Hello there!
We have been busy this week!
We are continuing to discuss classroom routines and expectations for behavior. We are discussing the problems with interruptions and disruptions, we are focusing on how to be kind and caring, and we are always talking about how to stay safe and keep others safe as well. As a group, we really enjoy playing games and having fun together, but we are continuously talking about how important it is to be able to move quickly from silly to serious when necessary. We are learning!
We have completed some pre-assessments (which I call surveys) in both reading and writing, and those have given me some great information as we move into our first units. Our first writing unit is a narrative unit, and the students will be writing stories from their own lives or realistic fiction stories based on their own lives. Yesterday we spent a lot of time discussing all of the stages of the writing process, and I emphasized that REVISION is the part we spend the most time on. This is hard for young writers who think they are finished once they write their first draft! For now, we are working on collecting ideas for our stories before we begin to draft.
We started our first reading unit today. It is called Character Study and is all about getting to know our characters. In third and fourth grade, we move from retelling to having IDEAS about our characters. These ideas start with identifying character traits, then moving onto understanding how our characters change throughout the story. By the end of the unit, we hope to be able to interpret lessons our characters learned (and that we have learned as readers as well.) This is tough work, but we will get there!
Our multiplication units continue. Third graders are learning that doubling a factor doubles the product. They are using hundreds charts to skip count by various numbers to understand that multiplying means equal groups (or "jumps" on a hundreds chart.) 4th graders are examining factors of 100, trying to decide if 200, 300, 400, etc. have the same factors. They seem excited about this work!
Finally, we are still working with our marble tracks (bumper coasters) to learn about stored energy and energy transfer during science. I am hoping to finish this unit up by next week so we can get into learning about maps and the geography of Vermont.
Please look carefully in the Thursday folder coming home today since there is a Parent Conference Sign Up sheet in there. Let me know if you have any questions about conferences or if none of the times listed work for you. We will find a time to meet!
This week, we learned a few new words for you to all have fun with at home: rigid, massive, defiant and ignorant.
Next week's sharing theme is "something you lost and then found."
I hope you all enjoy the weekend.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Friday, September 20, 2019
Hi All,
The main news this week is about our field trips, of course! We certainly got lucky with the weather, and both of our field trips were lovely! At the Maritime Museum we got to paddle in old wooden canoes, learn to measure the turbidity of the water with an instrument called a Secchi Disk, and learn about the life cycle of salmon and the obstacles they face as they swim upstream. On top of that, we got to practice good earth stewardship by learning about how plastic gets into our waterways, and then cleaning up the harbor area, where we filled more than 2 buckets with plastic! All in all, it was a great day.
Today we walked to the river and spent some time in the woods. Thanks to all the parents who volunteered, we were able to "adopt" 6 trees to follow throughout the year. The students were keen observers and scientists, and they took measurements, did rubbings, noticed details, smelled leaves, and got to know their trees really well. In the end, we were able to identify them as beech, red maple, eastern white pine, and yellow birch. The next time we go, we will notice what has changed and what has stayed the same.
Our math unit continues with learning what multiplication really means (Gr 3) and learning about arrays, multiplicative comparison problems, and dimensions (Gr 4.) I'm impressed with what I'm seeing! Much of what we are doing is review work, but this class knows math!
We are almost finished with the first part of our energy unit. Today we rolled marbles down ramps as we experimented with height energy (aka gravitational energy) and how to slow down the transfer of energy between 2 marbles. Next week we will finish up this part of the unit before moving on to learn about natural resources and how we use/abuse them to make energy.
Next week we will formally start both our reading and writing programs. We have spent a lot of time learning about procedures, how to pick books, how to keep track of them, and where to get ideas for our writing. I hope we have some writing to show you by Open House!
In the past, I have worked with students to bake bread (using a bread machine) to sell to families as a way to raise funds for a cause. I took a break from this last year, but would love to do this again this year. Here's how it works. First the class learns how to make a few kinds of bread (white, cinnamon, dill.) Then we set up a Sign-Up Genius for families (you, that is!) to purchase bread. If you sign up for a given day, you send in $5 and your child will come home with a freshly baked loaf of bread made by them right here in the classroom! We collect money until January, then donate it to a good cause. If all goes well, we do this again and make a second donation in the spring. It's super fun, delicious, and helps make a difference while teaching fractions, cooking, teamwork, etc. It's a win/win! I'll let you know when the Sign-Up Genius is set up, and you can order bread. Please don't feel pressured -- this is completely optional! If you'd like to help in ways besides/in addition to buying bread, I am always happy to take donations of bread flour and regular yeast. Together we can make a difference!
Related to fund-raising, today we watched a TED Talk by Greta Thunberg (thanks to Hazen!) and discussed climate change and what taking action really means. Then we discussed the bread making fundraiser and who we should donate our money to. The kids learned about global versus local help, and they learned (very basically) what is meant by a non-profit. We discussed many options for non-profits we could donate to, from the Humane Society to COTS to Doctors Without Borders and many others. I only suggested water.org, but the kids had MANY other ideas. We sorted them into categories: organizations that help people, organizations that help climate, and organizations that help animals. The conversation was very heated! These kids are passionate and want to make a difference! In the end, we voted, and overwhelmingly the class opted for giving to an organization that fights climate change. I am in the process of researching where our money can make the biggest difference, and we will begin our fundraising in the next few weeks. In the meantime, if you have ideas for great non-profits that fight climate change, please let me know!
Next week's sharing theme is "something from nature." Monday sharers have a hard time remembering, so please check in with your child to see if s/he is prepared!
I hope you all enjoy the glorious weather this weekend.
The main news this week is about our field trips, of course! We certainly got lucky with the weather, and both of our field trips were lovely! At the Maritime Museum we got to paddle in old wooden canoes, learn to measure the turbidity of the water with an instrument called a Secchi Disk, and learn about the life cycle of salmon and the obstacles they face as they swim upstream. On top of that, we got to practice good earth stewardship by learning about how plastic gets into our waterways, and then cleaning up the harbor area, where we filled more than 2 buckets with plastic! All in all, it was a great day.
Today we walked to the river and spent some time in the woods. Thanks to all the parents who volunteered, we were able to "adopt" 6 trees to follow throughout the year. The students were keen observers and scientists, and they took measurements, did rubbings, noticed details, smelled leaves, and got to know their trees really well. In the end, we were able to identify them as beech, red maple, eastern white pine, and yellow birch. The next time we go, we will notice what has changed and what has stayed the same.
Our math unit continues with learning what multiplication really means (Gr 3) and learning about arrays, multiplicative comparison problems, and dimensions (Gr 4.) I'm impressed with what I'm seeing! Much of what we are doing is review work, but this class knows math!
We are almost finished with the first part of our energy unit. Today we rolled marbles down ramps as we experimented with height energy (aka gravitational energy) and how to slow down the transfer of energy between 2 marbles. Next week we will finish up this part of the unit before moving on to learn about natural resources and how we use/abuse them to make energy.
Next week we will formally start both our reading and writing programs. We have spent a lot of time learning about procedures, how to pick books, how to keep track of them, and where to get ideas for our writing. I hope we have some writing to show you by Open House!
In the past, I have worked with students to bake bread (using a bread machine) to sell to families as a way to raise funds for a cause. I took a break from this last year, but would love to do this again this year. Here's how it works. First the class learns how to make a few kinds of bread (white, cinnamon, dill.) Then we set up a Sign-Up Genius for families (you, that is!) to purchase bread. If you sign up for a given day, you send in $5 and your child will come home with a freshly baked loaf of bread made by them right here in the classroom! We collect money until January, then donate it to a good cause. If all goes well, we do this again and make a second donation in the spring. It's super fun, delicious, and helps make a difference while teaching fractions, cooking, teamwork, etc. It's a win/win! I'll let you know when the Sign-Up Genius is set up, and you can order bread. Please don't feel pressured -- this is completely optional! If you'd like to help in ways besides/in addition to buying bread, I am always happy to take donations of bread flour and regular yeast. Together we can make a difference!
Related to fund-raising, today we watched a TED Talk by Greta Thunberg (thanks to Hazen!) and discussed climate change and what taking action really means. Then we discussed the bread making fundraiser and who we should donate our money to. The kids learned about global versus local help, and they learned (very basically) what is meant by a non-profit. We discussed many options for non-profits we could donate to, from the Humane Society to COTS to Doctors Without Borders and many others. I only suggested water.org, but the kids had MANY other ideas. We sorted them into categories: organizations that help people, organizations that help climate, and organizations that help animals. The conversation was very heated! These kids are passionate and want to make a difference! In the end, we voted, and overwhelmingly the class opted for giving to an organization that fights climate change. I am in the process of researching where our money can make the biggest difference, and we will begin our fundraising in the next few weeks. In the meantime, if you have ideas for great non-profits that fight climate change, please let me know!
Next week's sharing theme is "something from nature." Monday sharers have a hard time remembering, so please check in with your child to see if s/he is prepared!
I hope you all enjoy the glorious weather this weekend.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
I can't believe it's Thursday again already! The week has been very full, and it has all been wonderful. The students are starting to feel comfortable with our classroom routines and expectations, and we are all getting to know each other quite well. We are still spending a good amount of time reviewing expectations and playing games to learn about working together, but we have also started some academics. I do my best to take it slowly -- we are all so rushed in life, and I want the students to feel more joy and less pressure!
I know you have all seen the math letter that came home so you know a little bit about what we are doing in math. Both grade levels have started a multiplication unit. Third graders are learning that multiplication is the same thing as EQUAL GROUPS, and I am already seeing a lot of "ah has" happening! Fourth graders are reviewing multiplication concepts and making arrays to show dimensions and area. They are learning about prime and composite and square numbers. During Menu time, they are practicing their math facts, completing a tune-up "windowpane" sheet, and playing Prodigy Math. They seem to be enjoying this a lot!
During reading time, we are still learning about how we choose books, where we record what we are reading, and how we stop to jot our thoughts. We are spending about 30 - 45 minutes a day reading quietly, and I am astounded daily that this class loves to read! We will begin our first true fiction reading unit, as well as our first narrative writing unit, the week after next.
Finally, we have started our first science unit which is about energy. So far the students have learned what energy is, what some possible ways are to store it, and what "stored energy" (or potential energy) means. We had a lot of fun making rubber band racers, and we will actually race them tomorrow! Then we will spend some time modifying thing as a fun engineering challenge.
Thank you to all of you for sending in permission slips and money. We are excited about our trip to the Maritime Museum next week. We have added an additional field trip next Friday -- we will be walking down to the park behind the Red Mill to begin our tree study, thanks to Josh Halman. We will be choosing some trees to observe over the course of the year, learning about how to identify them, how they change, and much more! Assuming we have good weather, we will leave at around 9:00 and be back in time to have our pictures taken at 11:00. I'd love to have some extra adults to help! If you are interested in joining us, and if you have filled out a volunteer form in the past 5 years, let me know. Feel free to check in with the office if you are unsure whether your forms are on file.
Next week's sharing theme is "something shiny." Many students are forgetting to bring their sharing in on their sharing day. Please try to help them remembers. No one HAS to share every week, but sharing from time to time is really good for their confidence and helps us learn to listen and speak to each other respectfully. Of course, the theme is only a suggestion, and the students can share something different if they want.
I think that's all for this week! As always, feel free to email or call me with any questions. This class rocks!
I know you have all seen the math letter that came home so you know a little bit about what we are doing in math. Both grade levels have started a multiplication unit. Third graders are learning that multiplication is the same thing as EQUAL GROUPS, and I am already seeing a lot of "ah has" happening! Fourth graders are reviewing multiplication concepts and making arrays to show dimensions and area. They are learning about prime and composite and square numbers. During Menu time, they are practicing their math facts, completing a tune-up "windowpane" sheet, and playing Prodigy Math. They seem to be enjoying this a lot!
During reading time, we are still learning about how we choose books, where we record what we are reading, and how we stop to jot our thoughts. We are spending about 30 - 45 minutes a day reading quietly, and I am astounded daily that this class loves to read! We will begin our first true fiction reading unit, as well as our first narrative writing unit, the week after next.
Finally, we have started our first science unit which is about energy. So far the students have learned what energy is, what some possible ways are to store it, and what "stored energy" (or potential energy) means. We had a lot of fun making rubber band racers, and we will actually race them tomorrow! Then we will spend some time modifying thing as a fun engineering challenge.
Thank you to all of you for sending in permission slips and money. We are excited about our trip to the Maritime Museum next week. We have added an additional field trip next Friday -- we will be walking down to the park behind the Red Mill to begin our tree study, thanks to Josh Halman. We will be choosing some trees to observe over the course of the year, learning about how to identify them, how they change, and much more! Assuming we have good weather, we will leave at around 9:00 and be back in time to have our pictures taken at 11:00. I'd love to have some extra adults to help! If you are interested in joining us, and if you have filled out a volunteer form in the past 5 years, let me know. Feel free to check in with the office if you are unsure whether your forms are on file.
Next week's sharing theme is "something shiny." Many students are forgetting to bring their sharing in on their sharing day. Please try to help them remembers. No one HAS to share every week, but sharing from time to time is really good for their confidence and helps us learn to listen and speak to each other respectfully. Of course, the theme is only a suggestion, and the students can share something different if they want.
I think that's all for this week! As always, feel free to email or call me with any questions. This class rocks!
Friday, September 6, 2019
Hello Families,
It has been a fast few days, but I am really enjoying getting to know the 3/4 class, and I can tell we are going to have a wonderful year. My students are all kind, curious, and ready to learn. How lucky I feel!
Our days so far have been spent learning classroom expectations and routines. JES has only one school rule this year: Be kind and caring. With that as our overarching theme, we decided to make norms for our own classroom. The students came up with 3: Use materials as expected, be aware of and accept yourself and others, and follow classroom procedures. I think they did a good job, and these norms cover pretty much everything! We also discussed what we thought would be appropriate consequences for not following these norms, and I was pleased to see that they were very reasonable!
We have also spent a lot of time getting to know each other and ourselves as learners. We have done some self-reflection and I'm impressed with how well these students know themselves and how comfortable they are sharing about themselves. We've also done a lot of team challenges so we can learn how to work in groups. Mostly, we have talked about how we are all one team and need to accept each other and always be kind to one another. That is always the expectation, and so far I am seeing a lot of kindness!
The class seems eager to get going with academics so we can have a routine in place. Next week we will begin our math program and also our first science unit. We have already started reading and learning how to choose books, where to keep them, how to record their titles, etc. We probably won't start writing until the week after next, but we will do some small writing jobs in the meantime. I will keep you updated about academics (and everything else) in this weekly blog. Of course I am always available to answer any questions in between!
The students learned how to log into a math game called Prodigy. This game is really engaging and allows me to set assignments for each individual student. As they solve problems, they can "battle" friends and move around different worlds. This is a game they will have the opportunity to play once or twice a week at school. Many of them will ask if they can play at home. Of course this is up to you, but it is not a problem for them to log in from home and continue playing. The game works better with headphones or earbuds. If possible, it would be nice for each student to have a pair to keep at school. I have a safe place to keep them. If you can't send any in, I will get some from our tech department so every student has a set.
We are going to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum on September 19. Unfortunately I have not received a solid description of the field trip from them yet, so I have not sent that information home to you. Please look for it on Tuesday as it will be in the homework folder. Unfortunately we will not be able to take chaperones since we will be going out in special canoes and space will be limited. I hope to take the class to the river for some outdoor learning in the next few weeks, and would love chaperones for that. Stay tuned!
As you have probably heard from your children, we eat lunch late every day, 12:30 or 1:00 depending on the day of the week. Although we have a set snack time at 9:45 each day, the students are often hungry again well before lunch time. It might not be a bad idea to send in some extra snack for those who seem to need it. I know how hard it is to concentrate when hungry, so I am okay with them munching on a snack during work time if they need to. We do have a student with a tree nut allergy in our classroom. Tree nut snacks are not forbidden, but students who eat them must eat them at a table set aside for this purpose and wash their hands (and the table) afterwards. I know that a lot of students love to share their snacks with friends, but this is something I can't allow for many reasons. We have talked about this a few times, but I still see it happening from time to time. Perhaps a gentle reminder from you will help to discourage this and keep everyone safe and eating what you pack for them. Thanks for your help!
That's all for this week. I hope you all have a lovely weekend with your children. I look forward to seeing them all again on Monday!
It has been a fast few days, but I am really enjoying getting to know the 3/4 class, and I can tell we are going to have a wonderful year. My students are all kind, curious, and ready to learn. How lucky I feel!
Our days so far have been spent learning classroom expectations and routines. JES has only one school rule this year: Be kind and caring. With that as our overarching theme, we decided to make norms for our own classroom. The students came up with 3: Use materials as expected, be aware of and accept yourself and others, and follow classroom procedures. I think they did a good job, and these norms cover pretty much everything! We also discussed what we thought would be appropriate consequences for not following these norms, and I was pleased to see that they were very reasonable!
We have also spent a lot of time getting to know each other and ourselves as learners. We have done some self-reflection and I'm impressed with how well these students know themselves and how comfortable they are sharing about themselves. We've also done a lot of team challenges so we can learn how to work in groups. Mostly, we have talked about how we are all one team and need to accept each other and always be kind to one another. That is always the expectation, and so far I am seeing a lot of kindness!
The class seems eager to get going with academics so we can have a routine in place. Next week we will begin our math program and also our first science unit. We have already started reading and learning how to choose books, where to keep them, how to record their titles, etc. We probably won't start writing until the week after next, but we will do some small writing jobs in the meantime. I will keep you updated about academics (and everything else) in this weekly blog. Of course I am always available to answer any questions in between!
The students learned how to log into a math game called Prodigy. This game is really engaging and allows me to set assignments for each individual student. As they solve problems, they can "battle" friends and move around different worlds. This is a game they will have the opportunity to play once or twice a week at school. Many of them will ask if they can play at home. Of course this is up to you, but it is not a problem for them to log in from home and continue playing. The game works better with headphones or earbuds. If possible, it would be nice for each student to have a pair to keep at school. I have a safe place to keep them. If you can't send any in, I will get some from our tech department so every student has a set.
We are going to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum on September 19. Unfortunately I have not received a solid description of the field trip from them yet, so I have not sent that information home to you. Please look for it on Tuesday as it will be in the homework folder. Unfortunately we will not be able to take chaperones since we will be going out in special canoes and space will be limited. I hope to take the class to the river for some outdoor learning in the next few weeks, and would love chaperones for that. Stay tuned!
As you have probably heard from your children, we eat lunch late every day, 12:30 or 1:00 depending on the day of the week. Although we have a set snack time at 9:45 each day, the students are often hungry again well before lunch time. It might not be a bad idea to send in some extra snack for those who seem to need it. I know how hard it is to concentrate when hungry, so I am okay with them munching on a snack during work time if they need to. We do have a student with a tree nut allergy in our classroom. Tree nut snacks are not forbidden, but students who eat them must eat them at a table set aside for this purpose and wash their hands (and the table) afterwards. I know that a lot of students love to share their snacks with friends, but this is something I can't allow for many reasons. We have talked about this a few times, but I still see it happening from time to time. Perhaps a gentle reminder from you will help to discourage this and keep everyone safe and eating what you pack for them. Thanks for your help!
That's all for this week. I hope you all have a lovely weekend with your children. I look forward to seeing them all again on Monday!
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