSU Teacher Apprenticeship Program during which I completed student teaching and received my training in the field of education. In my free time I enjoy reading, spending time with my family, trying new recipes, drawing/painting and spending time at the beach. Robyn.Brosius@cesuvt.org

Permission Forms and Friday, September 2 Breakfast

*************************************************************************************

RSVP for September 2nd, MEET-AND-GREET

Please

______   No, I will not be able to attend the Meet-and-Greet

______   Yes, I will attend the Meet-and-Greet on Friday, September 2nd, 7:30-8:00 AM.

I will be able to bring _______________________________________ to share with the team.

Names of those attending:  _____________________________________________________________

*************************************************************************************

Permission Form for Team Fusion Field Trips to Mills Riverside Park

I give permission for  __________________________________________ (child’s name) to attend field trips to Mills Riverside Park in Jericho throughout the 2016-2017 school year with Team Fusion. Notice will be sent to families prior to each trip.

Printed Name: _______________________________________________________________

Signature: _______________________________________________________________

*Please send this page with your child on the first day of school, Wednesday, August 31.

8th Grade Field Trip to UVM Physics Lab!

Guest Speaker in Social Studies - Faryal Asfar