Friday, August 30th

Happy Friday everyone!

We had a great start to the day!  We were so lucky to have author Chris Grabenstein visit and speak to the 4th graders for 30 minutes.  He was so funny and gave us some great tips on how to be a great writer.

We also had our big Native American presentations today.  They were great and the students are very prepared to study for their test on Monday.

Reading contract conferences continued today.  I am really enjoying these wonderful conversations about books.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes each day, study for your tests
Social Studies test Monday

Don't forget...No school on Monday!  Have a wonderful and restful weekend and I will see you Tuesday!

Thursday, August 29th

We accomplished a lot today.  Students worked with multi-step word problems again today.  We finished our project for our Social Studies presentations tomorrow.  We continued our work with making inferences and worked on reading conferences.

Our class had a great time with Ms. Hallman in PE today.  They were racing and working on teamwork and communication.

Tomorrow is an exciting day!  We are honored to have Chris Grabenstein visiting the 4th graders tomorrow morning.  Stay tuned for pictures.

Curriculum night will begin at 6:00 tonight.  I hope to see you all!

Homework: Read for 30 minutes, spelling, reading activity

Wednesday, August 28th

Today was a packed day.  We are working on word problem strategies in math and did a fun exploration of producers and consumers in Science.  Students were lucky to have Spanish and Art specials today.  We are working on inferencing in ELA.  Ask students to explain what their schema is!

I hope to see you all tomorrow night for Curriculum Night.  I am looking forward to telling you more about FAVE.

Don't forget that reading contracts are due tomorrow.  I have begun reading conferences and will be finished by the end of next week.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes, Spelling Contract, Reading Contract, Math Practice

Tuesday, August 27th

Busy, busy, busy!!
We worked so hard today!  In math, students worked in stations and some small groups started work with multi-step word problems.  The rest of the groups will begin tomorrow.  Below you will see pictures of our hard work in Social Studies.  Students are becoming experts on a Native American tribe.  They will be the teachers on Friday and lead our class through information about their tribe.  As you can see, they are very proud of the work they have started!
After a beautiful day at recess, complete with a game of basketball on our new basketball courts, we worked on inferences and publishing our books.  Many students submitted their books in Edmodo.

I am looking forward to another busy day tomorrow!!

Homework: Read for 30 minutes, reading contract, spelling contract, math practice

*I hope to see you all at Curriculum Night on Thursday!

Monday, August 26th

I was out of the classroom today for a planning day to prepare for Term 2.  Students worked hard while I was gone and I received a wonderful note from the substitute about their behavior.  Thanks for being such amazing students!

I missed you all today.  I can't wait to see you tomorrow!  We have a lot to do!

Friday, August 23rd

Happy Friday!!!

We had a busy day!  After working with rounding numbers again, students worked with partners to plan a family trip.  They used their Map app to determine the mileage between destinations.  They created a map of their trip and then estimated the total mileage.

We also had a predator and prey activity that we did outside.  Each student was either a predator or prey with specific traits.  Students had to discuss whether the predator would catch the prey, or the prey would escape based on each animal's traits.

We began publishing our app reviews in writing.  Students used their Book Maker app to publish their pieces.  Ask them to tell you about all of the cool features!

Homework:  Read for 30 minutes each day, work on your reading contract

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday, August 22nd

We are almost there!  I can't believe how much we've accomplished this week.  Today, students began working on rounding.  Ask them to explain the Cinderella story to you!  They also were able to use their online Science Techbook to watch videos and compare the survival traits of different animals.  They will be participating in a survival game tomorrow!  We are really enjoying utilizing our new playground equipment.

Students are drafting, revising, and editing their a iPad app review.  The publishing phase will begin soon.

Homework:  Read for 30 minutes, Math practice

See you in the morning...It's Friday!!!

Wednesday, August 21st

This week is really flying by quickly!  We did so much today.  Students used their iPads to read an article in their Science Techbook.  The article discussed traits of predators and prey.  Students documented those traits in their Science journals.  Later, we utilized the same article to practice finding the topic and main idea for each paragraph.  We also began our draft for our iPad app review.

Students had a great time in Art with Ms. Dunbar.  They are great artists!

Homework: Read for 30 minutes, Main idea practice.

See you in the morning!!

Tuesday, August 20th

We had a very busy and productive day.  After completing MAP testing, students used Edmodo to complete a research task in Social Studies.  They were utilizing a Power Point to explore the different regions that our Native American Tribes live.

We continued our discussion about finding the topic and main idea of a paragraph.  Students completed an independent reading activity utilizing a nonfiction text.

Reminder:  Reading Contracts are due next week on August 29th.  We will be going to the media center in the morning for library checkout.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes. Main idea activity.

See you in the morning!

Monday, August 19th

Welcome back!  I hope you had a restful weekend.

Today we worked more with dotty arrays and used them to help us with double digit addition.  Students took their first assessment using Edmodo for science.  I am looking forward to reading all of their amazing thoughts on survival and ecosystems.

Boys and girls competed against each other during a fun game in music with Mr. Brooks.

We also began working with a flow map.  This is a thinking map used for sequencing.

We have one more day of MAP testing tomorrow and then we are finished for the beginning of the year.

Homework:  Read for 30 minutes, math practice sheet, communication folder

See you tomorrow!

Friday, August 16th

We had a busy day.  Students completed their first day of MAP testing.  They worked extra hard.  We finished our research on polar bears today and students began working on their posters.   We also introduced our Native America tribes and their locations.

Students began to use question starters to communicate about their writing and assist them with adding details.

We will continue MAP testing on Monday.  Don't forget your book and a light jacket or sweater.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes. Have at least 1 book and its assessment completed for your reading contract.
Reading contracts for the first term are due on August 29th.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, August 15th

This week is really flying by with all of our busy activities!  Students learned a new game in math that works on expanded form.  It's called The Drop Game.  Ask them to tell you more!

We began some research on our iPads during Science.  Students will use this research to complete a small project tomorrow.

At the end of the day, students worked to create our Learner Profile Trait pictures.  These will be hanging in our room for the remainder of the school year and used as a reference.

We have our first day of MAP testing tomorrow.  Don't forget a book to read and a light sweater or jacket.

See you in the morning!

Wednesday, August 14th

It's the middle of the week and we are on a roll!  Students worked especially hard during math station time today.  They were able to utilize games to practice place value and expanded form.  We were also able to venture outside for science today.  Students were searching for living and nonliving things around our school.  This lead to a great discussion about ecosystems and the importance of the predator and prey balance.

During Spanish, students used the Explain Everything app on their iPads to record and illustrate their Spanish.  Ask your child to tell you more!

MAP testing tip: Be sure to bring a light jacket or sweater in case you become cold during testing.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes, expanded form practice sheet.

See you Thursday!

Tuesday, August 13th

We accomplished so much today!  Students continued their work with comparing numbers today.  We had a lesson about IB with our IB Coordinator Ms. Newton.  Students pretended to be bears...ask your child to tell you more!!  Students were also able to explore nonfiction texts to determine their interests for reading and writing.  We also continued our prewriting and research about our iPad app.  Students worked to add details to their circle maps and also worked to turn their circle maps into tree maps.

If you would like for your child to have a stylus to use on his/her iPad, you are welcome to send one to school.  This is completely optional.

Thank you so much for all of the donations to our classroom!  We now have enough composition notebooks!!

Homework: Read for 30 minutes, math place value sheet

MAP testing tip: Be sure you have a book to read on days that we have MAP testing.  Our class will have testing on Friday (August 16th), Monday (August 19th), and Tuesday (August 20th).

See you in the morning!

Monday, August 12th

Hot, Hot, Happy Monday!

Whew!!!  We have a great, but hot day!!!  If students mention that they were hot today it is because our air conditioning was not working today.  I am so sorry for this, but the students did great.  The air conditioner was being replaced throughout the day.  It should be working by tomorrow.

Even though we were a little hot, we still learned a lot.  Students worked on comparing numbers all the way to the millions place.  We discussed the learner profile traits of Inquirer and Principled.  Ask your child to tell you more about these traits.  Students began creating a list of things that they are interested in.  We will use this list for our nonfiction reading and writing this year.

Our MAP testing will begin on Friday and continue on Monday and Tuesday of next week.  It is important that your child is getting a good night of sleep.

Homework:  Read for 30 minutes
                     Think about the features of animals.  Write about why they are important.
                     Communication Folders

See you tomorrow!

Friday, August 9th

Happy Friday!!!
We had a great start to our day by joining our entire school on the athletic field to celebrate completing our first full week of school.  After an opening speech by Mr. Roaden, classes worked as teams to match the IB Learner Profile Traits to pictures.  We also had a school wide dance party!!!  I am so proud to announce that our class tied for 1st place in the 4th grade by showing the most school spirit at the pep rally!  Way to go Superstars!!!  Students received a popsicle at lunch for winning.

During our busy day, students were challenged to use thinkmarks during their independent reading time.  Ask them to tell you more!  They were also challenged to record information about their thinkmarks in the reading journals.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes each day.  Have a great weekend!!

Thursday, August 8th

What a day of learning!  Students continued their work with place value and learned a new way to play Top It with cards.  Ask your child teach you how to play!  We had Music and PE today and began utilizing our Science journals.  Students also learned a new thinking map today.  Ask them to explain how to use a tree map.  We explored the Learner Profile Trait of Communicator.  Students learned that a communicator is someone who follows directions, and expresses their feelings and ideas in words, art and music across the curriculum.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes. Pick a just right book from home.  Write a paragraph about why it is a just right book.

See you tomorrow....It's Friday!!

Class Schedule

Here is our schedule for this school year:

Wednesday, August 7th

We have officially finished one week of school!  What a busy and exciting week we've had.  Today students learned how to play Race to a Flat.  This is a game that practices place value and grouping of manipulatives to reach 100.  Ask your child to tell you more!  We also had our first day of Art with Ms. Dunbar. During Reader's Workshop we did some independent reading and set up our reading response journals.

*Don't forget to look at your child's agenda each day to find out their behavior level and homework.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes, draw a map of your homework area.  Write a paragraph describing the area you drew.

*If you do not have a recorder, or have misplaced your recorder from last year, you will need to send $5 to receive one.  Recorder money is due by August 15th.

See you in the morning!

Tuesday, August 6th

Today we began our study of place value.  We examined how numbers move between places and what that means.  Students were challenged to make a model of the number 1,000.  They worked with a partner to create a plan for their model and then executed that plan.  We have some very creative classmates!!!  We also enjoyed learning some new songs and dance moves during Spanish with Senora Speed.

If you have not yet signed and returned your red communication folders, please return them tomorrow.

*If you have not yet sent in your supplies, or if you are able to send in more we are in need of more composition notebooks.  Students will need one for each subject and Spanish.  Thank you in advance!

Homework: Read for 30 minutes
                    Look at your after school schedule.  Determine times that are good for reading and set a                         goal to read at those times.

I am looking forward to another great day tomorrow!

Monday, August 5th

Happy Monday!
We had a fun day!  Students went to the library today with their iPads and registered for Edmodo.  This is an app that we will use throughout the school year for various tasks.  They were also very excited to check out their first library books from FAVE!!  We worked in teams to complete a survival scenario.  Ask your child to tell you more!  Students also participated in discussions about picking just right books.
Communication folders went home this afternoon.  Please complete and sign all apporpriate forms.  Also, students received their reading contracts for the first term.  If you have any questions regarding reading contracts, please let me know.

Homework:  Read for 30 minutes, review and be sure your understand the reading contract

See you in the morning!!!

Friday, August 2nd

We had another great day!  The students were excited to use their iPads for the first time today.  Students explored the different educational apps available for their use.  We specifically learned how to use the Show Me app.  Ask your child to tell you more!  We also discussed our classroom jobs.  Each student was able to apply for the classroom job that they feel would be the best job for them.  Classroom jobs will be assigned on Monday.

Reminders:
If you have not returned your transportation and/or health information forms, please do so as soon as possible.
Communication folders will go home on Monday.

Have a great weekend!!

August 1, 2013 - First day of school!

Wow!  We had a wonderful first day of school!  Students did many activities that involved team work and discussions.  They shared a lot interesting information about themselves and made many connections with their new friends.  They worked to explore the basics of IB and were able to tour the school.  I am looking forward to another great day tomorrow!

Homework: Read for 30 minutes.