Monday, August 24, 2015

Welcome Back

Welcome back to students and families.  A special welcome to all new families coming into Meriwether Lewis this year.  We are so happy to have everyone here.

The first week of school was great.  Students were happy and creative with the many activities that the teachers explored with them.

Please join us for Back to School Night on Tuesday, September 8th from 6-8pm. This is a parent only event.  Look for details coming home soon.

I am in the process of changing my blog over to another format.  Check back soon for a more elaborate post.

Warmest regards,
Brandi Robertson

Monday, March 23, 2015

Spring Arrives

I don't know about you, but I am glad that the official day of Spring has finally arrived.  Now we just need the warm temperatures to back that up.  I can also assume that the snow days are over!

There is so much going on each week at Meriwether Lewis. I love coming to work each day to see the many activities and projects that are happening around here.

 I had the opportunity to be a "judge" last week for the 3rd graders as they gave their 4-H speeches.  It was so wonderful to watch these students in action.  They all did a wonderful job and I look forward to watching them in the future as they become top speakers somewhere.

Kindergartners had a great time last week looking for the leprechauns as they sure do cause some ruckus.  Traps were designed and set, but those little guys are so quick and witty.

First grade did a wonderful job a couple weeks ago with their Patriotic Program.  I always love watching them perform.

Second grade just finished up their China celebrations.  The students did a nice job and were able to share their knowledge and projects with their families.

Fifth grade has a middle school visit coming up in the near future, as well as their field trip to Jamestown.  I know that they are excited about that.

Fourth and Fifth graders have been practicing for their upcoming musical show.  I know Mr. White has them working hard.  That show is on Wednesday, April 29th.

This week the 5th grade Honor's Choir is performing with all of the other county schools on Wednesday.  They have been practicing a lot for this performance and I know that they will do great.

Mr. Williams and Mrs. Harbilas are planning a Family PE Dance Night for Thursday, April 2nd.  We hope to see you there shaking your dance feathers.

Thank you to Mrs. Atkinson for a great Book Fair this year.  There are so many new books coming into the library.  Also, a shout out to her for organizing the 3rd/4th grade trip to see Kate DiCamillo.

Congratulations are in order for our Art teacher, Mr. Andrew Sherogan, for being named the Golden Apple Award winner from Meriwether Lewis.  He is definitely deserving of this honor.  Way to go Mr. S.   This was evidenced by some of the work that was displayed at the Art show at the Fashion Square Mall by our students.

Ms. Bell is waiting to get a final count for the MLS Food Drive.  This is the last week to bring things in.  If we reach a certain level, Dr. Irani will eat bugs and I(ughhh) will be fashioning pink hair!! All for a good cause of course.  

Don't forget that April 3rd is now a snow make-up day.
The following week, April 6-10th is Spring Break.  Please enjoy the time with your children.  If you are traveling, please be safe.

The last few months of school tend to really fly by.  We have a lot to do and want to make sure we do everything we can for your children.  Please try to have your students here at school daily and on time.  School starts at 7:55am each morning.  This means that they should be in their classrooms ready to learn at that time.  At the end of the 3rd quarter, letters will be going home to parents of students who have had excessive tardies or absences.

Happy Spring!
Warmest Regards,
Brandi Robertson

Upcoming Dates
3/25 Class Picture Day
3/25 5th Grade Honors Choir Performance 5:30 pm at Monticello HS
4/2  PE Family Dance Night 6:15-7:30pm
4/3 End of the 3rd Quarter
4/3 Snow Make Up Day - School in Session
4/6-4/10 Spring Break
4/28 Report cards sent home
4/29 4th/5th Grade Spring Concert (9am and 6:30pm)
4/27-5/1  Wellness Week
5/4-5/8 Teacher Appreciation Week








Friday, January 9, 2015

Jumping into January

Welcome Back from Dr. Irani and Mrs. Robertson!
Happy New Year!!!  It is so hard to believe that we are now in the year 2015.  We are also just about at the midway point in our school year.  Before you know it, it will be June.  On Monday, the students and staff returned from the holiday break.  It was great to get back into our routine.  We hope that you had a chance to enjoy some precious time with your families. I know that I definitely enjoyed being with my family and some of the down time that I took.

Some exciting things that I have seen this week:
*Printing objects on our 3D printer
*Kindergarten students leading our whole school morning meeting
*1st grade students using their awesome research skills
*Student minds in full force!
MLS Students presenting check to UVA Children's Hospital from donations made at the PTO Kids' Market by students!

Technology TidBits
*As many families possibly have new technology from the holidays, please remember to research products and choose apps and websites that are safe for the child's age.  Recently, the PTO posted a question on their Facebook page about suggestions for apps/websites so that parents could share good examples with each other.
*So I pose this question: What are some apps or websites that you would recommend to other parents that you have found appropriate for your children? (Feel free to comment on this blog so others can see.)

*A few months ago we held a parent technology information awareness night.  Many of the parents who attended were interested in keeping these conversations going.  One of the questions that kept popping up was how do we keep our children safe on the internet and what information is out there to help parents become more informed.  I think that is going to continue to be a topic of concern for years to come, especially as technology is constantly expanding.

*If you have any other tech questions, please feel free to send them to me.

Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Robertson


Upcoming Dates
Jan. 16 - End of 2nd quarter
Jan. 19 - No School- Holiday/Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Jan. 20 - No School for Students - Teacher Workday
Jan. 21 - Principal Coffee Chat 8:15am-9:15am - Library
Jan. 22 - Grade 3-5 Spelling Bee
Feb. 3 - Report Cards Go Home
Feb. 6 - PTO Bingo Night 6-8pm

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Be Thankful Every Day

What are you thankful for at this time of year?  I always find it quite interesting that we choose one time of the year to focus on thankfulness.  Shouldn't that be something we consider every day?

Someone shared with me once that they ask their family every night one thing that they were thankful for during their day and one thing that may not have been the best part of the day.  I always thought that was such a good idea and it allowed there to be some consistency in the conversations after school, work, etc.   So a few months ago I started this questioning with my husband. I think I took him by surprise because he wasn't sure why I was asking these things.  When I told him that we should make this something we do each night, I think he thought I was crazy.  However, we do go through this ritual most nights of the week and it has helped to lead into other discussions.  Imagine what it could do for you and your children!

So as we begin our Thanksgiving holiday break, please remember to be thankful for all that is around you, not just today, but every day.

Enjoy time with your family and friends and be safe if you are traveling (especially with impending weather forecast.)

Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Robertson

Upcoming Dates
11/26-11/28  Thanksgiving Holiday Break
12/2  Picture Make-Up Day
12/3  5th Grade Performance 9am;6:30pm
12/5  PTO Kids Market 6-8pm
12/12 School Health Fair
12/19 Last Day of School before break
12/22-1/4   Christmas Holiday Break
1/5    Return to School  (Happy New Year!!!)
1/16  End of the 2nd Quarter

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Always Moving Forward

So I pose this question...where do we go from here?  I ponder this question regularly.  Whether it be at work, school, home, or life in general.  I am finding there is always somewhere else to go (physically and mentally.)  Children feel this way as well.  So how can we guide our students, as well as ourselves?  Let's provide opportunities to learn by exploring and modeling various strategies for children. These are some of the most important years of their lives.  They also need time to discover and fail at things.  If you are like me, I have learned some of my best lessons from failing at something.

Recap of the last few weeks:
We have just recently finished the 1st quarter of the 2014-15 school year.  It has been so nice to see all of the parents attending parent/teacher conferences.  This is a great time to talk with your child's teacher about your child and how they are doing at school.  Having a positive relationship with your child's teacher is an area that we strive to achieve as a school community.  

Thank you to all of the parents that came out to the Parent Tech Awareness Night at Meriwether Lewis on Monday, October 6th.  A special thanks to Andrea Atkinson, Betsy Bell, and Officer Laura Proffitt for presenting and to Peggy Williams for helping on the PTO side.  I have added a section to my website about technology (you can find this on the right side of my blog.)
It was pretty unanimous that the parent community would like to continue discussions on these topics. We are looking into a way to make this happen.  I will keep you posted.




Each day one of my joys is to walk into classrooms and see student's in action.  Some of my views from the last couple of weeks:  5th grade students testing out paper airplanes and graphing results including the standard deviation, 2nd grade students and their Native American festivities, and 3rd grade country projects, just to name a few.  One very cool thing I got to do was to attend the 5th grade field trip to Washington, D.C. via the train.  The students and adults had a great time.  It was amazing to see how many students found the snack car to be a must see (multiple times!)





A few weeks ago we had our annual PTO Fall Festival.  A great time was had by all.  Thank you to the many parents that took part in putting this event together.  It was a ton of work, but it sure did pay off.  I loved watching the students having a blast.  I think the dunk tank, inflatable obstacle course, pony rides and the Kona Ice were hits!






Upcoming Dates
Oct. 31 - Halloween (please be safe and have fun if you are out and about)
Nov. 3 and 4 - No School for Students
Nov. 11 - Report cards come home
Nov. 14 - PTO Family Game Night
Nov. 19 - 4th Grade Fall Program
Nov. 24 -1st Grade Performance
Nov. 26-29 - Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 2 - Picture Make-Up Day
Dec. 3 - 5th Grade Program


Warmest Regards,
Brandi Robertson

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Elementary Happenings

Wow!  I can't believe that October is right around the corner.  Students are starting to understand routines and busy learning.  We have focused daily on the Meriwether way of being respectful, responsible, and ready to learn.  The best part of this is when students can give concrete examples of what this looks like.

By now, teachers have gotten to know your children and are full speed ahead with their instruction.  I have enjoyed getting to know our Kindergarteners and new students, as well as spending time with our returning children.  I love greeting them in the morning.  It always starts my day off in the most positive way and I feel that it is very important in relationship building.

Please join us at our next event, a Parent Technology Awareness Session on October 6, 2014 from 6-7:30 pm.  We will be discussing school technology, home technology, and tech safety for kids. Presentation will be given by Mrs. Atkinson our library/media specialist, Betsy Bell our school counselor, and Officer Laura Proffitt from the Albemarle County Police Department.  We are providing childcare for those parents who responded to the need.  Information has been sent home and can also be found on our school webpage. We hope that you can join us.

On September 17, we participated in the United Way Day of Caring.  Each year, we submit projects and community members come to our school and help us with these.  This year, UVA Department of Surgery came and painted a hundreds chart, hopscotch boards, and a tens frame onto our primary playground. Another group from Martin Wren Law came out and helped build a compost bin and spread mulch in our newly built school garden.  We are thankful for the generosity and time that each of these groups gave to Meriwether Lewis.  Below you will find some pictures from the day.
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Robertson

Upcoming Dates:
9/29 - No School for Students
10/6 - Parent Technology Awareness Night 6-7:30pm
10/8 - Kindergarten Parent Reading Presentation
10/17 - PTO Fall FunFair
10/23 - End of 1st Qtr
10/24 - No School for Students/Teacher Workday
10/29 - School Picture Day








Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Welcome back!!!

Welcome to the 2014-15 school year.  We are so excited to see our returning students, as well as our upcoming kindergarteners and new students!!  Teachers return to school on 8/13 and then we will be up and running trying to get everything ready to welcome students on the first day of school, 8/20.

A warm welcome to all new families and we encourage you to stop by and introduce yourselves.  If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Some upcoming dates to put on the calendar:

August
Monday, August 18 - Open House, 3:30-5:00 (stop by during that time with your children to meet the teachers)
Wednesday, August 20 - 1st Day of School   (school begins at 7:55 am)
Friday, August 22 - PTO Welcome Coffee - 9am -10am

September
Monday, September 1 - Labor Day - No School for Students
Tuesday, September 9 - Back to School Night 6pm-8pm

We are looking forward to a great school year!

Warmest regards,
Mrs. Robertson