Wednesday, August 31st

It's the last day of August!  I don't know how that happened so quickly.

Congratulations to Sadie!  She is our class elected Superstar of the Month for August!  We are so proud of you!!!

We continued our work with place value today by working to use the standard algorithm to add multi-digit whole numbers.  They learned a variety of visual representations to use when modeling regrouping or their equations.

We explored a personal narrative written by a former 4th grader.  Students examined the piece for the opening, rising action, climax, falling action and conclusion.  They were able to identify each part and used this model/structure to complete a graphic organizer for the writing piece.  We are working to either add details to the piece that they have already started or begin a new piece.

We are excited to be completing our artifacts for our Native American Tribes and are nearly ready to add them to our map.

Thank you for beginning to sign up for conferences.  You may use the You Can Book Me link to sign up for a conference between September 19th and October 7th.  If you have already booked a time, I have received your booking and am looking forward to speaking with you soon.  This will serve as your term 1 grade reporting, so all families should sign up for a conference.  If there is not a day and time that works with your schedule, please email me, and we will work something out.

Reminder:  Friday is Book Character Dress Up Day.  Students may dress up as their favorite book character to celebrate the dedication of our F.AVE Free Little Library and the start of the Decatur Book Festival.  We hope that you will join us as F.AVE at 3:15 for the dedication ceremony.

Have a great evening!

Tuesday, August 30th

Another busy day on the Ave!

Students worked to complete their mid-module math assessment.  Those who have not completed their assessment will have time tomorrow.

Students explored setting more today.  After finding evidence in Tiger Rising, students were provided sticky notes to find evidence of setting in their own reading.  We then gathered together in small groups to discuss our findings and sort them into different categories.

We began our presentations for our animals today.  Students did an excellent job presenting in detail about their animal's climate, predators, prey, and responding to questions.  We will finish presentations tomorrow.

 To schedule a conference for Term 1 reporting, click on the You Can Book Me link.  Please select a day and time from September 19th through October 7th.  You will receive a confirmation email, and so will I.  I am looking forward to meeting with everyone after the break to discuss your child's progress this school year.

Monday, August 29th

Happy Monday!  I hope you had restful weekend.

We had a good start to our week.  We spent some time this morning reviewing for our math assessment tomorrow.  Students should read tonight and rest.  If you wish to review any concepts, you may find the following videos helpful.

10 times greater
Comparing numbers
Rounding

We began our inquiry into setting.  Students inquired into the many pieces of evidence that our used to describe the setting of a book.  Is the setting really only where the story takes place???  Ask your child to tell you more!!  Students utilized their books to generate a graphic organizer about the setting.

We will be presenting our animal adaptations tomorrow.  Students worked so hard to create and demonstrate their understanding as we build our inquiry toward changes in the environment that affect survival.

Check out the communication folder for information about the Fifth Avenue 5K and Mayors Mile.  Registration information is in the folder.  I hope to see you all there!!

A message from Maestra Wagner:

¡Saludos F.AVE familias!

Though it is difficult to believe, we are already approaching the end of our first term of the school year!  September 6 - 9, Spanish classes will be assessed over Listening and Writing. 

Please be on the lookout for our mid-term vocabulary quiz in the red communication folder.  It is very good indicator of your child’s progress this term and which areas he/she may need to work on before the end of term assessments.  If your child simply neglected to write an “el” or “la” or accents are missing, yet the response was marked as incorrect, please do not be concerned.  If your child wrote a completely different word, I would recommend Quizlet practice before the end of term assessments. 

And as always, for extra, at-home review, please visit our Quizlet page and practice Term One activities:

https://quizlet.com/subject/fourfiveacademy/

¡Gracias! 

Maestra Wagner

hwagner@csdecatur.net

http://favespanish.weebly.com/

Friday, August 26th

Happy Friday!

It's been an incredibly busy week, filled with inquiry and hard work.  Here's a quick recap:

Students completed inquiry into each of our six Native American tribes, and their connection to their environment.  The explored resources for food, clothing, shelter, and more and are prepared to complete tasks related to the tribes next week.

Our inquiry into how animal adaptations are connected to climate and affected by survival continued throughout the week, as groups worked to design an animal with adaptations specific to their climate and ecosystem.  They have diagramed their animals and worked to create a clay model today.

Our inquiry into rounding continues.  Students completed a short quiz this week, which was reviewed during small group time.  Stations were up and running this week, with students rotating to complete a variety of activities from technology to practice, to games.  We will complete this opening math work on Monday and plan to have our first mid-module math assessment on Tuesday.

We continued to explore and develop character descriptions through our reading of Tiger Rising.  Students work to become the character, not just thinking about the way that they look, but also the way that they feel and act with evidence from the text to support their thinking.

We inquired into transitional words and phrases, as well as great beginnings for our personal narratives.  Students are working on Google Classroom to draft their pieces.  I have been able to add comments and make suggestions through Google, which are immediately visible to students.

Looking ahead:
Next week will be a very busy week.
Tuesday - Mid-module Math assessment
Friday - Book Character Dress Up Day
Friday - Author Visit at 1:00
Monday, September 5th -No School - Labor Day
Wednesday, September 7th - Zoo Field Trip
September 12th-16th - Fall Break

Have a wonderful and restful weekend!

Wednesday, August 24th

Thank you so much for attending curriculum night!  I hope that it was helpful in getting to know me a bit better and understand our classroom.

We continued working with rounding today, utilizing number lines to create models that represent our thinking.  Students are working on some word problems tonight to apply their thinking.

We continued our work with Tiger Rising today.  Students examined our main character by becoming him and thinking about how he would think and feel when a problem occurs.

Our animal creations are coming along nicely.  Students are beginning to work on their final diagrams with labels and connections being made.  Ask your child to tell you more!

Next Friday is Book Character Dress up Day!  Students may dress as their favorite BOOK CHARACTER to celebrate the Decatur Book Festival and the dedication of our new free little library at F.AVE.  It will be dedicated to Marty McKennan, long time Decatur resident, and employee at City Schools of Decatur.  Please join us at 3:15 on Friday for the dedication.

Tuesday, August 23rd

Another great day on the Ave.!

We began working to draft our "official" personal narratives for this term.  Students are typing their rough drafts into a Google classroom assignment.  From there, I can give real time feedback, we can print their pieces and make edits on them before making those changes in the doc itself.  

We worked to make predictions based on our reading.  Students utilized evidence from our read aloud of Tiger Rising to make predictions about what will happen next in our story.

We are continuing daily our inquiry into the Native American tribes and how they are connected with their ecosystems.  This allows us to closely examine the structure of their communities and determine how they are sustained through relationships with plants, animals, earth, and each other.

DON'T FORGET THAT TONIGHT IS CURRICULUM NIGHT!

It will begin at 6:30 in either the cafeteria or the multi-purpose room (we've heard both places, so we'll find out tonight :)).  From there you will make your way to our classroom for a brief information session with me!  See you there!

Have a great evening!

Monday, August 22nd

Happy Monday!

We had a busy day!

We began our first round of independent math stations today.  Students did a great job rotating through stations independently as I small groups to work on our lesson for the day.  Mrs. Lytes and Ms. Theisen also supported students through small group in instructions.  Moving forward and with practice, these independent stations will flow smoothly and become more comfortable for students to manage their time.

We continued our inquiry into connections between organisms in an ecosystem by inquiring into plant and animal adaptations.  Students are working in small groups to create an animal that has adaptations and characteristics specific to the determined climate.  Ask your child to tell you more!

Tomorrow is curriculum night!!!  It will begin in the Multi-purpose room and then you will make your way to the classroom.  I hope to see everyone there!!

Have a fantastic day!

Friday, August 19th - late post

Happy weekend, everyone!

Just an update from our Friday.

We had wonderful end to a great week!  We enjoyed a guest speaker, Ms. Craig, for science.  She taught us all about ecosystems in the United States and how they have changed over time.  Ask your child to tell you more!

We worked to log in to Google Classroom today.  Students will be joining classes next week and will use this regularly to create and submit assignments.

Zoo Field Trip....Important
In order for this trip to result in successful field work for our class, I am in need of 5 more chaperones.  I currently only have one.  Students will need to be split into groups based on their animal of interest and will be conducting research on their animal.  We will not be able to allow students to have this experience without your help.  Please contact me at csanders@csdecatur.net as soon as possible to help.  Thank you!

Curriculum night is Tuesday at 6:30.  I hope to see everyone in our classroom to learn more about our school, class, and IB.

Have a fantastic weekend, and don't forget to send in your field trip forms and money next week!

Thursday, August 19th

Happy Thursday!

We began inquiring into comparing numbers utilizing place value comparison. Students were able to compare numbers in standard, unit, and word form, and create models.

We continued our inquiry into the structure of a community/ecosystem.  Students inquired into food chains and food webs.  They worked to explore needs of producers and consumers in an ecosystem to survive and how those relationships help sustain the structure of an ecosystem.  Ask your child to tell you more!

Students continued to add details to their personal narratives.  We explored a chapter from The Moon and I and worked to locate sensory details.  Students used these examples to go back into their writing pieces and work to add sensory details of their own.

Next Tuesday at 6:30pm, we will have 4th Grade Curriculum Night.  We will start at 6:30 in our classroom.  You will get to here more about IB, F.AVE, and our Classroom operations.  I hope to see you all there!

Wednesday, August 17th

We're half way through our week, and it is going great!

Some genius hour groups continued their exploration into growth mindset and the workings of the brain.  We partnered with Mrs. Guest's class to explore how what we do and what we think can help our brain grow stronger.  We even saw pictures of a real brain that was brought to Mrs. Guest's class last year!

We continued our inquiry into our Native American Tribes.  Students worked in partnerships to explore a reading passage about the Inuit tribe.  They are working to determine how each tribe is connected to their environment.

If you are interested in chaperoning the Zoo Field Trip, please email me at csanders@csdecatur.net.  I am in need of about 5 more chaperones for the trip.  Thanks!

Have a wonderful night!!

Tuesday, August 16th

We had our best day yet!

What a busy morning, with so much accomplished.  MAP testing as a class has been completed.  We will begin making-up/finishing assessments tomorrow.

We inquired into becoming a character in our reading, and how that allows us to enter the story.  Students utilized sticky notes to when reading to create an image of what they are reading.

We continued our inquiry into connections between organisms in an ecosystem with a game of Freeze Tag!  We inquired into predator and prey relationships and how they are connected to each other.  Ask your child to tell you more!

What a fun day!  Thank you for sending in field trip forms and money.  I will have receipts for you tomorrow, and keep them coming!
Have a great night!

Monday, August 15th

Happy Monday!

We had our 2nd day of MAP testing and will finish our last day tomorrow.  Students will begin completing their tests, or completing make-ups if they were absent, on Wednesday.

We are making great connections in our work with place value.  Students are constructing and deconstructing movement across place value units utilizing multiplication and division.

We got our iPads out today!!  This was very exciting, and we will continue to develop our use and understanding of how they work.  Students successfully logged in and completed Xtra Math today to practice fact fluency.

In communication folders, you will find a permission form for our field trip to the Atlanta Zoo on September 7th.  Busses will depart F.AVE at 9:00 and return around 1:00.  Please sign and return those forms with the money as soon as possible.  If you are interested in being a chaperone for the field trip, please email me directly at csanders@csdecatur.net.  The cost for chaperones is the same as students.

An announcement from Mrs. Smith in Media Center:

Last year, the Media Center applied for a DEF grant to build a little free library outside our school. We were thrilled to receive the grant, and our artisans have been hard at work on it all summer. This is NO ordinary little free library, and we are excited to share it with the community!

On Friday, September 2nd, we will be unveiling our little library and holding a short dedication ceremony after school at 3:15 PM. We are pleased to dedicate F.AVE's library to our former beloved media clerk, Marty McKinnon, who passed away a year ago. Mr. McKinnon devoted over 15 years of his life to CSD students, and we are excited to honor him. If you can attend our dedication/unveiling event, please bring a book to put in our little library! We are timing this to coincide with the opening day of the Decatur Book Festival and with our school author visits! F.AVE will have a Dress As Your Favorite Book Character day that Friday, September 2nd to celebrate.

We will also be raising money to donate to the American Cancer Society in Mr. McKinnon's name. We are asking F.AVE students to donate one dollar, if they can, to this cause. They can give their dollar to their teacher, who will turn it in to the office!

We would love to see students, parents, and community members take part in this special day at F.AVE. 

See you tomorrow!!

Friday, August 15th

Happy Friday!

We began our morning with our first day of MAP testing.  The class worked hard.  If they did not complete their assessment, they will be able to complete it another day.  We will have our second day of MAP testing on Monday at 7:55 am.

We attempted some small group math.  It went relatively well, but will need some tweaking.  Students played games in relation to multiplication and place value.  We are continuing to explore place value as representations of ten times the place value below, and will be working to compare and contrast numbers.

We inquired into how living and nonliving things are connected to their environment.  Students worked to create a diagram in their IB journals.

Here is a link for our weekly newsletter to recap our week and look ahead.  Don't forget that you can also check the upcoming events calendar.

Newsletter

Have a nice weekend!

Thursday, August 11th

Happy Thursday!

We had a very and fun day!

Our class enjoyed our first trip to the media center today.  The learned about the media center and were given a peak at our author who will be visiting on September 9th.  We then checked out our first books of the school year!

We also enjoyed a lesson from our counselor, Ms. Patino.  Students completed a getting to know you activity and discussed the importance of learning more about their classmates.  Ask your child to tell you more!

Just a reminder that MAP testing will begin tomorrow morning at 7:55.  We spoke this afternoon about the importance of taking a breath and trying your best, even if it is difficult.  Students should come prepared with a book to read when they have finished testing.

See you tomorrow!

Tuesday, August 9th

It was a busy Tuesday!

We dove into our writing for this term, inquiring into memories that we may want to write about for our personal narratives.  Students began writing and practicing what writing workshop looks and sounds like.  They did a great job working quietly on their tasks and were able to get some ideas in their journals.

We then began our inquiry into place value.  Today's lesson was a challenging one, that I feel needs more practice tomorrow.  We worked to model multiplication by ten and then read the statement as a comparison (ex: 200 is 10 times as many as 20).  I did not feel comfortable sending home my original homework assignment today, so students received some fluency facts to practice with multiplication and division.

I sprinkled colored papers around the room that represented the food needs for black bears in order to survive.  We completed a survival activity with a great discussion and connection to our lines of inquiry.  Ask your child to tell you more!

We have MAP Testing on 8/12 (this Friday), 8/15, and 8/16 at 7:55am.  It is important that students arrive to the classroom on time, as we will leave almost immediately to head to our testing.

Have a wonderful night!  

Monday, August 8th

Happy Monday!  I hope that you had a restful weekend!

We had a great day!

Students worked today to create our Learner Profile Posters.  These posters connect our profile traits to real life and provide evidence and examples of each trait.  They remain in our classroom for the entire year and are referred to regularly.

Students enjoyed a math lesson with Ms. Theisen.  She worked with them to find palindromes.  Ask your child to tell you more!

Students' math pre-assessments were sent home in their communication folders today. Please, DO NOT PANIC!  It is completely common, AND EXPECTED that students will incorrectly complete many or all of the problems given.  These are strands, and strategies that we will work on this term.  There is no need to contact me at this time regarding the pre-assessment.

A message from Mrs. Smith in the media center:

Author Visits!

Decatur Book Festival

We are excited to announce our 4th & 5th grade author visits scheduled for Friday, September 2nd!

4th Grade will see Nathan Hale, author of the Hazardous Tales series. These graphic novels are a funny, engaging way for kids to learn about events in American History. We are focusing on

One Dead Spy (Nathan Hale & Revolutionary War), Donner Dinner Party(westward expansion), and Alamo All-Stars (Battle of the Alamo). TheHazardous Tales books have long been favorites in the F.AVE media center, so we are thrilled to have Nathan Hale visit our 4th graders!

5th grade will see Jewell Parker Rhodes, Coretta Scott King Honor winner and author of a new novel, Towers Falling. Ms. Rhodes is known for taking tough subjects and helping upper elementary kids understand them through novels. Her last book, Ninth Ward, was about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Her current book, Towers Falling, is about a 5th grade girl. Deja, who knew nothing of the events of September 11, 2001. Deja is homeless and living in a shelter, going to a new school as she learns about what home, family, and community mean to her.

Both authors will present in assembly format to each grade level. After the assembly, students who brought books by that author will come to media center to meet the author and get their book autographed. If you would like to purchase books through F.AVE, 20% does go to the media center, however, students are not required to pre-order their books through us. All F.AVE orders are due to the media center by Friday, August 19th. You can download order forms below, and your child has one in their Monday Communication Folder. 

Thank you to DEF and Little Shop of Stories for bringing these wonderful authors to F.AVE every year!

See you tomorrow!

Friday, August 5th - We made it!!

I almost can not believe that the first week of school is officially in the books!  I hope to see you this afternoon at our F.AVE family gathering at 5:00.  There will be trucks, free sno-cones, music, and fun!

Students completed a writing sample this morning.  Our focus this term is personal narratives, and students took some time to write about an event or small moment in their lives.  It will be fun to look back at the end of the term and reflect on our improvements.

After spending much of the week inquiring into the IB Learner Profile traits, students examined some of the books that we read this week to find examples of those traits.  They created posters for each book, providing the Learner Profile Traits, and evidence to support their thinking.

We were excited to pull our first five Chance tickets of the school year today!  Ask your child to tell you more!

Don't forget to check out the Upcoming Events section on the blog.  You will find important dates for happenings in our classroom and our school.

Here's a link to our weekly class newsletter:  Sanders' Superstars Newsletter

Have a wonderful and restful weekend!

Thursday, August 4th

Happy Thursday!

It was another busy day!

Students begin their inquiry into our Central Idea for term 1.  This is the idea that our learning concepts will be connected to, especially our science and social studies content.  Our Central Idea for term 1 is:  Communities are built and sustained through relationships.  As a class, we dissected our Central Idea to solidify its meaning and clarify misconceptions.

Students were then given a survival scenario, in which they had survived a sinking ship and managed to collect only certain supplies.  They were asked to rank the supplies in order, 1 being the most important, and 15 the least.  They did this individually and as a group, and we then compared their rankings to those of the Coastguard.  The answers may surprise you!!  How would you rank these items?

-sextant (devise used for measuring height), small transistor radio, shaving mirror, shark repellant, 5 gallon container of water, 20 sq. ft. of opaque plastic, mosquito netting, 1 case of food rations, maps of the area, floating seat cushion, 2 gallon can of oil/gas mixture, 1 quart rubbing alcohol, 15ft nylon rope, 2 boxes chocolate bars, fishing kit.

Don't forget that our PTO meet and greet is from 7-9pm this evening at the Solarium.  You can RSVP using the link below.  I will be there, and I hope you will too!

Meet and Greet RSVP

See you for a great first Friday and our school gathering at 5 tomorrow!

Wednesday, August 3rd

We another great day on the Ave!

We began our day with iPad 101 with Mrs. Smith.  She went through the do's and don'ts of using iPads at F.AVE.  Each student received a form that must be completed and returned.  Our class will not be able to use our iPads for learning until all students have returned their form, so please send those in ASAP.

Students were given a math pre-test today.  While there were some nerves about taking the test, I assured them that it was just for me to find out what they already know about our topics for this term.  You will receive a graded copy of the assessment in Monday's communication folder.

We continued our inquiry into the IB Learner Profile Traits.  Students explored pictures and worked to explain their thoughts about the picture and which Learner Profile Trait was represented.  They provided evidence to support their ideas.

In your child's homework folder, you will find the homework agreements for 4th grade.  Please read through them with your child, cut of the bottom signature section, sign and return the slip by Friday.

Be sure to check out the upcoming events section for information about happenings in our classroom and our school.

Have a fantastic evening!

Special Note from Ms. Newton - Rainy Dismissal

Hello F.AVE  families,

I wanted to write in response to our rainy dismissal today. The rain began to pour down right as students were dismissed. We pulled any students who were already  outside back into the building to wait inside the cafeteria until the rain subsided.

Unfortunately, we didn't catch all the students before they departed the campus and this caused unsafe conditions.  Our future plan for such conditions will be the following:
-All students will be held in classrooms until conditions are safe. Parents of walkers or bike riders can pick up students inside the school. 

-Car riders can be picked up as normal through our horse shoe driveway

With over 800 students, it is difficult to take last minute dismissal changes. In times such as these,  it becomes even more challenging. If it is after 2:00 PM, please follow the plan above to pick up your child instead of calling the front desk for dismissal changes. We can be sure to have your child safe when there is a secured plan.

I apologize for any confusion or hazard as a result of today's dismissal. Our procedures should have been better. We are committed to learning from mistakes and planning better for the future. If you should have any further questions, don't hesitate to let me know.

Best regards,
Karen T. Newton,  Principal

Tuesday, August 2nd

Happy Tuesday!

We continue to have a great week!  Students were given a new seat this morning, and seating is adjusted on an as needed basis.

We continued our inquiry into our classroom community by completing a math about me activity.  Students provided equations to be solved by a classmate to learn a little something about them (ex: birthdate, age, number of pets, etc.)  They enjoyed being creative with their equations and working to challenge their peers.

We inquired into what it means to be an IB learner.  Students worked in groups to respond the questions below.  After a brief discussion, the answers were shared, and they were all quite surprised!  Ask your child to tell you more about the type of learner IB is encouraging us to become!

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we delayed dismissal this afternoon due to a lightning storm.  Please be sure that your child has a "rainy day plan" in place with you, especially if they are walking or biking to and from school.

Don't forget to RSVP for the PTO Meet and Greet on Thursday evening.  It is an adults only event from 7-9pm at the Solarium.  You can RSVP using the link below.  I hope to see you there!

PTO Meet and Greet RSVP

Also, I hope to see you all at the F.AVE Family Get Together this Friday at 5pm.  Enjoy music, food, and fun as we celebrate the end of the first week of school!

See you tomorrow!

Monday, August 1st - First Day of School!!

We had a fantastic start to our school year today!

Much of our day was spent getting to know each and inquiring into the processes and procedures in our classroom and our school.  Students completed a number of activities to learn more about their classmates, including one where they weren't allowed to talk.  Ask your child to tell you more!!

We inquired into the shared beliefs and needs of our classmates as learners, and utilized that inquiry to create our class essential agreements (expectations).  We will work diligently to meet these agreements throughout the year.

It was an exciting day, and I am looking forward to another great day tomorrow.

Thank you for sending in your supplies and back to school forms.  Please continue to send in those items.  We'd like to have them all collected by the end of this week.

Mark your calendars!!!
This Thursday, August 4th, at the Solarium, F.AVE is hosting a Volunteer Meet and Greet from 7-9pm.  This is an adults only event, and I would love to see everyone there.  This is a great time to begin getting to know your fellow F.AVE families, and get information about volunteer opportunities at F.AVE.  Please RSVP using the link below.

Volunteer Meet and Greet RSVP

This Friday, from 5-8pm, your family can come to the school to enjoy an end of the first week celebration.  There will be food, music, and lots of fun.  See you Friday!

Red communication folder will be coming home tomorrow, rather than today.  We had a busy end of the day, and I want to ensure that students understand what is coming home.

Have a great evening!!