The following are excerpts from Wiscasset Elementary School’s May newsletter.

“Second grade has been busy working on lots of math, reading, writing and spelling from their “At Home Learning” bags. We are using Class Dojo and Zoom to keep in touch with each other regularly. Mrs. Footer and Mrs. Miller have created some fun online book projects with interesting themes that are also posted on Class Dojo for students to explore and enjoy! Many other WES teachers visit Dojo to share ideas and special messages with students.

“Our second grade Book Heroes continue to provide us with new books for each student to add to their personal home libraries. The most recent books sent home were from the “Magic Treehouse” series and non-fiction titles such as ‘Caves,’ ‘Volcanoes’ and ‘Rocks & Minerals.’ We are so grateful to our amazing Book Heroes for these books and our new personal libraries! We hope everyone is taking time to enjoy Spring and be kind to each other. We miss you all!”

”This month, fourth graders will be participating in Zoom meetings. Topics range from morning meeting and read alouds, to assignment specific sharing and question and answer sessions. Students will participate in Passion Projects (in which) students choose what they will learn about (their passion) then discover more about it by planning, researching, doing, presenting and reflecting. A passion project integrates reading, writing, and oral communication. Depending upon student choice of topic, it may include math through data collection or other means.

“Every project will look different, as every student has their own passion. The one thing passion projects all have in common is a single sentence: ‘This will be fun.’”

And from guidance: “The calendar may say it’s spring but it’s far from feeling like it. I planted peas yesterday, only to read the forecast calls for snow tomorrow. Studies show that spring is a particularly hard time of year emotionally, but there’s good news! Getting outside is an easy antidote and a powerful way to fight off the blues. I know, ironic given it’s 40 degrees and raining. However, if you and your kids can get outside often, I guarantee you’ll benefit from moving, breathing, and being in beauty.”