Wrapping Up

Time Capsule

The end of the year is fast approaching and so is our Time Capsule Closing Ceremony!  This ceremony will take place at 9:00 AM on the last day of school and is our way of saying goodbye to elementary school and looking forward to new adventures in middle school.  Earlier this year I sent home a flyer explaining the time capsule and suggested items that students could save and collect throughout the year.  Please let me know if you need another copy.

Time capsules are due to school on Friday, June 16th!

Field Trip

Our walking field trip will be taking place on Friday, June 9th.  Students will walk to the Hudson Public Library to launch their summer reading.  We will then enjoy a picnic at Wood Park.  Please make sure that your child brings a bag lunch to school that day and wears appropriate footwear and clothing.  Your child should also apply sunscreen before coming to school and bring some for reapplication later in the day.

Mr. Terupt

I cannot thank families enough for the generous donations that allowed me to purchase more copies of Mr. Terupt for our classroom.  We now have enough copies for each student and extras for anyone who forgets their copy at home!

Google Docs

Your students are now Google Docs experts!  This week they have been teaching third graders how to use this program during their technology classes.  Below are some pictures of your experts.

Important Dates!

6/8 - Farley Fun Day

6/9 - Fourth Grade Walk to Hudson Public Library & Wood Park

6/20 - Time Capsule Closing Ceremony - 9:00 AM

Busy 6 Weeks Ahead!

Fluency

Tomorrow is the first day of the MCAS 2.0 math assessment.  We have been busy reviewing and building our confidence and test taking strategies.  I was very impressed with how hard students worked during the ELA test.  Please continue to support your child at home by keeping things relaxed and restful this week.  Our homework this week will be to continue reading for 20 minutes each night.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Because of Mr. Terupt

Beginning next week, we will be starting a whole-class book club utilizing the book Because of Mr. Terupt.  This book will help us to synthesize all of the reading strategies we have learned this year and will also help us to become even more independent and responsible readers as we prepare to move onto middle school.  Students will be bringing this book and their reader's notebook home to read for their 20 minutes at times.

If there are any families looking to support us here at school, we are still short 6 copies.  The book costs $8.00 if any family would like to donate money towards the purchase of these books.  I will be putting an order in on Amazon on Thursday.

Time Capsule

The end of the year is fast approaching and so is our Time Capsule Closing Ceremony!  This ceremony will take place at 9:00 AM on the last day of school and is our way of saying goodbye to elementary school and looking forward to new adventures in middle school.  Earlier this year I sent home a flyer explaining the time capsule and suggested items that students could save and collect throughout the year.  I am sending this same flyer home again today.  Please encourage your child to begin putting items aside. 

Important Dates!

5/18 - Farley Gives Back Bingo Night - 6:00 PM

5/24 - Half Day

5/26 - Memorial Day Assembly - 9:00 AM

6/8 - Farley Fun Day

6/9 - Fourth Grade Walk to Hudson Public Library & Wood Park

6/20 - Time Capsule Closing Ceremony - 9:00 AM

MCAS, Fluency & Engineering

MCAS 2.0 Begins Tomorrow

Tomorrow is our first day of MCAS 2.0 ELA testing.  Your child has worked very hard throughout elementary school to learn all of the things that this test requires them to know and do.  I have been very proud of my students and of the growth mindset, maturity, and hard work they have put into preparing for this test.  Please help your child tonight by keeping things relaxed and positive.  No stress!  If you have any questions, please let me know.

Fluency

I will be checking in on math fluency next week and updating families on progress.  If I have sent home work or have spoken to you about adding more practice into your child's routine, please continue to practice!  Let me know if you have any questions.

Science & Engineering Project

Our beach erosion prototypes have been completed and tested!  Students learned how to record before and after data in their science notebooks.  They learned how to draw conclusions based on their data and how to use their data to make changes to their prototypes.  Today, students presented their prototypes and findings and then fielded their classmates' questions.  It was amazing to watch them critique each other and to discuss ways to improve the quality of their designs.  I have included a number of pictures from the project below.

We Are Engineers

Spring!

Spring is a busy time of year in fourth grade.  Conferences, book fairs and MCAS 2.0 are coming up, we are heading into more project-based learning, and are starting to synthesize and apply the learning we have gained this year!

Science & Engineering Project

Thank you so much to all of the families that donated supplies for our project.  Students have been working in teams to build prototypes that may help to solve the issue of coastal erosion.  In doing so, they are utilizing their knowledge of weather and erosion and are practicing many of the scientific and engineering practices that are so important in the world today.  I'm including some pictures below of our learning so far.

Conferences

Conferences are next week on Wednesday and Thursday.  If you haven't signed up for a conference yet, please make sure to do so.  If you are having difficulty logging in please let me know and I can help. 

I also sent home a conference questionnaire yesterday.  Please take a moment to fill it out so I know how I can be the most help to you during our conference.

MCAS 2.0

I am currently familiarizing students with the new online testing format so that they know what to expect the day of the test.  They have also been practicing the different types of questions that they will see that day so they can walk into testing feeling confident.  I try to take a confidence building, low stress approach to test preparation and explain to students that we are spending some time now with the test, so when they go to take it, they can "beat it." 

If you find that your child is feeling overly stressed about the test, please let me know so I can help.  I want to make sure my students feel good everyday when they walk into my classroom. 

I have included the testing dates below:

April 25th, 26th, 27th - ELA

May 9th, 10th - Math

 

Supplies

We are almost completely out of hand sanitizer.  If anyone could donate some, it would be greatly appreciated!

Fluency Is Key

More Snow?!

The added daylight in the evening is telling me that we should be seeing signs of Spring any day now.  Any...day...now!  Instead we are expecting....snow! 

Fluency

Last week, students took various math assessments to check for enduring understanding of math concepts already taught this year and to check on the fluency of different math operations.  I will be emailing families with areas of weakness that students can practice.  Increasing research shows that when students are fluent with the basic math operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, confidence and success in math grows.  I will also offer to send home extra practice in the areas of weakness.  If you do not hear from me, that means that your child is solid across the board.  Feel free to email me though if you have any concerns or questions.

Book Order

Due to the impending snow, I will hold the book order until Thursday.  If you wish to order online, the classroom code is H3M9C.

Math Vocabulary Test

The vocabulary assessment has been pushed back to this Thursday, giving students more time to study!

Engineering

We will be starting our engineering project this week!  Thank you so much for all of the donations sent into school.  The only item that we need more of in order to make this project happen is soil.  If you have any bags of soil or are willing to purchase any, it would be greatly appreciated!

Chromebooks

You may recall in the Fall that our classroom was given $500 towards Chromebooks by donors through a website called Adopt a Classroom.  I received word last night that we were adopted again!  Another 3 Chromebooks are on their way to be used by students every day.  We couldn't be more excited!

We Are Engineers!

Happy Valentine's Day!  This morning students exchanged Valentines with one another.  We are also starting kindness week here at school.  One of our classmates has challenged us all to do an act of kindness for another person in the class.  We are also tracking the acts of kindness we either experience or perform.  I am hoping that we will all learn how good kindness can make us all feel and how contagious it can be! 

Engineering Project

Earlier this year we learned about weathering and erosion.  During that time, one topic of interest that came up was how beach erosion can really affect our coastline.  Plum Island here in Massachusetts was used as an example.  As a result of student interest, we will jump back into science by looking at erosion through an engineering lens.  Students will be starting a project in which they will attempt to develop a solution to the problem of beach erosion. 

We will need some supplies in order to make this happen!  If you have any lying around your home, could you please help us?

chicken wire

screens

cardboard

Styrofoam

fabric

recyclables

paper towels

bags of soil

cotton balls

Q-tips

Math Assessment

We finished another math module last week.  Students were assessed and will be going over the results and reflecting on them tomorrow.  I will be sending home the assessment this week for everyone to look at.  There is an option to ask for extra practice so feel free to request this if you feel it is appropriate for your child.

Vocabulary

Thank you so much to all of the families for helping your child to study their math vocabulary at home.  I have noticed a difference here in school during math.  This week students will be asked to review the words that have already been assigned.  New words will go home after February vacation.

Halfway There Already?

Yesterday was the 90th day of school.  I can't believe we are halfway through the school year already!  We have been talking a lot about how students are now full-time fourth graders.  They came into LL39 as third graders and have evolved into fourth graders over the last few months. 

Math Assessment

We recently finished our multiplication and division unit in math.  Students were assessed on this unit at two different times.  I will be sending home the assessment this week for everyone to look at.  There is an option to ask for extra practice so feel free to request this if you feel it is appropriate for your child.

MAH - Math Vocabulary

The next quiz for the math vocabulary is this Friday.  Thank you so much for your support in helping students study their words.  We will continue to add new words every couple of weeks.  It is already making a difference during math class, especially with our geometry unit.

Reading At Home

Students are still expected to read at home every night for 20 minutes.  Please let me know if your child is struggling with this and I can help!

Students At Work

I thought everyone would appreciate a glimpse into our classroom to see what we have been up to lately.

We have been working on problem solving and modeling the word problem so that we can comprehend it better before solving.  Students have been working in pairs, using different colored markers to show that they are both contributing their ideas to the problem.

In reading, we have been learning that reader's often continue to think about a text once they have finished reading it.  Here you can see students transferring their thoughts on post-it notes from their book club books into their reader's notebook.  They are also reflecting on these ideas and developing new ideas from their initial notes.

During social studies we have been learning about immigration and Ellis Island.  Students were placed into teams and asked to take on the perspective of a Russian immigrant traveling to Ellis Island in 1911.  In the photo's you can see students collaborating on their projects using Google Docs.

Happy New Year!

Welcome Back!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday and restful week.  Students came back in yesterday refreshed and excited to see their classmates again!

MAH - Math Vocabulary

This week we will be starting a new initiative for MAH homework.  Students got a list of vocabulary words that need to be studied at home.  All of the words are ones that students have already used and encountered at school.  Students will be tested on the words on Friday, January 13th.  Some chose to take home note cards in order to make flash cards last night.  If your child did not make this choice and you would like me to send some home, just let me know. 

Vocabulary Book Homework

To support our new vocabulary learning, students will also be taking home a vocabulary book assignment for homework at times.  It is a four-square method where students will write the word, definition, have to illustrate the word and use it in a sentence.  We are working on this book at school currently until students feel confident enough to take it home.  There are two sections in the book, one for math vocabulary and another section for other academic vocabulary.  I am hoping that with more experience with the words being taught in school students will have more ownership over them!

Thank You!

 Thank you to all of the mystery  readers that joined us before vacation.  The students couldn't wait to see who was going to walk through the door next.  I know it was a busy time and we really appreciated it!

Peace Doves

Right before vacation we had a discussion about peace.  We talked about what the word "peace" means to each of us and how it is one thing we can all wish for during the holidays and beyond.  The main message of the day was that we all need to work together to create peace.

One Little Word

To kick off our New Year we spent some time reflecting and discussing some things we would like to work toward in 2017.  Each student chose one word to focus on and strive toward.  Below is a picture of our choices!

Mystery Reader

Mystery Reader

Friday, December 23rd is a full day of school.  To kick start our winter vacation, we are going to be participating in a fun reading activity called, "Booked In."  We are going to spend a large part of that day reading some great books.  To add to the fun, I thought it would be great if we could host some MYSTERY READERS. 

We are looking for parents, grandparents, or siblings to volunteer to read a favorite picture book or poem to our class on that afternoon.  Please let me know (secretly!) if you are available and I will give you some open times to choose from.  Volunteers can either bring in a favorite book of their choice or I can provide one to you.

Time Capsules

While it isn't until the Spring, I will be sending home a notice tomorrow regarding the Time Capsule Closing Ceremony.  This is the event held for fourth graders leaving Farley on the last day of school.  During this event, students will be closing a Time Capsule of items they have collected from their years here at Farley.  I thought that if you had a copy of the suggested items now, you would appreciate having the time to start collecting.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Immigration

We are starting our unit on immigration during Social Studies.  Students will be learning about immigration and the conditions that cause a family to immigrate.  They will also be learning about the experiences of immigrants at Ellis Island and the different nationalities that have populated the different regions of the United States.  An assignment went home today asking students to interview a family member regarding your own family's history.  Please look for the assignment in your child's homework folder.  It is due on Friday.  Thank you so much for your continued support.

Welcome Back!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Break.  We have a lot to be thankful for right here in our classroom.  We have been exploring our school landscape through science, having deeper conversations during reading, are feeling more confident with multiplication, and are strengthening our classroom community.  We are also so thankful for a wonderful field trip earlier this month and the chaperones that helped it go very smoothly.  I personally, am thankful for all of the support I have gotten from families so far this year.  Thank you!

Battle of the Books

Our class has been participating in a book competition where everyone reads the same 16 picture books and then votes, bracket style, for their favorite books.  The books are narrowed down until only two remain and then after a final vote, a champion is crowned!  It is the March Madness of the reading world!  While reading these books, students have been learning how good readers jot down their thinking in ways that make sense for them in their reader's notebook.  They are learning how to grow ideas about their reading and how to write about their thinking.  They have learned to push their thinking deeper and how to determine a character's traits by looking at what a character says, thinks, or does.  To say the least, the learning experiences coming out of these 16 books are amazing!  When talking with your child over the next few days, ask them which book they like the best so far and why.  Stay tuned for the winning book!

Fact Families


For the next two weeks, students should be studying their 2's - 9's.  Please let me know if your child is missing their cards.  We are getting into division in school and knowing these facts will really help your child focus on learning the process of division instead of having to spend a lot of time figuring out the multiplication.  The next test is scheduled for Friday 12/9.

Dress for Science


We have been going outside a lot for science.  My philosophy is to get students out into the real-world as much as possible to observe science in action instead of creating contrived experiences in the classroom.  Please make sure that your child has warm clothing to wear when we are outside.

Field Trip Info, Science & Social Studies

Field Trip

Have You Passed In Your Permission Slip Yet?

Our class will be going to the Action Science Discovery Museum on November 18th.  We will return to school in time for lunch, so students can pack their lunch as usual.  There are a large number of students who have not turned in their permission slips yet, please let me know if you need another copy.  We are excited and can't wait for an exciting day!

Social Studies

We just wrapped up our first round of Social Studies: learning about the Northeast.  We will learn about all the regions this year and really think about how diverse our country is.  We will also attempt to answer the question: How does where you live, affect how you live? 

In addition to learning about the Northeast, we began to learn about how to research and determine importance.  Students were asked to become an expert on one topic of the region and decide what the rest of the class should learn about that topic.  They created teaching posters and presented these to their classmates.  Below are some photos of our work.

Science

We recently launched our first unit in science.  We will be learning about erosion and weathering and attempting to answer the question: What causes changes in our landscape?  We are also learning to be good scientists by observing, taking good notes and asking questions.  We started science journals and will explore different ways to record our thinking in them this year. 

Below is a picture from one of our first experiments.  Students created sculptures out of play dough and then placed them outside.  We have been observing the effects of the weather on these sculptures and discussing how we can accurately capture our observations in our science journals.

How Effective is Our Effort?

Effective Effort

We have been learning about effective effort and how putting forth the right kind of effort will result in more confidence and success in school.  Below is a picture of some definition posters we have in our classroom.  Some of these we have already learned, some we will be learning in the coming days.

You Can Help!

 

When you're at home with your child, look for opportunities to praise your child's effort.  Breaking effort down into the six different elements helps children to see what effort looks like and it gives parents ways to be specific with their praise.  Don't just say, "Great job!  You worked hard."  Try saying something like, "I noticed that you put a lot of time into your homework and you didn't give up."  or "Great job using the help sheet Mrs. Leger sent home to help you finish your homework."  This will give students a clearer understanding of what effort really is.

Math

Last week during conferences, I sent home the first end of module assessment.  After looking it over, please let me know if you have any questions or would like some extra work to practice at home.

Students should be studying their fact family cards every night.  Our next assessment will be on November 3rd.  Please remember to have your child show you their MAH sheet which tracks this studying on Thursday.  Parents need to sign it so that it can be passed in on Friday.  A large number of students have been turning in their MAH sheets unsigned.

Reading

Students are still expected to read at home for 20 minutes each night.  Please let me know if your child is struggling with this. 

Writing

We have begun a literary essay unit.  In this unit, students will learn how to develop a thesis about a book they are reading and how to write convincingly about that thesis.  They will also learn how to add evidence to make their argument even more convincing. 

As with the last unit, there will be times when students will be working on their writing from home using Google Docs.  Many parents often feel the need to type for their children or to edit their child's work.  Please don't!  When students come to school with perfectly edited work, or work that has been written by parents, I am unable to see what the child can truly do.  This prevents me from giving them what they need to grow as a writer.  Thank you so much for your support in this.

Social Studies

Students have been working on research projects on various topics regarding the Northeast region of the United States.  We have integrated this project with reading instruction from the determining importance unit which focuses on non-fiction and how to decide what is most important to remember when reading books full of facts. 

Students have been excited about this project because students they have been charged with becoming the teachers for the rest of the class.  They get to decide what is important for everyone else in the class to learn and how they are going to teach it.  Stay tuned for pictures of final products soon!

October Already?

One Month Down....

Our first month of school has flown by!  Our class has really grown in the past few weeks.  We feel more comfortable working with each other and sharing our ideas.  We are learning to challenge ourselves and to not give up when things get tricky.  We are still working on following expectations and being responsible for ourselves but we are closer to this goal each day!

New Project - Character Trait Book

A new project was sent home today that we will work on in school and at home.  Students will often be introduced to a new character trait in school and we will have discussions about what this trait means.  At home, students will be required to complete a book page about that trait.  An explanation sheet was sent home today along with the booklet.  There was also a parent signature page that I am asking families to send back in.  This will help me to make sure that everyone is on the same page. We may not send this project home each day depending on our schedule and ability to introduce a new word in school.  I will be checking in with students frequently on how it is going to see if there is any further support that students need.  Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

Red Homework & Communication Folder

Please keep in mind that students also bring home important notices in their red homework folder.  Many of these notices are time sensitive so don't forget to check your child's folder each day....or better yet, set up a routine where your child shows you what is in their folder each day.  Middle School will be here before you know it so any way that you can help them to build responsibility will only help them in the years to come!

MAH

Because of the short week, we will not be having a MAH sheet this week.  We will return to the tracking sheet for fact family cards next week.  In the meantime, please continue to have your child study their fact family cards.  We will send home the 4's and 5's tomorrow to begin studying.  Please let me know if your child has lost their cards.

Conferences

Conferences are next Wednesday and Thursday.  If you have not already signed up for a conference, please do so.  I really look forward to meeting with everyone and discussing your child's goals.  If you are unable to schedule a conference please let me know so that we can work something out.

Classroom Updates!

Google Docs

As many of you know from Open House, we will spend a lot of time using Google Docs this year.  It allows students to work on the same document from any computer as long as it has internet access.  Students will also be able to share these documents with me electronically and I will be able to give feedback immediately.  A letter is going home this explaining what this is.  Each student has a unique username and password.  This username/password information is also included in the letter coming home this week.  Please put these in a place where they won't be lost.  We are also attaching a copy in our homework planners.  

On Thursday, students will be asked to try to sign in to Google Docs and continue typing up a narrative that they are working on in class.  I will be eager to see how this goes, as it will be our first try working from home.  As with any technology, there can be issues to work out so please let me know if there are any issues.  Also please let me know if you have difficulty accessing a computer at home.

Reading At Home

I hope that everyone is finding time to read outside of school for at least 20 minutes every day.  Although there is no more tracking sheet, it is still expected.  Remember, students can sometimes have difficulty finding a solid 20 minutes for reading.  This is when Reading in the Edges can be helpful.  Please let me know if you need help assisting your child with their reading at home.

One thing that we have been discussing at school is that students should be reading one book at a time.  Please encourage your child to bring whatever they are reading at home to school so they can continue reading the same book in school.  I have been doing the same with the books that they are reading here.

Fact Family Cards

Yesterday, I sent home Fact Family Cards (green triangle cards) for the first time.  Students are expected to study these every night for five minutes.  Pleaset let me know if you are unsure how to use these cards with your child.  There will be a test on the 1-3 facts on October 12th.

There is also a Math at Home (MAH) sheet that students need to fill out regarding their studying.  It needs to be signed and sent back to school by Friday each week.

Struggles

Recently, we began talking about how struggle is part of being successful.  No athlete, successful business person, or adult has made it to where they are today without struggle.  Oftentimes, we do not see the struggle of a successful person, and children often think that people easily glide into these positions of success.  For example, many children think Tom Brady was born good at football and that becoming the quarterback of the Patriots came easily to him.  

It is important for us to teach children that sometimes it is okay to struggle and that we should persevere through these struggles.  I have shared stories of my own struggles as a learner and will also be inviting other administrators from the district into our morning meetings to share their struggles. I am now inviting families to join us for a ten minute morning meeting to share their own struggles as well.  Feel free to contact me a set up a time to join us for a morning meeting.

Below is a link to a video we watched in class about "famous failures."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT4Fu-XDygw

Reading At Home

Thank You!

I cannot thank everyone enough for joining me for Open House recently.  It was so nice to meet so many of you and to begin our journey working together to help your child succeed in fourth grade.

Reading Expectations

As discussed at Open House, there will be no reading log this year.  My goal is to create life-long readers and I do not feel that this is something that is encouraging our students to read.  Students are still expected to read at least 20 minutes every day.  I will make sure to help students find books that are engaging and that they want to read.  I hope that families can support me by helping their children find times at home to read.  I will also be monitoring student progress at school and will contact you if anything comes up in hopes that we can both support our readers together.  Please let me know if you have any questions!

Homework Expectations

We have been working on becoming more independent with homework.  In the classroom, we copy down our homework each morning.  The due dates will always be listed on the planner.  If you ever have any questions about homework please let me know.  I will continue to email when assignments are not turned in on time to help everyone stay in the loop.  Right now, students are still working on turning in their work on time.  Please encourage them to keep track of due dates.

Growth Mindset

At Open House I mentioned Growth Mindset.  If your child shuts down or frustrates easily after making a mistake or chooses the easier option then this could be the gentle push your child needs.  In a nutshell, research shows that there are two types of learners.  The first has a growth mindset and believes that with practice and determination, they can get better at anything.  The second learner believes that they are only born with certain talents or smarts and there is nothing they can do to change it.  Research also shows that learners with a growth mindset are more successful than those who aren't.  Below is a video that can help you to understand it further.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh0OS4MrN3E&feature=share

Upcoming Events

9/21    Ice Cream Social - 6:00 - 8:00

9/23    School picture day

9/28    ½ Day PD - dismissal 11:40

Off To A Great Start!

We've had a great start to the school year!  We have been getting to know each other, getting to know the routines and expectations in the classroom, and have also been setting ourselves up to be successful academically.  It was wonderful meeting everyone during Open House.  We had a wonderful turn out and the students were very excited to show off what they have been learning about Google Docs.  If you have any questions now that the dust has settled, please let me know.

Supplies

I cannot thank everyone enough for all of the donations that came in the first day of school.  They were all very needed and will help to keep us running smoothly.  During Open House I completely forgot to share a few more items that are needed in our classroom.  If you are able to help out, it would be greatly appreciated.

                                                   5-subject notebooks  (urgent)

                                                   hand sanitizer 

                                                   exercise balls (for seating)

Book Orders

This is a wonderful way to get your reader motivated!  I cannot tell you how many times a week I get asked if our orders have arrived!  This month's order is due on Tuesday.  If you need an extra flyer, let me know.  Our class code is H3M9C if you would like to order online.

Storytelling

This past week we launched Writer's Workshop by telling stories around "the campfire."  Students made their own "campfires" and used flashlights to light up themselves in our darkened classroom.  We ate popcorn and thought about memories with family members, summertime stories, stories about times we felt intense emotions, and stories about favorite objects.  While students were enjoying their storytelling, and listening to others' stories they didn't even realize that they were generating many different ideas for Writer's Workshop this year!

Check out the video of our campfire stories:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SAWe1eb4ZTSUQybXhjMlFVOFE/view?usp=sharing

Welcome!

Welcome To Fourth Grade!

I hope that by now everyone has gotten my newsletter and information about the start of the school year.  I am so excited to meet everyone next week.  The classroom is nearly ready and I have been busy planning many wonderful activities and lessons for us this year.

Summer Reading

In my down time I spent a lot of time reading this summer.  While I did read several adult books, I mainly read books that my fourth graders had recommended to me at the end of last school year.  I can't wait to share these books with all of you.  I've posted some of them below.  Have you ever read any of them?



I have to say that I really liked each of these books!  If you are interested in hearing a little bit about any of them feel free to ask me when you get to school next week.  I'd be happy to share them with you.

Sneak Peak

While the beginning of the school year is really exciting, I understand that it can also be nerve wracking.  This will be my 13th year of teaching but I still get butterflies driving into school on the first day!  To help make all of you feel better about coming into a new classroom, watch the video below.  You'll get a sneak peak at your new classroom and hear a little bit about what we'll have going on over the first few weeks.

• Sneak Peak Video

Special Events!

Field Trip

On Wednesday June 15th we will be walking to the Hudson Public Library to kick start summer reading and then to Wood Park for a picnic.  Permission slips are going home today so please be on the lookout.  We are looking for parent volunteers to join us, so please let me know if you are available. 

We are also providing an opportunity for each child to get their own library card if they don't already have one.  Please let me know if your child doesn't have a library card so we can get the paperwork done.

Time Capsule Closing Ceremony

On June 22 at 9:00 (the last day of school) we will be holding our Time Capsule Closing Ceremony.  Students should be collecting items for their time capsule and looking for a small bin or box to keep their items in.  The time capsules are due to school on June 16th.  This will give us time to add things that we have collected here at school.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

We also need donations of duct tape for the Closing Ceremony if anyone can send some in!


Thank you so much for your continued support!

Book Clubs & Research!

Book Clubs

The Book Clubs have been a huge success in the classroom so far!  Students are reading, talking, and tracking their thinking about books.  They are growing new ideas and thinking more deeply about characters and theme.  They are discussing issues that matter to them.  This could not have been as successful if it hadn't been for your support.  Thank you so much to all of the families who have reminded, read with, or discussed the books your children are reading.  We will continue the book clubs until the end of the school year. 

In the classroom we have been using a sentence starter resource to help guide our discussions.  We have also learned that the same sentence starters can be used when we are reading to help us guide the notes we take in our reader's notebook and the thoughts we are having.  I told our class that I would include a picture of the resource on here in case any of them wanted to refer to it while they are working from home.

Non-Fiction Research & Writing

Students have been researching their chosen region and have been learning a lot about how to take notes, research their questions, and organize their thinking.  Next week we will begin drafting our non-fiction books.  To do this we will use Google Docs.  There may be times when students will be asked to work on this at home as well.  If you are unable to access Google Docs from home for whatever reason, please feel free to have students email their work to me and we can add it to our documents here at school the next day.

Hand Sanitizer!!!

We are on our last drops of hand sanitizer!  If anyone has any bottles that they are willing to donate, it would be much appreciated!

MCAS

We have our math MCAS testing next week on Tuesday and Thursday.  Please make sure that your child comes to school on time.  A good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast always makes a difference as well!