Chess and Folk Life at Monkton!

Monkton Central School is excited to be up and running with a fall session. After the success we had in the spring, it's very clear that this member of the Five Towns is ELP-ready!

We started out with two offerings and were pleased to have some new faces joining the ELP crowd. Grace Freeman's folk life workshop is a hit with the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. They have taken trips to the local cemetery, learned a sweet folk song, and are perfecting their do-si-dos with continued square dancing practice.

We are also hard at work organizing our next session, which will start on Tuesday, January 5, 2016. Please look in the MCS newsletter and on our MCS ELP Facebook page for more information and registration paperwork.

Namaste from Lincoln Community School!

We are thrilled to have Cathy Turner, registered Yoga instructor, teaching Yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school at the Lincoln Community School through ANESU's  Expanded Learning Program!  This group has been meeting for the last three weeks, learning about different aspects of Yoga in a fun and playful environment.  Here is what Cathy says about their time together:

"Breath in joy, breath out the old, turn to your right and say hello to your neighbor."

This is how we have been beginning most of our yoga classes. Our little yogis have been greeting the sun with full sun salutations, working on "peak" poses and learning how to slow the world around them.

We learned how to connect with our breath by blowing a small pom-pom ball across the floor with a straw. We focused on our balance by walking with a stack of dice on a Popsicle stick held in our mouths and we have been playing "guess the yoga pose" to learn different poses.

There has been a lot of care for what we are doing, for each other and the world around us. Everyone takes delight in describing how good they feel after a pose or how tricky a pose was. Tuning in and taking control of ourselves and our feelings is a huge goal in the yoga classroom.  

After all of our busy yoga we come together to form a star, and take a nice long rest in Savasana to watch our worries fade away.

We end each class with a warm Namaste. Hopefully if you ask your child what it means they will be able to tell you!!!!!

Ahoj Priatelia

Wondering what the title of this post refers to? Feel free to ask students participating in International Interactions. Igor, a native of Slovakia, is teaching students useful phrases, such as "ahoj priatelia" meaning, "hello friends". This past Thursday students began building churches similar to those found in Slovakia. They are using different types of blocks, popsicle sticks, and paint.







Everyday Spanish participants spent the week with "The Very Hungary Caterpillar" in Spanish. They began creating their very own caterpillar masks. They are also learning the names of specific foods in Spanish. We're very lucky to have a teacher fluent in Spanish!







The Robinson Pirates spent part of the week studying cartography. They have made their very own maps...perhaps they lead to treasure! They are also continuing to create their pirate garb. They are now the proud owners/wearers of pirate hats!

 The Math Masters created their very own marble runs and competed against one another to see which contraption sent the marble flying the farthest!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner we have been having discussions about what we are thankful for in our lives. I would like to take a moment and reflect regarding ELP.

I am thankful that Monday-Friday students choose to walk through the library door ready to continue their own education. Some attend 2 hours a week, other choose to be here for two different workshops totaling 4 hours a week. Whether they know it or not they are choosing to better themselves. Instead of going home and sitting in front of a screen they choose to stay at school and sit in front of a mentor.

I am thankful for those mentors who choose to spend their time with the youth in their community. These educators are making an impact and influencing the next generation through play and creativity. These wonderful community members are the ones who create excitement and have students excited for the next workshop and for that we are lucky.

Dovidenia! (Goodbye!)

Session 2 up and running.

Chinese club is getting creative making noise dragons(draco).  

The students at Middlebury College make this workshop fun and diverse. Each student teacher gives their own special flair to the lessons being taught. The kids are very engaged. 

Origami workshop is folding their way to amazing creations. 

  Everyone is engaged and active in learning. They are proud to show what they have made at the end of the workshop. It will be fun to see where there imaginations take them. 

Outdoor club may be small but it is mighty. 

   They are enjoying the outdoors studying trees and leaves. Making books to document what they have discovered seems to be very fun and interesting. Can't wait to see what else they discover. 

Kids are creating textiles with block printing inTraveling Museum/Africian Textiles. 

Using wood blocks and Ink they are creating beautiful little tapestries. Big smiles all around in this workshop watching their creations come together. 

Violin workshop is finding their footing for a great beginning to learning this beautiful instrument

The kids are learning their footing and finding out what size violin works for them they can't wait to get started using the real instruments.

Comic book club is serious business and oh so fun. They are busy creating their own comic books and using their imaginations wildly. Looking forward to the comic con at the end of the session.

Science is discovering new things through hands on trial and error. 

The kids are building boats with recycled parts. Then test to see if it floats. Next test is to see how much weight it can handle. Really cool stuff.

Baking with Bertha is the best. 

The smells of the kitchen make your mouth water before they even hit your mouth. And the taste is even better.

The bells are ringing in winter bells. This group is making beautiful music look forward to their mini concert at the end of the session.

Adventures, relaxation, and ELP at LCS!

The ASP kids in Lincoln have been greatly enjoying the beautiful weather we've continued to have since the beginning of the month. Although it gets darker and colder earlier now, we have still been able to run around outside until nearly 4:30 each day. Of course, there have been some rainy days that have trapped us indoors, but we always find something to keep ourselves occupied with!

Hard at work building and painting wooden structures!

We have also been making sure to incorporate relaxation and quiet time during our after school day. The blue mats are a key element for this time, and the kids love making triangular forts to read and rest inside.

November has also brought us the second session of the Expanded Learning Program, which happens to be the first session at LCS. We are lucky to have our own Cathy doing yoga with K-3, and tae kwon-do with Elliot for K-6. Looking forward to seeing the pictures Amber has been taking!

Tonight the Expanded Learning Program took the floor at the ANESU All District Boards Carousel Meeting. 

Academic Enrichment Educators Michael Gray, Jackie Raymond and Elliot Cluba led mini-workshops planned to enact a routine workshop day. Board members were able to gain a sense of how a workshop is led; the range of topics; the quality of the educators; and the vision of the Expanded Learning Program.   Needless to say, it took some time to get the engaged board members back in their seats!  We were grateful to share ways the Expanded Learning Program is meeting the goals of our Supervisory Union, specifically when it comes to goals outlined in the ENDs Policy.  

Build it and They Will Come

Writing this blog post reflecting on our first week of Session II at Robinson I could not be happier.

Session I was a great beginning to our 2015-16 run at Robinson. We averaged 16 students M/W and T/TH with 3 workshops on M/W and 2 workshops on T/TH. Students enrolled in Session II enjoy 3 workshops on M/W, 4 workshops on T/TH, and 1 workshop on Friday!

As the coordinator for the Robinson site the beginning of sessions is always hectic to say the least. The spreadsheets, attendance, coordination with teachers and workshop leaders has my nose to the screen and my brain scattered. As I put all of my ducks in a row I must have forgotten to take a look at our attendance numbers. On our first Tuesday of Session II my jaw began to drop as kids continued to pile into the library! All said and done we were busting at the seams with 36 students for the 4 workshops, our biggest day by far!

On Monday and Wednesday we welcome John Amory teaching Oceans, Rivers, and Lakes, Becky Rose-Adams teaching Homesteading, and Roberta McKinney along with her exchange student Igor teaching International Interactions.

On Tuesday and Thursday we welcome Jill Schoendorf teaching Argh You Ready to be a Pirate, Kerry Lake teaching Everyday Spanish, Sue Bachand teaching Math Masters, and Donna Shepardson teaching GeoBee.

On Friday Mike Gray came back for Session II to teach Chess!

(Now we're waiting for Shoeless Joe Jackson to come teach a baseball workshop!)

I would like to recognize the dedication of our workshop leaders. 5 of our leaders teach full time at Robinson during the school day. Our other workshop leaders also work full time and have other activities they are involved in throughout the week. Thank you workshop leaders!

Here Comes Session II

We just wrapped up a great first session at Robinson and on November 9th we begin Session II!

On Mondays and Wednesdays if you drop by Robinson you can find a foreign exchange student teaching about his home country of Slovakia, students exploring oceans, lakes, and rivers, and 4th-6th graders learning all about homesteading!

Tuesdays and Thursdays will have the halls filled with Spanish speakers, pirates looking for their booty, students studying the map of the world, and mathematicians sharpening their skills! 

Friday brings back one of our favorite leaders, Mike, continuing on his journey teaching Chess to a great group of kiddos!

Check back next week to see pictures and updates of all of our new adventures!