Hi, Jan. 18, 2015
Come to our Walk to Read Event on Monday, Jan. 19 at 2:00 at Forest Creek Elementary! We will meet in the library for a short presentation about Libraries of Love in Uganda, Africa. Then we will go outside with a hardback book to donate. We will walk a few laps, stop and read our books together, then walk a few more laps. Monetary donations will also be accepted. So far, we over 300 books and $414 has been donated! Come and help us help the children in Africa.
Talent Show is on Thursday, January 22 at 6:30 pm. It will be a wonderful show! Come and enjoy!
We will have an Author Visit on Friday. Kate Klise will be at Forest Creek on Friday to do writing workshops with our fourth graders. We are very excited to meet her and learn about her techniques for writing.
In reading this week, we learned more about traditional literature and learned a bit about the Civil Rights Movement. We read a play called The Sticky Coyote about a trickster and a tall tale called Stormalong. We practiced fluency and reading with expression using a tale of King Midas and the Golden Touch. The story elements (setting, plot, conflict, rising action, climax, resolution, and theme, characters-antagonist and protagonist) were discussed in many different books this week. We also read an article about Brown vs. Board of Education and the book, My Brother Martin, which is about Dr. Martin Luther King. We read The Story of Ruby Bridges, which is about school desegregation. We started new literature circles with novels that deal with civil rights issues and will be reading them, writing about them, and discussing them in groups.
In writing, we used mentor texts (Owl Moon and Papa, Who Woke Up Tired in the Dark) to discuss word choice, character changes, and setting. We noticed the effectiveness of slowing down the most important part of the story by adding specific details. Then we practiced in our own personal narrative entries. We will work hard to draft, conference, revise, edit, and publish this week.
In social studies, we role played life in a mission. I was the Spanish priest who ran the mission and the students were the Native Americans. They were able to experience how challenging it could have been to work in the field (picking beans off the floor), learn the Spanish language (writing Spanish words repeatedly), sleep in the dormitory (lying on the floor), make tools (drawing farm and cooking tools), and convert to Catholicism (listening to Gregorian chants on the computer). We had some interesting discussions after the activity about the viewpoints of the Native Americans and how it could have been hard for some to live in the missions, however, the missions helped others to survive. We will learn about the Mexican Revolution and the Austins in Texas this week.
Dates to Remember:
Monday, January 19, 2015-MLK Day No School-Walk to Read Event at 2:00 at FCE
Tuesday, January 20, 2015-Tutorials at 2:45-3:45, Reading logs due
Wednesday, January 21, 2015-Summary and Response due
Thursday, January 22, 2015-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45, Talent Show at 6:30 pm
Friday, January 23, 2015-Summary and Response due, Vocabulary test, Spelling test
Hope you had a great weekend and look forward to seeing you at Walk to Read at 2:00 pm!
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Monday, January 19, 2015
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Newsletter
Hi,
We had a great first week of 2015! It was wonderful to see everyone and hear all about the break. The weather has been a little crazy. Stay warm!
Walk to Read for Libraries of Love
Our school is participating in a Walk to Read Event on MLK Day January 19. Come to school at 2:00 and we will have a short presentation and then go to the track to walk. We will stop and read our hard back book then walk a bit more before donating the books to build libraries in Uganda, Africa. All friends and family are welcome to the walk. Monetary donations and more gently used or new hard back books are being accepted. We hope you can make it!
Author Visit on Friday, January 23
Kate Klise is coming to do a writing workshop with our fourth graders. Order forms for her books came home on Friday. All books purchased will be autographed by Kate Klise. Read more about her at http://www.kateandsarahklise.com/. It's going to be great!
Reading-We are reading traditional tales and determining the theme with text evidence.We are also examining characters and the way they change, feel, act, as well as their relationships with others. We wrote about characteristics of fairy tales like beginning with Once Upon a Time and ending with Happily Ever After, magic, royalty, good vs. evil, groups of 3 and 7, etc... We compared and contrasted Cinderella stories from around the world. We read a story within a story called Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude and discussed it in literature circles. We will continue next week reading some fables, tall tales, trickster tales. We will also begin learning more about Civil Rights and begin reading novels and discussing them literature circles.
Writing-We are continuing to work with conventions using mentor sentences and will continue to work on revising and editing. We will be writing more personal narratives and work on improving them. We will also write some fantasy stories or fractured fairy tales.
Social Studies-We finished learning about explorers in Texas and are beginning to study missions, presidios, and early towns.
Dates to Remember:
Monday, January 12-Reading Log due, No Tutorials due to a district meeting
Tuesday, January 13-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, PTA Meeting
Wednesday, January 14-Reading Response and Summary due
Thursday, January 15-Service Club meeting 2:45-3:45
Friday, January 16-Reading Response and Summary due, Spelling and Vocabulary tests
Monday, January 19-No school, MLK Day, Walk to Read Event for Libraries of Love at 2 pm at FCE-bring a hard cover book and your donation envelopes
Have a wonderful weekend! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
We had a great first week of 2015! It was wonderful to see everyone and hear all about the break. The weather has been a little crazy. Stay warm!
Walk to Read for Libraries of Love
Our school is participating in a Walk to Read Event on MLK Day January 19. Come to school at 2:00 and we will have a short presentation and then go to the track to walk. We will stop and read our hard back book then walk a bit more before donating the books to build libraries in Uganda, Africa. All friends and family are welcome to the walk. Monetary donations and more gently used or new hard back books are being accepted. We hope you can make it!
Author Visit on Friday, January 23
Kate Klise is coming to do a writing workshop with our fourth graders. Order forms for her books came home on Friday. All books purchased will be autographed by Kate Klise. Read more about her at http://www.kateandsarahklise.com/. It's going to be great!
Reading-We are reading traditional tales and determining the theme with text evidence.We are also examining characters and the way they change, feel, act, as well as their relationships with others. We wrote about characteristics of fairy tales like beginning with Once Upon a Time and ending with Happily Ever After, magic, royalty, good vs. evil, groups of 3 and 7, etc... We compared and contrasted Cinderella stories from around the world. We read a story within a story called Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude and discussed it in literature circles. We will continue next week reading some fables, tall tales, trickster tales. We will also begin learning more about Civil Rights and begin reading novels and discussing them literature circles.
Writing-We are continuing to work with conventions using mentor sentences and will continue to work on revising and editing. We will be writing more personal narratives and work on improving them. We will also write some fantasy stories or fractured fairy tales.
Social Studies-We finished learning about explorers in Texas and are beginning to study missions, presidios, and early towns.
Dates to Remember:
Monday, January 12-Reading Log due, No Tutorials due to a district meeting
Tuesday, January 13-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, PTA Meeting
Wednesday, January 14-Reading Response and Summary due
Thursday, January 15-Service Club meeting 2:45-3:45
Friday, January 16-Reading Response and Summary due, Spelling and Vocabulary tests
Monday, January 19-No school, MLK Day, Walk to Read Event for Libraries of Love at 2 pm at FCE-bring a hard cover book and your donation envelopes
Have a wonderful weekend! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! January 3, 2015
I hope that this finds you all well and ready for a wonderful 2015! I had a great break and traveled to Philadelphia to see family and friends, but now I am excited about our second half of fourth grade! I can't wait to see everyone and hear about their adventures and goals for the rest of the school year.
Reading Challenge Logs are due on Tuesday, January 6. Each child was required to read at least 200 minutes over the break and should record it on their log. If the log was misplaced, please write your total minutes on paper with parent signature. It will be fun to talk about all the books we read during break!
If you are still logging in your reading minutes, don't forget to check out the free ebooks from the FCE library. Go to http://www.forestcreeklibrary.com/ and click on Follett Shelf to find tons of online books. To log in, use your regular computer log-in (letter s with 6 digit id number, password is birthdate (two digit month, two digit day, four digit year).
I-Station is also an excellent way to practice lots of reading and language skills. Remember, you can always use I-Station minutes for your reading log!
Dates to Remember:
Tuesday, January 6, 2015-Return to school, Reading Log due (200 minutes)Tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Wednesday, January 7, 2015-Summary and Response due
Thursday, January 8, 2015-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45, Family Fun Night at Jason's Deli
Friday, January 9, 2015-Summary and Response due, Spelling test, Vocabulary test
Monday, January 12, 2015-Reading Log due, Tutorials from 2;45-3:45
Tuesday, January 13, 2015-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, PTA Meeting at 6:30
Wednesday, January 14, 2015-Summary and Response due
Thursday, January 15, 2015-Service Club meeting from 2:45-3:45, Report Cards in Thursday folders
Friday, January 16, 2015-Summary and Response due, Vocabulary test, spelling test, Talent Show Auditions at 3:00
Monday, January 19, 2015-No school-MLK DAY of Service-Walk to Read Event at 2:00 on the FCE track-donate money and books for Libraries of Love in Uganda, Africa.
Have a wonderful weekend! I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!!!!
Sincerely,
Pam
I hope that this finds you all well and ready for a wonderful 2015! I had a great break and traveled to Philadelphia to see family and friends, but now I am excited about our second half of fourth grade! I can't wait to see everyone and hear about their adventures and goals for the rest of the school year.
Reading Challenge Logs are due on Tuesday, January 6. Each child was required to read at least 200 minutes over the break and should record it on their log. If the log was misplaced, please write your total minutes on paper with parent signature. It will be fun to talk about all the books we read during break!
If you are still logging in your reading minutes, don't forget to check out the free ebooks from the FCE library. Go to http://www.forestcreeklibrary.com/ and click on Follett Shelf to find tons of online books. To log in, use your regular computer log-in (letter s with 6 digit id number, password is birthdate (two digit month, two digit day, four digit year).
I-Station is also an excellent way to practice lots of reading and language skills. Remember, you can always use I-Station minutes for your reading log!
Dates to Remember:
Tuesday, January 6, 2015-Return to school, Reading Log due (200 minutes)Tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Wednesday, January 7, 2015-Summary and Response due
Thursday, January 8, 2015-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45, Family Fun Night at Jason's Deli
Friday, January 9, 2015-Summary and Response due, Spelling test, Vocabulary test
Monday, January 12, 2015-Reading Log due, Tutorials from 2;45-3:45
Tuesday, January 13, 2015-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, PTA Meeting at 6:30
Wednesday, January 14, 2015-Summary and Response due
Thursday, January 15, 2015-Service Club meeting from 2:45-3:45, Report Cards in Thursday folders
Friday, January 16, 2015-Summary and Response due, Vocabulary test, spelling test, Talent Show Auditions at 3:00
Monday, January 19, 2015-No school-MLK DAY of Service-Walk to Read Event at 2:00 on the FCE track-donate money and books for Libraries of Love in Uganda, Africa.
Have a wonderful weekend! I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!!!!
Sincerely,
Pam
Friday, December 5, 2014
Newsletter
Hi,
I hope you had a fun holiday with lots of family time. I had a relaxing, yet productive week, but am happy to be back in school with your children. We had a great week!
Scholastic Book Orders
I will submit a Scholastic Book Order for our class on Sunday. The items will be delivered before our holiday break. Have fun doing some holiday shopping! Go to https://clubs2.scholastic.com. Our classroom code is GYTDB.
Passport to Adventure Literacy Night
Forest Creek will be having its annual “Passport to Adventure” Literacy Night on
Thursday, December 11, 2014 from 5-7pm. Mark your calendar to come and enjoy
stories from around the world and fun activities, including a multicultural fair in the gym.
Promise Pizza will be available to purchase for $1 per slice. Round Rock’s Ballet
Folklorico will close the Literacy Night activities with a performance at 6:30pm.
Parents: Can you share something about your family’s country of origin for Literacy
Night? Maybe there is a game from your country, or special clothes, dancing, or type of artwork. If you would like to reserve a table at the multicultural fair to share
this rich culture, please call or email Mrs. Mariah Smith at 464-5359 or
Mariah_Smith@roundrockisd.org. Thanks so much.
Talented and Gifted Referrals
TAG Referral Packets will be available for downloading from the RRISD Gifted and Advanced Academic Services website. Referral forms are due in the Forest Creek office no later than Tuesday, December 9th at 2:45 pm. A TAG referral informational Powerpoint is available on the Forest Creek Parent Resources page. Only hard copies of the referral form will be accepted. Contact our TAG teachers with questions: Julie_Washburn@roundrockisd.org or Katharine_Riedlinger@roundrockisd.org.
Winter Party
Our classroom’s winter party will be on Thursday, December 18th from 9:30-10:30 am. You can RSVP on the Forest Creek Website and your badge will be printed in advance. More information will come soon about donations needed.
Music Class Performance
Students who would like to may share their musical talents in music class on the last days of music for the semester. Anyone may sing a song, accompanied by a CD, MP3 or A capella (unaccompanied). Students who wish to play piano must bring their book or sheet music, even if the song is memorized, and instrumentalists who play anything other than piano should bring their instrument. Our class will perform on Tuesday, December 16.
Curriculum Based Assessments
We had a Reading CBA on Thursday and will be taking a Science CBA on Monday and a Math CBA on Tuesday.
Reading
In reading, we read several expository articles and books about the Titanic. We used them to work on using context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words and to make inferences. We then read a biography of Molly Brown, a Titanic survivor, and compared the genre of biography with the articles and discussed how the background knowledge gained from the articles helped us have a deeper understanding the biography. We also read biographies of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins and watched video of the first moon landing. We then read a poem about the moon and our background knowledge of the moon landing helped us understand the references in the poem. We will continue to read and respond to some more expository books about the moon next week.
Writing
Personal Narratives have been our focus this week and we are drafting leads and writing drafts. We will work on publishing our personal narratives by the end of next week and beginning writing an expository essay to finish before the winter break.
Social Studies
We researched Native Tribes of Texas and made webs or charts to organize information about each tribe. We discussed the ways each tribe used natural resources to survive and how they bartered or traded with other tribes to meet their needs. We will finish up learning about the tribes and begin learning about explorers in Texas next week.
Spelling
We have been working on words with silent letters. We’ve practiced words with silent k (knock, knowledge), silent b (climb, lamb), silent w (write, wrap), silent b (debt, doubt), silent g (sign, design), and silent g (gnat, gnaw). Next week, we will work on suffixes like ment (government, agreement), less (thoughtless, hopeless), and ful (hopeful, beautiful). Thank you for encouraging your child to study spelling words.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary words this week are homophones, which are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. The words are definitions are on Quizlet.com and the children will make cards on Monday.
Dates to Remember:
Sunday, December 7, 2014-Book Orders Due
Monday, December 8, 2014-Science CBA-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, Reading Logs Due
Tuesday, December 9, 2014-Math CBA-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Wednesday, December 10, 2014-Summary and Response Due
Thursday, December 11, 2014-Senior Choir Tour, Writing Club 2:45-3:45, Passport to Literacy Night 5-7pm
Friday, December 12, 2014-Gingerbread House Making with 1st Grade Reading Buddies, Ridgeview Concert from 9-9:45, Summary and Response Due, Spelling Test and Vocabulary Test
Sunday, December 14, 2014-PTA FCE Day at Barnes and Noble-9am-9pm
Monday, December 15, 2014- Reading Log Due, NO Tutorials today, Special Service Club Meeting
Tuesday, December 16, 2014-Pen Pal Visit from 9:15-10:30 in library, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45pm
Wednesday, December 17, 2014-Summary and Responses Due
Thursday, December 18, 2014-Reading log due for this week, Marking Period Ends-All assignments are due. Holiday Party from 9:30-10:30
Friday, December 19-January 5, 2015-Holiday Break-Reading Challenge at least 200 minutes required
January 6, 2015-Back to School! Holiday Reading Log due. (200 minutes required)
Thank you for sharing your child with me! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
I hope you had a fun holiday with lots of family time. I had a relaxing, yet productive week, but am happy to be back in school with your children. We had a great week!
Scholastic Book Orders
I will submit a Scholastic Book Order for our class on Sunday. The items will be delivered before our holiday break. Have fun doing some holiday shopping! Go to https://clubs2.scholastic.com. Our classroom code is GYTDB.
Passport to Adventure Literacy Night
Forest Creek will be having its annual “Passport to Adventure” Literacy Night on
Thursday, December 11, 2014 from 5-7pm. Mark your calendar to come and enjoy
stories from around the world and fun activities, including a multicultural fair in the gym.
Promise Pizza will be available to purchase for $1 per slice. Round Rock’s Ballet
Folklorico will close the Literacy Night activities with a performance at 6:30pm.
Parents: Can you share something about your family’s country of origin for Literacy
Night? Maybe there is a game from your country, or special clothes, dancing, or type of artwork. If you would like to reserve a table at the multicultural fair to share
this rich culture, please call or email Mrs. Mariah Smith at 464-5359 or
Mariah_Smith@roundrockisd.org. Thanks so much.
Talented and Gifted Referrals
TAG Referral Packets will be available for downloading from the RRISD Gifted and Advanced Academic Services website. Referral forms are due in the Forest Creek office no later than Tuesday, December 9th at 2:45 pm. A TAG referral informational Powerpoint is available on the Forest Creek Parent Resources page. Only hard copies of the referral form will be accepted. Contact our TAG teachers with questions: Julie_Washburn@roundrockisd.org or Katharine_Riedlinger@roundrockisd.org.
Winter Party
Our classroom’s winter party will be on Thursday, December 18th from 9:30-10:30 am. You can RSVP on the Forest Creek Website and your badge will be printed in advance. More information will come soon about donations needed.
Music Class Performance
Students who would like to may share their musical talents in music class on the last days of music for the semester. Anyone may sing a song, accompanied by a CD, MP3 or A capella (unaccompanied). Students who wish to play piano must bring their book or sheet music, even if the song is memorized, and instrumentalists who play anything other than piano should bring their instrument. Our class will perform on Tuesday, December 16.
Curriculum Based Assessments
We had a Reading CBA on Thursday and will be taking a Science CBA on Monday and a Math CBA on Tuesday.
Reading
In reading, we read several expository articles and books about the Titanic. We used them to work on using context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words and to make inferences. We then read a biography of Molly Brown, a Titanic survivor, and compared the genre of biography with the articles and discussed how the background knowledge gained from the articles helped us have a deeper understanding the biography. We also read biographies of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins and watched video of the first moon landing. We then read a poem about the moon and our background knowledge of the moon landing helped us understand the references in the poem. We will continue to read and respond to some more expository books about the moon next week.
Writing
Personal Narratives have been our focus this week and we are drafting leads and writing drafts. We will work on publishing our personal narratives by the end of next week and beginning writing an expository essay to finish before the winter break.
Social Studies
We researched Native Tribes of Texas and made webs or charts to organize information about each tribe. We discussed the ways each tribe used natural resources to survive and how they bartered or traded with other tribes to meet their needs. We will finish up learning about the tribes and begin learning about explorers in Texas next week.
Spelling
We have been working on words with silent letters. We’ve practiced words with silent k (knock, knowledge), silent b (climb, lamb), silent w (write, wrap), silent b (debt, doubt), silent g (sign, design), and silent g (gnat, gnaw). Next week, we will work on suffixes like ment (government, agreement), less (thoughtless, hopeless), and ful (hopeful, beautiful). Thank you for encouraging your child to study spelling words.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary words this week are homophones, which are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. The words are definitions are on Quizlet.com and the children will make cards on Monday.
Dates to Remember:
Sunday, December 7, 2014-Book Orders Due
Monday, December 8, 2014-Science CBA-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, Reading Logs Due
Tuesday, December 9, 2014-Math CBA-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Wednesday, December 10, 2014-Summary and Response Due
Thursday, December 11, 2014-Senior Choir Tour, Writing Club 2:45-3:45, Passport to Literacy Night 5-7pm
Friday, December 12, 2014-Gingerbread House Making with 1st Grade Reading Buddies, Ridgeview Concert from 9-9:45, Summary and Response Due, Spelling Test and Vocabulary Test
Sunday, December 14, 2014-PTA FCE Day at Barnes and Noble-9am-9pm
Monday, December 15, 2014- Reading Log Due, NO Tutorials today, Special Service Club Meeting
Tuesday, December 16, 2014-Pen Pal Visit from 9:15-10:30 in library, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45pm
Wednesday, December 17, 2014-Summary and Responses Due
Thursday, December 18, 2014-Reading log due for this week, Marking Period Ends-All assignments are due. Holiday Party from 9:30-10:30
Friday, December 19-January 5, 2015-Holiday Break-Reading Challenge at least 200 minutes required
January 6, 2015-Back to School! Holiday Reading Log due. (200 minutes required)
Thank you for sharing your child with me! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hello, November 27, 2014
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am thankful for all of the wonderful fourth graders this year. They are all creative, hard-working, and very kind students. I enjoy going to work each day. Thank you all for all you do.
Reading logs are due on Monday, December 1. Write it on paper if you didn't get one. Read at least 100 minutes.
Happy Reading and enjoy time with family and friends!
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am thankful for all of the wonderful fourth graders this year. They are all creative, hard-working, and very kind students. I enjoy going to work each day. Thank you all for all you do.
Reading logs are due on Monday, December 1. Write it on paper if you didn't get one. Read at least 100 minutes.
Happy Reading and enjoy time with family and friends!
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Newsletter
Hi, November 15, 2014
Reflections Gallery Night
Congratulations to all the students who entered the Reflections Program! We had lots of creative responses to the theme: The World would be a Better Place if… We also had many students from our class receive medals and their work will move onto the next level. Congratulations to Madi for her photography work and Erin, Joshua, and Parker for their poetry. Great job!
Food Drive for the Round Rock Serving Center
We are collecting food to fill the pantry at the Serving Center. Canned food and non-perishable items can be placed in the barrels by the office. Donate food by Thursday, Nov. 20. Thank you for your help.
OMS Toy Drive
We passed our goal of 150 toys! As of Friday, our school donated 175 new toys to bring awareness to OMS or Opsocionus Myoclonus Syndrome. The toys will be delivered to patients at Dell Children’s Hospital over Thanksgiving break. Thank you so much for your donations!
Thanksgiving Day Meal
On Thursday, Nov. 20, FCE will celebrate Thanksgiving during lunch. Families are invited to join your child for lunch. Our lunchtime is at 11:00-11:30. If you are planning on coming for lunch, go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1QajBlS4z4RcltejLzkAoT7RkHuRWCBwVHUILGR540s8/viewform to RSVP. The office will have a badge printed for you.
Totally O-Rama
We will be celebrating the 1980’s on Friday! Your child is encouraged to dress in 80’s style and be ready to sing and dance. Our performance for 4th grade will be at 12:00 in the cafeteria. It will be totally awesome!!!!!
Thanksgiving Break
RRISD will be closed from Monday, Nov. 24-28 for Thanksgiving Break. Enjoy time with family and friends.
Thanksgiving Break Reading Challenge
Your child will have a reading log to complete over the November Break. At least 20 minutes should be read each day or at least 100 minutes. I encourage your children to challenge themselves and read as much as possible. Everyone is expected to read at least 100 minutes and a homework grade will be earned. All children who read at least 100 minutes will get to choose a prize. The children with the highest totals of reading time will have first choice of the prizes! Don’t forget that reading using I-Station counts as reading time. Read as a family and enjoy time with books together!
Reading
This week we read and discussed poetry. We learned about different types of poems and practiced finding the theme or message in the poem as well as elements of poetry such as stanzas, line breaks, metaphors, similes, adjectives, sensory words, etc… We will continue to examine and make inferences about poetry and will start comparing and contrasting nonfiction and fiction books with the same topic.
Writing
We enjoyed learning about poetry in reading then using that knowledge and our creativity to write poems. We each wrote and published a poem about weather as well as other poems of our choice. The poems will be displayed in the hallway. We will work on improving our writing of personal narratives next and will publish another personal narrative the week after the November break.
Spelling and Vocabulary-This week we will be spelling words with silent b and silent w. (example-thumb and wrist). In vocabulary, we will learn about types of questions and words with the roots-auto and port)
Social Studies
We researched the Caddo and Karankawa tribes. We also reviewed characteristics of all the Texas Regions. We talked about the resources that these tribes used in the Coastal Plains Region where they lived. We will continue studying tribes of Texas this week. We will also revise and edit our Texas Regions projects and will present them to the other homeroom on Friday morning.
Dates to Remember
Monday, November 17-Reading Logs due, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, November 18-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, Bring in food for the food drive.
Wednesday, November 19-Summary and Responses due
Thursday, November 20-Thanksgiving Lunch at 11:00, Service Club from 2:45-3:45
Friday, November 21-Summary and Responses due, Spelling test and vocabulary test, Totally O-Rama at 12:00
Monday, November 24-Friday, November 28-No School-Happy Thanksgiving!-Be sure to read at least 100 minutes!
Monday, December 1-Reading Logs due-How many minutes did you read? AT least 100 minutes for a prize!
Have a wonderful weekend! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Reflections Gallery Night
Congratulations to all the students who entered the Reflections Program! We had lots of creative responses to the theme: The World would be a Better Place if… We also had many students from our class receive medals and their work will move onto the next level. Congratulations to Madi for her photography work and Erin, Joshua, and Parker for their poetry. Great job!
Food Drive for the Round Rock Serving Center
We are collecting food to fill the pantry at the Serving Center. Canned food and non-perishable items can be placed in the barrels by the office. Donate food by Thursday, Nov. 20. Thank you for your help.
OMS Toy Drive
We passed our goal of 150 toys! As of Friday, our school donated 175 new toys to bring awareness to OMS or Opsocionus Myoclonus Syndrome. The toys will be delivered to patients at Dell Children’s Hospital over Thanksgiving break. Thank you so much for your donations!
Thanksgiving Day Meal
On Thursday, Nov. 20, FCE will celebrate Thanksgiving during lunch. Families are invited to join your child for lunch. Our lunchtime is at 11:00-11:30. If you are planning on coming for lunch, go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1QajBlS4z4RcltejLzkAoT7RkHuRWCBwVHUILGR540s8/viewform to RSVP. The office will have a badge printed for you.
Totally O-Rama
We will be celebrating the 1980’s on Friday! Your child is encouraged to dress in 80’s style and be ready to sing and dance. Our performance for 4th grade will be at 12:00 in the cafeteria. It will be totally awesome!!!!!
Thanksgiving Break
RRISD will be closed from Monday, Nov. 24-28 for Thanksgiving Break. Enjoy time with family and friends.
Thanksgiving Break Reading Challenge
Your child will have a reading log to complete over the November Break. At least 20 minutes should be read each day or at least 100 minutes. I encourage your children to challenge themselves and read as much as possible. Everyone is expected to read at least 100 minutes and a homework grade will be earned. All children who read at least 100 minutes will get to choose a prize. The children with the highest totals of reading time will have first choice of the prizes! Don’t forget that reading using I-Station counts as reading time. Read as a family and enjoy time with books together!
Reading
This week we read and discussed poetry. We learned about different types of poems and practiced finding the theme or message in the poem as well as elements of poetry such as stanzas, line breaks, metaphors, similes, adjectives, sensory words, etc… We will continue to examine and make inferences about poetry and will start comparing and contrasting nonfiction and fiction books with the same topic.
Writing
We enjoyed learning about poetry in reading then using that knowledge and our creativity to write poems. We each wrote and published a poem about weather as well as other poems of our choice. The poems will be displayed in the hallway. We will work on improving our writing of personal narratives next and will publish another personal narrative the week after the November break.
Spelling and Vocabulary-This week we will be spelling words with silent b and silent w. (example-thumb and wrist). In vocabulary, we will learn about types of questions and words with the roots-auto and port)
Social Studies
We researched the Caddo and Karankawa tribes. We also reviewed characteristics of all the Texas Regions. We talked about the resources that these tribes used in the Coastal Plains Region where they lived. We will continue studying tribes of Texas this week. We will also revise and edit our Texas Regions projects and will present them to the other homeroom on Friday morning.
Dates to Remember
Monday, November 17-Reading Logs due, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, November 18-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, Bring in food for the food drive.
Wednesday, November 19-Summary and Responses due
Thursday, November 20-Thanksgiving Lunch at 11:00, Service Club from 2:45-3:45
Friday, November 21-Summary and Responses due, Spelling test and vocabulary test, Totally O-Rama at 12:00
Monday, November 24-Friday, November 28-No School-Happy Thanksgiving!-Be sure to read at least 100 minutes!
Monday, December 1-Reading Logs due-How many minutes did you read? AT least 100 minutes for a prize!
Have a wonderful weekend! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Newsletter
Hi, Nov. 8, 2014
We had a great week! Congratulations to Lily P. and Celine for coming in 1st and 2nd place in the Healthy Plate Poster Contest!
Texas Regions Projects
We began presenting our Texas Regions Projects! We presented to our homeroom and the children wrote two compliments and a suggestion or question for each group. I compiled all the information and each group will have an opportunity to revise and make adjustments to their presentation and/or project based on the feedback. We will present to the other homeroom class later this week.
Atomic Learning
Round Rock ISD has purchased Atomic Learning for student, parent, and staff use. This learning tool contains a wealth of information on how to use software and hardware that benefits users. The use does not have to be related to school or children’s programs. For example, Atomic Learning has tutorials on Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc), Outlook, Blackboard Learning, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, GarageBand, Gmail, Chrome, iMovie, Internet Explorer, iPad, iPod, iTunes, Photoshop, Prezi, Safari, Skype, Windows, and Media Player to name a few. If you’re looking for a tutorial on how to do something on the computer, this is the place! Take advantage of this free resource!
URL: http://www.atomiclearning.com/login/roundrockisd
Username: roundrockparent
Password: learning
Veteran’s Day
Forest Creek will celebrate and honor Veterans this Tuesday. All Veterans are invited to come to school for breakfast then we will have two assemblies (one for K-2 at 8:15 and 3-5 at 9:00). The assemblies will include songs from our choir.
I-Station Reading online-Your child brought home a paper on Tuesday with information about downloading I-Station to work on reading at home. This is a wonderful program that adjusts to match your child’s reading level and works on many aspects in reading and writing. I am encouraging all students to work on I-Station for at least 20 minutes a week. This can be recorded in your child’s reading log and count for one day’s at-home reading homework. I can log into I-Station and check your child’s progress and the amount of time spent on the program. Thank you for working on I-Station at home and let me know if you have difficulty logging on or downloading.
TAG Information Night
There will be a TAG (Talented and Gifted) Information Night on Tuesday from 6:30-7:15. Come and learn about the TAG program and the procedures to request testing.
Reflections Gallery Night
Thursday evening will be the Reflections Gallery Night from 5-6:30. Come and see the projects!
PTA Family Fun Night at Austin Pizza on Thursday, November 13 from 5-8pm.
Reading
This week in reading we are reading and learning about poetry. We are comparing types of poems and elements of poetry such as stanzas, rhyme, meter, line breaks, similes, metaphors, etc… We are also writing responses to poetry and discussing the mood and feelings in poems.
Writing
We took a writing Curriculum Based Assessment this week. Overall, the students did very well on the multiple choice section. The fourth grade team will grade the compositions later this month. We are writing charts of sensory words and phrases for poems. We are experimenting with different types of poems. We are also examining our narratives and experimenting with revising them into poems. We will revise, edit, and publish at least one poem by the end of the week.
Social Studies
Revisions of our projects will take place this week. We will also begin learning about Native Americans in Texas. We will research tribes and the way they used the resources of their region to survive.
Dates to Remember
Monday, November 10, 2014-Reading logs due, tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, November 11, 2014-Veteran’s Day Assembly, tutorials from 2:45-3:45, TAG information night at 6:00 pm
Wednesday, November 12, 2014-Reading Summary and Response Due
Thursday, November 13, 2014-Writing Club in library from 2:45-3:45, Reflections Gallery Night from 5-6:30, PTA Family Fun Night at Austin Pizza from 5-8 pm
Friday, November 14, 2014-Reading Summary and Response Due, Spelling and Vocabulary Test
Thursday, November 20, 2014-Thanksgiving Meal during lunch at 11:00
Friday, November 21, 2014- Totally O-Rama at 12:00 for 4th grade
Have a great rest of the weekend and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
We had a great week! Congratulations to Lily P. and Celine for coming in 1st and 2nd place in the Healthy Plate Poster Contest!
Texas Regions Projects
We began presenting our Texas Regions Projects! We presented to our homeroom and the children wrote two compliments and a suggestion or question for each group. I compiled all the information and each group will have an opportunity to revise and make adjustments to their presentation and/or project based on the feedback. We will present to the other homeroom class later this week.
Atomic Learning
Round Rock ISD has purchased Atomic Learning for student, parent, and staff use. This learning tool contains a wealth of information on how to use software and hardware that benefits users. The use does not have to be related to school or children’s programs. For example, Atomic Learning has tutorials on Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc), Outlook, Blackboard Learning, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, GarageBand, Gmail, Chrome, iMovie, Internet Explorer, iPad, iPod, iTunes, Photoshop, Prezi, Safari, Skype, Windows, and Media Player to name a few. If you’re looking for a tutorial on how to do something on the computer, this is the place! Take advantage of this free resource!
URL: http://www.atomiclearning.com/login/roundrockisd
Username: roundrockparent
Password: learning
Veteran’s Day
Forest Creek will celebrate and honor Veterans this Tuesday. All Veterans are invited to come to school for breakfast then we will have two assemblies (one for K-2 at 8:15 and 3-5 at 9:00). The assemblies will include songs from our choir.
I-Station Reading online-Your child brought home a paper on Tuesday with information about downloading I-Station to work on reading at home. This is a wonderful program that adjusts to match your child’s reading level and works on many aspects in reading and writing. I am encouraging all students to work on I-Station for at least 20 minutes a week. This can be recorded in your child’s reading log and count for one day’s at-home reading homework. I can log into I-Station and check your child’s progress and the amount of time spent on the program. Thank you for working on I-Station at home and let me know if you have difficulty logging on or downloading.
TAG Information Night
There will be a TAG (Talented and Gifted) Information Night on Tuesday from 6:30-7:15. Come and learn about the TAG program and the procedures to request testing.
Reflections Gallery Night
Thursday evening will be the Reflections Gallery Night from 5-6:30. Come and see the projects!
PTA Family Fun Night at Austin Pizza on Thursday, November 13 from 5-8pm.
Reading
This week in reading we are reading and learning about poetry. We are comparing types of poems and elements of poetry such as stanzas, rhyme, meter, line breaks, similes, metaphors, etc… We are also writing responses to poetry and discussing the mood and feelings in poems.
Writing
We took a writing Curriculum Based Assessment this week. Overall, the students did very well on the multiple choice section. The fourth grade team will grade the compositions later this month. We are writing charts of sensory words and phrases for poems. We are experimenting with different types of poems. We are also examining our narratives and experimenting with revising them into poems. We will revise, edit, and publish at least one poem by the end of the week.
Social Studies
Revisions of our projects will take place this week. We will also begin learning about Native Americans in Texas. We will research tribes and the way they used the resources of their region to survive.
Dates to Remember
Monday, November 10, 2014-Reading logs due, tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, November 11, 2014-Veteran’s Day Assembly, tutorials from 2:45-3:45, TAG information night at 6:00 pm
Wednesday, November 12, 2014-Reading Summary and Response Due
Thursday, November 13, 2014-Writing Club in library from 2:45-3:45, Reflections Gallery Night from 5-6:30, PTA Family Fun Night at Austin Pizza from 5-8 pm
Friday, November 14, 2014-Reading Summary and Response Due, Spelling and Vocabulary Test
Thursday, November 20, 2014-Thanksgiving Meal during lunch at 11:00
Friday, November 21, 2014- Totally O-Rama at 12:00 for 4th grade
Have a great rest of the weekend and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
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