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

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

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

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

Endings bring new beginnings!

Well here we are again, the end of yet another school year.  I always get to this point and can't seem to figure out where the year went.  The last week of school we celebrated the 5th graders with a promotion ceremony to send them off into new adventures in middle school.  It was bittersweet for me because they were my first group of Kindergartners when I began at Meriwether Lewis.  We have completed this 6 year journey together.  What a journey it has been!  I really had to hold back the tears at this one, although I am so very happy for each and every one of the students.

This last few weeks have been busy, but we have all had a great time with each other.  We have had field days, class celebrations, beach days, and much, much more!!

I would like to thank Blue Bell Creamery for coming out to Meriwether Lewis and bringing the students ice cream treats to celebrate us being a Blue Ribbon School!  The students were so kind and polite when getting their ice cream and man was it yummy!

Ase we come to the end of another eventful year, I wish everyone a great summer!  I can't wait to see all the students back next year, as well as welcome our new Kindergarteners and new families.

Enjoy time with your family and take some time to relax.

Thank you for a great school year.
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Robertson

Marvelous May at Meriwether 2014

There has been a lot going on at Meriwether Lewis since we returned from Spring Break!! I can't believe it has been that long since I have posted a blog.  Those busy days have most definitely caught up with me and we are so close to the finish line.

First off, I would like to welcome, Dr. Irani, as our new principal.  He has officially started full-time on and I am really looking forward to working with him.  If you haven't had a chance to stop by and introduce yourself to him, please do.

Thank you to the PTO and parents for a wonderful teacher appreciation week.  Everyone loved the themed luncheon!!

Third - Fifth Graders have begun SOL testing this week and have been doing a great job staying focused.  I know they will all be excited when they are finished.

I have decided to include a lot of pictures in this post because of the many activities going on daily. The main focus with be on kindergarten, since they are almost finished with their first year of elementary school.

Thank you again for all you do for your children and the partnership you have with us here at Meriwether.  We appreciate the many hours you volunteer and support your children.  We look forward to the many events and activities in the last few weeks of school.

Upcoming Events
May 26 - Memorial Day Holiday
May 29 - 2nd Grade Show
May 30 - PTO Kids Night Out
June 3 - Field Day 3-5
June 5 - Field Day K-2
June 6 - PTO Volunteer Breakfast 8 am
June 11 - 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony 9 am
June 12 - Whole School Assembly 9am; Last Day of School for Students
June 13 - Last Day of School for Teachers

March Madness!!

March is finally upon us.  Unfortunately, we have missed a lot of school this week due to the inclement weather.  Hopefully, the nice weather will arrive soon.  It was definitely nice to see the students and staff back today and I hope that that trend will continue.

There is a lot going on at Meriwether Lewis.  Projects, field trips and some very exciting learning.  The students are really progressing from the beginning of the year.  It is amazing to see how much they have grown!

Some 5th grade students is Mrs. Wetmore-Simpson's class presented Multicultural reports this week and they were fabulous.  First grade students celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday by having their parents come in and read with them.  Plus they, as well as kindergartners, were able to wear their pajamas to school. That was exciting.  Maybe every day can be pajama day!!

A few weeks ago, one or our 5th grade students, Aditi Prakash, competed in the Albemarle County Spelling Bee.  We are so very proud of her and that awesome achievement.

Class picture day has been rescheduled from 3/6 to 4/14.  Information will be send home closer to the new date.
As of right now, school is now scheduled to end on Friday, June 13 (due to snow days.)

Upcoming Dates:
March 18 & 20  5th Grade Writing SOL Test
March 19  Kindergarten Registration
March 19 5th Grade Honor's Choir
March 21 PTO Silent Auction at King Family and Kids' Night Out at MLS
March 28 Green Day for County - No School for Students
March 31-April 4   Spring Break
April 7  Return to School
April 14 Class Picture Day

Congratulations, Aditi!!

Thank you to everyone who is a part of Meriwether Lewis!  

Warmest Regards,

Mrs. Robertson

February at MLS

We have just entered the second week of February and it is hard to believe that it is almost the middle of the month already.

Last Wednesday, we took part in the national Digital Learning Day, and it was great to see many of the students engaged in purposeful technology use.
Also, on Wednesday night, many 5th grade parents came out to hear the Henley middle school principal talk about the experiences the children will have when they move up to 6th grade.  Students' biggest fears - lockers.  Parents' biggest fears - academics.
On Thursday, all of the students attended a "Mad Science" assembly.  It was awesome.  One student came up to me on Friday and told me that it was the best show and could we bring it back again next year.  Those are the types of reactions that I just love to witness.
Today, we started off the week with an early dismissal because the President of the U.S. is visiting our wonderful city.  Even though it was a shortened day, there was a lot of learning and activity going on until the dismissal bell rang.

Upcoming Dates
2/11   Western Feeder Schools Community Meeting to discuss proposed school budget - Henley @7pm
2/12   MLS Principal Search meeting @ 6pm - MLS Library
2/17   No School for Students - Professional Development for Teachers
2/24-2/28  MLS Book Fair Week

Enjoy your week!
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Robertson

Welcome 2014

2014 is already going by pretty fast.  Hard to believe it is almost the end of January.  The students had been back for 2 weeks of school, but have had the last few of days off.  Hopefully, parents and children are enjoying this time together.  We are closed today, but are really hoping to be open tomorrow. You just never know down here in Virginia.

There has been a lot going on at Meriwether the last few weeks.  We welcome Ms. Karen Marcus to our school as our interim principal.  I am looking forward to working with her and she has already begun to become a part of our school family.   I encourage you to stop by and introduce yourself.  Everything is running smoothly as usual and there is plenty to keep us busy (it will be the June before you know it.)  :)

The 3rd-5th graders participated in the annual MLS Health Fair on 1/17.  They had a blast.  Third grade went on their field trip to Washington, D.C.  on 1/9 and I heard they had a great time.  

Also, I want to take a minute to thank all of the parents who have offered their thoughts and support during my family's recent loss of my younger brother, Derek.  It is with your kind words that has made my transition back to work much easier.  Also, seeing the children's faces and being with them in the classrooms has been very helpful.  All I ask is that you enjoy each and every day with your families.  Tell them that you love them and hug them when you can.  Each day is definitely a gift!

Warmest Regards,
Brandi Robertson

Upcoming Dates

2/4 2nd Qtr. Report cards are sent home with students

2/6 Mad Science Show here at MLS

2/12 Golden Apple Teacher Nominations are due to MLS

2/17 No School for Students

2/24-2/28 Book Fair Week