Bernier's 3-4 Newsletter
December 5, 2025
December 5, 2025
We continue to look forward to our weekly meetings with our Kindergarten buddies. Whether we are reading together, crafting together, or simply enjoying each other’s company, these moments help build community, confidence, and joy across grade levels.
During literacy time, students started on an exciting research project. Each child selected a weather phenomenon such as tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, floods, thunderstorms, or heat waves and is exploring it in depth. Using our new reading curriculum, students are writing multichapter informational texts. Their most recent chapters focused on defining and describing their chosen weather event and explaining where it commonly occurs. Their curiosity and enthusiasm have been inspiring. We will continue working on this unit for several more weeks. Ask your child about their weather phenomenon at home.
Our third graders have also been busy with hands-on learning. Recently, they worked with Ms. Nancy on a Math Through Art project, where they practiced measuring and adding while creating artistic designs. It was a wonderful blend of creativity and math skills, and the students were proud of their colorful results.
Before Thanksgiving break, third graders received a generous donation of dictionaries from the Underhill-Jericho Lions Club. Students were thrilled to explore them, and they will be a wonderful tool to support their reading and writing throughout the year.
In addition, both third and fourth graders earned a celebration for their positive behavior. Students chose to spend their celebration time coding, exploring digital problem solving and creativity through fun, hands-on activities.
Photo Sharing📸
Since we’re no longer able to use Instagram for classroom updates, I’ll be sharing photos through a Google Photos folder instead. You can visit the album to see pictures from our daily activities and special moments at school.
Classroom Treats
On occasion, we might give students trident gum, tic tacs, lifesavers mints, hot cocoa, or hershey's milk chocolate for something fun. As part of the district health protocols, we need to notify you of this. Please reach out to me if your child will need to opt out of this.
Important Dates
December 1 - December 17: UCS Food & Gift Card Drive
December 10: Student 2hr Early Release/Staff PD Day
December 12: UCS PTO Kids Day Out (4:00 - 7:30p)
December 15: Food Drive "Matching Monday" (more info to come)
December 24 - January 2: NO SCHOOL
UCS Resources and Drives
With the holiday season approaching, we want to ensure our families have the resources they need.
Please utilize our UCS Resource Sheet, which includes helpful information for families. Reach out if you need assistance.
Girls On The Run-Coaches Needed!
We’re getting ready for another amazing season of Girls on the Run at UCS—but we need your help! We’re looking for volunteer coaches to help lead this fun, empowering program for 3rd and 4th grade girls. The season typically begins in March and runs two days a week after school, ending around 3:45 PM. The program wraps up with an inspiring Celebration 5K on Saturday, May 30, as part of the Essex 5K!
Don’t worry if you can’t commit to both days—we’re very flexible and would love to have you join us even if you can only help one day a week!
If you’re interested in coaching, please reach out to Head Coach Abbie Bernier at abigail.bernier@mmuusd.org for more information and fill out the coach volunteer form here.
We’re also trying to gauge interest for this year’s team! If your 3rd or 4th grade girl would like to participate, please complete the interest form here: GOTRVT Participant Interest Form.
Please note: this is not the official registration—just a way for us to plan for the number of participants.
Let’s make this another great season of fun, friendship, and running! 🏃♀️💫
SPECIAL VISITOR!
We are excited to share that we will be having a special visitor in our classroom soon! Although we don’t have an exact date yet, we are lucky to have Becky Bulaga, who works as an Associate Brand Manager at Ben & Jerry’s, coming to teach us all about her job. She is Mrs. Dolan’s daughter, and she will be bringing Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to share with our class!
If this is something your child cannot eat, please let me know as soon as possible.
We always enjoy learning from members of our community! If you or someone you know would like to visit and share about your job, our class would love to have you come and present.
Friday Notebooks
Please make a note on your family calendar to send your child’s Friday notebook to school each Friday (or earlier if possible!). It means so much to your child to read your response and write back to you. They truly look forward to that connection every week.
Compost for Chickens?
Do you have chickens?
Our class, the Green Team at UCS, is working on ways to reduce waste at our school. One idea we have is to send the lunch food waste home with a UCS family who can use it to feed their chickens.
Would you be interested in picking up the compost from the cafeteria each day (or every other day) to bring home for your chickens? The compost would need to be picked up by 3:00 p.m. each day.
If this is something that interests you or if you know someone in the community who might be interested, please reach out to Mrs. Bernier at [email] to make specific plans and discuss the details.
Thank you for helping us make UCS a little greener!
Email: Abigail.bernier@mmuusd.org
Location: 6 Irish Settlement Rd, Underhill, VT 05489
Phone: 802.899.4676