The Christmas Party will be on Friday, December 22nd. In the morning, my family will be cooking breakfast for the class. We will have pancakes, sausages, and milk, and my mom's famous scrambled eggs. After breakfast, students will go to PE. Then we'll have the gift exchange. Students can bring in a gift of a $3 value. Girls can bring in a gift for another girl and boys can bring in a gift for another boy. We'll enjoy a movie and have treats after lunch. There is a 1:25 dismissal that day.
Monday, December 11, 2017
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Tuesday, November 21st, 2017
Today, the class baked peanut butter blossoms. You can imagine the excitement! There were 19 students and one teacher and about 10 ingredients. I needed to divide and conquer. Everyone wants to help - lots of help. I divided the class into thirds - 10 on computer, 5 baking and 5 reading Thanksgiving books (not a whole lot of reading went on). We made 2 batches and rotated so everyone had a chance to add something, mix, scoop the dough, and roll in sugar. They learn about baking, fractions, and cleanup.
Here are some of the learning opportunities that I would like to share:
Mason went to add 1 teaspoon of salt when the recipe called for 1/2 teaspoon, Addy added 1 cup of flour when the recipe called for 2 cups, Owen had a 1/2 cup in his hand to add soda which was really 1/2 teaspoon, Tharin shook the peanut butter off the spatula and peanut butter went everywhere, Jackson put peanut butter in the 1/2 cup measuring cup, but it wasn't full and there was more on the outside than in it, Karlee rolled the cookie in the sugar by shaking the bowl - sugar going everywhere, some students really used a lot of muscle when rolling their cookie in the sugar - they were odd shaped cookies, spacing cookies on the cookie sheet was a new concept for most,
But:
Everyone pitched in for clean up, all the computers were plugged in, the cookies got baked, the books escaped greasy fingers, and the room smells like peanut butter. I can't think of a better way to spend a Tuesday morning!
Today, the class baked peanut butter blossoms. You can imagine the excitement! There were 19 students and one teacher and about 10 ingredients. I needed to divide and conquer. Everyone wants to help - lots of help. I divided the class into thirds - 10 on computer, 5 baking and 5 reading Thanksgiving books (not a whole lot of reading went on). We made 2 batches and rotated so everyone had a chance to add something, mix, scoop the dough, and roll in sugar. They learn about baking, fractions, and cleanup.
Here are some of the learning opportunities that I would like to share:
Mason went to add 1 teaspoon of salt when the recipe called for 1/2 teaspoon, Addy added 1 cup of flour when the recipe called for 2 cups, Owen had a 1/2 cup in his hand to add soda which was really 1/2 teaspoon, Tharin shook the peanut butter off the spatula and peanut butter went everywhere, Jackson put peanut butter in the 1/2 cup measuring cup, but it wasn't full and there was more on the outside than in it, Karlee rolled the cookie in the sugar by shaking the bowl - sugar going everywhere, some students really used a lot of muscle when rolling their cookie in the sugar - they were odd shaped cookies, spacing cookies on the cookie sheet was a new concept for most,
But:
Everyone pitched in for clean up, all the computers were plugged in, the cookies got baked, the books escaped greasy fingers, and the room smells like peanut butter. I can't think of a better way to spend a Tuesday morning!
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Halloween
We will celebrate with treats and some fun games on Tuesday, October 31st from 2-3:15pm. There is a Halloween Parade in the gym. We will sit in the bleachers to watch our buddies and other little 'Falcons' parade by. If they have a costume they want to wear that day, they can come in it or put it on at 2pm. We still have reading class in the morning and math class in the afternoon, so if their costume is not comfortable or would be distracting, please send it in a bag. Our treats are coming from:
Hannah - juice barrels
Mason - something sweet
Kael - something healthy
Karlee - something salty
Karleigh something sweet
Trevor - something sweet
Please be sure and send a water that day and maybe a plastic bag to take some treats home. I'll have some baggies on hand as well. Just thinking ahead - that's a lot of sweets in one day.
Hannah - juice barrels
Mason - something sweet
Kael - something healthy
Karlee - something salty
Karleigh something sweet
Trevor - something sweet
Please be sure and send a water that day and maybe a plastic bag to take some treats home. I'll have some baggies on hand as well. Just thinking ahead - that's a lot of sweets in one day.
Differentiation
On Thursdays and Fridays for 30 minutes or more, we have differentiation groups formed in the classroom. It's where all students are getting time to work on a skill area of need or an extension area. It's crazy to think that with a class of 20 students there can be five different groups engaged in learning and different activities based on data. The kids are rocking at this, and I'm loving it!!! Just had to share.
New Link
There is a new link to try out called AEA Resources. I'll be introducing it to the class so they know how to navigate around. Try it out!
Friday, September 22, 2017
Field trips
Upcoming field trip dates:
Seasons field trips:
Monday, September 25th 10:05-2:30 at Monsanto
Monday, November 20th 10:05-2:30 at Monsanto
Thursday, February 1st, 10:05-2:30 at Monsanto
Thursday, May 9th 8:30-2:30 at Monsanto and Lock and Dam - Parents are welcome.
Louisa County Historical Society:
Wednesday, April 4th 8:45-1:30 at Wapello Museum and Wapello Park
Seasons field trips:
Monday, September 25th 10:05-2:30 at Monsanto
Monday, November 20th 10:05-2:30 at Monsanto
Thursday, February 1st, 10:05-2:30 at Monsanto
Thursday, May 9th 8:30-2:30 at Monsanto and Lock and Dam - Parents are welcome.
Louisa County Historical Society:
Wednesday, April 4th 8:45-1:30 at Wapello Museum and Wapello Park
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
PIN Night information
At PIN Night, I talked about academics, expectations, and our schedule.
Assignment books are used every day. At the bottom, is a place for parents to record reading minutes and initial each day. We can also use it to communicate with each other.
Reading minutes - the minimum is 60 minutes a week. 45 minutes for a four day week. It is rewarded with an extra recess on Fridays. If the minimum requirement is not met, students will read around the room on Fridays instead of having recess. Students have set their own goal. I want them to enjoy reading and not hate reading. If they need help finding a series, a favorite author, or an alternative way to reach their reading minutes, contact me. We can try some different things.
We start our day with leveled reading where each student is in a group reading at their ability level. Fourth graders are expected to answer questions in complete sentences. We also rotate through the chrome books on mylexia, dictionary.com, connect ed.
Students go to specials next. We have a four day rotation of Art, computer, PE, music. The special they have is written in the assignment book.
Whole group reading in with the entire class. We work on vocabulary on Monday, skills on Tuesday, comprehension test on Wednesday, vocabulary test on Thursday, cold read test on Friday. When students pas a skill, they move on to an extension activity. When they do not pass a skill, there will be an intervention given. All tests will be corrected.
Spelling coordinates with the reading program. This might be assigned as homework. Monday - write words three times, Tuesday - spelling skill worksheet, Wednesday - find the misspelled words and write a paragraph, Thursday - study, Friday - test
Students go to recess at 11:45 and lunch is at 12:05. They come in at 12:30 and fill out assignment books. I read aloud at this time. I'm currently reading Nightmare Mountain by Peg Kehret. She has a lot of suspense in her novels.
At 12:45, all fourth graders go to math class. We do flexible grouping where we pretest students' skills and divide them into three groups based on what they are ready for. All students receive the same pretest and post test.
There is a second recess from 2:00-2:15pm.
The last part of our day, we spend on Social Studies and have some homework support time or math intervention. In 2nd and 3rd quarter, my class will go to Mrs. Duytschaver for Science or Miss Lockhart for Health and Technology. The order has not been determined yet. For fourth quarter, they'll be back with me to cover anything we didn't get to with our thematics.
There is about 20 minutes left for math intervention, homework, or extension activities.
We will have our counselor, Mrs. VanSickle give us lessons once every three weeks. She'll come in on Tuesdays from 11:10-11:40am. Students will also go to the library every Tuesday morning. They can checkout from the classroom library as well.
Each student can bring their own healthy snack daily, but for birthday treats and parties, bring it on.
If you have questions, e-mail, send a note, or call me. My cell phone is 563-260-1557. You can leave a message and I will get back to you.
It is my hope that your fourth grader will have fun learning!
Thank you!
Assignment books are used every day. At the bottom, is a place for parents to record reading minutes and initial each day. We can also use it to communicate with each other.
Reading minutes - the minimum is 60 minutes a week. 45 minutes for a four day week. It is rewarded with an extra recess on Fridays. If the minimum requirement is not met, students will read around the room on Fridays instead of having recess. Students have set their own goal. I want them to enjoy reading and not hate reading. If they need help finding a series, a favorite author, or an alternative way to reach their reading minutes, contact me. We can try some different things.
We start our day with leveled reading where each student is in a group reading at their ability level. Fourth graders are expected to answer questions in complete sentences. We also rotate through the chrome books on mylexia, dictionary.com, connect ed.
Students go to specials next. We have a four day rotation of Art, computer, PE, music. The special they have is written in the assignment book.
Whole group reading in with the entire class. We work on vocabulary on Monday, skills on Tuesday, comprehension test on Wednesday, vocabulary test on Thursday, cold read test on Friday. When students pas a skill, they move on to an extension activity. When they do not pass a skill, there will be an intervention given. All tests will be corrected.
Spelling coordinates with the reading program. This might be assigned as homework. Monday - write words three times, Tuesday - spelling skill worksheet, Wednesday - find the misspelled words and write a paragraph, Thursday - study, Friday - test
Students go to recess at 11:45 and lunch is at 12:05. They come in at 12:30 and fill out assignment books. I read aloud at this time. I'm currently reading Nightmare Mountain by Peg Kehret. She has a lot of suspense in her novels.
At 12:45, all fourth graders go to math class. We do flexible grouping where we pretest students' skills and divide them into three groups based on what they are ready for. All students receive the same pretest and post test.
There is a second recess from 2:00-2:15pm.
The last part of our day, we spend on Social Studies and have some homework support time or math intervention. In 2nd and 3rd quarter, my class will go to Mrs. Duytschaver for Science or Miss Lockhart for Health and Technology. The order has not been determined yet. For fourth quarter, they'll be back with me to cover anything we didn't get to with our thematics.
There is about 20 minutes left for math intervention, homework, or extension activities.
We will have our counselor, Mrs. VanSickle give us lessons once every three weeks. She'll come in on Tuesdays from 11:10-11:40am. Students will also go to the library every Tuesday morning. They can checkout from the classroom library as well.
Each student can bring their own healthy snack daily, but for birthday treats and parties, bring it on.
If you have questions, e-mail, send a note, or call me. My cell phone is 563-260-1557. You can leave a message and I will get back to you.
It is my hope that your fourth grader will have fun learning!
Thank you!
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