Weekly Updates

Week 37

This four day school week will be a busy one for Étude 1st graders! The final two field experiences are Monday and Thursday where we will be out of in the community from around 9am - 2pm. Monday's weather looks to be rainy so prepare your child for the day with appropriate clothing and an umbrella. Unless the weather is truly horrific, we will be going through with the field experience. There isn't more than a block to walk for each location, and a little rain isn't going to stop us!

The purpose of these epic field experiences is for students to gain a concrete understanding of each chosen location around Sheboygan. The places we visit are important in vastly different ways based on their categories. A while back, the 1st graders placed our locations into 5 different categories: Parks, Public Works, School, Indoor Entertainment, and Outdoor Entertainment. We spend time covering each category and how these places are important to a community. These thinking routines, student photography, and opinion writing that students have been working so hard on will be compiled into our final project: a Sheboygan Visitor's Guide. We have decided to make a website this year which will be available for the public to view on June 3rd!

That special date of June 3rd marks the Exhibition of Learning at Étude Elementary. Students will be hard at work the next 2 weeks to prepare their photo boards and practice speaking skills. Each child must be an expert on their location by knowing it well and being able to professionally answer questions about the place. Questions include: why is this place important, who might use this location, or what is something new you learned at this location? The information will then be shared with you on Monday, June 3rd from 9:30 - 10:15 in the gym.

All library books are due back this week! Reminder notes will be sent home soon if you forgot what book to look for.

Keep in mind we do not have school this Friday and the coming Monday! 


Important School Dates



Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 36

Watch out Sheboygan! Étude first graders will be out and about for another excursion. Students will need a lunch for all remaining field experiences. These visits to all our chosen locations should cement the idea of what is important about my community. Students will be prepared on June 1st to show you just what they have discovered! The 1st grade Exhibition of Learning takes place from 9:30-10:15 in the gym. Please make plans to attend and bring your family and friends!

This week will be the final library check out of the school year. Make sure you find any missing library books and return them or a fine will need to be paid to replace the missing or damaged book.


Important School Dates



Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 35

Our time last week on Shoreline Metro to UW Green Bay and Bookworm Gardens was a great way to kick off the field experiences! We were lucky enough to be let into Bookworm before it officially opened to the public. Students got to experience several of the exhibits around Bookworm Gardens all of which are based on children's literature. At UW-Green Bay Sheboygan Campus, we walked through several parts of the building and got a special look at a biology lab with models of human body parts. Our tour guides at both locations were happily surprised with student behavior. Mrs Johnston and I hope that the 1st graders can continue that great behavior on future trips around Sheboygan!

The field experiences continue this week as our class ventures back into the community! As chosen by the first graders, we are headed to Pizza Ranch on Tuesday. Lunch will be provided on location as students will get to make and eat their own pizza! Make sure your child brings their own lunch if you marked 'Cold Lunch' on the permission slip. While on these experiences, students will be focused on discovering why these places belong in Sheboygan. The information gathered is important as the students share their expertise of the location through opinion writing. The need for inquisitive questions and curiosity continues as our EoL approaches. The answers will become the driver for the final project, a Sheboygan Visitor's Guide. This project will include each student's photography of their location alongside their opinion writing. The same photography and opinion writing will be shared on June 3rd at the Exhibition of Learning. Please make plans to attend this event from 9:30-10:15 in the gym!

Presentations of Learning are at the end of this week. During their own 30 minute time slot, students will share what they have learned from this past trimester and over the course of the whole school year. They will spend this week selecting the artifacts they want to share and practice speaking about those artifacts in front of others. During the PoL, please allow your child to go through their presentation without interruption. There will be specific times for questions and feedback. 


Important School Dates


Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 34

First graders have spent over a month learning about different communities and the purposes they serve such as family, Étude, and neighborhoods. Home learning activities and class discussions have given way to a strong understanding of why communities are important. Taking the time on Monday to help clean our school and neighborhood was quite impactful. We even joined our class community with Mrs. Johnston's class to work as a team to keep the environment clean! 

As a class, we have one big community left to explore: Sheboygan! Before we go, we took some time to learn good interviewing techniques and understand how to ask deep questions. Collecting information is vital to the purpose of these field experiences. At each location, we are gathering as much information as we can to wrap our minds around why these places exist in the community. The big question is always "Why is this place important to our community?"

Our field experience this week on Monday will be to UW-Green Bay Sheboygan Campus and Bookworm Gardens! On these field experience days, make sure you come to school prepared! Your child will need to bring a backpack, water bottle, and dress for walking outside. Those who signed up for cold lunch will also need to bring a lunch from home. You do not need to provide any money for these field experiences as we use funds from our classroom budget and save money by using Shoreline Metro for free! Exploring the Sheboygan community by meeting local professionals is what makes this unit so impactful for students. I hope we have experiences that lead to the formation of thoughtful opinions about communities.

It's not too late to join us! Let me know if you would like to tag along with the class for any part of these field experiences. To volunteer, you need a recent background check for the the district within the last 2 years.

Lastly, Presentation of Learning signup is available. They are coming up quick at the end of next week on May 9th and 10th. 


Important School Dates


Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 33

Throughout the course of the first trimester, students gained a solid understanding of what makes our planet important or habitable. Earth and the sun provide us with everything we need to survive such as heat, light, soil, air, and an atmosphere. What a special planet we live on! In honor of Earth Day this week, we will spend some time appreciating our planet by thinking about how we can help treat it right.

Neighborhoods are this week's topic. This unique community is different to everyone based on where you call home. Discussions this week will include what neighborhoods provide for us, what important places do you live by, and continuing to understand bird's eye view and street view drawings. Don't forget to complete the home learning task of drawing your neighborhood map! Google Earth can be especially helpful for this assignment.

The field experiences are fast approaching with the first of them happening next Monday. In the field, first grade experts will be jotting research notes and taking photos which will eventually be used for the final project. We spent some time last week learning what makes a good photo and practiced in the classroom and on the playground. Students were encouraged to look for color, lines, or patterns to experiment with perspective by taking photos high, low, and in interesting places. This group is very enthusiastic about photography and the end product speaks for itself! Check out some of the incredible photos taken after just 2 photography lessons!

You may now sign up for your child's Presentations of Learning. Signup times are on a first come, first serve basis. PoL's will take place on May 9th (half day) and 10th. The dates are a month prior to the Exhibition due to feedback. We want to make the end of the school year less stressful for teachers, students, and families! 


Important School Dates


Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 32

Most of our field experiences are set! Please send back the permission slips as soon as possible! The reason for such haste is we need to send bagged lunch orders to the kitchen a certain amount of days in advance. With our first experience set for April 29th, they are coming up fast! Below is the list that will form our field experiences around the city of Sheboygan!

2024 Field Experiences

The kids don't have to have all the fun! Adult volunteers are more than welcome! If you would like to join us for a location or the full day, please let me know. You will need to have submitted a background check to the district in order to participate.

In the classroom this week, students will be drawing Étude from different perspectives. We are used to seeing locations from a street view but lessons this week will take us into a bird's-eye view. This unique perspective provides a new way of looking at something and the challenge of drawing a place from above. Using Google Maps, students will discover how different these 2 perspectives might look.

The eclipse on Monday brought us a rare perspective of the sun and moon interacting. Enjoy some photos from that event!


Important School Dates


Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 31

The community we will cover this week is Étude Elementary.  We have spent over 130 days together at school and have certainly built a great community together as a class! But what makes our school special? Many students have only gone to school at Étude and don't know anything different. Driven by students who have come from other schools, an important class discussion will be held regarding what makes Étude special. As we cover each community, we write down the population. Étude will be the first community where we will need to figure it out using math. This will be a big undertaking as the class must strategize how to go about totaling the population of the whole school.

Since our field experiences are fast approaching, our class discussions about Sheboygan are ongoing and come up naturally. Whether you live in Sheboygan or not, I hope you take frequent opportunities to explore the amazing area that is Sheboygan. If you need some ideas, take a look at this super special Sheboygan Visitor's Guide created by former Étude first graders. I hope it inspires some exploration of Sheboygan as the weather begins to warm up! Feel free to share it with friends and family and others who might find it useful!

After hearing back from multiple Sheboygan locations, some of our field experiences are set! Mrs. Johnston and I are working on finalizing a couple more dates before sending home permission slips. We are currently looking at 6 different experiences which will take us to many buildings, businesses, and parks around Sheboygan! The slips will most likely come home Friday.

In last week's update I mentioned the OREO acronym which we use to form a solid opinion. You can't bring up Oreo's without getting to eat one! Student's got the opportunity to write about what they believe to be the best animal. We will be using this format all trimester to write about other opinions the students might have. Eventually this will lead to the creation of our very own Sheboygan Visitor's Guide, full of opinions written by 1st graders about places around our wonderful city.

Some time on Monday will be spent learning about and viewing the solar eclipse! The viewing will be weather dependent but glasses for each student will be provided. We will begin by watching a video which details why an eclipse happens and how to safely watch. I understand that an eclipse is a very rare occurrence and you may want to share that experience with your child! You are welcome to join us from 1:30-2:15 at school. Please let me know if you plan on joining us. 


Important School Dates


Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin


Week 30

To begin the community unit, students spent lots of time understanding what makes them unique. An all about me book and a parent interview allowed each student to discover themselves while at the same time seeing how they differ from others. This was purposeful as it leads us into this trimester's writing style: opinion writing. Everyone has differing opinions or preferences when it comes to food, fashion, and endless other likes or dislikes. It's okay that our opinions are different! We are now beginning to learn how to structure a good opinion piece. 

Opinion writing will be taught through the acronym of OREO. This stands for opinion, reasons, examples, and opinion. Just like an Oreo has a cookie on top and bottom, student opinion writing begins and ends with a clear statement of their opinion. The cookie is good but everyone knows the frosting is the best part! More frosting is better! The middle of their writing should be stuffed with as many reasons and examples for why they have that opinion. Students will be practicing this type of writing as we give our opinion on different topics. This eventually leads to students writing their opinion to convince others why different places in Sheboygan are special. You can already see how writing is heavily embedded within this unit by writing All About Me books, letters to businesses, and eventually opinion pieces. 

While on the topic of Sheboygan locations, the exciting news is that we have received lots of responses back from Sheboygan businesses! We truly do live in a wonderful and accepting community. It is always amazing to me how willing Sheboygan businesses are to receive curious first graders. These businesses play a vital part in getting students to understand how important communities are in providing different wants and needs. I am working quickly to finalize dates and get permission slips sent out for you to sign. It will probably be next week when the slips are ready. I will email you the day they are coming home and encourage you to sign and return them as soon as you can!

The communities we will cover this week include family and our class. Bring in your family bead project by this Friday! The students have enjoyed the stories shared so far and look forward to hearing more! We have spent over 130 days together at school and have certainly built a great community together as a class! 

Another big part of the community unit is photography. Students will become familiar with wielding a camera to accurately capture a space, object, or building. But first we need to make sure our pictures are serious and not blurry. That way the photos taken around Sheboygan on field experiences will be purposeful.


Important School Dates


Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 29

We will spend this 4-day week carving out what these field experiences are going to look like. Students will pick a Sheboygan location from Friday's thinking routine and write a letter expressing interest in a tour. These hand-written letters will be sent out prior to spring break to allow time for response. No place is off limits as long as it is in Sheboygan and an invitation is extended to us! As the teacher, this is a terrifying but thrilling unit to teach since there is a lot of unknown. The students ultimately pick the direction this unit goes. This means the end product you will see at the final Exhibition is truly student-created from beginning to end. My job is to just hold the kite steady and enjoy the ride right along with the kids! I hope that you can also appreciate this kind of student-led project by guiding your child and enjoying the ride too!

The family bead project was sent home on Friday. Take some time to have conversations about what makes your family special and how you can show this on the wire. They are due the Friday after spring break. I'm looking forward to seeing what your family's come up with!

I hope you enjoy your spring break which begins with no school on Friday, March 22nd and resumes on Tuesday, April 2nd. Whether you spend it in the Sheboygan community or travelling elsewhere, you are probably spending it with family. Family is an important community to each of us for different reasons. Make sure you take a minute to be mindful and appreciate your unique family community!

Arguably the most important news for your child this week, Tuesday is our final school day for blackout. That's the day to dress in black or dark clothes! There is a special opportunity to play blackout even more. This Monday night, our school is hosting the first ever Étude Family Game Night from 4 - 6 pm! Thank you to all who signed up ahead of time. This gives us an idea of how much food to provide and how to best prepare for the event. If you plan to attend, I'll see you there!


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 28

Spring break is right around the corner but boy do we have a busy week ahead of us! This trimester needs to begin with the question of 'What is a Community?" If we are going to answer what is important about communities then we should probably understand the definition of one. First graders will learn that simply put, a community is a group of people of any size. This is important for students to understand as we delve into communities big and small.

Before getting too deep into communities, we will spend some time discovering what makes each of us unique. We do that in a couple of ways. First, we answer some base questions like your height, age, favorite color, favorite restaurant in Sheboygan, etc. Then students complete the "Parent Interview About You" at home to share with the class. This is expected back by Friday. This will expand the discussion outside of school and produce some deeper understanding about the self. Most students are very surprised about the origin of their name or what foods they disliked as a baby. These conversations build the relationship at home and strengthen your family community. Finally, students will spend time creating an All About Me book. I will share with the class a similar book from when I was a 1st grader. This ancient relic provides us with the layout that each student will use to create the pages in their own book, capturing the characteristics that make them one of a kind.

Sheboygan will be the final and biggest community that we research but we spend a couple days early in the trimester completing a vital writing project. The other white sheet that came home will begin the discussion of places we know in Sheboygan. The greatest part about this community unit is that it is different every year. The locations that you brainstorm at home and bring back to school on Friday will determine where we go on our field experiences in the coming months. Make sure they are places in Sheboygan only! A massive brainstorm session will take place in class as we generate ideas, sort the locations into groups, connect locations that are close to each other, and elaborate by adding any new ideas or insights. From this, students will choose a location that they would like to go to but might need permission like the police station. The students will write letters to be mailed out by next week so we can start planning our field experiences! While we rest on spring break, the letters have time to be received and responded to. Hopefully, we will have mail waiting for us when we return on April 2nd!

Starting this week during gym, Mr. Biederwolf will have the gym setup for arguably the most popular game of students, Blackout. Students are encouraged to wear black for this game but are not required. We will have Blackout this Monday, Thursday, and next Tuesday.


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 27

This past week was incredible thanks to your overwhelming support. It was heartwarming to have families filling the gym and cafeteria to witness student exhibitions. Thank you for being a vital part of what makes this school possible. The smiles, student engagement, the pride, and that sense of community is the reason Étude was founded. That feeling of community is what 1st graders will explore for the final trimester.

Before we dive into a new unit, the human body unit will wrap up this week as Presentations of Learning occur. Here are some things to keep in mind before your child presents. PoL's are mandatory. Immediate and extended family members are welcome but at least one adult must be present. Arrive on time so that your child has their maximum time of 25 minutes to present. During the PoL, please allow your child to present and lead the conversation. To be transparent, students may not feel fully prepared for their PoL. We had no school days following the Exhibition to prepare making Friday quite hectic with the EoL, reflecting on that EoL, and then diving right into preparations for this week. I just ask for your understanding that your child may not have their presentation script fully developed. No matter what you will witness their academic journey this past trimester.

After the PoL, the body book that your child has spent months creating will go home with you. This might require you to clear out room in your car.  It will be 3 feet by 5 feet so make sure that you are able to take it home the day of your child's PoL if you want to keep it. 

To celebrate the wonderful 1st Grade Exhibition, the class wanted a video game day this Wednesday. I agreed that they could bring in portable devices such as a tablet or Nintendo Switch. It is ultimately your choice if you want to allow your child to bring that to school. Keep in mind that each student also has their own iPad in the classroom which they will be allowed to use on that day.

What is Important about my Community? We will spend the final 3 months of 1st grade exploring different communities and why they matter. A community is defined as a group of any size. Some communities we will look closely at include your family, your neighborhood, our class, and Étude. What does each look like? How do they help us? What is special or unique about them? This learning will eventually culminate into the exploration of one big community, Sheboygan. As a class, we will go on student-chosen field experiences to discover the amazing things that our city has to offer. The final project will involve designing a way to make others understand how special Sheboygan is.

The scholastic book fair will be open for the rest of the week. Presentations of Learning will be the best time to stop in and check out the merchandise! If you feel so inclined, consider donating to our classroom by following this eWallet link.


It is time to purchase your yearbook! Please visit the below link to order today.

LINK:  harmann.com/ordering

School Specific Code: ETUDEYB

Best pricing for books is available until March 15th. After March 15th prices will increase and no upgrades will be available.  If you are in need of alternative ordering options please have them contact Harmann Studios Customer Care Team at 1-800-236-8910.


Lastly, there is no library this week since we have off on Monday.


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 26

This Friday, Étude welcomes you and the community into our building for what makes our school truly special. Please take the time to support your child during their Exhibition of Learning beginning at 8:30 am in the gym on Friday, March 3rd. With the start time being so close to when school starts, it is vital that your student is on time! I will allow breakfast eaters to enter the building prior to 8:05 on Friday. Also, if you are planning on a 1st grade sibling attend another EoL please let me know prior to Friday so I can plan the day accordingly.

I will reiterate from last trimester some things to keep in mind.

Each student has been working tirelessly to prepare themselves for Friday. As a teacher, this is by far the most rewarding time of each trimester due to students showing the amount of knowledge they absorbed over the course of a few months. Students began with a research question, or something that was left unanswered after researching the human body all trimester long. Research is conducted using physical and virtual books, Google, and the local professionals who have been guest speakers for the class. After researching and finding the answers, students will work on writing a good-looking final copy of their research paper. Along with their body books, those final copies of their research will be on display at the Exhibition!

The final step in the creative process happens as soon as the EoL ends. That final step is reflection. Friday afternoon will be spent reviewing what happened during the exhibition. What went well? What helped you most during this process? What would you have done differently? As humans always striving to be better, reflection is a vital aspect of the way we grow. These reflections will be shared and discussed as part of their Presentation of Learning. PoL's begin next week Tuesday. If you have not signed up for a PoL, login to Skyward and take one of the remaining time slots.

Friday is a busy day! The Scholastic Book Fair will be open in the Drama room next to the Étude office with items available for purchase. The movie night is also the night of March 1st at 5pm in the gym. 


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 25

Included among academic learning last week were some lessons in being a good friend and a great student. To be brutally honest, our class has not been our best recently. Students in our class are acting and speaking before they think about the consequences and feelings of others which is an ironic connection as we were learning about the brain and decision making. This is the point of the school year where students know the routine by heart which allows learning to really take off. By working as a team we can make this work! It will be helpful if you have a conversation with your child about being appropriate at school. Sometimes hearing it from someone other than their teacher can make a big impact and stick in their long-term memory!

Project-based learning is in full effect at Étude this week as virtually everything will tie into our essential question: How does the human body work? Up to this point, students have worked tirelessly to learn the different systems of the human body, how they collaborate, and showing this learning through the creation of a full size body book. If the white cover sheet is still at home, make sure it gets back to school! The completion of these body books from cover to cover occurs this week. Yet learning doesn't stop there! After being prompted to think about questions they still have about the human body, it will be our turn to research, create, and prepare to present their findings at the EoL on March 1st.

Please take note of a new event that has been added to important upcoming events. From March 1st-13th, our school will hold a Scholastic Book Fair both in-person and online! There will be books and other items for sale. This takes place during Presentations of Learning so make sure you check it out for the week that it's around!


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 24

First graders have just one more system to discover and create. The nervous system is the ultimate stop on our journey through the human body. Every system, organ, and body part learned up to this point is controlled by the nervous system. This system is what allows us to adapt and survive. We will do a deep dive into the brain and its complex workings related to memory, our senses, and motor function. Ultimately, we will learn that there is more than one kind of intelligence which makes everyone unique. To understand the brain is to understand yourself. We could truly spend the whole trimester on the brain and have enough information to cover. It is also important to know that there is a lot that is still unknown about the brain. The main takeaway from this final system will be that the brain is the boss.

With this being the final system, the final white butcher paper that was sent home in December will need to be brought back by Monday, February 19th! The instructions were for each student to decorate their page to look like themselves. This will be the cover of their body book which is just about finished! I know many of them are already at school but the rest are needed in order to get ready for the upcoming EoL on March 1st!

The 100th day of school is happening on Monday. Some classes celebrated last Thursday if you count the snow days that were cancelled. We are celebrating Monday with many math-related activities along with a visit from our froggy friend Tad! He visits us every decade day as we leap to a multiple of 10 and move into a new decade (10, 20, 30, etc.). This is a big one since we are now entering the hundreds family!

Don't forget our class Valentine's party will happen Wednesday the 14th. If you choose to bring something, make sure there is enough for each student: Hudson, Holli, Melanie, Aiden, Maren, Ellawyn, Kinsley, Milo, Artie, Luna, Ezra, Julian, Arlich, Luke, Hugh, Maya, Eleanor.

Spirit week will also add to the workload this week as students are encouraged to dress up each day.


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 23

Hey parents, think back to your lessons in school related to the food groups. Do you remember what shape the food groups were ordered into? Your health teacher probably pulled out a diagram of the food pyramid. It might surprise you to know that the food pyramid is now history. Students nowadays are taught similar food groups but they are separated onto MyPlate. This week, your child will help create a class plate with a large variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, dairy, and even "sometimes" foods. Play "Name that Food Group!" at mealtime. Grains and proteins are the toughest for students to remember.  Using resources like books and the MyPlate website, we learned the necessary nutrients that each food group provides and the specific body parts that require them. This distribution of vitamins and minerals is driven by our hard-working digestive system.

1st graders are currently learning the main job of the digestive system: to break down food into small enough pieces for our bodies to use. The process begins in the mouth as our teeth and saliva crush and dissolve food. This is easy to know because we can see it but where does food go from there? The esophagus then brings the food to the stomach where digestion intensifies with stomach acid. After the stomach, the now-microscopic and soupy food particles travel through the small intestine for absorption by the villi, finger-like projections that collect nutrients. Absorbed nutrients are sent to cells around the body via the bloodstream. Remaining liquid and waste dries up in the large intestine before exiting the body. After knowing this, students will then create these body parts and attach them to their life-size body books. Student body books along with their chosen project topic will be on display at the EoL. Remember to mark your calendars for March 1st!

Some 4th and 5th graders have created another spirit week! This will take place following this coming week of school from February 12th - 16th. Each day offers more than one option to encourage more people to participate! Here are the days:

We will additionally have a Valentine's celebration on Wednesday. Bringing in valentine's to hand out is encouraged!

Lastly, this is a reminder that library is each Monday. I have noticed sad students each week who realize that their book is sitting at home preventing them from checking out a new book. Bring that book back!


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 22

Students have officially researched 4 body systems and now have 2 more to dive into. This week we will begin our research on the digestive system. We know where food's journey begins and ends, but where does food travel to inside the body? What is the purpose of the digestive system? How does food help or hurt our bodies? Thinking routines, research, and a Magic School Bus episode will give your child a deep understanding of the human digestive system. Of all the systems we learn about, this one is causes the most giggles due to where waste leaves our body. Let me assure you that to keep it school appropriate, we don't discuss anything that is covered by a swimsuit. 

1st grade is headed to the Weill Center this Friday afternoon! We have some already helpers already but please let me know if you are still interested in being a chaperone for this trip in the afternoon of Friday, February 2nd.

February is a month to show love and a great time to have conversations with children about showing kindness to others. Valentine's are a way to recognize others and let them know that they are cared for. Our class will be having a short party on the afternoon of February 14th. Each student is encouraged to bring items to hand out. For our Valentine's celebration, items do not need to be bought or even edible. In fact, sometimes the best gifts are homemade as they take time and attention. A low cost gift could be a craft, drawing, or personal note for each classmate. We have 17 students in our class. I will include the names here for reference: Hudson, Holli, Melanie, Aiden, Maren, Ellawyn, Kinsley, Milo, Artie, Luna, Ezra, Julian, Arlich, Luke, Hugh, Maya, Eleanor.

Check out the new added upcoming dates including Spring Break and the (unofficial) EoL time!


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 21

If you haven't already, be sure to mark your calendars for Friday, March 1st! This is the date of the next Exhibition of Learning for our class. The exact time is yet to be determined, but it will most likely be in the morning. Students have been learning all they can about how the human body works and will be eager and prepared to show you what they discovered. Life-size body books, in-depth project work, and presentation skills will be on display. We can't wait to present our learning the Étude way!

After the snow storm a week ago, I promised the class that we would get out into the woods for some fun in the snow. Last week stalled this adventure as it was too cold to be outside for long. Temperatures will rise this week and I plan to do this hike on Monday! Make sure your child brings all the gear to play in the snow.

This week will be dedicated to the life-size creation of the respiratory system. Students get to draw the respiratory system on a paper bag to replicate how our bodies respirate. Then it's time to make the nose, mouth, trachea, lungs, and diaphragm! The use of crafting materials like bubble wrap and paper towel rolls naturally blends artwork into this unit about the human body.

Recent math lessons have been focused on making equations. Most notably, an equal sign means 'is the same as'. This sets kids up to understand that an equal sign can show up in different places in an equation (2=1+1 or 1+1=2). At school, we use a variety of ways to visually show a math expression. These ways include a written equation or number sentence (2+3=5), unifix cubes (2 green cubes and 3 blue cubes makes a total of 5 cubes), a math story (Marie jumped 2 times. She then jumped 3 more times. How many times did she jump in all?), and a number tree (5<⅔  -- This one is hard to show through typing). The goal is for students to practice math in a variety of mediums so that they gain a deep understanding of math concepts. They will then be equipped with more than one strategy to solve future problems. I hope that your child is coming home with these skills and gladly sharing them with you while working on the red home learning journal. We always encourage students to not just understand vocabulary but to use it themselves! 

1st grade is fortunate enough to have yet another opportunity to view a performance at the Weill Center! Another Étude class signed up but was not able to go and we gladly accepted. We will be seeing Dinosaur World Live. There is a minor connection to our current unit as I have a book about dinosaur skeletons. This will lead to our class comparing and contrasting our bones and those of dinosaurs. The biggest connection for this trip is actually for the following trimester where 1st graders will explore why communities are important. Please let me know if you are interested in being a chaperone for this trip in the afternoon of Friday, February 2nd.


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 20

Take 10 seconds right now to breathe in deep and slowly exhale. Go ahead. I promise you will feel better! This is an easy way to bring our brains to the present rather than lurking in the past of the future as our train of thought so frequently does. Every student at Étude is taught to recognize the importance of being mindful by breathing. But in 1st grade we take respiration to the next level!

After making up some circulatory system work from the previous snowy week, Étude 1st graders will take time this week to learn how each part of the respiratory system works. There are a surprising number of steps and body parts involved when we take a simple breath. From the diaphragm to the alveoli, your child will certainly come home this week with some new terms to tell you about. The class will take time to scientifically draw the parts of the respiratory system. A detail that most people don't know is that one lung is a bit smaller than the other! The reason for this is to make room for the heart in your chest. Students will notice this close connection between the respiratory and circulatory systems.

The photos I have added this week include a sneak peak at the construction of the body books. Students drew the heart multiple times and should have a strong understanding of its purpose. After learning that the heart is just to the left inside our chest, they insisted on taking a class photo with their hearts! After being interrupted by snow last week, they are now working on finishing the addition of their veins and arteries.

Speaking of the heart, Valentine's Day is coming up soon. I'm sure you have seen decorations and Valentine's pop up in stores and might be curious if our class will do anything for the holiday. We will have a small celebration on February 14th in which students will decorate a paper bag and hand out Valentine's to each other. The point of this celebration is to take part in spreading kindness to others and find joy in giving to others! When making Valentine's, keep in mind that our class has 17 students. I will include the names here for reference: Hudson, Holli, Melanie, Aiden, Maren, Ellawyn, Kinsley, Milo, Artie, Luna, Ezra, Julian, Arlich, Luke, Hugh, Maya, Eleanor

The snow day from last Friday will be a make-up school day on Monday, February 19th. The cold weather this week may keep us inside for recess. The school rule is that we don't go outside if the temperature is below 0 (including wind chill). 


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 19

1st graders have been learning all about how the human body works through our skeletal, muscular, and circulatory systems. This week students won't want to miss the construction of our next body book page. Being the main engine of the circulatory system, the heart will be created and added first. Through drawing the heart, students will discover it has 4 chambers along with vital connecting veins and arteries. The pumping heart brings blood to all parts of the body which contains red and white blood cells as well as nutrients. We will now learn more about those blood vessels leading to and from the heart. Using yarn, the veins and arteries will be attached to the human body books which will take multiple school days to complete. This integrated art project is a big one with incredible learning taking place.

When each family was given the huge project of tracing and cutting the body cutouts, you were instructed to keep one of the white sheets at home to create a self-portrait. Your child won't officially need this at school until February. But this final sheet can be brought back to school whenever you have finished it. Any remaining sheets at home besides the cover should be completed as soon as possible.

A key part of our math curriculum is work places. These games provide students with the opportunity to directly apply the skills they learn in class to the work place games. Learning math doesn't have to be boring! The work places often involve rolling dice or drawing cards to complete some objective. Students also have to play with a partner which allows students to collaborate by learning to take turns and play fair. Our class does work places at least once a week. I realized on Friday that I hadn't taken any photos so these are the only photos I have of last week!

After an obscure Halloween squall, it looks like snow is finally here to stay! Students will need to be fully geared up to leave the blacktop at recess. This includes a coat, hat, gloves, boots, and snowpants. The class will be revisiting expectations for being appropriate with snow. Recess just became more exciting!

Coming up in February we have what is called an Emergency Make-Up Day. If you are unaware of what this means, allow me to explain. There may come a time during the school year when school is canceled because of snow, bitter cold, or other unforeseen reasons. If enough days are canceled, we will make up a missed day on the designated day of February 19th, April 1st, or May 24th. These built-in make-up days prevent school from going further into June than anyone wants. If we do not need to make-up any school days, it simply becomes a no school day!


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin


Week 18

Welcome back from winter break! I hope you were able to spend some time relaxing your muscles. Before the break, students were learning about the muscular system and its purpose. The most pertinent fact was that muscles are involved in the movement of our body parts from blinking to blood vessels. Muscles are also special because they can grow even when you stop getting taller as an adult! In one of my favorite activities we do all year, students cycled through 5 exercises like planks and wall sits. This activity allows students to better understand their muscles. Bodies heat up when muscles are being used and the body tries to help cool us down by sweating. Our bodies can be pushed further than our minds might think! I love teaching students to persevere through discomfort and strive to reach a goal like holding a plank for a whole minute. Enjoy the photos of some hardworking red-faced 1st graders!

Advancing from the muscles, we will now move into the circulatory system. This involves the heart, veins, and arteries. Connections between this system and what students have previously learned are overwhelming. Muscles move blood around the body. One kind of muscle that we just talked about is cardiac muscle and is found in the heart as well as the blood vessels. While learning about bones, students discovered that red blood cells are created inside bones. These are just some connections that will be made by students this week as we learn about the heart and blood.

Before break, our class was blessed with a guest speaker. Students learned from this health care professional who has a broad knowledge of the human body but also works closely with blood. These conversations lead us perfectly into this week.

Another activity that happened before break was a meeting with our buddy class! We are paired up with Mrs. Shimenetto's 4th and 5th graders this school year. Every now and then, we will buddy up and do fun activities with them! You will see some pictures above of buddies working together to search the classroom for things that start with each letter of the alphabet.

Some time in the classroom will be spent on revisiting school expectations. Especially after a long time away, we all need to get back on the same page of what is appropriate at school. Students will think, draw, and write about why they come to school in order to refocus their thoughts back to their hopes and dreams. Before returning, I encourage you to have a conversation with your child about returning to school, following expectations, and trying their best to focus on learning. 

Don't forget! The red math journal was sent home before break as is due back this Friday!


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 16

If you stop and think for a minute, I'm sure you know someone who works in the health care industry. There is a high demand for medical care jobs from nurses to chiropractors to fitness trainers to dentists. The list is nearly endless and these people have valuable knowledge about the human body. Since first graders are seeking that exact knowledge, this trimester will include a visits from a local health care worker. The goal of this visit is for the first graders to learn more about their bodies straight from an expert and gain an understanding of the importance of health care professionals in our community.

1st graders will be moving on to the muscular system this week! We aren't necessarily saying goodbye to the skeletal system though. As students learn about each body system, they will quickly begin to discover how they are connected and work together as one. The purpose of muscles will be a large focus of researching this week. Our muscles of course allow us to move, lift, push, and pull. They also do some things that aren't as obvious like providing our body's with cushion and heat. Muscles contribute to as much as 85% of our body heat! While we do not add this system to our life-size human body books, learning about the muscular system will expand student understanding of how the human body works.

Home learning binders will be sent home this week. They will be due the Friday after break. Keep up the good work of supporting your child and helping them along their journey of learning! Those pages may seem insignificant but the work is making a big difference in the long term. Completing assignments also teaches accountability and consistency between school and home.

At Étude, we usually end the year with what we call a Snow Day. Since we are having a full day of school on Thursday, our morning will include some academics. With work out of the way, the afternoon will be fun for the whole school as grade levels will be hosting different activities including movies, crafts, and game rooms. It should be an exciting way to send us into Winter Break!

Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 15

Bones! What would we be without them? Students learned last week that we would be a squishy pile of organs similar to a jellyfish. We have been exploring the wonderful skeleton through reading, researching, drawing, and even touching real bones. Students now know that our 206 bones give us shape, provide support, allow us to move, protect vital organs like the brain and heart, and create red blood cells. This learning will also be supplemented with a guest speaker next week. Now, let the creation of the life-size body books begin! This monumental task will take several days to complete as students will hand draw each bone. Each student will draw nearly all 206 bones attaching labels for the important ones. It will be an exciting week of art integrated with science!

To complete the body book, you will need to bring the life-size pieces of paper back to school after tracing and cutting them in the shape of a 1st grader. If you have not done this yet then at the very least please bring back 1 of the finished white sheets for the skeleton. Remember that one of the white sheets can stay home for your child to decorate with clothes, hair, and whatever else you come up with. 

Last week, 1st graders worked together to create a class quilt. You can see this quilt displayed in the above picture. Funny enough, it was not just an art project but the result of several math lessons. The whole process began with sea stars which the general public now incorrectly calls starfish. It might be shocking to learn but their name has been changed to sea stars because they are not fish. All fish have a brain and backbone but a sea star has neither. Anyway, sea stars are a perfect way to learn how to count by 5's. To create the quilt, each student cut and glued their own block pattern as well as coloring their own sea star. The class then laid their squares down in a pattern to reveal a crisp-looking quilt. It was then all about counting rows of 5 as well as counting the legs of 17 sea stars all the way to 85! Learning these faster ways to count forms a strong base for these young mathematicians to grow.

There are a few special extracurricular things going on this week both in our classroom and throughout the whole school. 1st grade will be headed to the Weill Center for the Performing Arts on Friday afternoon. We will be experiencing a bit of the lovely Sheboygan community prior to the exciting field experiences of the 3rd trimester. Secondly, it is spirit week at Étude Elementary. Each day includes a special theme as you can find below. 

December 11th-15th


Monday: Pajama Day

Tuesday: Twin Day

Wednesday: Dress like a Teacher/Student Day

Thursday: Class Color Day   Mr. McLaughlin's Class: Green

Friday: Dress Like a Character Day


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 14

This week, we will dive deep into the our first human body topic: the skeletal system. Why do we have bones? How do legs and arms move? Why are bones so hard? Do bones keep you alive? These student questions will all be answered as we dive cranium-first into learning about the human body! 

Each body system we learn about follows a similar path. We begin with a thinking routine where we look at a photograph of the new system. For this week, we looked at a close-up view of a bone as well as some real animal bones! Students will then research about the new system. As a class, we read non-fiction passages and circle the important information. This helps us learn both the skill of reseraching as well as the true purpose how each system works within the body. Then comes the hands-on part! Students take part in the life-size creation of this system within their body book. Once this massive task is done, we wrap up by reflecting on what we used to think about the system and what we know now. For the skeletal system, this process will take about 10 school days!

Don't forget about the tasks you need to complete at home. Red math journals and a permission slip came home in binders on Friday. The big one is to trace and cut outlines of your child's body by December 12th. Please send them to school whenever they are done. Your child will need them next Tuesday to begin their life-size body book. If you lost your small sheet of directions, written below is a reminder.

Over the coming months, 1st Grade will be creating life-size body books that show each system of the human body. In order to save lots of time, we are asking that you trace and cut out your child’s body on each sheet of butcher paper (2 white, 3 brown). 

Here are some things to keep in mind as you cut:


One of the white pieces of paper can be drawn on and colored at home. This will be the cover of your child’s body book and should include clothes as well as eyes, mouth, hair, etc. The cover does not have to come back by the due date while the other 4 sheets do. Please bring the cutout sheets back by Tuesday, December 12th.


I understand this is a large task so please reach out if you have any questions or need help in any way.

To help with literacy skills, the district uses an app called Lexia. In recent weeks, our class has really been working hard to use this program to help push our reading skills. After completing a certain amount of activities, your child will advance to a new level. In order to celebrate this hard work, students will be sent home with a certificate that explains what your child can do in terms of reading skills. This will keep you in the loop with how your child's reading is coming along and even includes activities at their ability level to do with them at home! These items do not need to be returned to school. I hope this will help both you and your child as you support them with their literacy skills!

4th and 5th graders here at Étude came up with the idea of having a spirit week! They presented their idea to Mr. Hamm and it was agreed that this will happen next week. Below are the themes for each day.


December 11th-15th


Monday: Pajama Day

Tuesday: Twin Day

Wednesday: Dress like a Teacher/Student Day

Thursday: Class Color Day   Mr. McLaughlin's Class: Green

Friday: Dress Like a Character Day


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 13

Taking place early this week are Presentations of Learning. Students spent time last week gathering their artifacts to share. They are ready to go and I look forward to seeing you there! These student-led conferences provide an opportunity for celebration! Your child gets to be the center of attention and present their schoolwork. This is yet another aspect of our school that prepares children for their bright futures!

PoL's are mandatory. Immediate and extended family members are welcome but at least one adult must be present. Arrive on time so that your child has their maximum time of 25 minutes to present. During the PoL, please allow your child to present and lead the conversation. Questions are always welcome. There will be time at the end to discuss anything else that is still on your mind.

A new trimester can be intimidating. After putting in so much time and effort towards a subject, it isn't easy to move on. Our class will have to take the next step this week as we said goodbye to the space unit and hello to the human body! It will take time for us to truly dive into this expansive unit where we will introduce 6 unique yet connected body systems: skeletal, muscular, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and nervous. At the end of this short week, the class will be introduced to the skeletal system.

Following the Presentation of Learning, you will be sent home with a special home learning task. It involves helping your child draw and cut 5 body tracings on life size pieces of butcher paper. These need to be returned by Tuesday, December 12th. If you are done earlier, please send them! The only page that may stay at home longer is a single piece of white paper. The cover should be a self portrait and include their face and clothes. This will be the cover of your child's human body book and can be brought in whenever completed. Good luck and reach out to me if you have any questions!

Lastly, snow is back! Remember that students must be fully geared up to leave the blacktop during recess. This includes snowpants and boots in addition to a coat, hat, and gloves. Let the winter fun begin!


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 12

The first part of this week's update is dedicated to the overwhelming support given for Étude and its students this past Friday. Your presence at the Exhibition is enough. The ear-to-ear smiles and supportive applause are worth all the stress and hard work that happens up to that point. Yet what made this EoL most special for me was the sheer volume of kind words for both what Étude students are learning and how they are learning. I speak for the whole staff when I say that your support for Étude's mission is highly appreciated. Thank you for taking the opportunity to support your child and witness their shining moment in the spotlight.

No home learning was sent home this past week so that you can enjoy the long break from school. At the end of every school day, students reflect and share a moment of their school day that they appreciated. I hope you spend some time over the break to reflect on things you appreciate. It is so easy to get caught up in the daily rush of life without taking a moment for yourself. 

The class will be very busy during our 2 day week to prepare for Presentations of Learning. PoL's are taking place in person on the following Monday and Tuesday. For PoL's, both immediate and extended family are welcome to be there to listen and support your child's learning.  Presentations are mandatory for all Étude students with at least one guardian present. Students will be properly shown how a PoL works through Monday and Tuesday. It is an honest representation of a student as a learner. This will include both celebrations of growth and truthful admission of struggles through the sharing of artifacts they select themselves. Acknowledging your strengths and flaws is a vital step in growth as a human being. I look forward to seeing you all next week to have these conversations with your child!


Important School Dates


Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Don't forget to wear tie dye on Thursday!

Exhibition of Learning! (Week 11)

The big week is here and the EoL is just 4 school days away! This means that for the past week our PBL unit has taken on a very serious note. Everything we do will be tied back to our essential question "Why do we need to understand that the Earth is unique?" Students worked hard last week to brainstorm, research, and begin creating their project which will be shared on the 16th. Once the research was complete, each group collaborated to form a plan of how to show that research. Without giving too much away, some sneak peaks of this process can be seen above! We have much to do this week in terms of creating, scripting, and presenting. Before Thursday, the class will learn how to appropriately address an audience with proper posture and eye contact. These next few weeks of school are providing rare learning opportunities. Teaching this preparation,  composure, and reflection is how Étude stands apart in providing students valuable life skills that will help them in the future. Collaboration is also a huge part of this process. Combining different ideas within a group, splitting up work evenly, and using feedback to improve an idea are tough for any person regardless of age. It will test each students work habits as they must create some sort of project to show their research. The ultimate result of this collaboration will be on display during the climax of the trimester: the Exhibition of Learning.

Our class will be presenting in the gym in front of an audience that hopefully includes you and your family! An awestruck audience proves to your child that all they do in school is valued and purposeful. These are the moments that make a significant impact on your child's perspective of learning. Bring your family and friends this Thursday to share in those special moments. I truly hope that everyone can attend in support of all Étude students. Upon arrival, please enter through the cafeteria doors on the Pigeon River side of the building. Entering close to the gym rather than the Étude entrance will help limit the interruptions to Pigeon River Elementary classrooms. We encourage you to arrive at least 5 minutes early as it will begin as close to 10:00am as possible. Photos and videos are allowed during the EoL. While attending, we encourage you to wait until after the EoL to greet your child. Waves and smiles are welcome but students are encouraged to stay focused during their performances and presentations. A portion of the exhibition will be seated as students perform drama, movement, and music pieces. The hands-on portion will include a timed gallery walk in which students present their research projects about their chosen topic. This is what they have researched and become an "expert" on. Listen carefully then ask them questions and you might learn something new! During this gallery walk, I encourage you to not just visit your child's research group but move around and listen to a variety of groups. All the students will be so eager to share their research projects with you! You might be blown away with the facts they share!

A final note about the EoL: you may want to have your 1st grade child attend a siblings EoL. If you are talking your 1st grader to watch a another EoL, I ask that you please let me know prior to Thursday. 

The ultimate purpose of school is growth. Each day, students are learning so much more than just reading and math skills. We spend loads of time focusing on forming good habits. These habits cover so many topics: using the right volume, sitting up at the carpet, being nice, keeping hands to self, et cetera. Every class has its own unique struggles. 1st graders focus on one of these struggles each day and try their best to fix it not just as an individual but as a class. This is our daily class commitment. Much like the research projects, it takes collaboration to become better as both individuals and a group.

For the whole trimester, writing has been focused on fictional storytelling. 1st graders have learned that most stories you read or watch have 4 elements: character, setting, problem, and solution. It isn't easy to create your own ideas out of thin air. Creativity is a tough skill to gain but that's exactly what students are learning at Étude. Each 1st grader took the time to imagine their own unique characters and problems through the use of a story map. The same story map was sent home last Friday for home learning. Much like a map guides you when you are lost, this story map lays out ideas in a way that will guide each writer this week. Now, we will begin writing these creative fictional stories taking place somewhere in our solar system.

Thank you for taking the time to read these updates each week. I hope they are helpful to you! You doing this is a sign that you care for your child enough to sacrifice a few minutes of your day to be involved with their schooling. It may seem minimal and it's easy to shrug it off and think to yourself "It's no big deal. I can't be the only one. It's what any parent would do!" The time you are sacrificing matters and makes a world of difference. Take a second to acknowledge how you are helping your child and give yourself some credit. Your child and teacher appreciate the effort you put forth!


Important School Dates


Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 10

Goodbye Jupiter and Saturn! Here we come Uranus and Neptune! While I would love to spend a whole week on each planet and dive deep into detail, the EoL is speeding towards us on November 16th. The final planets will be covered this week as we continue our search for places that might have water, air, soil, heat, and light. These ice giants each boast their own interesting moons and rings among other facts. Following this, our class will immediately begin prepping for the Exhibition of Learning. This will involve collaborating with their group to research their subject before planning and creating a group project. Étude students are sure to be busy in the coming weeks!

The first graders have been improving their math skills recently through the use of different addition strategies. While practicing math, the class takes time to explain their strategy for getting an answer and when it is most appropriate to use each strategy. The most prominent strategy has been counting on from the larger number. The pictures on the right demonstrate this strategy with double flap cards. As your child works through their red math journal, encourage them to start with the bigger number and count however many more they are adding. For example, if you are adding 3 +8 then start with 8 and count on 3 more to get to 11. Students will quickly find that it is faster than starting with 3 and counting 8 more. When we use the faster strategy, math skills increase and students can work through problems that require higher-level skills! 

Math problems come up so naturally in every day situations whether you are cooking, driving, or grocery shopping. Don't be afraid to connect the math strategies your child is learning with problems that come up outside of the classroom. I can't express how meaningful and vital it is to your child as you support them in those math conversations and hold them accountable for their learning.

By the way, the red home learning binders are due this Friday! Both math and literacy activities are to completed this week. Your child will most likely need your support to read directions or work through answers. Ms. Benton, the Drama teacher, also sent home a cue card with each child which is part of their Drama performance. This does not need to come back to school but can be used for practice until the EoL next Thursday.

Set your calendars! Our Exhibition of Learning will take place on November 16th at 10 am. Both 1st grade classes will be performing together in the gym where you will witness the hard work, creativity, and learning that has been happening at Étude. Bring your families and friends! I hope to see you all there!

Quickly following the EoL, Presentations of Learning will take place on November 27th and 28th. While the EoL involves everyone from the class, a PoL is conducted by your child for just their family and teacher. This student-centered presentation is a time to showcase all they have learned during the trimester. Through the sharing of academic artifacts, this will include a reflection of how your child has struggled, grown, and plans to grow. Sign up is now open in Skyward! Because of the EoL and PoL, students gain an enormous understanding of why learning is important thanks in part to your attendance and support.

This Friday, Étude will be in session while most other schools in Sheboygan have off. Rather than holding quarterly conferences, we participate in Presentations of Learning each trimester. On Friday, we ask that all 1st graders wear their tie dye shirt! This will help with Drama and Movement class that day in preperation for the Exhibition. The wonderful-looking shirts will be sent home some day early this week!


Important School Dates


Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 9

How is it already the end of October? It is difficult to believe that our class has been together for 2 full months. That's over half a year on the planet Mercury! This week in 1st grade we are putting the inner planets behind us and will be saying hello to the gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn! While the planets themselves are not solid enough to explore, the moons that orbit them will draw our attention. Students will discover much about the composition of these gas giant as well as their incredibly unique moons and rings. Will we find any other places suitable for life?

Save the date for November 16th! A specific time of day has not yet been determined so stay tuned. At that time you will witness the climax of this 1st grade unit including Movement, Drama, Music, and project pieces based on the essential question "Why do we need to understand that the Earth is unique?" We hope to see you all in-person for the 1st grade Exhibition of Learning.

For the last 2 weeks, our class has been learning in-depth about story elements. The main elements were have identified and practiced include character, setting, problem, and solution. Home learning for the next 2 weeks will be about the elements of a story. You will need to use a book at home or take advantage of a wonderful community resource: the Mead Public Library. More details will be shared on Friday when binders are sent home. Remember to complete the math pages and bring the binders back Monday!

Calling all volunteers! 1st grade will be looking for volunteers to help from 9-10am during literacy time or 10-11am on certain days. Your responsibilities would include guiding students with their independent work and keeping them on task. Also, you may occasionally work one on one with students in specific literacy areas. I can't wait for the students to have other adults with whom they can build positive relationships based around learning. They love showing off what they can do and will love having you teach them new skills!  If you are interested in helping out, please let me know what days of the week work for you! You will also need to complete a background check if you haven't done one for our school in the last 2 years.

With the weather taking a turn, remember to send your child to school with a coat, jacket, or sweatshirt. Another layer is required at recess when the temperature is below 60. When snow sticks to the ground, students must also have boots and snow pants to leave the blacktop. 

Tuesday is Halloween! Our school doesn't do much for holidays as we try to keep the focus on academics to limit distractions. I do have some halloween-related activities planned for math, literacy, and read-aloud. We don't encourage students to wear costumes to school, but if you have plans immediately following school I understand. Don't forget to stop by the White's house that night!


Important School Dates


Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 8

This week's update is quite short as most of my free time this weekend has been devoted to the amazing tie dye shirts. Thank you so much to all the helpers who came in Friday. Enjoy a sneak peak at some of the amazing designs based on our solar system. The official reveal will be during the 1st grade Exhibition of Learning on November 16th! Please plan to be in attendance for that event.

This past week, we began an exciting planetary journey through our solar system. These in depth dives into each planet include a deluge of facts, a scientific drawing, and checking for vital characteristics that support life. The inner planets consist of Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Our class will take a look at temperature, revolution and other facts that make each planet unique in their own way. Do you think you could survive on any of these inner planets? Your child will know the answer soon enough!

Math in 1st grade includes loads of opportunities for student-led discussion. It is so important for kids to develop a healthy relationship with math early in life. Nowadays math is taught in a way that empowers students and allows them to creatively find a way to the correct answer. Very often in our classroom you will hear students explaining or writing down their math thinking. These opportunities allow students to slowly grow comfortable with math concepts which create the base for what they will build upon in the future.

Remember that we do not have school this coming Friday! The red math journal is due back the following Monday so no home learning will be send home this week.


Important School Dates


Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 7

PBL this week will be out of this world! Finally, our conversations and learning begin about other planets. This will begin with the inner planets of Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Earth is also one of the inner planets but we have already spent so much time discussing our very special planet. Now it's time to leave Earth and search for other places that could support life or have air, water, soil, heat, and light. Mercury is our first stop on our journey through all 8 planets which will ultimately take us a few weeks to cover them all.

Friday is the big day for tie dying! Bring in a white shirt for your child before then. It isn't too late to volunteer for this event! Use this document to sign up for tie dye volunteering. A background check is required. You will need to submit this form to be accepted. 

Each day the class meets in number corner to discuss topics such as days in school, creating a collection, expressing data on a graph, and finding patterns. Our monthly collection is comprised of shapes including the triangle, rhombus, trapezoid, and hexagon. Number corner is an engaging and ever-present part of how we learn math. This month's pattern is far from the predictable September cards meaning that math should begin to challenge and draw interest from students.

Home learning this week involves some reading activities. The specific reading work sent home with your child is tailored to their ability level. It is important to remember that your child is learning. Be patient and offer support only when you feel it's necessary. If you feel that your child is severely struggling with reading that is sent home, please let me know. I am happy to give specific advice for what we do at school such as reading strategies or vocabulary used. Another request that was sent home is to bring a white t-shirt to school for tie dying this Friday. Your efforts at home are appreciated!


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 6

1st graders are getting closer to exploring other planets! Before beginning this massive adventure, we will answer a couple of questions: what is gravity and what tools do scientists use to learn about the solar system? Gravity is this week's topic as we discuss further the topic of revolution and how it differs from rotation. There are many planets and moons with immense gravity fields in our solar system that affect even more items such as asteroids and meteors. For this reason, gravity is an important term to know as we move forward into our solar system research.

Speaking of moons, we will take a look at how our moon has changed since last week and learn what lunar phase it is currently in. Just like all things in space, the moon is ever-changing which requires constant surveillance for these moon logs. Nearly a month of consistent checking will reach an end on Friday as the lunar cycle wraps up. First graders have the unique opportunity of using an iPad to better understand the concepts they are learning. 2 apps they have used extensively include Skyview and AR Space Kid. Skyview allows the user to aim the device anywhere in search of star, planets, and satellites. If you've ever wondered what something was in the night sky, this is a great app to have! AR Space Kid which follows a robot through a shuttle launch, into the atmosphere, to the International Space Station, and eventually out to the planets! Both are apps that you can download and further explore at home! 

Red home learning journals were sent home this past Friday. Keep working with your child through the questions to help them build upon the math skills they are learning at school. We have been working hard on memorizing what numbers add up to make 10. 1st graders have also been exploring how to estimate length before measuring.  An estimation is simply defined as a good, well-thought out guess. We have measured with popsicle sticks and will explore more measuring this week with unifix cubes and footsteps. Enjoy some pictures of students working together to estimate and measure different classroom objects! Outside of school, encourage your student to make small estimates. On the right, you can see some photos from a game students played with a partner as well as the measuring activity from the past week.

On October 20th, 1st graders will be tie dying shirts for the EoL. We are looking for volunteers to help out! It can be for any amount of time between 12 and 2 that day. Use this document to sign up for tie dye volunteering! A background check is required. You will need to submit this form to be accepted. Our secretary Tammy Madajewski can help you with any further questions on background checks.

Don't forget picture day is this Thursday! As always its a new week so bring your library book in order to check out a new book.


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 5

As we head into a new month, our PBL unit will tilt towards physics concepts: rotation and revolution. Rotation is when Earth spins around its axis running through the north and south poles. Revolution refers to when Earth orbits or circles around the sun. This will launch us into discussions about how these movements affect us directly through weather patterns and seasons. These are pretty incredible things to be talking about in 1st grade!

Prior to these tough planetary concepts, students were learning about the importance of our star which gives us heat and light to survive. Some more ideas were discovered as a class besides just heat and light: water, air, and soil. These are the unique things that our planet provides. This brought us to discuss the Goldilocks Zone! Ask your kid about this and they should be able to tell you what it means! For the rest of the trimester, we will be focusing on those 5 necessities (water, air, soil, heat, light) and searching for other places in the solar system that also contain those life-giving necessities. 

Student journals of the lunar phases went home this weekend. Every few days, students have been looking at and logging the moon's progress throughout an entire lunar cycle. I hope that you were able to catch the full moon Friday night or at least complete the home learning assignment. Additionally, the moon has in the Western sky each morning around when school starts. I encourage your family to spot the moon in the morning or at night to help strengthen their connection between home and school. Completed or not, make sure the binder is brought back to school this Monday so we can have class discussions about observations.

Since the first week of school, students have been practicing their literacy skills through various activities such as Heggerty phonics, Lexia, handwriting, finding hidden story phonics patterns, and reading games. 1st graders will now put all those things together as our 2 classes merge during literacy time. During this time, some students may be switching classrooms if they are part of Mrs. Johnston's reading group. Either way, all 1st graders will be engaged in literacy activities and rotating through 4 activities each day. This heavy daily exposure allows students to grow in their reading skills at their own level. Mrs. Johnston and I plan to begin these rotations this week and help your child's reading skills take off!

A new week of school means it's time to bring library books back to school!

The final thing I'll say this week is about an exciting volunteer opportunity.  Our class will be tie dying shirts on Friday, October 20th and we will need all the help we can get! From 12-1:30, all 1st graders will be creating a one-of-a-kind shirt that captures their favorite thing in the solar system. Whether you have tie dyed before or not, I welcome you to join us on that day for an unforgettable integrated art project. Please let me know if you plan to attend!

I have to give a huge shoutout to the parent who kindly provided the tie dye kit for this activity. I am touched by the families who reached out and expressed how much fun they had doing the moon log Friday night with their family. This group of parents has been so supportive and all-around appreciative which means so much to both myself and other teachers. Thank you!


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Hopes and Dreams Wall

Week 4

The learning at Étude Elementary these past weeks is a key part of our school identity and culture. We realize that building community as a class is more important than getting into academics on day 1. These unique activities are what set us apart as a school and make Étude an amazing community to be part of! First, we created our hopes and dreams together. Each student was prompted to think seriously about what they want to achieve by the end of 1st grade. These ideas were carefully put onto paper through writing and drawing. As a class, we then each shared our hopes and dreams and promised to help each other achieve them before putting them on display in our room for the rest of the school year. At any point, students can refer to the wall as a reminder of why we are in school.

Additionally, we worked together to create class expectations. This is another key part of what makes Étude unique. Rather than the teacher telling students strict rules of what they can and cannot do at school, students used sticky notes to generate a list of rules that will help us (and other classes) achieve our hopes and dreams. Students then sort the ideas to find connected categories that ultimately result in a list of class expectations. Now the students have a personal connection to the expectations and are more willing to follow and enforce them.

Remember to continue working on the red math journals that were sent home last Thursday. There are 6 math pages for your child to complete with your assistance. They are due back by Friday at the latest before returning home on Friday for some space-related home learning!

Since students should now have an understanding of solids, liquids, and gases we will begin exploring our solar system. This will start with Earth, our moon, and the sun. What is the sun made of? Is it a solid, liquid or gas? Does Earth's surface have more water or land? In addition to that, students will learn about the importance of our star which gives us heat and light to survive. The sun puts the solar in solar system! Our research then takes us to our planet which allows us to survive for several reasons. Figuring out these reasons will be of utmost importance not just for this week but for the remainder of the trimester!

A month-long journal of the lunar phases has been underway since the new moon on the 15th. Every few days, students will be looking at and logging the moon's progress throughout an entire lunar cycle. By the end of the cycle, your child should be able to draw the 8 different phases as well as name them using scientific language like waning gibbous and waxing crescent. Home learning this Friday will be to draw the special phase happening that day: a full moon! I will send out more detailed instructions on Friday. If the sky is clear, you may be able to spot it with all the light reflecting from it's surface. Even if you can't this weekend, I encourage your family to spot the moon during the day or at night to make a neat connection between school learning and home. 

This is a reminder that we have library on Mondays. Send back that borrowed library book so your child can check another one out.


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 3

As we head into Week 3, academics will begin to surge forward while we figure out some final classroom culture pieces. PBL will finally begin to take shape as we begin with to look closer at states of matter and complete a thinking routine about the solar system. The ultimate goal is for students to discover the answer to our essential question: Why do we need to understand that the Earth is unique? Beyond this discovery are worlds of facts and information to discover! Some students requested that I send home the link to a states of matter website they did on their iPads. Here it is! You can manipulate the temperature to see how molecules act when in a state of solid, liquid, or gas.

There is a big volunteer opportunity coming up in October! 1st graders will be tie dying shirts to match the planets which they will wear for the Exhibition of Learning at the end of the trimester. We are looking for someone to lead this activity since Mrs. Johnston and I are in no way tie dye experts. This activity will be an amazing experience for the 1st graders and a huge connection to what they are learning in the classroom through integrated art.  If you happen to own tie dye materials or are willing to purchase a kit for the 1st grade, please let me know! Once we have the kit materials, we will be looking for any and all volunteers on the day of the tie dying towards the end of October.

Speaking of volunteering, last week's update mentioned an Amazon wishlist for the class which I now realize did not contain a link. You will now see I added that link if you scroll down to the Week 2 update.

From just the first 2 weeks of school, I can already tell that this group of students strongly engages with math. Students have worked together to solve a problem about having enough twin pops for everyone as well as voting on favorite flavors of popsicles. Simply making tally marks is exciting to this group! These math opportunities provide a time for students to solve hands-on problems together and explain their math thinking to others. I also want to state that every single day we take part in a math session called number corner. I don't include this in the weekly plan because it is a daily occurrence. Number corner varies every month as we learn different math skills such as graphing, counting money, adding/subtracting, searching for patterns, symmetry, telling time, and so much more! It is a part of our daily routine that pushes students thinking forward in a profound way that connects with the other math lessons being taught.

I have made the students aware that I will be out of town this coming Friday meaning there will be a substitute teacher. I will do as much as I can on Thursday to prepare the class for my absence. It always makes me nervous being gone from school but I stress with students that expectations are the same whether I am there or not. Please have a conversation with your child before Friday about proper behavior at school. This will not only ease my anxiety but allow the substitute teacher to be their best! Thank you!


Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 2

As each school day came and went during the first week, I could see students becoming more comfortable and friendly. So far it has been a true joy getting to know and teach every student. Most impressively has been the kindness of this group of students. They are kind and understanding of each other, willing to admit their mistakes by apologizing and finding a way to solve the problem. I look forward to the 2nd week! Enjoy some photos from the first several days. I try to add photos to each weekly update but they might be intermittent as it usually doesn't cross my mind while teaching.

A word that has been used majorly at school is expectations. Students have so far been encouraged to think about what is expected in different areas such as the lunchroom, playground, bathroom, and take a break area. As a class, we will continue to create expectations for other places such as the hall, lockers, and specials. After being in school for a week, classroom expectations can finally be created too. We will have a collective discussion about what rules students think they need to have in order to accomplish their 1st grade hopes and dreams. This allows them to have a voice in what is expected therefore more likely to hold themselves and others accountable.

Each student will be prompted to think about what they want to achieve during 1st grade. The creation of these hopes and dreams sets a clear goal for our purpose at school. They serve as a reminder of why we attend school every day. Students will also form strong bonds as they try to help each other achieve their hopes and dreams. This sense of community and collaboration is what we try our best to achieve at Étude.

PBL was done in collaboration with all Étude first graders last week! You will hear me mention this acronym quite frequently in this blog and at school. PBL stands for Project-Based Learning. This type of learning is a building block of our school and drives what we do each trimester. This trimester, 1st grade students will explore the question "Why do we need to understand that the Earth is unique?" We began last week with answering why our planet is unique and allows us to survive. The group came upon six important answers: water, soil, air, planet (provides us something to stand on), heat, and light. These answers will fuel our research in the coming month as we make connections with states of matter this week and eventually expand to searching the solar system for places that also have those six important characteristics. This is just the beginning of a very exciting trimester of learning!

Another note from the first week of school is pickup and dropoff time. Mr Hamm has asked that all dropoff before school happen in the parking lot or on Pershing Ave. Do not use the bus circle before school. Pickup in the circle after school was a bit slow in the first week so hopefully the process will smooth out. The staff appreciates your patience as we work through the process of building routines with students, families, and staff.

The final piece of information this week is about volunteering. I am always happy to have help in the classroom! It helps out the students and therefore myself with another set of hands and eyes to keep students occupied and on task. Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering your time. This probably won't start for a few more weeks. If you cannot donate your time, there is a classroom wishlist you can purchase from to give supplies to the classroom. You can follow this link to Amazon where the wishlist can be found.

Important School Dates

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin

Week 1

I want to start this weekly update by expressing my appreciation for everyone who came to the open house/material drop-off Tuesday night. It was an amazing turnout and we now have a nicely stocked classroom to hopefully last until June! The open house always helps to calm some of those first day jitters for not just students and parents but teachers too. I enjoyed meeting each family and interacting with the new 1st graders! Let's get this school year started!

As always at Étude, we spend the first 2 weeks of school focused on getting comfortable with classmates and the Étude community. This allows the students to make connections with each other and sets a precedent for the rest of the school year. This week will include warming up to classmates through icebreakers, exploring our classroom and school campus, team building activities, discussing expectations new and old, and much much more! After a couple days, we will begin to ease into academics but first we need to create a classroom community that will allow each student to have a voice, understand peers, and ultimately thrive in their learning!

Drop-off anxiety for students is common on the first day. The best suggestion I can give you is to guide them to the school doors or classroom and, after a final goodbye, let them enter on their own. I promise you that once they are in the classroom they do perfectly fine! Just like getting into cold water, they will acclimate and get used to it.

Remember that voluntary breakfast for students begins at 8:05am with the official school day starting at 8:15. Prior to this, a supervisor will be outside at 7:50 while students play and then line up by class to enter the building at 8:05. In short, students eating breakfast should arrive no later than 8:05. Students not taking breakfast should arrive no later than 8:15. Contact the Étude office if your family is running late in the morning.

Any lingering questions you have about school and our procedures can most likely be answered by reading the Parent Handbook sent out by our principal, Ted Hamm. It is from last school year but might still be helpful to you.

Finally, our school is still looking for supervisors on Wednesday's and Friday's while the students are at lunch/recess. Duties would include making sure students follow set expectations, aiding students at lunch, walking them to recess, and bringing students in from recess. Fill out this form if you are interested in this position!

Welcome to 1st grade at Étude Elementary!

Look again at the very first word in the title. I don't want to understate the importance of that crucial word. I truly want to make your family feel welcome at school. With lockers and seats labeled, materials prepped, and classrooms cleaned, Étude teachers are ready to warmly welcome each child to the open house this coming Tuesday!

I do have a request as you arrive at the open house. I ask that only 2 families be in the classroom at a time. This will allow me to better interact with your family and to keep from overwhelming your child in a busy classroom. There are up to 17 families dropping off supplies in our room. Keeping the visit at 5-10 minutes in the classroom will provide plenty of time to find table-spots, drop off materials, explore the classroom, and ask questions.

For any questions about materials to bring, birthday treat protocol, parent drop-off/pickup line, home learning expectations, et cetera, visit the general school/classroom info under the parent resources tab. There is a lot of information on that page but it will be worth the read when you have the time. I hope this can answer most of your school-related questions!

The page you are currently reading, weekly updates, is where I post every week (normally Sunday nights). Each post will include information about the learning that is happening in our classroom, pictures from the school day, and lay out upcoming dates that are important to know. The purpose of this is to keep you informed so that you can stay involved with the adventure that is your child's learning. You may pick up tips on how to help your child with math or reading, learn language that is consistent with what they learn at school, or have a conversation about the pictures that are posted here. I suggest adding this website to your bookmarks for ease of access. Every time I post a weekly update, I will send you an email telling you to give it a quick read!

Finally, feel free to take a look at the photos below that I have left from last years blog posts. The images provide your child with something to look forward to as they will be having similar experiences over the next 9 months!

Best wishes,

Mr. McLaughlin