Adoption Day is Wednesday!

Our class Adoption Day is scheduled for Wednesday, October 2, 2013. Students will be able to adopt a Fiddler Crab or a Dwarf African frog. In order for your child to adopt a pet, he/she must bring in a signed note stating that you are allowing them to bring this pet home. Also, the student will need to bring a habitat for the pet and you can find the required supplies for each listed below. On Adoption Day, students will need to be picked up in the car line and cannot take the bus home with their pet.  Please contact me if you have any further questions.

Required Supplies for Each Animal Habitat:

Fiddler Crab:

                Disposable container

                Small Dish for water

                Sand

                Water Bottle (for salt water that will be provided)

                Food: Freeze dried Plankton (small amount will be provided)

Frog:

                Disposable container with a few small holes

                Water

                Rocks

                Food: Flaked fish food (small amount will be provided)

I am SUPER PROUD!!!

Our class is leading the school with Success Maker on students making 80% or higher on the sessions.  Keep up the great work.  Remember to sign and return the Progress Reports on Monday.  Please let me know if you have any questions/concerns or would like to schedule a conference.

A busy week ahead!

Our animals arrived Friday afternoon!  Students will get to observe and interact with butterflies, ladybugs, Fiddler crabs, Dwarf African frogs during Science for the next couple of weeks.  AR notices were sent home in your child's planner on Friday, they should have two points already and on their way to at least three points by Friday.  There is no school on Monday and Social Studies projects will be sent home on Tuesday.  Please make sure your child is working on this at home as we will not have much time in class to work on it.  Picture Day is Wednesday, Parent Writing night is Thursday at 6 p.m. in my room, and Progress Reports will go home on Friday.

Important Reminders!

AR is finally up and running, yeah!  Your child should have earned one AR point by today, September 6th and will be expected to earn one point per week, each week of this nine weeks.  Each student should be checking out at least one chapter book worth one or more points.  Also, they are allowed to check out a half point book, but it should be nonfiction.  There is an AR log in the front pages of your child's planner where you can check their progress.  I will initial by their score when your child has tested in my room and I have check the results with them.  I will send home point notices every so often to let you know where they stand, but of course, let me know if you have any questions.

I have sent home your child's user name, password, and directions for accessing Math Connects (our Math textbook) in the "Take-Home" folder, as well as, DOJO directions again.  Please let me know if you are having trouble with either one of these sites and I will try to help you.  In the coming weeks, I will send home information for the Science and Reading textbook websites as well.

We finished Reading LIA this week and have begun FAIR testing which should be done by the end of next week.

We will be building animal habitats from Dwarf African Frogs, Fiddler Crabs, butterflies, and ladybugs this week in class in preparation of their arrival towards the end of the week.  Please look for a safety contract the first part of next week.  This must be signed and returned in order for you to participate in the Animal unit.

Thursday, September 12th at 6:30 pm will be a parent training on Common Core Standards.  This will be a hour training and free child care will be provided.

Parent Writing Night will be Thursday, September 19th at 6:00 pm in my classroom.  Please make plans to attend, we will discuss how to help your child with Writing this year.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend!

SAC/PTO meetings will be held Tuesday, September 3rd at 6:00 pm in the Music room, as well as pizza in the cafeteria, I hope to see you there.  We will begin the Reading LIA testing on Wednesday, September 4th and will be completed on Wednesday, September 5th.  Please remember to encourage your child to do their best! Also, classroom donations for the Treasure Box (small trinkets, candy, sodas, snacks) are needed.  Any small items would be greatly appreciated!

Off to a GREAT Start!

Last week we focused on rules and procedures and will continue this this week as we transition into centers and interventions later in the week.  We did a great job with filling out planners, returning important paperwork, and completing homework.  Please remember that planners must be signed daily and they are a great way to let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  If you are going home a different way, please make sure that your note is on a separate sheet of paper, not written in the planner.  Also, you can email me anytime, my email is at the bottom of the Welcome Letter and on every Newsletter.

The First Week of School!

"Meet the Teacher/Open House" was a great success!  I enjoyed meeting most of my students and their families on Thursday evening and I can't wait to meet the rest of you in the upcoming week.  The first week we will focus on procedures and rules in the classroom, as well as dive right into our curriculum for the year.  On Monday, you will receive the Take-Home folder with many important papers to read and some to sign and return.  Please try and send those forms back on Tuesday, as they are very important.  Remember that breakfast and lunch are free to all of our students this year and this class page will have valuable information on it through out the year for you.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am super excited for this upcoming year and can't wait to start working with each of you!

Also, I am collecting items for our class Treasure Box.  We need small toys/chap sticks/hand sanitizers, snacks, and individual sodas/juice boxes.  Any donations would be greatly appreciated!

Let me know if you have visited this site by telling me the secret code, "4th grade rocks" and you will get a prize between now and Friday, August 23rd!  Shhhh, don't tell your classmates the secret code.