"Farewell! We Split! We Split!"



"Malvolio" strikes again!



This has been a fun, joyful, and unfortunately quick year. I will remember this class fondly. It was a privilege to work with a group of children known for their exceptional humor, talent, and good will. To quote another Shakespeare play: "Parting is such sweet sorrow!"

"Tis very midsummer madness!"

What has made saying goodbye a little easier is knowing that they will enter fifth grade with two wonderful teachers. Mrs. Greller has group 5-306 and Ms. Fought has group 5-307. They have been a collaborative and energetic team for many years. The children will be in for a fantastic senior year!

The American Revolution board game.
Congratulations to William for 100% attendance!

Finally, I have to thank everyone for their beautiful messages, kind wishes and lovely gifts. To the many parents who have stepped up and volunteered throughout the year, I am most grateful. I felt like the luckiest teacher with the best class ever and never more so than this past week!



Thank you!



Have a wonderful summer! Be well and see you in September!

Last Days :(

Wow! What an awesome display of talent this Wednesday. The class was brilliant in Twelfth Night! We've gotten very positive responses from the audiences. Thank you for your compliments and praise! The DVD shot by a parent volunteeer is currently being reproduced and each child will get a copy to keep at the end of the year.

We are now at the end of our school year. Students have been taking home notebooks and the work they have accumulated through the year. Please make sure your child empties their book bag  this weekend. We still have more materials to take home. Children have already taken home their Writing folders. Test folders will be among the materials taken home on Monday.

Tuesday is the last day. It will be an early dismissal at 12 noon. Report cards will not be given out until then. If your child is not attending school that day, you may pick up the report card from the main office after 12 or send a stamped self addressed envelope so that the report card can be mailed to you.

Finally, the answer to the poll question: If four hats cost $16 dollars, three hats would cost $12. Good thinking!

Have a happy weekend!

Tomorrow's Performance

It's Showtime!!!
There will be Shakespeare in the MMR, courtesy of our talented fourth graders. We will begin seating everyone @1:45. Please try to be on time as we aim to start the show soon after.

Students were asked to wear a black bottom (pants, short or skirts)  and secure shoes.

The kids have worked hard and are very brave to perform. They are so very good and we're sure our audience is in for a fabulous show!

Monday Updates

The Battle at Yorktown Diorama

The Battle at Saratoga diorama



Concord and Lexington



A Stamp Act Tax on the Bible!

We finished our Social Studies presentation today! The American Revolution was a fun topic to explore!


This week will be quite busy for us. We had our first full dress rehearsal and it went very well. There were quite a few laughs and some brave comedic choices! Our families are in for a treat this Wednesday! Please be at the show at 1: 45.

We will celebrate our performance and the end of the year this Friday afternoon. Please provide your child with a healthy drink (vitamin water, iced tea, or low sugar juice) to go with the pizza we'll have.

Students will begin to bring home materials from the fourth grade this week. Today, we took home any unused notebooks from this year. These can be used for the next year. Student folders and notebooks will be making their way home each day this week. Some parents are looking to create a portfolio for Middle Schools so please look through the materials before you dispose of any of it. Some items to keep are 2-3 best writing samples, some tests and the final report card.
Please be on the look out for any class library books you may have in your house. They need to be returned to the classroom for future use.

We will have our final meeting with our Buddies this week. The time is yet to be determined and may happen on Friday or Thursday. Please keep an eye out for the reminder in the homework folder.

Have an awesome week!

Week 38

Betsy Ross sews a flag!

The Boston Tea Party diorama

The Boston Tea Party reenactment

The Boston Massacre diorama

 

We are wrapping up our Revolutionary War partnerships by presenting our projects to the rest of the class. Some children chose dioramas, some chose to create a skit and some made a board game. We will finish our presentations on Monday.

Green reports went home for the girls today.

Here are some other things to look forward to next week:

Monday is our full dress rehearsal for Twelfth Night! Please make sure your child wears secure shoes for moving around the stage. Please avoid loose sandals or flip flops.  There will be another dress rehearsal on Tuesday.

Wednesday is the big day! All families are invited to our play at 1:45 pm in the MMR. 

On the day of the play, please have your child wear secure footwear (sneakers are great!) and a black bottom. Each child should also wear a tank top or close fitting t-shirt so that they can easily change into their costume by wearing the costume over their shirt.

Thursday will be the day of our last meeting with our Kindergarten Buddies. We will have a picnic out by our garden. Please have your child bring in a favorite treat to share with their buddies as we say, "See you next year! Have a great summer!" 

Friday will be the day of our Shakespeare celebration. We are having pizza in the afternoon so please provide your child with a healthy drink (vitamin water, or low sugar juice). 

Some children will be on a Middle School tour on Friday morning.

Finally the answer to the poll: if you have $14 in a snack budget, you can buy 17 bags of chips at $0.79 each. Good job everyone!

Have a lovely weekend! Happy Fathers Day!

Tuesday Notes

Sorry about the delay in posting yesterday. Internet trouble at home :(

We are a week away from our Shakespeare play. We will need a couple of parents to help usher during the two performances. If you can make it and are willing to help out, please let me know. There will be a note with a tear off going home tomorrow.

As we come to the end of the year, we have to collect class library books for storage. Please look through your house and return any books belonging to the classroom by June 24.

We will also begin to send materials home gradually. Some supplies can be used next year so keep an eye out for it.

Have a great week!

Daydream at Prospect Park

Our Shakespeare Teacher is performing in Daydream,  an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream every weekend. We saw it last Friday and the kids enjoyed it. If you would like to bring the rest of your family, this show is free. Here's the information:

Where: Prospect Park, Prospect Park W & 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (Imagination Playground)


When:  June 12, 2011 / June 18, 2011 / June 19, 2011 / June 25, 2011 / June 26, 2011
(The show will be held every Saturday at 11am and Sunday at 2pm in June.)

Week 37

Field Day was hot but fun. We had a great time and were happy to return to a cool room. What a great way to start the weekend.

Next week, we will work with Scott on Monday and Wednesday. Since we will meet with him first period on Monday,  please remind your child to report to the MMr instead of the classroom. We'll meet with him at fourth period on Wednesday

Monday is also a half day. Please expect your child to be dismissed at noon. 

Due to Field Day, I was unable to get to the boys' homework folder so the green progress reports will be completed on Monday.

Happy Fathers Day to all the important men in our lives! Have a cool weekend!

Hope you are having a great Brooklyn-Queens Day!

The answer to last weeks poll is: 1/3= 0.33333333333. Everyone who voted was correct! :)

As you rehearse Shakespeare lines with your child, remind your child to practice slowing down their
 speaking voice. Pause at every comma! Speak loudly and breathe during the pauses.
 Think of how you would move in a pool as you rehearse your actions. All movements should be deliberate and exagerated.

For Friday's Field Day, we will keep an eye on the weather report. If we are going, remember to bring a towel to sit on along with a lunch+ snacks+ beverages in a bag that can easily contain these things. Wearing comfortable clothes, sunscreen, hats and bug spray are a good idea . Please refer to the previous blog post for more details.
In the event of cancellation due to rain, we will make up the field day at another time. Please be prepared for a regular school day then.

See you Friday!

Monday Update

Yikes! Watch out for the mistake on the Math homework. Sixteen (16) ounces make 1 pound! Sorry about that mistake!

Tomorrow is the annual Kickball game. Your child will need to bring in a towel to sit on and it is a good idea to wear sunscreen tomorrow. There will be refreshments sold by the fifth grade committee. If you would like for your child to partake in the refreshments, please give your child about 3-5 dollars. It's also a good idea to have a water bottle since it is likely to get hot.

It will also be a half day and dismissal will be at 12 noon after we have eaten lunch in the cafeteria.

On Wednesday, we have been asked to help water the community garden. It will be a quick ten minutes, but it's a good idea to have your child dressed in clothes that you don't mind getting dirty.

Thursday will be a non attendance day for students due to Brooklyn Queens Day.

If weather permits, Friday will be our Annual Field Day. Please make sure your child  has a towel to sit on, sunscreen and bug spray, along with a lunch and water for the day. We are planning to leave for the field at 9:30 and return to school at about 2:00. Please be reminded that children are not to bring hand held games or electronic devices to the field. A good rule to observe is if it is something you can't bear to lose, don't bring it.

This week will fly by!

Stop Motion Projects

Check out the Stop Motion Animation Projects from Art class! Just click on the link below.
 We thank Ms. Kelly, who made all this possible!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjTtoa6jl7g   

Week 36

We had a lovely Daydream at The Imagination Playground today! The show was beautifully presented and our Shakespeare teacher, Scott, was fantastic as Bottom.
We have to thank our awesome chaperones, Mr. Naimoli, Ms. Petersen, Mrs. Genis, Mrs. Knowles, and Mrs. Longo, for helping all the fourth graders travel safely through the park!

We have another event filled week coming up:

• On Monday, students will take the Written portion of the NYS Science Test. We have finished the Manipulatives portion this week. 
• Tuesday is a half day! Dismissal will be at 12. 
• We will also have the Annual Fifth Grade vs. Faculty Kickball game. Refreshments will be sold at the game.
• We will meet with Scott on Wednesday for another rehearsal of Twelfth Night. 
• Students will not report to school on Thursday for Brooklyn Queens Day.
• Weather permitting, Friday will be the Annual Field Day. Our field will be located right by the 10th Ave. entrance at Prospect Park. 

Have a great sunny weekend!

Imagination Playground

We are going to Prospect Park on Friday. Please make sure you have a towel to sit on and a water bottle to keep hydrated. It is also recommended that you wear sunscreen and bug repellent, along with comfortable walking shoes.

On a different note, a rectangle that isn't a square has two lines of symmetry. Good work, everyone!