Hi,
Happy Valentine's Day! We had a wonderful party today! Thanks so much to Janet Bannister and all parents who donated items or helped at the party. All the kids had lots to eat and lots of fun with balloons and cake balls! Thank you also for all the sweet treats!
Progress Reports came home on Thursday. Look for them in your child's Thursday folder.
Book fair is going on this week! Thank you in advance for supporting reading and our school.
No school on Monday for students. Homework packets will come home on Tuesday. The next vocabulary test will be on Friday, Feb. 26. The words are on quizlet, if you want to practice this weekend.
Be sure to read this weekend and record times on the reading logs. Record finished books on the forms for the 20 Book Challenge.
This week in reading-We began talking about World War II and reading books historical fiction books that deal with that time period. We are using this topic to also discuss tolerance and respecting differences in others. We began reading Number the Stars by Lois Lowry aloud and we will discuss each chapter. Next week, we will begin some new book clubs that also deal with this time period.
In writing-we are writing everyday and then stopping to think deeper about our writing. We use sentence stems like-This makes me realize that...., I used to think ....., but now I think....., and I learned that..... By pushing our thinking and challenging us to come up with big ideas and themes, our writing will become deeper and more focused. We also continue to work on capitalization, punctuation, combining sentences, and quotations using mentor sentences.
In spelling-we worked on words with suffixes ment, ful, and less. Next week, we will work on multi-syllable words and breaking the words into smaller chunks to spell them accurately.
In vocabulary-we will work on academic vocabulary for reading. this will include words like textual evidence, implicit purpose, stated purpose, explicit, implicit, and theme. Practice vocabulary words using quizlet.com.
In social studies-we are creating our own settlements. The children are deciding where in Texas they would build their town, what natural resources are available, and what services will their town offer. They read letters from potential colonists and decided whether to accept or deny them and gave reasons for their decisions. Next week, they will create an advertisement to encourage people to come live in their settlement and will draw a plan for their colony. We will soon start talking about the Texas Revolution.
Dates to Remember:
Monday, February 15-No school for students
Tuesday, February 16-book fair, PTA General Meeting 11:00 am
Wednesday, February 17-book fair
Thursday, February 18-book fair
Friday, February 19-homework packet due, spelling test, Reading response letters due, wear college shirts, book fair
Monday, February 22-Writing Club after school 2:45-3:45, Wear FCE shirts, PTA Family Fun Night at Hat Creek Burgers
Thursday, February 25-Art Show from 2:45-7:00
Friday, February 26-homework packet due, spelling test,vocabulary test, Reading response letters due, wear college shirts
Monday, February 29-Wear FCE shirts, Service Club 2;45-3:45
Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy time with your family and the beautiful weather!
Sincerely,
Pam
Friday, February 12, 2016
Friday, February 5, 2016
Newsletter
Hi,
We had a very busy week with two assemblies, a pen pal visit, and an early release day. The Mad Science Assembly is always lots of fun and we had a "hair raising" time. (especially Mia and Samantha who got to put their hands on the Van de Graaff generator!) We also enjoyed some awesome jump rope stars from Murchison Elementary. It was fun and helped to kick off our Jump Rope for Heart program.
Our pen pals are amazing and we enjoyed spending time with them on Tuesday. We talked to them about favorite people, places,and things and reasons that make these things special. We also made some Valentine crafts together and played games. It was great and we will see them again in April.
Don't forget that picture day is on Tuesday. This is our group photo and individual spring photos. Forms came home in Thursday folders. If you need another form, let me know and your child will bring one home on Monday.
Information for Six Flags Read to Succeed will come home on Monday. Remember, for class, your child is expected to read 20 minutes per night. Any time beyond that is considered recreational reading and can be counted for the Six Flags Program. Your child has until Tuesday, March 1 to read 6 hours recreationally. If your child reads this weekend toward their Six Flags reading, record it on their regular reading log and then write it on the blue form that will come home on Monday. Be sure to record on your class reading log also. Happy Reading and have fun at Six Flags!!!!!!
Welcome, Kaleigh! We are planning on having a new student on Monday. We are excited to meet Kaleigh and welcome her into our bat cave.
Our Valentine's Day Party will be on Friday, February 12 from 1:30-2:30. Your child is invited to pass out Valentines to friends. Remember, if you give valentines, be sure to give to everyone in class. Here is a list of our 21 students. Handmade valentines are great! More information about the party and a sign up genius will be emailed to you soon.
Ethan Samantha Ava Elise Riley Justin Aiden
Kendall Kaleigh Martin Shelby Brighton Shae Mia
Juliana Sofia Lorelai Ryne Hagan Joseph Cameron
Read about our week:
Reading-We finished up talking about traditional tales and will begin working with more non-fiction this coming week. We will also establish reading partners and will begin some book groups. We will learn about World War II through historical fiction and informational text. We will also look at text features and text structures to help with comprehension. Be sure to record reading on reading logs and turn them in with Reading Response Letters every Friday. Happy Reading!
Writing-We are writing fractured fairy tales and will finish those up this week. We will collect entries in our notebooks of things that are around us that we notice and what big idea it makes us realize or discover. We will push our thinking and draw conclusions as we write expository essays. We will also write in response to quotes that cause us to think deeply about life in general. This week we wrote about things we noticed and one person wrote about how much he hates his glasses. Even though he realizes that they help him, he still hates them. Those are some deep thoughts for a nine year old. We will continue to work on conventions like spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as we work on our craft of writing with specific details, similes, metaphors, and lots of reflective thinking.
Grammar/Word Study-We will continue to work on combining sentences and will use transition words and quotation marks appropriately in our writing.
Spelling-This week we will spell words with the suffixes ment, less, ful. (agreement, hopeful, priceless) Everyone will have some individual words as well. We will also practice words from prior spelling and patterns in our dictation sentences.
Vocabulary-Words with therm- and aud- are our focus this week . Thermal, thermometer, hypothermia, audio, auditory, and audience are some of our words this week. Go to quizlet.com to practice and use the word list with definitions from the homework packet.
Social Studies-We will be empresarios in Texas and will plan our settlement. We will think about our location and what resources we will need, and what skills we want our settlers to have. We have a lot of fun while we try to survive in old time Texas!
My family and I went to see the production of "Into the Woods" at Ridgeview Middle School tonight and it was amazing! They did a wonderful job on the sets and costumes. The acting and singing was incredible. Check it out on Sat. Feb. 6 and next week Feb. 11, 13, 14 at 6:30 in the RMS Cafe. $7.00 tickets.
Inline
Dates to Remember:
Saturday, Feb. 6-Painting for Paws Art Show and Meet Dogs-10:30-1:00
Monday, Feb. 8-Wear FCE shirts-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45.
Tuesday, Feb. 9-Library check out. Spring Pictures
Friday, Feb. 12-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts-Valentine's Day Party at 1:00
Monday, Feb. 15-No school for students
Have a great weekend! Thank you for sharing your child with me. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
We had a very busy week with two assemblies, a pen pal visit, and an early release day. The Mad Science Assembly is always lots of fun and we had a "hair raising" time. (especially Mia and Samantha who got to put their hands on the Van de Graaff generator!) We also enjoyed some awesome jump rope stars from Murchison Elementary. It was fun and helped to kick off our Jump Rope for Heart program.
Our pen pals are amazing and we enjoyed spending time with them on Tuesday. We talked to them about favorite people, places,and things and reasons that make these things special. We also made some Valentine crafts together and played games. It was great and we will see them again in April.
Don't forget that picture day is on Tuesday. This is our group photo and individual spring photos. Forms came home in Thursday folders. If you need another form, let me know and your child will bring one home on Monday.
Information for Six Flags Read to Succeed will come home on Monday. Remember, for class, your child is expected to read 20 minutes per night. Any time beyond that is considered recreational reading and can be counted for the Six Flags Program. Your child has until Tuesday, March 1 to read 6 hours recreationally. If your child reads this weekend toward their Six Flags reading, record it on their regular reading log and then write it on the blue form that will come home on Monday. Be sure to record on your class reading log also. Happy Reading and have fun at Six Flags!!!!!!
Welcome, Kaleigh! We are planning on having a new student on Monday. We are excited to meet Kaleigh and welcome her into our bat cave.
Our Valentine's Day Party will be on Friday, February 12 from 1:30-2:30. Your child is invited to pass out Valentines to friends. Remember, if you give valentines, be sure to give to everyone in class. Here is a list of our 21 students. Handmade valentines are great! More information about the party and a sign up genius will be emailed to you soon.
Ethan Samantha Ava Elise Riley Justin Aiden
Kendall Kaleigh Martin Shelby Brighton Shae Mia
Juliana Sofia Lorelai Ryne Hagan Joseph Cameron
Read about our week:
Reading-We finished up talking about traditional tales and will begin working with more non-fiction this coming week. We will also establish reading partners and will begin some book groups. We will learn about World War II through historical fiction and informational text. We will also look at text features and text structures to help with comprehension. Be sure to record reading on reading logs and turn them in with Reading Response Letters every Friday. Happy Reading!
Writing-We are writing fractured fairy tales and will finish those up this week. We will collect entries in our notebooks of things that are around us that we notice and what big idea it makes us realize or discover. We will push our thinking and draw conclusions as we write expository essays. We will also write in response to quotes that cause us to think deeply about life in general. This week we wrote about things we noticed and one person wrote about how much he hates his glasses. Even though he realizes that they help him, he still hates them. Those are some deep thoughts for a nine year old. We will continue to work on conventions like spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as we work on our craft of writing with specific details, similes, metaphors, and lots of reflective thinking.
Grammar/Word Study-We will continue to work on combining sentences and will use transition words and quotation marks appropriately in our writing.
Spelling-This week we will spell words with the suffixes ment, less, ful. (agreement, hopeful, priceless) Everyone will have some individual words as well. We will also practice words from prior spelling and patterns in our dictation sentences.
Vocabulary-Words with therm- and aud- are our focus this week . Thermal, thermometer, hypothermia, audio, auditory, and audience are some of our words this week. Go to quizlet.com to practice and use the word list with definitions from the homework packet.
Social Studies-We will be empresarios in Texas and will plan our settlement. We will think about our location and what resources we will need, and what skills we want our settlers to have. We have a lot of fun while we try to survive in old time Texas!
My family and I went to see the production of "Into the Woods" at Ridgeview Middle School tonight and it was amazing! They did a wonderful job on the sets and costumes. The acting and singing was incredible. Check it out on Sat. Feb. 6 and next week Feb. 11, 13, 14 at 6:30 in the RMS Cafe. $7.00 tickets.
Inline
Dates to Remember:
Saturday, Feb. 6-Painting for Paws Art Show and Meet Dogs-10:30-1:00
Monday, Feb. 8-Wear FCE shirts-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45.
Tuesday, Feb. 9-Library check out. Spring Pictures
Friday, Feb. 12-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts-Valentine's Day Party at 1:00
Monday, Feb. 15-No school for students
Have a great weekend! Thank you for sharing your child with me. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Newsletter
Hi,
We had a great week!
Monthly Reading Challenge Lunch was on Wednesday, January 27 during our lunch time. Most of the children from our two reading classes met the challenge! Congratulations! The February Reading Challenge is to read a historical fiction book. Happy Reading!!!!!
Bluebonnet Book Voting happened on Thursday and Friday. If you read at least 5 Bluebonnet Books, you were able to vote for your favorite. The Bluebonnet Breakfast will be after spring break. Be sure to keep reading them. You need to read 17 books to go to the breakfast. You can do it!!!!!
Science projects were due on Monday and the students worked hard on them. Thank you to the families who were able to come to the Math and Science Showcase on Thursday. It was a lot of fun and we learned a lot. Juliana won the estimation jar of M&Ms! Our science projects did well in the fair also!
Service Club Meeting on Feb. 1 from 2:45-3:45-The Service Club students will make bowls in Mrs. Arnold's room that will be donated to the Empty Bowl Project. All fourth and fifth graders are invited to come and be part of Service Club and make bowls. At another meeting, we will glaze the bowls.
Pen Pal Visit-Our pen pals will visit on Feb. 2 from 9:30-10:45. Come and meet our pen pals while we celebrate Valentine's Day with them.
Valentine's Day Party-Our party will be on Feb. 12 at 1:00. More information to come.
Remember-READING RESPONSE LETTERS DUE EVERY FRIDAY. Turn any missing letters in ASAP.
Read about our week:
Reading-We began reading traditional literature-fairy tales, trickster tales, and folk tales. We read Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude and discussed the characters, (traits, protagonist, antagonist, trickster), summary, and theme. We will learn some more about tall tales and plot/theme this week and we will write about a traditional tale read independently for our 20 Book Challenge. We will also read more non-fiction.
Writing-We are working on some original traditional tales and including all the characteristics that we've discussed while reading them. (setting, plot, antagonist, protagonist, conflict, climax, resolution). We will finish them this week and work on more expository writing as well as grammar and combining sentences.
Spelling- Last week we added endings to verbs to change the verb tense-(chase=chases, chasing and chased). This week we will continue to work on verb tense but will work with doubling the final consonant when adding the ending.
Vocabulary-We will work on homophones or words that sound the same, yet are spelled differently and have different meanings. .Go to quizlet.com to practice and look for the words in the homework packet.
Social Studies-We had so much fun simulating life on a Texas Mission. The children were the Native Americans and Mrs. Espinoza and I were the priests or nuns running the mission. They all had to work in silence as they listened to chants in the chapel, picked food (beans) in the fields, learned to write Spanish words, slept in the dormitory, and made (drawings) tools in the workhouse. It helped them realize what life could have been like in a mission. We will learn a bit more about missions then will study empressarios. We will even create a plan for our own settlements.
Dates to remember:
Monday, Feb. 1-Wear FCE shirts. Service Club meeting from 2:45-3:45 with Ms. Arnold making bowls for the Empty Bowl Project-Jumprope for Heart all week!
Tuesday, Feb. 2-Pen Pals coming at 9:30 in Art Room
Wednesday, Feb. 3-Early Release Day at 12:45
Friday, Feb. 5-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts-Jump Rope Performance at 9:30
Monday, Feb. 8-Wear FCE shirts-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45.
Tuesday, Feb. 9-Library check out. Spring Pictures
Friday, Feb. 12-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts-Valentine's Day Party at 1:00
Monday, Feb. 15-No school for students
Have a great weekend. Enjoy this beautiful weather! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
We had a great week!
Monthly Reading Challenge Lunch was on Wednesday, January 27 during our lunch time. Most of the children from our two reading classes met the challenge! Congratulations! The February Reading Challenge is to read a historical fiction book. Happy Reading!!!!!
Bluebonnet Book Voting happened on Thursday and Friday. If you read at least 5 Bluebonnet Books, you were able to vote for your favorite. The Bluebonnet Breakfast will be after spring break. Be sure to keep reading them. You need to read 17 books to go to the breakfast. You can do it!!!!!
Science projects were due on Monday and the students worked hard on them. Thank you to the families who were able to come to the Math and Science Showcase on Thursday. It was a lot of fun and we learned a lot. Juliana won the estimation jar of M&Ms! Our science projects did well in the fair also!
Service Club Meeting on Feb. 1 from 2:45-3:45-The Service Club students will make bowls in Mrs. Arnold's room that will be donated to the Empty Bowl Project. All fourth and fifth graders are invited to come and be part of Service Club and make bowls. At another meeting, we will glaze the bowls.
Pen Pal Visit-Our pen pals will visit on Feb. 2 from 9:30-10:45. Come and meet our pen pals while we celebrate Valentine's Day with them.
Valentine's Day Party-Our party will be on Feb. 12 at 1:00. More information to come.
Remember-READING RESPONSE LETTERS DUE EVERY FRIDAY. Turn any missing letters in ASAP.
Read about our week:
Reading-We began reading traditional literature-fairy tales, trickster tales, and folk tales. We read Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude and discussed the characters, (traits, protagonist, antagonist, trickster), summary, and theme. We will learn some more about tall tales and plot/theme this week and we will write about a traditional tale read independently for our 20 Book Challenge. We will also read more non-fiction.
Writing-We are working on some original traditional tales and including all the characteristics that we've discussed while reading them. (setting, plot, antagonist, protagonist, conflict, climax, resolution). We will finish them this week and work on more expository writing as well as grammar and combining sentences.
Spelling- Last week we added endings to verbs to change the verb tense-(chase=chases, chasing and chased). This week we will continue to work on verb tense but will work with doubling the final consonant when adding the ending.
Vocabulary-We will work on homophones or words that sound the same, yet are spelled differently and have different meanings. .Go to quizlet.com to practice and look for the words in the homework packet.
Social Studies-We had so much fun simulating life on a Texas Mission. The children were the Native Americans and Mrs. Espinoza and I were the priests or nuns running the mission. They all had to work in silence as they listened to chants in the chapel, picked food (beans) in the fields, learned to write Spanish words, slept in the dormitory, and made (drawings) tools in the workhouse. It helped them realize what life could have been like in a mission. We will learn a bit more about missions then will study empressarios. We will even create a plan for our own settlements.
Dates to remember:
Monday, Feb. 1-Wear FCE shirts. Service Club meeting from 2:45-3:45 with Ms. Arnold making bowls for the Empty Bowl Project-Jumprope for Heart all week!
Tuesday, Feb. 2-Pen Pals coming at 9:30 in Art Room
Wednesday, Feb. 3-Early Release Day at 12:45
Friday, Feb. 5-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts-Jump Rope Performance at 9:30
Monday, Feb. 8-Wear FCE shirts-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45.
Tuesday, Feb. 9-Library check out. Spring Pictures
Friday, Feb. 12-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts-Valentine's Day Party at 1:00
Monday, Feb. 15-No school for students
Have a great weekend. Enjoy this beautiful weather! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Friday, January 22, 2016
Newsletter
Hi,
We had a great week!
Monthly Reading Challenge Lunch will be on Wednesday, January 27 during our lunch time. The kids will bring their lunch or get a school lunch and we will provide some treats. Everyone will bring one of the books they read this month to share. To come to the lunch, each child needs to fill out a paper form for the biography that they read and also fill out a form (paper or goggle form) for one other book. I will send out electronic invitations either tonight or tomorrow to those who already completed the forms for biography and one other book. If your child doesn't receive an invitation, he/she has until Tuesday afternoon to get those forms to me. Happy Reading!!!!!
Science projects are due on Monday! Presentations will begin on Monday. Checkpoint #6 and the board or poster are due on Monday. I am excited to see these amazing projects!
Volunteer at the Round Rock Serving Center Tomorrow-We will volunteer at the Serving Center on Saturday, Jan. 23 from 9-10:30. We will take all the donated paperback books and will do whatever they need us to do. All are welcome to join us.
Service Club Meeting on Feb. 1 from 2:45-3:45-The Service Club students will make bowls in Mrs. Arnold's room that will be donated to the Empty Bowl Project. All fourth and fifth graders are invited to come and be part of Service Club and make bowls. At another meeting, we will glaze the bowls.
Talent Show-The FCE Talent Show will be tonight from 6:30-8:30. Come and see all of our amazing students perform as well as a surprise performance by some FCE teachers!
Science Fair and Math/Science Night-Thursday, Jan. 28 will be another awesome night at FCE. Come and play math games and view all the incredible science projects from 5-7.
Pen Pal Visit-Our pen pals will visit on Feb. 2 from 9:30-10:45. Come and meet our pen pals while we celebrate Valentine's Day with them.
Valentine's Day Party-Our party will be on Feb. 12 at 1:00. More information to come.
Remember-READING RESPONSE LETTERS DUE EVERY FRIDAY. Turn any missing letters in ASAP.
Read about our week:
Reading-We began reading traditional literature-fairy tales, trickster tales, and folk tales. The book, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, was read together and we discussed the protagonist and antagonist and their character traits. We also did a reader's theater called The Sticky Coyote which is a trickster tale. We will continue with more fairy tales, folk tales and other traditional literature. We will create story mountains to show the progression of the story, continue to discuss character traits, and continue to discuss theme or author's message in what we read. Be sure to talk to your child about these things when you are discussing books with him/her.
Writing- We took a STAAR Ready Writing test on Wednesday and will use data from that assessment to drive our instruction. We also read a wonderful short story by Sandra Ciseneros called Eleven and discussed how she used specific details and slowed down the heart of the story to make the reader feel like they were in the story. We will practice this while writing our own fairy tales this week.
Spelling-This week we will work on words ending in -ian. This week we will add endings to verbs to change the verb tense-(chase=chases, chasing and chased)We will also have individual words.
Vocabulary-We talked about words that deal with traditional literature. These words are tricky and we didn't have enough time with the shorter week and the STAAR Ready testing to go over them enough. We will continue with these words and will have the test on Friday, Jan. 29.Go to quizlet.com to practice and look for the words in the homework packet.
Social Studies-We are almost done with our explorers poster and will begin learning about missions on Tuesday.
Dates to remember:
Friday, Jan. 22-FCE Talent Show-6:30-8:30
Saturday, Jan. 23-Volunteer at the Round Rock Serving Center from 9:00-10:30.
Monday, Jan. 25-Wear FCE shirts-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45.
Tuesday, Jan. 26-Monthly Reading Challenge papers and forms due, Library check out.
Wednesday, Jan. 27-Monthly Reading Challenge lunch in library with a few treats.
Thursday, Jan. 28-Math and Science Night-(Science Fair) 5-7 pm
Friday, Jan. 29-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts
Monday, Feb. 1-Wear FCE shirts. Service Club meeting from 2:45-3:45 with Ms. Arnold making bowls for the Empty Bowl Project
Have a great weekend. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
We had a great week!
Monthly Reading Challenge Lunch will be on Wednesday, January 27 during our lunch time. The kids will bring their lunch or get a school lunch and we will provide some treats. Everyone will bring one of the books they read this month to share. To come to the lunch, each child needs to fill out a paper form for the biography that they read and also fill out a form (paper or goggle form) for one other book. I will send out electronic invitations either tonight or tomorrow to those who already completed the forms for biography and one other book. If your child doesn't receive an invitation, he/she has until Tuesday afternoon to get those forms to me. Happy Reading!!!!!
Science projects are due on Monday! Presentations will begin on Monday. Checkpoint #6 and the board or poster are due on Monday. I am excited to see these amazing projects!
Volunteer at the Round Rock Serving Center Tomorrow-We will volunteer at the Serving Center on Saturday, Jan. 23 from 9-10:30. We will take all the donated paperback books and will do whatever they need us to do. All are welcome to join us.
Service Club Meeting on Feb. 1 from 2:45-3:45-The Service Club students will make bowls in Mrs. Arnold's room that will be donated to the Empty Bowl Project. All fourth and fifth graders are invited to come and be part of Service Club and make bowls. At another meeting, we will glaze the bowls.
Talent Show-The FCE Talent Show will be tonight from 6:30-8:30. Come and see all of our amazing students perform as well as a surprise performance by some FCE teachers!
Science Fair and Math/Science Night-Thursday, Jan. 28 will be another awesome night at FCE. Come and play math games and view all the incredible science projects from 5-7.
Pen Pal Visit-Our pen pals will visit on Feb. 2 from 9:30-10:45. Come and meet our pen pals while we celebrate Valentine's Day with them.
Valentine's Day Party-Our party will be on Feb. 12 at 1:00. More information to come.
Remember-READING RESPONSE LETTERS DUE EVERY FRIDAY. Turn any missing letters in ASAP.
Read about our week:
Reading-We began reading traditional literature-fairy tales, trickster tales, and folk tales. The book, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, was read together and we discussed the protagonist and antagonist and their character traits. We also did a reader's theater called The Sticky Coyote which is a trickster tale. We will continue with more fairy tales, folk tales and other traditional literature. We will create story mountains to show the progression of the story, continue to discuss character traits, and continue to discuss theme or author's message in what we read. Be sure to talk to your child about these things when you are discussing books with him/her.
Writing- We took a STAAR Ready Writing test on Wednesday and will use data from that assessment to drive our instruction. We also read a wonderful short story by Sandra Ciseneros called Eleven and discussed how she used specific details and slowed down the heart of the story to make the reader feel like they were in the story. We will practice this while writing our own fairy tales this week.
Spelling-This week we will work on words ending in -ian. This week we will add endings to verbs to change the verb tense-(chase=chases, chasing and chased)We will also have individual words.
Vocabulary-We talked about words that deal with traditional literature. These words are tricky and we didn't have enough time with the shorter week and the STAAR Ready testing to go over them enough. We will continue with these words and will have the test on Friday, Jan. 29.Go to quizlet.com to practice and look for the words in the homework packet.
Social Studies-We are almost done with our explorers poster and will begin learning about missions on Tuesday.
Dates to remember:
Friday, Jan. 22-FCE Talent Show-6:30-8:30
Saturday, Jan. 23-Volunteer at the Round Rock Serving Center from 9:00-10:30.
Monday, Jan. 25-Wear FCE shirts-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45.
Tuesday, Jan. 26-Monthly Reading Challenge papers and forms due, Library check out.
Wednesday, Jan. 27-Monthly Reading Challenge lunch in library with a few treats.
Thursday, Jan. 28-Math and Science Night-(Science Fair) 5-7 pm
Friday, Jan. 29-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts
Monday, Feb. 1-Wear FCE shirts. Service Club meeting from 2:45-3:45 with Ms. Arnold making bowls for the Empty Bowl Project
Have a great weekend. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Newsletter-Jan. 18
Hi,
Libraries of Love-Thank you for your support of donations of books and money for the Walk to Read Event for Libraries of Love. We had a good turnout for our event and beautiful weather. You can still donate this week. Thank you again for helping children in Uganda, Africa learn to read and achieve success.
UIL Teams-We had a great UIL competition on Saturday. Two of our fourth graders competed in Ready Writing. Kelton K. won 1st place and Sofia S. won 2nd place. Our school earned the most points in our division! Look at this link for details. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cD2W5qdq2I4aOgMEj2OlMVe_eu-40-1MVNrYGu5m-TY/edit?ts=569d4752#slide=id.gf5e2469c7_0_274 Be sure to join UIL next year!
Volunteer at the Round Rock Serving Center-We will volunteer at the Serving Center on Saturday, Jan. 23 from 9-10:30. We will take all the donated paperback books and will do whatever they need us to do. All are welcome to join us.
Talent Show-The FCE Talent Show will be on Friday from 6:30-8:30. Come and see all of our amazing students perform as well as a surprise performance by some FCE teachers!
Science Fair and Math/Science Night-Thursday, Jan. 28 will be another awesome night at FCE. Come and play math games and view all the incredible science projects from 5-7.
Reptile Assembly-We had a great time learning about reptiles and seeing them up close. Thank you PTA for providing us with this amazing assembly.
Remember-READING RESPONSE LETTERS DUE EVERY FRIDAY. Turn any missing letters in ASAP.
Read about our week:
Reading-We read more biographies, more about Martin Luther King, Jr., and civil rights. We read a book written by Dr. King's sister telling about Martin as a child and how he vowed to make a difference in the world. We also read Ruth and the Green Book that told about a book created to help African American travelers find places to eat, sleep, and shop during the years of segregation. We used post-its to keep tracks of our thinking as we read and answers questions about character traits and theme. This week we will read traditional literature-fairy tales, trickster tales, and folk tales.
Spelling-Last week, we worked on words ending in tion. This week we will work on words ending in -ian. When you add that suffix to many words, it changes the word from a noun to someone who works with that noun. For example-magic changes to magician, music to musician, and comedy to comedian. We will also have individual words.
Vocabulary-Last week, we learned character trait words and this week we will learn words that deal with traditional literature. Go to quizlet.com to practice and look for the words in the homework packet.
Social Studies-We are completing a quick project about the TX Explorers and will begin learning about missions soon.
Dates to remember:
Wednesday, Jan. 20-STAAR Ready Writing Test-Be sure to eat breakfast, bring a snack and water bottle, and go to bed early on Tuesday. Most of all do your best and put forth lots of effort.
Friday, Jan. 22-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts. FCE Talent Show-6:30-8:30
Saturday, Jan. 23-Volunteer at the Round Rock Serving Center from 9:00-10:30.
Monday, Jan. 25-Wear FCE shirts-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45.
Tuesday, Jan. 26-Monthly Reading Challenge papers and forms due.
Wednesday, Jan. 27-Monthly Reading Challenge lunch in library with a few treats.
Thursday, Jan. 28-Math and Science Night-(Science Fair) 5-7 pm
Friday, Jan. 29-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts
Hope you had a great MLK Day. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Libraries of Love-Thank you for your support of donations of books and money for the Walk to Read Event for Libraries of Love. We had a good turnout for our event and beautiful weather. You can still donate this week. Thank you again for helping children in Uganda, Africa learn to read and achieve success.
UIL Teams-We had a great UIL competition on Saturday. Two of our fourth graders competed in Ready Writing. Kelton K. won 1st place and Sofia S. won 2nd place. Our school earned the most points in our division! Look at this link for details. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cD2W5qdq2I4aOgMEj2OlMVe_eu-40-1MVNrYGu5m-TY/edit?ts=569d4752#slide=id.gf5e2469c7_0_274 Be sure to join UIL next year!
Volunteer at the Round Rock Serving Center-We will volunteer at the Serving Center on Saturday, Jan. 23 from 9-10:30. We will take all the donated paperback books and will do whatever they need us to do. All are welcome to join us.
Talent Show-The FCE Talent Show will be on Friday from 6:30-8:30. Come and see all of our amazing students perform as well as a surprise performance by some FCE teachers!
Science Fair and Math/Science Night-Thursday, Jan. 28 will be another awesome night at FCE. Come and play math games and view all the incredible science projects from 5-7.
Reptile Assembly-We had a great time learning about reptiles and seeing them up close. Thank you PTA for providing us with this amazing assembly.
Remember-READING RESPONSE LETTERS DUE EVERY FRIDAY. Turn any missing letters in ASAP.
Read about our week:
Reading-We read more biographies, more about Martin Luther King, Jr., and civil rights. We read a book written by Dr. King's sister telling about Martin as a child and how he vowed to make a difference in the world. We also read Ruth and the Green Book that told about a book created to help African American travelers find places to eat, sleep, and shop during the years of segregation. We used post-its to keep tracks of our thinking as we read and answers questions about character traits and theme. This week we will read traditional literature-fairy tales, trickster tales, and folk tales.
Spelling-Last week, we worked on words ending in tion. This week we will work on words ending in -ian. When you add that suffix to many words, it changes the word from a noun to someone who works with that noun. For example-magic changes to magician, music to musician, and comedy to comedian. We will also have individual words.
Vocabulary-Last week, we learned character trait words and this week we will learn words that deal with traditional literature. Go to quizlet.com to practice and look for the words in the homework packet.
Social Studies-We are completing a quick project about the TX Explorers and will begin learning about missions soon.
Dates to remember:
Wednesday, Jan. 20-STAAR Ready Writing Test-Be sure to eat breakfast, bring a snack and water bottle, and go to bed early on Tuesday. Most of all do your best and put forth lots of effort.
Friday, Jan. 22-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts. FCE Talent Show-6:30-8:30
Saturday, Jan. 23-Volunteer at the Round Rock Serving Center from 9:00-10:30.
Monday, Jan. 25-Wear FCE shirts-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45.
Tuesday, Jan. 26-Monthly Reading Challenge papers and forms due.
Wednesday, Jan. 27-Monthly Reading Challenge lunch in library with a few treats.
Thursday, Jan. 28-Math and Science Night-(Science Fair) 5-7 pm
Friday, Jan. 29-Spelling test, Vocabulary test, Reading Response letters due, Reading Logs due, Wear college shirts
Hope you had a great MLK Day. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Newsletter
Hi,
We had a great week back to school. It was wonderful to see everyone after the break. I was especially excited to hear about all the reading that was done over the break! Keep up the amazing work!
Walk to Read Event on MLK Day, January 18 at 2:00 pm. Donate money and gently used hard back books to Libraries of Love in Uganda, Africa. Plan to come to school for our Walk to Read Event on MLK Day and save your coins and hard back books. Check out this site to learn more about Libraries of Love. https://librariesoflove.wordpress.com/ This organization was created by a former RRISD librarian named Trudy Marshall. She was in Uganda and was talking to some kids about books. She learned that going to school was a huge challenge and the schools had no libraries and hardly any books at all. She continues to work hard to change that and has established 36 libraries in schools there since 2005. Ms. Marshall is back in Uganda, but her daughter will come to our event on Monday as a guest speaker. Thank you in advance for your support.
20 Book Reading Challenge-Everyone is progressing well on the 20 Book Challenge. Don't forget this month's challenge is to read a biography or autobiography AND a book of his/her personal choice. A form for each book (either google on line or paper copy) is due the last week of January. Keep reading!!!
Writing Club will be on Monday from 2:45-3:45.
Read about our week:
Reading-Civil Rights was our focus this week. We read about the Sylvia Mendez case in California in which she won the right to go to her neighborhood school instead of the Mexican school. We also read and discussed Brown vs. the Board of Education in Topeka which made segregation illegal in public schools in America. The Story of Ruby Bridges was our focus on Friday and we learned about a brave girl's struggle to go to school. We will continue practicing reading skills while learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Thurgood Marshall next week.
Writing-We wrote about our holiday break and wrote our interpretation of a quote about snowflakes. (Like snowflakes, the human pattern is never cast twice.) We also worked on identifying complete sentences and revising and editing. We will write more expository pieces next week.
Social Studies-We are learning about explorers in Texas.
Homework packets will come home on Monday. Character traits will be our vocabulary this week and we will work on words ending with ion in spelling.
Dates to Remember:
Monday, January 11-Wear FCE shirts. Writing Club from 2:45-3:45.
Tuesday, January 12-Library Check-out
Fri, January 15-Wear college t-shirts, Spelling and vocabulary test. Homework packet and reading response letter are due. Turn in reading logs.
Monday, January 18, 2016- No school for students. Walk to Read Event for Libraries of Love in Uganda. Come to the FCE Library at 2:00 with a hard-back book to donate. We will learn more about Libraries of Love from our guest speaker, then walk the track like the kids in Uganda walk for miles to go to school. We will stop walking and read our books then we will donate them. Thank you so much for coming and supporting this cause.
Friday, January 22, 2016-Wear college shirts, spelling and vocabulary tests, Reading Response letters due. Homework packet due. FCE Talent Show at 6:30.
Saturday, January 23, 2016-Volunteer at the Round Rock Serving Center from 9-10:30.
Have a great weekend! Happy New Year! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am excited for 2016 and a great rest of 4th grade with your child.
Sincerely,
Pam
We had a great week back to school. It was wonderful to see everyone after the break. I was especially excited to hear about all the reading that was done over the break! Keep up the amazing work!
Walk to Read Event on MLK Day, January 18 at 2:00 pm. Donate money and gently used hard back books to Libraries of Love in Uganda, Africa. Plan to come to school for our Walk to Read Event on MLK Day and save your coins and hard back books. Check out this site to learn more about Libraries of Love. https://librariesoflove.wordpress.com/ This organization was created by a former RRISD librarian named Trudy Marshall. She was in Uganda and was talking to some kids about books. She learned that going to school was a huge challenge and the schools had no libraries and hardly any books at all. She continues to work hard to change that and has established 36 libraries in schools there since 2005. Ms. Marshall is back in Uganda, but her daughter will come to our event on Monday as a guest speaker. Thank you in advance for your support.
20 Book Reading Challenge-Everyone is progressing well on the 20 Book Challenge. Don't forget this month's challenge is to read a biography or autobiography AND a book of his/her personal choice. A form for each book (either google on line or paper copy) is due the last week of January. Keep reading!!!
Writing Club will be on Monday from 2:45-3:45.
Read about our week:
Reading-Civil Rights was our focus this week. We read about the Sylvia Mendez case in California in which she won the right to go to her neighborhood school instead of the Mexican school. We also read and discussed Brown vs. the Board of Education in Topeka which made segregation illegal in public schools in America. The Story of Ruby Bridges was our focus on Friday and we learned about a brave girl's struggle to go to school. We will continue practicing reading skills while learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Thurgood Marshall next week.
Writing-We wrote about our holiday break and wrote our interpretation of a quote about snowflakes. (Like snowflakes, the human pattern is never cast twice.) We also worked on identifying complete sentences and revising and editing. We will write more expository pieces next week.
Social Studies-We are learning about explorers in Texas.
Homework packets will come home on Monday. Character traits will be our vocabulary this week and we will work on words ending with ion in spelling.
Dates to Remember:
Monday, January 11-Wear FCE shirts. Writing Club from 2:45-3:45.
Tuesday, January 12-Library Check-out
Fri, January 15-Wear college t-shirts, Spelling and vocabulary test. Homework packet and reading response letter are due. Turn in reading logs.
Monday, January 18, 2016- No school for students. Walk to Read Event for Libraries of Love in Uganda. Come to the FCE Library at 2:00 with a hard-back book to donate. We will learn more about Libraries of Love from our guest speaker, then walk the track like the kids in Uganda walk for miles to go to school. We will stop walking and read our books then we will donate them. Thank you so much for coming and supporting this cause.
Friday, January 22, 2016-Wear college shirts, spelling and vocabulary tests, Reading Response letters due. Homework packet due. FCE Talent Show at 6:30.
Saturday, January 23, 2016-Volunteer at the Round Rock Serving Center from 9-10:30.
Have a great weekend! Happy New Year! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am excited for 2016 and a great rest of 4th grade with your child.
Sincerely,
Pam
Friday, January 1, 2016
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
I hope that your holiday break was wonderful and that you had the opportunity to spend time with family and friends. It is hard to believe that the school year is half over. We have worked hard and learned a lot so far, but we still have a lot of fun and hard work ahead of us. I know that your child will be ready to return to school and excited about new goals and challenges. It is going to be a great year.
Service Club meets on Tuesday from 2:45-3:45-We will have a Service Club meeting on Tuesday so that we can finish planning our Walk to Read Event for Libraries of Love in Uganda, Africa. Plan to come to school for our Walk to Read Event on MLK Day and save your coins and hard back books. More information will come soon.
20 Book Reading Challenge-I am excited to hear about all the reading that was done over break. I just finished my third book last night. I read Wild by Cheryl Strayed which is also a movie. It was a inspirational book, which made me want to go hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I am now reading some more Bluebonnet books and will start a book by Amy Tan. Our monthly challenge for January is to read a biography or autobiography AND a personal choice book. This will be due during the last week of January and we will have our special monthly challenge lunch. Be sure to keep a list of books finished and the HOLIDAY READING LOG is due on Tuesday, January 5. Prizes will be chosen by everyone who read at least 200 minutes. Be sure a parent or guardian signs the reading log. If the log was missplaced, write the days, titles, and times read with a parent signature and return on Tuesday.
Holiday Party-Thank you to Mrs. Bannister and everyone who helped or donated items for our holiday party. It was a great success and we all had a fun time celebrating together.
Read about our week:
Reading-We will continue to read some more biographies this week and learn about the characteristics of Literary Nonfiction. We will also read some books about Civil Rights.
Writing-We will write about our holiday break and continue to revise, elaborate, and organize our expository and narrative writing pieces. We will also write our opinions and interpretations of quotes. Run on sentences and sentence fragments will be a focus for us and we will also continue using a color coded system to edit our work.
Social Studies-We will learn about explorers in Texas.
There will be no spelling or vocabulary words this week. There is also no homework packet this week. Be sure to read and practice math facts daily. READING RESPONSE LETTER IS DUE ON FRIDAY.
Dates to Remember:
Monday, January 4-no school for students
Tuesday, January 5-Welcome Back to school. Holiday Reading Logs due.(200 minutes due-bring list of finished books) Service Club Meeting 2:45-3:45
Fri, January 8-Wear college t-shirts, no spelling or vocabulary test. READING RESPONSE LETTER IS DUE.
Monday, January 11, 2016- Wear FCE shirts, Writing Club from 2:45-3:45
Friday, January 15, 2016-Wear college shirts, spelling and vocabulary tests, Reading Response letters due. Homework packet due.
Monday, January 17-No School-MLK Day-Come to our Walk to Read Event for Libraries of Love at FCE-more information to come
Have a great weekend! Happy New Year! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am excited for 2016 and a great rest of 4th grade with your child.
Sincerely,
Pam
--
Pam Bartholomew
4th Grade Teacher
Forest Creek Elementary School
Round Rock,TX 78664
512-464-5388
I hope that your holiday break was wonderful and that you had the opportunity to spend time with family and friends. It is hard to believe that the school year is half over. We have worked hard and learned a lot so far, but we still have a lot of fun and hard work ahead of us. I know that your child will be ready to return to school and excited about new goals and challenges. It is going to be a great year.
Service Club meets on Tuesday from 2:45-3:45-We will have a Service Club meeting on Tuesday so that we can finish planning our Walk to Read Event for Libraries of Love in Uganda, Africa. Plan to come to school for our Walk to Read Event on MLK Day and save your coins and hard back books. More information will come soon.
20 Book Reading Challenge-I am excited to hear about all the reading that was done over break. I just finished my third book last night. I read Wild by Cheryl Strayed which is also a movie. It was a inspirational book, which made me want to go hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I am now reading some more Bluebonnet books and will start a book by Amy Tan. Our monthly challenge for January is to read a biography or autobiography AND a personal choice book. This will be due during the last week of January and we will have our special monthly challenge lunch. Be sure to keep a list of books finished and the HOLIDAY READING LOG is due on Tuesday, January 5. Prizes will be chosen by everyone who read at least 200 minutes. Be sure a parent or guardian signs the reading log. If the log was missplaced, write the days, titles, and times read with a parent signature and return on Tuesday.
Holiday Party-Thank you to Mrs. Bannister and everyone who helped or donated items for our holiday party. It was a great success and we all had a fun time celebrating together.
Read about our week:
Reading-We will continue to read some more biographies this week and learn about the characteristics of Literary Nonfiction. We will also read some books about Civil Rights.
Writing-We will write about our holiday break and continue to revise, elaborate, and organize our expository and narrative writing pieces. We will also write our opinions and interpretations of quotes. Run on sentences and sentence fragments will be a focus for us and we will also continue using a color coded system to edit our work.
Social Studies-We will learn about explorers in Texas.
There will be no spelling or vocabulary words this week. There is also no homework packet this week. Be sure to read and practice math facts daily. READING RESPONSE LETTER IS DUE ON FRIDAY.
Dates to Remember:
Monday, January 4-no school for students
Tuesday, January 5-Welcome Back to school. Holiday Reading Logs due.(200 minutes due-bring list of finished books) Service Club Meeting 2:45-3:45
Fri, January 8-Wear college t-shirts, no spelling or vocabulary test. READING RESPONSE LETTER IS DUE.
Monday, January 11, 2016- Wear FCE shirts, Writing Club from 2:45-3:45
Friday, January 15, 2016-Wear college shirts, spelling and vocabulary tests, Reading Response letters due. Homework packet due.
Monday, January 17-No School-MLK Day-Come to our Walk to Read Event for Libraries of Love at FCE-more information to come
Have a great weekend! Happy New Year! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am excited for 2016 and a great rest of 4th grade with your child.
Sincerely,
Pam
--
Pam Bartholomew
4th Grade Teacher
Forest Creek Elementary School
Round Rock,TX 78664
512-464-5388
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