Hi,
This is a reminder that Back to School Night is tomorrow night. (Thursday, Sept. 1 at 6:00 pm in the cafeteria) We will all meet there and Mrs. Lehnick will be talking to you about school wide items. Then Kari Maurer, our 4th grade team facilitator, will talk to all of you about some general fourth grade things. We will then come back to the classroom and you can ask some more specific 4th grade questions at this time. You will also be able to see some of your child's work and try to figure out which "bioglyph" is his/her drawing.
A bioglyph is a symbolic representation of a face. The symbols represent observable things like gender, eye color, hair color, and hair length. There are also symbols that require an interview. We interviewed each other and collected data. Tomorrow we will use the data that we collected through our observations and our interviews to help determine which bioglyph belongs to which child. Interview information included favorite color, number of brothers and sisters, birthday month and day, how they get to school, number of pets, and attitude about science. We will see if you can use our key and figure out which bioglyph represents your child.
You will also have the opportunity to write a note to your child and leave it on his/her desk for the morning. (Don't tell. Let them be surprised!)
I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow and I am having a great time in class with your children!
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Awesome First Week!
Hi,
We had a wonderful first week of 4th grade. The children are doing a great job reviewing and following the school and classroom expectations. We worked on a bunch of academic things as well!
Thank you for returning the forms in the large envelope. A few children still need to send in a photo of themselves taken somewhere in Texas. We will be using these to locate and discuss different places in our state and to remember stories about that place for writing. Please send in the photo by Monday so that we can use them to help our learning and display them. The photo does not need to be from this year. It could be an old photo and it could also be taken at your home. A place that has stories that your child can tell and write about is best.
Reading: We set up expectations for our reading workshop. We have been reading silently each day and began writing reading responses in today. We will write tons of reading responses this year. A reading response is basically writing about the thinking done while reading. At first the children need to include connections, predictions, questions, and thoughts and feelings about what they read. Sometimes they will write a response about the entire book and sometimes their response will be about the chapter or pages that were read. Beginning after Labor Day, your child will need to write a reading response for homework on Mondays, and Tuesdays. I will be modeling more of these and giving the children feedback next week so that they will be ready!
Writing: We set up expectations for our writing workshop also and discuss the uses of our writer's notebooks. We read some books and poems that included great figurative language and lots of details. We read the books like a writer and noticed what the author did so that we can work on that in our own writing. Observations were done on the playground, in the cafeteria, and in the hallway using our senses as well as thinking about a place that is special to us and describing it using details and sensory words. We also wrote a free writing entry today. Some wrote poetry, some started new stories, some added to or extended the writing done earlier this week. Beginning after Labor Day, your child will need to write a writing entry for homework on Wednesdays, and Thursdays. We will talk more about this.
Your child should have brought home their writer's notebook and a blue half-size sheet of paper. Their assignment is to cover the notebook with paper and decorate the cover so that the book represents them. Photos, stickers, drawings, etc... can be used. The rubric has detailed information. They all need to return their writer's notebook on Monday. They can take it home again if they didn't get it decorated yet. Decorated writer's notebooks are due by Thursday, September 2 at the latest. The blue form had the wrong date. Wednesday would be ideal but Thursday is for sure when they have to be done. Thank you for your help with this and email me if you have any questions.
Math: In math we reviewed place value and began working with number patterns and larger numbers. We also solved a challenging problem about cows and chickens. Ask your child about it. Thank you for encouraging your child to work hard in math, turn homework in on time, and to practice facts at home. (addition, subtraction, multiplication) Each night (Monday-Thursday)your child will have a math paper or game to do for homework. It is due the next day.
Science: We are reviewing science safety and safety tools. We are also collecting data for a bioglyph. You will see these on Back to School Night next week. Next week we will begin geography in social studies.
We will go to the library on alternating Mondays starting with Monday, August 27.
Mon. and Wed.-Art/Music
Tues and Thurs-PE days-wear sneakers
Fri-PE and Art/Music-wear sneakers
Send a healthy snack each day and a water bottle.
Dates to remember:
Thursday, September 1-Back to School Parent Information Night at 6:00
Thursday, September 1-Decorated Writer's Notebooks are due
Monday, September 5-No School
Tuesday, September 6-PTA-6:00pm
Friday, September 9-Grandparent Day during lunch time 11:55-12:25
Wednesday, September 14-Early Release Day
Thank you for sharing your child with me. Feel free to contact me with any concerns or questions.
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
We had a wonderful first week of 4th grade. The children are doing a great job reviewing and following the school and classroom expectations. We worked on a bunch of academic things as well!
Thank you for returning the forms in the large envelope. A few children still need to send in a photo of themselves taken somewhere in Texas. We will be using these to locate and discuss different places in our state and to remember stories about that place for writing. Please send in the photo by Monday so that we can use them to help our learning and display them. The photo does not need to be from this year. It could be an old photo and it could also be taken at your home. A place that has stories that your child can tell and write about is best.
Reading: We set up expectations for our reading workshop. We have been reading silently each day and began writing reading responses in today. We will write tons of reading responses this year. A reading response is basically writing about the thinking done while reading. At first the children need to include connections, predictions, questions, and thoughts and feelings about what they read. Sometimes they will write a response about the entire book and sometimes their response will be about the chapter or pages that were read. Beginning after Labor Day, your child will need to write a reading response for homework on Mondays, and Tuesdays. I will be modeling more of these and giving the children feedback next week so that they will be ready!
Writing: We set up expectations for our writing workshop also and discuss the uses of our writer's notebooks. We read some books and poems that included great figurative language and lots of details. We read the books like a writer and noticed what the author did so that we can work on that in our own writing. Observations were done on the playground, in the cafeteria, and in the hallway using our senses as well as thinking about a place that is special to us and describing it using details and sensory words. We also wrote a free writing entry today. Some wrote poetry, some started new stories, some added to or extended the writing done earlier this week. Beginning after Labor Day, your child will need to write a writing entry for homework on Wednesdays, and Thursdays. We will talk more about this.
Your child should have brought home their writer's notebook and a blue half-size sheet of paper. Their assignment is to cover the notebook with paper and decorate the cover so that the book represents them. Photos, stickers, drawings, etc... can be used. The rubric has detailed information. They all need to return their writer's notebook on Monday. They can take it home again if they didn't get it decorated yet. Decorated writer's notebooks are due by Thursday, September 2 at the latest. The blue form had the wrong date. Wednesday would be ideal but Thursday is for sure when they have to be done. Thank you for your help with this and email me if you have any questions.
Math: In math we reviewed place value and began working with number patterns and larger numbers. We also solved a challenging problem about cows and chickens. Ask your child about it. Thank you for encouraging your child to work hard in math, turn homework in on time, and to practice facts at home. (addition, subtraction, multiplication) Each night (Monday-Thursday)your child will have a math paper or game to do for homework. It is due the next day.
Science: We are reviewing science safety and safety tools. We are also collecting data for a bioglyph. You will see these on Back to School Night next week. Next week we will begin geography in social studies.
We will go to the library on alternating Mondays starting with Monday, August 27.
Mon. and Wed.-Art/Music
Tues and Thurs-PE days-wear sneakers
Fri-PE and Art/Music-wear sneakers
Send a healthy snack each day and a water bottle.
Dates to remember:
Thursday, September 1-Back to School Parent Information Night at 6:00
Thursday, September 1-Decorated Writer's Notebooks are due
Monday, September 5-No School
Tuesday, September 6-PTA-6:00pm
Friday, September 9-Grandparent Day during lunch time 11:55-12:25
Wednesday, September 14-Early Release Day
Thank you for sharing your child with me. Feel free to contact me with any concerns or questions.
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Welcome to the 2011-2012 School Year!
I can't wait to see you all on Friday, August 19 for our Supply Drop-off Night. Come to our classroom (512) and check it all out!
How are you feeling about fourth grade? Are you nervous, excited, worried, thrilled, etc....? What are you looking forward to this year? What is the best thing about school? What was your favorite thing about this summer?
Write about these questions or share any thoughts you have so far about fourth grade. Post any questions you may have also. Be sure to come back and write appropriate comments to the other comments or ask new questions. (Please use complete sentences with capitals, punctuation, and accurate spelling when writing on our blog. This isn't the time to write like you are writing a text message.)
Don't forget to bring a photo of you somewhere in Texas and a book to read on Tuesday!
Can't wait to start a new and fantastic school year. 4th Grade Rocks!!!!!!!
How are you feeling about fourth grade? Are you nervous, excited, worried, thrilled, etc....? What are you looking forward to this year? What is the best thing about school? What was your favorite thing about this summer?
Write about these questions or share any thoughts you have so far about fourth grade. Post any questions you may have also. Be sure to come back and write appropriate comments to the other comments or ask new questions. (Please use complete sentences with capitals, punctuation, and accurate spelling when writing on our blog. This isn't the time to write like you are writing a text message.)
Don't forget to bring a photo of you somewhere in Texas and a book to read on Tuesday!
Can't wait to start a new and fantastic school year. 4th Grade Rocks!!!!!!!
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