Week 5

The first month of the school year has flown by! Here are some events to look forward to this first week of October:

• Starting this Monday, students will walk up to the classroom by themselves in the morning.
• Please join the fourth grade teachers for the Curriculum Conference on Wednesday, October 5th.
• We are continuing letter level testing this week during Reading Workshop. We will also start our second reading unit, Following Characters into Meaning, during which we will focus on Realistic Fiction and how characters in some of our favorite books can help provide insight into our own lives. This unit will challenge students to look for theories about characters based on evidence from the characters' behavior, feelings, and thoughts. These theories might also be generalized to become theories about real people.
• We will also have our first Math test this Thursday. The test will focus on the work we've done in geometry this unit. Please encourage your child to review his/her math notebook in preparation for this. There will also be an open book pretest to help students study.
• Our first published piece will be available for the publishing celebration during October's First Friday. Come join us on October 7th as we share our Personal Narratives. Students are currently revising and editing their pieces.
• Friday will also feature our first Music class. This year fourth graders will learn to play the keyboard.
• Finally, the answer to the poll question (The perimeter of a four inch square...) is 16 inches, not 16 sq. in., which is the area of the shape. Please vote on our new poll!

Have a great weekend and happy Rosh Hashanah!

Week 4

We are well on our way to making our own relief map of NYS. We'll finish this project next week. Thanks go out to our families for their help in making the salt dough we needed!

Here are some events coming up week:

• We will continue letter level testing of individual students. This is a long process and hopefully we will be finished by mid October.
• We are winding down our Personal Narrative writing cycle next week. We plan to have our Narratives ready for October's First Friday. 
• Schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday for Rosh Hashanah. 

Finally, The answer to the math poll question (Complete the pattern 3, 9, 27, ---)  is 81! Everyone who voted was correct! Please vote on the new poll question.

Have a happy weekend!

Week 3

During First Friday we spent our time exploring this blog. The kids enjoyed playing the math games and it gave me a chance to see how much math knowledge they already have. They also did a great job of sharing the laptops and working collaboratively. Thank you's go to all the parents who participated and assisted our children with finding the websites.

Here are some events to look forward to next week:

• We will begin letter level testing. Most children are reading books at the letter levels that were provided to me by their third grade teachers. Hopefully, we will be able to get the whole class tested by the end of this month. At the end of each  child's session, I will recommend some strategies to the child. These strategies and your child's reading level will be recorded on the back of your child's Reading Notebook.
• AIS (Extended Day Morning Program) will start on Tuesday. If your child was invited, please report to the lunch room before 8 am. I will pick up the group from there.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Update

Previously, our Art period was changed from 7th period to 1st period. Due to First Friday, the children will have art at sixth period.

For the first session of First Friday, we will play some math games. Please join us if you can. If you are interested in presenting an activity for future First Fridays, please let me know. There will be a sign up sheet sent home.

Thank you!

No AIS this Week!

In the letters that went out before the school year, students who were offered a spot in the Extended Day AIS program were asked to report on September 13. The start date has now been pushed back to September 20, which is next Tuesday. All students will continue to start the school day at 8:40am for the remainder of the week.

There has also been a change in our Friday schedule. Ms. Kelly, who normally has our class 7th period, will take our class during 1st period. This change will only be in effect this week.

Week 2

Next week will be our first full week on school. These past two days have been full of new things and I thank you for your patience as we learn new routines. 

Today, we explored our class library and students borrowed books to read at home and for the next week. Children are allowed to read a Just Right book of any genre during the weekend but have to read books supporting the genre that we are studying during weekday. We are currently working on Fiction in class. 

Here are some items to be aware of for the upcoming week:

On Tuesday, we have been invited to visit the school garden at 2:30 pm. We might get a bit messy so please dress your child in clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. 

Please send in the lunch form, dismissal form (from the summer letter) and the Armory Permission slip if you have not already done so. 

Please also send in Day 3 and Day 4 supplies on Monday and Tuesday as listed below: 

Monday:

1       5” blunt child safety scissors

3      rolls of Bounty paper towels

2       Wet Ones Hand wipes

1       10 ct 2 gallon size storage/freezer Ziploc bags

1        Quart size Ziploc bags

1        pack wide rule looseleaf paper

Tuesday: 

2       yellow legal pads

1       Uniball fine line rolling writer (for Art class)

2        blue Mead Marble notebooks unruled,

        or $2.50 if you cannot find these books.   

           (for Art class)

1      pencil sharpener with receptacle

$5.00 for New York Studies subscription

1      bottle Fantastik surface cleaner

        (for computers) 

Thank you all for your efforts and support. Have a fabulous weekend!

Day 2

The first day has come and gone so quickly! Throughout the day's activities, the kids have shown that they have a great sense of humor and can follow directions carefully. There are many children with beautiful listening skills. It's a promising start and I am excited to get to know everyone better!

We distributed homework folders. For today, the only homework assigned was to have the lunch form and Armory permission form completed. Students were encouraged to make it their job to give their family school notices.

Students should also prepare to bring in Day 2 supplies. Here are the supplies expected tomorrow:

4      Dozen #2 pencils  

4      large Elmer’s Glue stick

1      large eraser

1     8ct conical tip Crayola Washable markers classic  colors (thick)

1      24ct or higher full- length color pencils

4    3x3 yellow self-stick notes, lined

4     boxes of Kleenex facial tissues (for class and cluster classes)

Thank you for your cooperation with bringing the supplies in installments! This makes it so much easier for us to organize our materials well.

First Day of School is Here!

Tomorrow is  the big day!
Due to the possibility that the weather might be rainy, please be aware that your child will have to report to the  Multi Media Room instead of the school yard. If it doesn't rain, please bring your child to the school yard. I'll see you there!

For the first day, you child will only need the following items from the supply list:

7    Black and white Mead Marble  notebooks,   

 100+ pages (including 1 for Science class)

2    Sharpie Ultrafine markers, black

8      plastic/vinyl two pocket folders

w/fasteners

Thank you for your cooperation and for making the effort to read this blog!

2011-2012 Cluster Classes Schedule

Here is the schedule for our visits to our specialty teachers:

Monday: Gym with Ms. Ussery at 10:20- 11:05
Tuesday: Science with Ms. Hanson at 9:30- 10-15
Wednesday: Computers with Ms. Pattison at 8:40- 9:25
Thursday: Science with Ms. Hanson at 2: 10- Dismissal
Friday: Art with Ms. Kelly at 2:10-Dismissal