And just so you don’t think I only promote reading…

 

 

 IXL Math is the best website I have ever found for improving math  skills. The only drawback is that it isn’t free. A membership costs $9.95 per month. I thought I would share it with you anyway. It might be worth it to join just for the summer months as a way to keep math skills sharp.

 

You can choose New York State Standards as an option. Then you can choose the grade level. All the core curriculum math standards are presented. You can decide which ones you would like for your child to practice.

Each of the practice activities is quick (you choose the number of problems) and provides a short tutorial if the answer is wrong. The graphics are colorful and the feedback is immediate. You get a weekly email update on your child’s progress.There are detailed reports you can print showing strengths and weaknesses. There are also certificates and awards to print as milestones are reached.

Take a look at some sample problems, See what you think. It could be a very positive summer learning experience!

Another Summer Reading Idea

I have always enjoyed reading James Patterson novels. I am a huge fan of murder mysteries. I like to see if I can figure out whodunit before the big reveal. But Patterson is also truly invested in getting children to read. The following is from his website ReadKiddoRead.

A few years ago, I realized my son, Jack, didn't exactly love books. We'd always read to him as a baby, and he was beginning to read for school. When he got home, him going to the shelf and picking up a book was about as likely as his pulling out a notebook and solving quantum physics problems. Actually, the latter was more likely. He's a smart kid.

So Sue and I took it on ourselves to fix the problem if we could.

Starting that summer, and every summer since, we went out and found books that I was pretty sure he'd not just read, but would love to read. That was a big part of the inspiration for READKIDDOREAD.

But, more than that, the experience with Jack got me writing books that I hoped he and other kids would love to read. Before then, I'd always written books just for grown-ups.

In fact, one of my proudest moments as a writer was when I passed him the manuscript of The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. Not only did he like it, he told me it was his favorite.

Anyhow, the Daniel X series, the Maximum Ride series, and the Witch & Wizard series were written for just this purpose. Jack got me writing books that I thought other kids would love. To contribute a few books that hopefully, will make kids readers for life.

Patterson has also started a summer reading program. You can go to James Patterson's Book Bucks and print out a pledge. Once children promise to read at least four books this summer (and register at the site), they are entered for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate redeemable at Buffalo Books in Ithaca.

HURRY! The first drawing will be in early July with additional ones throughout the summer!

SUMMER READING

 

 

 

 

Don’t let the summer slip by without reading!

Check out these programs:

 

Tompkins County Public Library

Dig Into Reading

June 29th- August 24th

Register at the library. Students can read any books they like at home and log how many minutes/hours they complete each day. They will fill in a log and can take the completed one to the library for a prize and a ticket in a raffle. Don’t let this pass you by!

There is also a READ TO A DOG program. Students can go to the library on Wednesdays (July 3-31) and read to a wonderful non-judgmental listener (a dog) at 11:00AM.

Love Legos? Check out the program LEGOS AT THE LIBRARY on Mondays (July8-August 12) from 1-2:30PM.

Go to the Tompkins County Public Library website for more information (http://tcpl.org/).

A Farewell Message from Mrs. Dittman

 

What a wonderful time we had at Field Day! The children were so patient at school while we waited to leave. They read together and worked on a summer fun packet of puzzles and coloring sheets. They looked at and signed yearbooks. We read two of my absolutely favorite poems and giggled ourselves silly. We counted the minutes until rides would arrive.

At the park, the fun quickly started. I was invited to play kickball and managed a double. (If you notice me walking slowly and stiffly today- please don’t comment!) ) Ian and I won the water balloon toss (after being defeated by April and Monique during the first round). I watched the students I adore, who were running wild with enthusiasm on the playground, take it upon themselves to slow down when some preschoolers arrived. I saw them help the little ones on the equipment and brush wood chips off their knees when they fell and help them back up to try again. Their gentleness and compassion was touching. No one asked them to do it. They didn’t know anyone was watching. They just rose to the occasion. At the end of the day, they convinced me to participate in the whipped cream/bubblegum contest. (If that gum hadn’t been so hard to chew, I am certain I could have won!) Go, Joseph!

But where has the time gone?

It is always hard when a new teacher is hired. What will she be like? Will she be kind and compassionate? Will she like my child? How will she be towards the parents? Will she help my child to be successful? A teacher worries too. What if the last teacher was so great I can’t fill her shoes? What if the families don’t like me? What if I can’t reach the children with my style of teaching? New beginnings are stressful for everyone.

I hope it has been obvious how much I love your children. I love when they roll their eyes when I do something outlandish. I love watching as the tinder of understanding is sparked and the fire starts to rage because they are curious and excited. I love showing them that they can do anything, no matter how hard it might seem, if they just take it one small step at a time. I love hearing them sing the “Helping Verbs” song and having them ask if they can please listen to the School House Rock tape. I love when they really get the humor in the poems we read each day and can’t help giggling as they read it aloud. I love how organized they have become---checking the schedule and the homework board and the morning assignment board the minute they arrive in the classroom. I love their questions and their responses and their enthusiasm. They are a wonderful class and are certainly destined to do great things. It was my sincere pleasure being their teacher. I will miss them greatly.

So, before I become a blubbering fool, let me thank you for sharing your children with me. Thank you for making me feel so welcome and for supporting what I tried to do in the classroom. Thank you for your kind words when you found out I was returning to Pennsylvania. You will also be missed.

I told the children that I wrote to my 3^rd grade teacher (who is the reason I do what I do) for more than 30 years. I think she enjoyed being a small part in the many milestones of my life. I know I would truly enjoy hearing from you and your children. I can only imagine the adventures that are in store for each of you!

God bless you-

 

May Crowning

Thursday will be a very busy day!

First, grandparents (and other important adults) will be welcomed into our classroom at 10:30AM. Students will give their visitors a tour of our classroom and then a tour of the school.

At 11:00AM, we will meet in the gym for a delicious pasta lunch. (If your child is unable to eat pasta, please be sure to send a lunch as none will be available from the cafeteria.) After lunch, those who made their First Holy Communion this year as well as the class representatives will change into dress clothes. The rest of the students will have a few minutes to play outside before we prepare for the May Crowning. We will meet near the library at 12:35PM for our May Crowning procession. (Weather permitting, we will be outside.)

If you have any flowers blooming in your garden that you would like to donate, please send them to school with your child Thursday morning. They will be made into bouquets for the girls in the procession.

I am looking forward to celebrating with all of you…

Making May Marvelous

 

Awesome alliteration has been deeply discussed as part of our everyday English efforts !

How about that?!?

 

 

The third and fourth graders have been very busy. We all survived the New York State exams. This was accomplished without tears, without erasing holes through papers, and without vomiting (yes, you hear a lot of horror stories). The tests were definitely difficult, but your children really applied themselves. I was very proud of the effort they put forth each day of the exams. I was required to go to Rochester on April 29th and May 6th to help with the scoring of the tests. (I did not see any of our exams---new rules for scoring prohibit teachers from scoring students from their own school.) I do not know when the scores will be made available.

In Math, we have been working on measurement, both customary and metric. After each lesson, the fourth graders are working together in small groups to solve multi-step problems. Each group member is expected to contribute and all the members must agree before an answer may be recorded. It has been a wonderful learning experience. As you all know, I am also pushing the multiplication tables. It is boring rote learning (I know) but so necessary as a foundation for future math. The time required for each 100 problem homework assignment is decreasing, a very good sign. Students are also taking a daily math quiz of 60 multiplication problems. The goal is to increase the number correct by one each day. Your children are definitely improving in this area!

In ELA, we have just completed the novel Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. (I also checked out a number of Creech’s other novels that the students have been borrowing independently from the classroom.) The students really seemed to enjoy the character of Jack from Love That Dog as his story is both funny and sad. The novel is written in free verse with references throughout to very traditional rhyming poetry, shape poems, and free verse poems. Students have been practicing their hand at writing their own poems in various styles. As a follow-up, I purchased and am reading the companion book Hate That Cat. It is hilarious!

Students presented their simple machine drawings with the explanations of their projects in class yesterday and today. They did a terrific job. I cannot help but think they were truly inspired by the presentation on simple machines made a few weeks ago by Mr. and Mrs. Rutzke. We are now moving on to cycles in Earth and space. There are a lot of interesting experiments in our future!

Social Studies will provide opportunities to further explore the early history of New York and people and their communities. Religion continues with more exploration of the Holy Spirit and the role God and Jesus play in our every day lives.

The school year is definitely winding down…

The following are some important dates to keep in mind:

May 9    Ascension Thursday Mass at   12:10PM

May 10  Scones with Moms

May 16  May Crowning and Grandparents Day (see your family envelope for more information)

May 22  New York State Science exam for 4th graders

May 24-27  NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day vacation)

 

A Note about the Week of March 18th

 

 

 

Correction: spelling test will be on Thursday, March 21st.

 

Friday (March 22nd) we will start the day by going to Mass. When we return, we will take our Simple Solutions Quiz and the test on Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man. In the afternoon, 4th grade will be taking a science quiz and 3rd grade will be taking a social studies quiz followed by music class and health.

Although it will be a very big day for us, it does mean students will get only math for weekend homework.

March Madness

 

Well, it’s not exactly March Madness in our classroom. Let’s call it March Illness (although it has been a bit maddening at times). It is has been a germ-filled month for third and fourth grade (and their teacher). Hopefully we are all on the road to stronger immune systems as spring promises to be right around the corner.

Next week is a four-day week for students as they do not have school on Friday. While students will be relaxing at home, I will be enjoying my first retreat day with the teachers! You should also know that I will be out on Wednesday as I am scheduled to go to Horseheads for training on how to administer the state math exams.

New spelling words will come home on Monday. The spelling test will not be until the following Friday (March 22). All the words will be on Spelling City (www.spellingcity.com) so students can play games as a way to practice.

In Math, we are moving on to fractions, but I will continue to send homework reviewing addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and story problems. This continuous review will help to better prepare students for the exams.

Fourth grade Social Studies is exciting with lessons on the Native Americans who settled in New York. It is so interesting, in fact, that the third graders have CHOSEN to join us for lessons after completing their own work on communities.

Science is all about forces. We are discussing friction, gravity, weight, pushes and pulls…all of which has led us to simple machines. We will be discussing a simple machine project later this week.

We finished Stone Fox, a  story the students really enjoyed even though it had a bittersweet ending. We will take the test on Monday and then begin a story in the readers about Lou Gehrig.

Miss Atkins is on Spring Break this week. She will return for a final day on Tuesday, March 19th. It has been a pleasure having her in our classroom.

You children have been working incredibly hard. I cannot tell you how proud I am of the attention they are giving to their work during class. They are very focused during what is typically a difficult time of year for studies. I will be encouraging them to keep it up! 

Spelling Test

The spelling test planned for tomorrow has been moved to Wednesday. There are a number of very difficult words. I had planned to do several classroom activities, but other activities took longer than I expected. We will do the spelling review tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday with the test on Wednesday.

Don’t forget that your child can always practice the words at spellingcity.com!

Pajamas on Friday!

 

Dr. Seuss’ birthday is Saturday!

What better way to celebrate the great man’s 109th birthday than wear pajamas to school on Friday?

Your child may also wear slippers in the classroom but should have sneakers for the gym. A favorite book should accompany your child to school as we will be sharing books throughout the day.

The only question now…what will Mrs. Dittman be wearing? Oh, the suspense!

Winter Break and Beyond

I hope everyone enjoyed their winter break. I spent a great deal of mine resting and reading, recovering from whatever nasty bug had decided to make a winter home with me. I managed to read two novels (a luxury during the school year) and planned many lessons for your children.

Our first week back was busy. We welcomed Miss Holly Atkins, a junior from Cortland who will be spending three weeks with us while completing a field experience. Miss Atkins has jumped right in, quickly learning the names of the children and assisting with lessons.

We finished the last of the science presentations. The posters showed a great deal of thought and creativity. Be sure to take a look at them when you are in the building. Your children keep getting better at presenting with each project we complete. It is a pleasure to see them show their work and answer questions about it.

We finished the story from our reader, Finding the Titanic and will be starting a new novel this week called Stone Fox. It is shorter than Because of Winn-Dixie, so we will complete it in about two weeks. We will then move on to the Lou Gehrig story in our reader. I am sure you have already noticed, but I am working to incorporate both fiction and non-fiction equally in ELA. We are also working each day in Simple Solutions. Your children tell me they think grammar is fun (imagine that!) and that they are good at it (and they are!). I really like this program and hope that you are also seeing the results of constant review of  the topics.

We are continuing to study division. It has proven to be more of a struggle than I anticipated. We are going to move to some geometry and then fractions, but there will be continual practice provided in both multiplication and division. Please practice these skills with your children in daily life whenever possible. Seeing that they are skills they will use in the real world does make an impact.

In science, we are discussing force, friction, gravity, inertia, and a myriad of related topics. This will soon lead us to simple machines and our next big project.

I am thoroughly enjoying teaching Social Studies. The third graders are working with the topic of community and celebrations. Fourth graders are continuing their exploration of life in early New York state. (We all decided we are glad we live here now as we are happier with grocery stores, convenient heat, and indoor bathrooms!)

As we continue our journey through the season of Lent, we will be discussing how best to prepare ourselves for Easter. The children have made their own crosses as a reminder to bear their burdens gladly. We have talked about making sacrifices and praying for strength and courage. This coming week we will learn about the history of the pretzel and its ties to Lent as well as an almsgiving project.

As a final bit of news, we are welcoming a new fourth grade boy to our class on Monday. He came to us for a visit before break and is excited to be a part of our classroom family. The following Monday, we will be welcoming a fourth grade girl. She is a returning student who came to kindergarten at ICS. We are very happy about her return!

Spring is just around the corner (if I just keep saying it…)

Enjoy your week!

Catholic Schools Week Update

 

The presentations your children did were fabulous! I was so incredibly proud of them. We talked about the characteristics of a good speaker and of a good listener. They spoke clearly and with the appropriate volume, made eye contact, discussed the person they chose, and fielded questions. Their posters were lovely and the dioramas were amazing! Kudos! They also demonstrated excellent listening skills as audience members and strove to make their classmates feel comfortable.

The basketball game to day was so much fun! The students who played, played with gusto. Those who were cheerleaders really rallied the crowd. The remaining student in the audience supported her friends beautifully.  I can hardly wait for the scavenger hunt (and snack!) tomorrow.

How Can January Be Almost Over Already?

 

Time certainly does fly when you are having fun.

Well, mid-terms weren’t exactly fun, but everyone survived.

Now the fun begins!

This week we celebrate Catholic Schools Week. Be sure to check out the schedule of events listed on my school webpage. Go to Immaculate Conception School. Look under K-6 and you will find a listing for Grades 3 and 4. Click on it and you will be taken to the homepage for our class. I have also added a page with the times of our specials. Soon I will be adding a page with helpful websites your children may use to practice reading and math skills or find information for research papers. (We have another of those on the horizon!)

January may be ending but the excitement is just starting…

In February, we will be reading about the Titanic in ELA. Students will also complete reports about weather systems. I have several new spelling review games that I hope will add some creativity to our usual reviews. We will start simple machines in science and have projects about them in March. I will also begin teaching social studies to third and fourth grade right after Catholic Schools Week. We are going to be a very busy group!

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!