What a beautiful summer so far!  On behalf of the Vine Street staff, I want to wish you a wonderful summer vacation.  We hope you are all enjoying a well-deserved rest and are enjoying your family time.  It is important to keep learning going throughout the summer.  There are a lot of ways to make it fun.  The link below will take you to Reading Rockets.  They have a website dedicated to providing teachers with ideas to share with families.  Check it out if you are looking for some activities.

Of course, one of the very best things you can do is promote reading.  Providing opportunities for children to read independently and for you to read with them is so important in helping to avoid a backward slide over the summer.

In our family, we have two grandchildren who are the same age as Vine Street students.  One is entering second grade, and the other will be in third grade this fall.  I have spent a lot of time with them this summer, and we have learned so much!  They are both super interested in rocks and bugs, so we go out looking for interesting samples and we write and draw them in our journals.     We spend a lot of time talking to our grandchildren about the things that are important to them.  This helps to develop conversational skills and to build vocabularies.  My grandson and I are learning about dragons–a favorite for both of us.  My granddaughter is into all things cheering and dance.  Both children love art projects, so we spend some time each week painting or drawing.  We are reading a lot as well.  My grandson loves reading historical fiction and nonfiction texts about World War II.  My granddaughter is immersed in the Mercy Watson series.  It is fun to share one of my favorite characters with her!

Most of our adventures happen close to home.  We are so lucky to live in an area like Bangor, Maine.  There is so much to do here!  Check out offerings at the Bangor Public Library, Michaels, and the Home Depot.  The waterfront is a great place for a stroll!  There are playgrounds around the city.  One student was telling me this spring that he and his family were checking them all out to see which one was the best one.  What a fun idea!

Whatever you do this summer, have fun and enjoy the beautful weather!