December Notes

It is hard to believe that we are in the  second week of Advent already.

The children have made beautiful   Advent chains which will come home for Christmas and will make a lovely reminder of the reason we celebrate this season.

 

There are a number of events and activities that are coming up:

 Christmas Concert/Pageant- Tuesday, December 11

Students should arrive at school in “dress-up” clothes and report to our classroom by 6:30PM. Please take their coats with you to the gym as your children will be dismissed to you immediately after the concert and will not be returning to the classroom.

Scholastic Book Orders- Tuesday, December 11

Orders must be sent to school or completed online by today so that we can receive them in time for Christmas. If you would like me to keep the order a secret, please just let me know.

Shhhhhhh: see the December 3rd blog for a note on an order I placed for the class.

Christmas Shoe Boxes- Monday, December 17

All families are invited to decorate and fill a shoe box for Christmas. Details were sent home in the family envelope. All boxes should be wrapped and labeled and returned to school by Monday, December 17th (although you may send them to school any time before then as well). If you cannot fill an entire box, please feel free to send in any items you have and they will be added to other donations to make additional boxes.

Santa Shop- Monday (12/17) - Thursday (12/20)

I will be signing the children up for two visits to the Santa Shop during the above times. Students will have an opportunity to browse and then buy. Please see the family envelope for a shopping list and additional information.

In school this week, we will be writing letters to a class in New York City whose school was severely damaged during Super Storm Sandy. We will also be making cards for those who are homebound, visitors to the food pantry, and our pre-school buddies.

In ELA, we will finish Marven of the Great North Woods. Students will write a persuasive paper explaining why they think Marven’s parents should or should not have sent him away during the epidemic. They will also take a test on the story on Friday. There is no spelling test this week. We will apply our spelling and handwriting skills to our letters, essays, and cards.

In Science, students will wrap up the lessons they have been working on and prepare for a quiz on Monday. We will also be making thermometers (a tie-in with Marven’s story) next Wednesday. If you are able to send in a clean, clear 11-ounce plastic bottle (or two)before then, I would be very thankful!

In Math, please continue to practice addition facts and multiplication facts with your children. Mastering these will ensure an easier transition to more difficult math.

Thank you so much for all your support this year. I will be out of school on Monday (12/17) for a workshop in Rochester on managing different skill levels in math during one class period. I am very excited to see what is suggested and to apply it in our classroom. Look for some changes in the new year!

 

Scholastic Book Orders

 

Scholastic book orders went home today. Please be sure to send yours to school or complete your online order by December 10th in order to receive the books for Christmas. If you would like an order to be a surprise, just drop me a note. I will be glad to keep the secret.

 

Also, there is a book called THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER on your order forms. Please do not order this book for your child. I have ordered one for each of them as my Christmas gift (it is a wonderful story!).

Enjoy this warm weather. I hear another cold snap is on the way!

International Night

 

Don’t forget!

Thursday, November 15th is International Night.

Join us at school from 5:30 to 7:30PM for presentations, entertainment, food, and fun.

A Warm Fuzzies Celebration

 Last week the students finished filling the warm fuzzy jar for the second time. Last time they knew we were going to have 20 minutes of additional recess as the celebration of their hard work. This time, I chose to keep the celebration a surprise.

After completing a math facts quiz and a multiplication facts pre-test, the students were given several options for dinosaur activities (we had discussed dinosaurs in science). There were several dozen photographs of dinosaur exhibits, coloring sheets of dinosaurs with matching bone sheets for underneath, word searches, numerous books, a writing activity, and model building. The model was the highlight of the afternoon although all the activities were enjoyed.

The model comes with very few instructions. I will admit it is difficult to construct. At first all I heard was: this was impossible,  there had to be missing pieces, it was too hard. I got the first group of girls started, and they slowly began making progress. They were very pleased. When they left for music lessons, the next group analyzed the work that had been done. After careful analysis, they rearranged some pieces. After the large pieces were placed to their satisfaction, the real task began. How did all those tiny pieces fit together? This led to comments like: Wait, doesn’t this need to go here? How do these leg bones fit together? Do you think he will stand on his own? Look! The jaws can move!

As a teacher, it was very exciting to sit on the sidelines and listen and observe. This truly was a moment for the class. They were tackling a difficult problem together! They were not giving up. There was construction and deconstruction and reconstruction happening at a surprising rate.

The dinosaur is not finished. The class will continue to work on it tomorrow during math (critical thinking skills are definitely cross-curricular!). When they finish the t-rex, I am bringing out the pteranodon---an even more difficult model! Once they are completed, they will be on display in the classroom. Be sure to stop in for a look.

My job now is to look for the next group thinking project. Should you have any ideas, do not hesitate to share!

A Note While We Wait for the Hurricane…

 Your children have been very busy! We are continuing work on mastering the addition math facts but we are also adding multiplication to our curriculum. If you want to provide you child with additional practice, try the website www.aplusmath.com. This site allows students to practice using flashcards, worksheets, and games. We will also be using Fast Facts here at school.

We are starting a new novel this week called Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan. It is a short historical fiction about a family living on a prairie in the late 19th century. Although they love each other very much, Jacob, Anna and Caleb miss having a wife and mother with them. Sarah is a young woman who answers an advertisement placed by Jacob and agrees to come from Maine to meet the family.

We will learn new vocabulary, study US maps, write friendly letters, research either a prairie or seacoast, complete character studies, and discuss several themes. We will also learn about Patricia MacLachlan and how her personal history influences the stories she writes. We will end the unit by watching the movie of Sarah, Plain and Tall.

The –ing spelling words from last week will be the ones your child continues studying this week. They are all words from the novel. The test will be this Friday.

Third and Fourth graders will be visiting the food pantry on Tuesday, October 30th. Please be certain your child is dressed for the weather.

I am still missing three progress reports. Please sign and return your child’s report as soon as possible.

I cannot believe we are nearing the end of the first quarter. Thank you for being so kind and supportive. It has been a wonderful experience so far. I feel very lucky to have a job that I cannot wait to get to every day…

It’s a Busy Week!

 

 

Today, we will be going to the Food Pantry. It was so touching watching how hard the students worked the last time we were there. I was very proud of them.

Thursday, we will be participating in the Living Rosary in the gym at 8:15AM. The children have been diligently practicing their prayers and how to use the rosary. You are invited to join us for this celebration of Mary.

Friday is…the FUN WALK! I am so excited to be participating for the first time. If you are available in the afternoon (beginning at 12:15PM), I would love for you to join us. Please let me know if you are able to attend.

The WARM FUZZIES jar is almost filled again. You children are amazing!

Please be sure to sign and return the progress report that came home last Friday. Also, the homework planner and poem are to be signed each evening. It is your child’s responsibility to get this done and they do get points for having it completed.

I hope to have some additional sites posted where your children can practice their math and reading skills very soon.

Keep checking back!

October Notes

This is my favorite time of year. I love the cool weather, the beautiful fall colors, and all the autumn smells in the air. I hope that you are enjoying these changes as well.

This will be a short week for us, but packed full nonetheless.

Your children will be bringing home their science books and study guides each night to review for the quiz on Friday. This is only a quiz on the first lessons. It will be open book, so it will be helpful to ask your child questions and see if they can find them in the book. There will be a spelling quiz on Friday and a reading quiz on chapters 6 and 7 in Here We All Are (also open book). This may seem like a lot but I want to complete these concepts and start all new next week. (I will be in Buffalo at a workshop on Friday, so it is a good time for these assessments. This way students are not introduced to new concepts by someone else.)

Thursday we will be walking to Mass. We will leave school about 8:35AM for mass at 9:00.

Progress reports will be coming home soon. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

We are now through all the review material. Your children will continue to master their math facts, adding new ones as they progress. They are going to be working very hard to learn new ways to express math content (in words, explaining how they arrived at the answer) and how to use texts to find information. They will be writing papers (with a lot of guidance at first and then more and more on their own) requiring the use of several resources. They will be learning how to listen to others and respond accordingly through short oral reports. They will practicing their prayers and learning about the rosary as October is a month in which we honor Mary.

The Fun Walk is scheduled for October 19th and I am looking forward with excitement to participating with the children that day.

Thank you for all your support so far. I feel lucky to be a part of the ICS family.

Happy Fall!

Tuesday, September 25

What a busy day! The students started with art class. They had Social Studies and a math quiz. We went to lunch early and then to the Food Pantry. We got so busy, we left five minutes later than scheduled! It was a rushed walk back to the school where the children went immediately to gym and then to music. We did a quick review for the Religion quiz, read a few more pages of Patricia Polacco’s JUNKYARD WONDERS and headed home. My head is still spinning so don’t be surprised if your child’s is!

Tomorrow will be a calmer day…and it will end with a 20-minute free time earned by FILLING THE WARM FUZZIES jar. The children are so proud of themselves…and so am I!

A Few Notes for Next Week

 

 

Beginning on Monday, both third and fourth grade will be reading the same book for ELA, Here We All Are by Tomie DePaolo. It is the second in the autobiographical series by the children’s author and illustrator. There are eight books in all if your child decides to continue reading them.

We will first delve into the text by closely examining the illustrations for things the students notice and things they wonder about. We will define vocabulary by using contextual clues in the sentences surrounding the unknown word. Students will be able to describe the characters and how their actions affect the plot of the story. Spelling words will be from the text.

We will be using this book for about two weeks. I had seven copies here at school, borrowed a copy from Mrs. Case, borrowed three from the public library, and bought one copy. Please be sure to remind your child to take good care of whichever book he or she may have.

Your child will bring home the book for rereading. Books MUST be returned to school each day as we will need them during the lesson. Please do not allow them to read ahead---it will be so tempting! They will also have some interesting homework: one night they will explain what “power reading” is, another they will ask for your memories of wanting to learn to read. A little more unusual assignments but beneficial as we discuss the answers in class and improve speaking skills.

I am currently looking into the next title we will use. I will have ten free books available through Scholastics as a welcome back gift, so I will not have an additional expense this time. If you continue to order books for your child through our account at Scholastics, they will give us more free books ($15 for every $25 ordered through our account). Our account number is L8RWH. It is very easy to order online. Drop me an email if you have any questions (ADittman@dordcs.org). This will help me greatly as I have already exceeded my personal classroom materials budget!

I also am placing a wish list request for dry erase markers. The fat line and thin line are both needed. Darker colors are best. Any you might be able to donate will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for all your support!

Have a great weekend.

Curriculum Night

Tomorrow (Tuesday 9-18) is Curriculum Night from 6PM-7:30PM.

Please come for an informational overview of the Core Curriculum and then a presentation by your child’s classroom teacher regarding classroom routines and expectations.

Childcare is available for children in the after school rooms.

I hope to see you there!

REMINDERS

 

Spelling test tomorrow.

Parent homework due tomorrow.

Scholastic book orders due tomorrow.

 

 

New spelling words will be in the folders tomorrow as well as another set of 100 math facts. The weekend is a great time for short bursts (5 minutes or so at a time) of practice.

Mid-Week Notes

Just a few notes…

PARENT HOMEWORK is due on Friday! I cannot wait to read what you have to tell me about your children.

Your child is bringing home a poem every evening. These repeated readings will help to improve fluency. If your child reads it two or three or four times, he or she is getting that much more practice. It is why I choose silly poems. I want to make them want to read it.

Ask your child to read to you in a way that we read at school: underwater (my favorite), like a robot, like a king and queen. Although it may seem very silly, it does get results. I will be adding additional reading styles throughout the year.

Have you tried Spelling City? What do you think?

Your child will be completing a one-minute math fact quiz at school every day. When he or she receives 100% three times, I consider it mastery and move them to the next set of facts. It is ESSENTIAL that children know all of their math facts, really KNOW them, if they are to be successful in future math processes. If you can practice with your children using flashcards or just practicing them out loud in the car or before bed, it will be to their benefit.

I will also be sending home, once a week, 100 math facts. The goal is for students to be able to complete these facts in 5 minutes. Sometimes I will ask students to complete the entire paper. Other evenings, I will ask that you only allow them to work for 5 MINUTES and then put the sheet away.

I hope to see all of you at the CURRICULUM NIGHT next Tuesday (September 18th).

It has been a really good week! Your children are delightful.

OOPS!

 

   Art is actually on TUESDAYS     beginning September 11th.

Our Specials Schedule

  

The following has been added to our schedule:

Art is on Monday (beginning September 10^th)

Gym is on Tuesday and Thursday (beginning September 11th)

Health is on Friday (beginning September 14^th)

Music on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (beginning September 17^th)

What a Great Day!

 

We had a lovely first day…

The children are so well behaved. They are also clever and curious and courteous. I think our classroom is going to be a warm, caring , safe place for learning.

 

We discussed classroom rules and procedures. Ask your child to tell you what our three rules are and why they cover everything. You should also ask about the STAR PERSON/PICKLE PERSON reminder.

The fourth graders shared their ALL ABOUT ME bags. We learned so much about each other. I can hardly wait to hear from the third graders tomorrow.

We read our first poem together and the children took it with them for homework. We completed the first of a general math review and I noted areas of strength and weakness. We read ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY (ask them to show you the sign language they learned) and talked about making each day a great one being their responsibility. We also completed a Word Ladder and we will continue doing them on a regular basis. We finished the day with the Patricia Polacco book THANK YOU, MR. FALKER. It is a wonderful story that really opened discussion for the differences between us and our acceptance of each other.

Ask your child to explain the WARM FUZZIES. Remember to send in the signed Highlights form tomorrow so we can add to the fuzzie container.

Tomorrow we will continue with the math review, begin reading and religion, be introduced to social studies with Mrs. Geiger, and work on our first writing assignment.

I am exhausted and imagine that your children are as well. A good night’s sleep for us all and we will be off and running again tomorrow!

Spelling City

 

Each week, I will post both the third and fourth grade spelling words on the site SPELLING CITY (www.spellingcity.com) After accessing the site, you can find our spelling lists by either searching my name or the school’s name.

Your child will be able to do a variety of games and activities, all using the words for the week. There are TEACH and GAME options. The site will teach the words (say them, spell them, use them in a sentence). There are also ABC ordering games, hang man, word search, matching, and many others. Practice tests are also available.

For now, you may only access the FREE games and activities. If you believe this site is beneficial, I will join the premium membership which will provide access to additional services.

Please let me know what you think!

Welcome to High Five!

We are going to have a terrific year!

I will regularly post important information about our classroom schedule, upcoming events, organizational skills, and study hints on this blog. This brief message is just to be sure the page is working and that everyone has access.

Please remind your child that the ALL ABOUT ME bag is due on Wednesday.

Have a great weekend!