Winter Party 2015 - The Polar Express

Such a fun day at Prairie Branch! A special thank you to everyone who helped make this a success!

Twiehaus Tidbits

In the Classroom...

Readers Workshop - We are diving into the world of nonfiction and the kids are so excited! Our focus this week is on connecting to the texts we read, previewing to set a purpose, and determining text structure. 

Writers Workshop - After researching our topics, students are now beginning to draft their informational books. We will draft and publish before Winter Break!

Math - We have started a new unit of multiplication and students will begin doing larger multiplication problems. You will see them using strategies that may not look familiar and I encourage you to ask questions! After learning several different strategies, they will ultimately get to decide which way works best for their brain. I will be sure to send helpful hints and videos to help you understand our new strategies. 

Science - This week we are exploring volcanoes and the kids! We learned about the ring of fire by mapping out active volcanoes around the world and then learned about the different types of volcanoes. 

Pancakes with Santa

PTA is working on the final details of their upcoming event next Saturday, December 12th. If you are planning to attend, it is highly encouraged to preorder tickets. This will make it much easier and faster that morning when you arrive. I will send home one more flyer this week. 

Math Club

We had 10 students stay for Math Club today! This will be a great opportunity for kids to have extra time to practice skills they are struggling with as well as time for me to push the kids who need a bit of a challenge. 

Please let me know by Monday of each week if your child will be staying so I can plan accordingly. In the case of threatening weather, I will make the decision by noon of that day if we will not have Math Club that afternoon. Also note that there may be times I need to cancel and I attempt to let you know by Monday of each week. If I am unexpectedly gone, I will email that day and have students make phone calls home, if necessary. 

Upcoming Dates

December 

3 - PTA Family Fit Night at Gage 6:30-8:30 pm

12 - PTA Vendor Fair

22 - Polar Express Winter Party 9:00 am

22 - EARLY DISMISSAL 

22 - End of Second Quarter

23 - January 4 - No School

Twiehaus Tidbits

Mid-Term Reports

Second Quarter Mid-Term reports went home this evening. Attached to their grades, you will find the skills we have been working on in math, writing, and reading. We are getting ready to assess in both math and reading next week. I neglected to get science and social studies grades printed. I will make this adjustment and send home new reports on Tuesday. My apologies. Please sign and return the top copy by Tuesday. 

Pancakes with Santa

PTA is hosting a special event on December 12th. A form went home this evening. If you are interested in attending, please register ASAP. Hope to see you there!

What's Happening...

Readers Workshop - We have been growing our thinking about characters and next week we will assess. I can't to see their growth! They are become very complex thinkers!

Writers Workshop - We are doing research over a event in history and when we return from Thanksgiving, students will draft an informational essay.

Math - Next week we will assess over fractions. 

Social Studies - We are wrapping up our learning about Missouri history by studying the Louisiana Purchase. 

Just a Reminder!

Enjoy the time with your family over Thanksgiving. There will be no school Wednesday, November 25th through Friday, November 27th. 

Twiehaus Tidbits

Next Week

Readers Workshop - We are continuing to build theories about characters. Students are learning to ask more questions and base their thinking on strong evidence from their books. They are doing fantastic work!

Writers Workshop - We have started to publish the personal persuasive essays students have drafted over the last couple of weeks. Students are using their Google accounts to type these in Google Docs. This has opened a whole new window in our writers workshop!

Math - We are continuing to grow our brains as we learn more about fractions. Any practice students can do to name equivalent fractions and compare/order fractions will be very beneficial. 

Social Studies - After our wonderful Jefferson City adventure, we are going to continue to learn more about our Missouri government system. 

Two Hour Late Start

Just a quick reminder, Tuesday is another two hour late start for our district. School will start at 10:40 am to allow for teachers to grow our brains!

Veterans' Assembly

Prairie Branch will honor our veterans during a special assembly on Wednesday, November 11th at 9:30 am in the gym. Everyone is invited to attend with a special invitation to those that have served. We hope you can join us for this special event. 

Upcoming Dates

November10 Late Start11 SBG Cadre 7:45 AM11 Veteran’s Day Assembly 9:30 AM Everyone attend12 Picture Retakes13 STUCO mtg25-27 Thanksgiving Break

Jefferson City 2015

We had a great day today in Jefferson City and the kids were absolutely fabulous! Representative Jeanie Lauer made our day extra special by meeting with the kids and the house photographer will be sending us pictures from their visit. In addition to our regularly scheduled day, we were able to visit the Chamber Floor and even the Whispering Gallery at the top of the Capitol. Thank you for making this trip possible by bringing your child to school early and picking them up late. Also, a special thanks to the parents who attended. It was a GREAT day!

This picture slideshow generated with Smilebox

Fall Party Fun!

I am posting pictures from our fall party yesterday, we had so much fun! Please enjoy the pictures, but please do not post pictures of other students to social media. We want to respect the wishes of all parents. Thank you and enjoy!

 

Twiehaus Tidbits

Tuesday night will kick off our Parent Teacher conferences and conferences will resume on Thursday. Thank you again for taking the time to complete the online survey. It really helps me as I prepare. The kids and I are working on getting a few things organized in preparation before we meet. I know they are excited to see their progress and share this with you will be fun for me!

Next Week!

Readers Workshop - We are working growing solid ideas about our characters in our stories. We are starting off by sharing these ideas aloud and pushing ourselves to expand our thinking through writing. 

Writers Workshop - We are continuing to draft our persuasive essays. This week, we explored the idea of using polls to share how others feel about our topics. We even shared that one way to do this is by using Google Docs to survey a group of people. Some students might try to do this at home because they were so excited! Please let me know if you have any questions! 

Math - Next week we will continue to build our understanding of fractions and finding equivalent fractions. Extra support with fractions will be very beneficial for your child. 

Social Studies - We are kicking off our new unit about Missouri government. This will prepare us for our upcoming field trip to Jefferson City. 

Reminders

Tuesday - Parent Teacher Conferences 4-8 pm

Wednesday - Fall Party 2:15-3:15 pm
You can sign up to send in supplies or assist by visiting this link.
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c044ca9a923a1fe3-parent1

Thursday - NO SCHOOL! - Parent Teacher Conferences 8 am - 7 pm

Friday - NO SCHOOL!

Student Surveys

We are drafting persuasive essays in writers workshop. We learned today that in order to convince our reader we need to elaborate on our topic and one way is by using polls and surveys. Some of the students will be creating polls using Google Forms. This is where we need you! Your input will help the students add detail about their topic as they work to convince their readers. The student(s) listed below need(s) your help. Thank you in advance!

Aiden's Survey
Brody's Survey

Parent Teacher Conferences

As I prepare for your conference next week, I need your input. Please complete the survey so that I can know your needs and interests before our conference time. Thank you for your help!

Twiehaus Tidbits

In the classroom...

The end of first quarter has come to a close as of 3:40 this afternoon! Hard to believe! Next week will mark the launch of a new math unit and we will dive deeper into our reading unit of interpreting characters.

Readers workshop - Readers will begin the work of interpreting their characters motivations next week. They will begin to discuss their characters on a deeper level as we begin to develop theories as readers.

Writers workshop - Writers are beginning the work of essayists. We will use the essay structure to develop opinion essays. Next week will focus on developing our ideas into thesis statements.

Math - Fractions and decimals prove to be challenging skill for most students. As we move into this unit, students could really benefit from extended practice on the Everyday Math website. You can find a link to this site on our virtual classroom. Ask your child how to find this. Please continue to encourage your child to practice their multiplication facts!

Science - Before we begin preparing for our upcoming Jefferson City field trip, we will do some hands on activities exploring erosion. This should be fun!

Muffins with Mom

Don't forget! Muffins with Mom will be held on Wednesday morning from 7:45-8:15. I hope to see you there!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Thank you for confirming your scheduled conferences with me. I am truly looking forward to meeting with you in just a couple of weeks! Just a reminder, there will be no school on Thursday, October 29th and Friday, October 30th to accommodate conference times.

Fall Party

Our fall party will be held on Wednesday, October 28th from 2:15-3:15 in the classroom. Our room parents have created a online sign-up to help gather the needed supplies. Please visit the link to see how you can help! Thank you in advance!
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0949aeaf28a7ff2-fall

Revising Our Thinking

Students are learning that we do not just revise as writers, we also revise our work in math. Last week, they worked independently to solve a story problem and explain their math logic. The next day, we discussed ways to improve our reasoning and strengthen our explanations.

I was amazed at their level of thinking and how much they improved their work! We now know that we can use charts, diagrams, number models, and more to help support our reasoning.

James shared with the class how he improved his explanation by adding two different bar graphs. 

Mark Twain Audio Readers

Our classroom readers have been busy knocking out books from the 2015-2016 Mark Twain nominees. Research shows an increase in reading comprehension, fluency, and phrasing when students listen to and follow along in the text. This is also advantageous as students are able read books that might be slightly more challenging than what they normally read. Each day during guided reading time, we have students who listen and read together in pairs. This is just one more way we are making good use of the iPads in our classroom! Look for more pictures to come as a few more groups are finishing up their books this week.

 

Twiehaus Tidbits

In the classroom...

We are closing in on first quarter, but just getting started in some of our units. This week we will launch new reading unit that will push readers to a higher level of thinking. I can't wait to see them grow!

Reader's workshop - Readers will work on learning to read intensely to see more and notice more.

Writer's workshop - Writers published their realistic fiction pieces last week. This week we will begin transitioning to opinion writing. 

Math - Students will be working on solving number stories using multiple operations. We have also started timed tests for multiplication. Students will be need to complete 54/60 problems in 2 minutes time to proceed to a higher level. They will work at their own pace starting with 2, 5, 10, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and mixed set. 

Social Studies - We are continuing our tour of the regions. Next stop, the Midwest!

Picture Day & Yearbooks

Tomorrow, October 6, is picture day! All students will have their picture taken for the yearbook. Picture packets are available for purchase and forms were sent home last week. Please let me know if you need another one. 

Yearbooks are available to order online through December 1st and will be delivered the last week of school. To order, visit http://www.inter-state.com/yearbook and enter the code 03536R.

McTeacher Night

Please join us for McTeacher Night tomorrow evening, October 6th, between 4-8 pm. A portion of the sales from the evening will come directly back to our school. Thanks for your support!

PTA Update

October 6 - Meeting in library 6:30-7:30 pm (Childcare provided)

October 7 - Cookie Dough Pick Up 4-6 pm

October 11 - Lunar Bowl Family Night 3-5 pm 

October 21 - Muffins with Mom 7:30-8:30 am

Parent Teacher Conferences

Conferences will be on Tuesday, October 27 and 29 with no school Thursday, October 29. I will send out reminders for your scheduled conference time this week. Please let me know asap if you need to reschedule. 

Team Twiehaus!

Twiehaus Tidbits - Friday, September 25, 2015

This week

The kids truly continue to amaze me each and every week. This week we began the work of setting goals. After their math assessment, we were successfully able to identify areas each student would benefit from extra practice and support. Thank you for working with them to identify their goals and set up strategies to improve. It takes a village!

Next week...

Readers Workshop Students will work with figurative language (similes, metaphors) and understanding words by relating to synonyms and antonyms. 

Writers Workshop The kids are so excited about next week as we will begin the work of publishing their realistic fiction pieces and celebrate their hard work. Stay tuned!

MathWe are really working to explain our thinking behind our math strategies. Next week, we will work to express our math logic clearly. 

Social Studies

Over the next few weeks, we will explore different regions of the United States. Next up, the Southeastern US.

Virtual Classroom

This week, we introduced our Virtual Classroom. I will be posting links we will use in the classroom to make it easy for the kids to locate sites in the classroom, but also for them to explore independently at home. Ask your child more about this!

Looking Ahead

September 

29 - PTA Rink Ratz Family Night 6-8 pm
6 - Picture Day 

October 

6 - Picture Day
     PTA meeting 6:30 in the library
     McTeacher Night - Grain Valley 4-8 pm
7 - All Pro Dad 7:45 am
11 - PTA Lunar Bowl Family Night 3-5 pm
14 - Two Hour Late Start
16 - End of 1st Quarter
21 - Muffins with Mom 7:45-8:30 am
21-29 - Book Fair in library
27 - Parent Teacher Conferences 4-8 pm
28 - Fall Party 2:15-3:15 pm
28 - No School: Parent Teacher Conferences 8 am-7 pm
29 - No School

Regions iPad Scavenger Hunt

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plains#Climate
http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/plains/buffalo.html
http://www.ehow.com/list_6297031_tribes-great-plains-kids.html
http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0270-great-plains-peoples.php

Please make plans to join us for McTeacher Night!

Twiehaus Tidbits

In the Classroom

Today we started using the iPads in math. While this is a work in progress as we get the kids accustomed to using the technology, I am convinced this will be a great interactive tool for our classroom. The new math focuses on meeting students at their individual needs while increasing student engagement. 

We have also started book clubs. Groups volunteered to read some of the Mark Twain nominated books for 2015-2016 with partners. As students are reading a traditional paper copy of the book, they are also listening to the audio book. Studies show that students who routinely listen to an example a fluent reader, such as provided by audio books, demonstrate remarkable improvements in reading skills. Students are able to read higher leveled text than they would be able to read independently when they are listening to the text read aloud. The listening comprehension is also being fine tuned. My goal is for every student to participate in at least one audio book club per month, but I also would encourage this as an at home activity too. 

Reader's Workshop - We are working on making inferences this week by using details from the text and background knowledge to form new thinking about the text we read. 

Writer's Workshop - We are writing! Students are starting their own realistic fiction pieces. This week will focus on the technique of fine beginnings and story development.

Math - Our first math unit is almost complete. After reviewing lines, rays, and line segments, students will test over unit 1 on Thursday and begin our next unit next week. After receiving their tests back, students will set goals for their learning. 

Science - We will also wrap up our living/nonliving things unit this week and move into regions of the United States for Social Studies. 

Midterm Reports

It is completely shocking that we are already at midterm of first quarter. Midterm reports will be sent home on Friday. Midterm reports will identify specific areas of strength and areas of growth. The same attachments will be sent home at the end of each quarter. We will discuss this thoroughly at our conferences at the end of October. 

This Week

Thursday - Two Hour Late Start (School begins at 10:40 am)

Saturday - Homecoming Parade (10:00 at the high school)

Looking Ahead

9/22 - Papa John's Night

9/29 - Rink Ratz PTA Skate Night 6-8 pm 

10/6 - Picture Day

10/6 - PTA Meeting at 6:30 in library

10/6 - McTeacher Night 4-8 pm Grain Valley location

10/7 - All Pro Dad 7:45 am 

10/11 - PTA Lunar Bowl 3-5 pm

Upcoming Events

Twiehaus Tidbits

Celebrations 

Happy birthday Isabella!!!!

In the Classroom 

Readers Workshop - This week, readers will learn more about how to read and analyze a text to gain more meaning and deepen understanding. 

Writers Workshop - We have begun the work of our first writing unit, realistic fiction. Writers defined the genre last week by reading and discussing a few mentor texts. This week we will begin choosing story ideas and mapping our own realistic fiction pieces. 

Math - We will begin using the iPads this week as we implement the new technology component of Everyday Math. Our focus this week will be on reviewing subtraction strategies and units of measurement. 

Science - Our scientists now have a basic understanding of living and nonliving things as well as how they live together in communities and ecosystems. This week, we will focus on how living and nonliving things depend on one another to survive. 

Word Work - This week, students will begin word sorts in the classroom. We will use word sorts throughout the year to differentiate learning based on each student's individualized needs in the area of word work. Students will practice sorts at school. 

Classroom Visit

This Thursday, we will have our first visit from the fire department. Periodically throughout the year, we receive special visits through which students are introduced to basic fire safety and emergency response. We are thankful to have the opportunity and look forward to their visits. ]

McTeacher Night

Mark your calendars for our first McTeacher Night of the year! 

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

4-8 pm 

Grain Valley McDonalds 

Looking Ahead 

September

15 Cookie Dough Pick Up

17 Two Hour Late Start (School will begin at 10:40 to all for teacher development in the morning)

19 Homecoming Parade

29 PTA Skate Night at Rink Ratz in Blue Springs 6-8 pm

A Peek Inside Our Classroom

Twiehaus Tidbits

Celebrations
Thank you to those that were able to attend Curriculum Night. I know it is a busy time of the year and not everyone was not able to join us. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions regarding the notes I sent home. Thank you for being so supportive our new year at PB!

In the Classroom

We have established the procedures and expectations in all subject areas, but we will continue to revisit these as we dive deep into the curriculum. This week, we begin our first units of study in both readers and writers workshop. 

Reader's Workshop - Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. 
Writer's Workshop - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. 
Math - Use estimation to solve number stories and check accuracy when solving for exact answers. 
Science - Distinguish between and explore ecosystems, biomes, and habitats. 

Reminders for this week!

• Tuesday night there is a PTA meeting in the library starting at 6:30 pm. There will be babysitting available. All are welcome!
• Wednesday is Donuts with Dad in the gym between 7:45-8:15. This is an event hosted by PTA and AllPro Dad. 
• No School on Monday, September 7: Happy Labor Day!

Looking Ahead

September

1 PTA Meeting 6:30 PM in PB Library

2 Donuts with Dad 7:30-8:30 am

7 Labor Day (NO SCHOOL)

15 Cookie Dough Pick-up

17 Two Hour Late Start

19 Homecoming Parade

29 PTA Skate Night at Rink Ratz in Blue Springs 6-8 pm

Curriculum Night 2015

This is the presentation I will use at tonight's Curriculum Night. If you are not able to attend, please let me know if you have any questions or need further explanation. Thanks!

Twiehaus Tidbits

In the Classroom...

What a great start to the new school year. I am completely convinced we have the greatest class at PB and it is going to be a fantastic year in fourth grade! Thank you for helping making the start of school such a great transition. The kids are all so sweet and they make my job so much fun!

Last week, we focused on building our classroom community and getting familiar with classroom routines and procedures. We have already begun the work as readers and writers, but our workshops will be in full swing starting tomorrow. Here is a quick glimpse of our week ahead. 

Reader's Workshop - Preparing for collaborative discussions with overs about what we read
Writer's Workshop - Setting up and utilizing a writer's notebook
Math - Identify, compare, and order numbers
Science - Scientific Inquiry... preparing for experiments

Exciting News!!!

I have some really exciting news to share with the kids tomorrow and I can't wait. After attending a math workshop this summer, I posted a project to Donors Choose for 5 mini iPads. The site allow donors to make contributions to classroom projects. This weekend, the Gates Foundation matched a very sizable donation to our project and we were completely funded! We have 5 mini iPads on the way to our classroom. We will use these to enhance our math curriculum as well as provide some great learning extensions in other content areas. I am so excited!

I have posted another project in hopes of bringing Chromebooks into our classroom as well. I will keep you posted on the status of this project, but you keep track of the progress by viewing it online too. You can read more about our new project, here.

Looking ahead

Curriculum Night 

I hope to see you on Thursday night for Curriculum Night. We will go over classroom information and I will share about the fourth grade curriculum. I will also have the parent teacher conference sign-up for those still needing to schedule a time. 

PTA Movie Night

Looking for something to do on Saturday? How about an outdoor movie? On Saturday, August 29th, PTA will be sponsoring a FREE outdoor movie on the playground at PBE. Light concession and t-shirt sales will start at 7:30 pm and the movie will start at sunset. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and come hang out! They are also looking for some volunteers to make the night a great success. Click on the link below to sign up. 

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c044faeab22abfe3-family

Jefferson City

One of our two field trips this year will be to our state capital, Jefferson City. This is always a very fun and educational field trip that we are very fortunate to take each year. This is a free field trip, but also a LONG one! We will leave before school starts and arrive home after school is dismissed. More details will be in your child's folder on Monday. 

Mark your calendars

August

25 Cookie Dough Fundraiser begins

25 PTA Papa John’s Night

27 Curriculum Night at elementary schools 5:00-6:30 pm

29 PTA Outdoor Movie 7:30 pm PB playground

September

1 PTA Meeting 6:30 PM in PB Library

2 Donuts with Dad 7:30-8:30 am

7 Labor Day (NO SCHOOL)

15 Cookie Dough Pick-up

17 Two Hour Late Start

19 Homecoming Parade

29 PTA Skate Night at Rink Ratz in Blue Springs 6-8 pm

Have a great week! Thanks for your support!

Mrs. Twiehaus

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting our classroom blog! Please take a minute and click on the 4 picture icons to the left of this post. There you find pertinent information regarding our classroom. Thank you for making my job of communicating with you even easier! I appreciate your help! I am looking forward to a fantastic year!

Welcome to a new year... It is going to be GREAT!

Welcome!

I am ready to get the new school year up and going. This summer has been great! We enjoyed some much needed family time, relaxation, and even chipped away at the never ending to do list. All in all, it was a wonderful summer vacation and we are ready to head back to school and our normal daily routine. 

A little about myself...

My husband and I have four kids and live on a farm in Grain Valley. Jeralyn (2nd grade) and Makenna (1st grade) are both students at Prairie Branch. Bethany (3 years old) will be starting preschool and Adam (almost 1 year old) is growing way too fast for his mama! We all enjoy spending time outdoors and camping. This summer went on a camping trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas and smaller trips visiting family near Jefferson City. 

This will be my 13th year of teaching. I taught 3rd grade for 8 years before moving up to fourth. I love this age group! I received my undergraduate degree from UCM in 2003 and returned to school to obtain my master's degree in 2005. In 2012, I finished my specialist degree in school administration. I truly believe that we should make learning a priority and I try to model that as much as I can! I am always learning and growing as an educator. 

This year, I have been accepted as a member of UCM's Teacher Academy. This is an excellent opportunity that will help me develop as an educator. This will require me to miss a few days throughout the year, but it will be of great benefit to me and our classroom. 

This year...

We have a very exciting year up ahead and I am looking forward to working with you and your child. I truly believe that a child's education is the product of great partnership between home and school. Please let me know how I can best help you and your child! 

I work hard to stay in constant contact with you. Please use the blog as a means to keep updated on the school's most current events as well as specific information regarding our class. I will also be utilizing Class Messenger. This is a way for me to send text messages, polls, sign ups, and more. You can sign up for the best way to contact you by visiting this link.

Click to Sign Up for Class Messenger

Upcoming dates...

PTA has already planned several upcoming events. Use the blog as a means to keep updated on the school's most current events as well as specific information regarding our class. 

August

17 Meet the Teacher Night 5:00-6:30 PM

19 First day of school

19 PTA Boohoo Yahoo quick Breakfast for Parents 8:30-9:00 AM

25 Cookie Dough Fundraiser begins

25 PTA Papa John’s Night

27 Curriculum Night at elementary schools (5:00-6:30 PM)

Famous Missourians Hall of Fame 2014-2015

Flip, Slides, and Turns

Classroom Update

We had fun celebrating career week! A special thanks to Tammi Davis for coming and presenting to the class. We also explored other careers as a class and did an interest inventory. It will be interesting to see what they all choose later in life.

In the classroom...
Reader's workshop - We have been comparing literature with visual and oral presentations of the texts. This week we compared clips and excerpts from Charlotte's Web as well as Because of Winn Dixie.

Writer's Workshop - The last several weeks having been busy as the kids have pulled together everything we have done in reading and writing in one writing task. They have been troopers and next week we will begin the work of revising and editing.

Math - We have been exploring geometry focusing on finding the area and perimeter of rectangles, triangles, and parallelograms using formulas.

Social Studies - We are on the Oregon Trail! Students are creating a journal along the trail as we work through a simulation.

Next Week!
Wednesday, April 1 - We will leave at 11:00 and return to school at 1:00. We have been asked to visit the community center and sing songs from their program. We will have lunch at at the park. Permission slips are due back by Tuesday afternoon.

Looking Ahead...
March 31 - Kindergarten Enrollment
April 10 - Muffins with Mom 7:45-8:15 am
April 21 - Grandparent's Day and Art Fair 5:00-6:30 pm

Multiplication Math Whiz Kids

We have three friends who have passed all of their multiplication timed tests up through their 12's! That is 60 problems in 2 minutes! Several more are very close! Keep up the great work!

McTeacher Night... Coming Soon!

Classroom Update

I really can not tell you where the month of January and February have gone. I am in complete shock that it is already March. I guess the ol' saying, "Time flies when you are having fun" really does ring true! I apologize for not making a classroom update in several weeks. Please read on for an update on the classroom happenings within room 114. 

Reading -
We just wrapped up comparing traditional literature which included some deep studying of how different cultures have told the same fairy tales and folk tales in their own unique way. We also did some exploration into the world of mythology. The students were able to find some good similarities and differences between the types of literature. We are now working to identify the theme of a story, poem, or drama and summarize the text.

Writing -
All of the work we have done in reading and writing this year are coming together as students analyze texts and prepare literary essays. They are rising to the occasion and it is so fun to see their work come together in one written piece!

Math -
Fractions! Fractions! Fractions! We have been adding, subtracting, comparing, and now ordering fractions. This is proving to be a difficult skill for many students to conquer and we have slowed down our pace to help students build confidence in their skills. Homework has not been as much as a routine as we have been working in class more and stretching lessons across multiple days to allow time for games to strengthen skills.

Science -
We did a quick unit over living things and wrapped this up yesterday with a very quick and interactive game to review the content and prepare to move on.
Social Studies - At the end of the year in fourth grade, students complete a Famous Missourian project. We will now begin the work in preparation for this project which will include studying the first Missourians, the Western Expansion and more.

One more thing...
We have started new writing journals in class and a new daily writing activity. Everyday, we read and respond so some sort of inspirational piece. So far, we have used quotes, a poem, and a video clip. We take only 4 minutes to respond in writing, then work to improve our pieces for 4 more minutes before we share out with others. The purpose of this task is to help inspire kids to develop a love of writing that is not connected to a classroom task and to also encourage the work of revising and improving writing.

Many of the kids have been bringing in their journals after decorating them at home with quotes and notes of inspiration. They are fired up and excited about writing. This has definitely become one of our favorite times of the day.

One of this week's inspiration was brought by Kid President. Enjoy!

Tom Sawyer!

They were fantastic! If you have more pictures, please share!

Published Writers!

We have had two students publish their books using the Bookpress app and/or Bookemon website. You can check out their books below! Congratulations to Michael and Caitlin for becoming published authors!

 "Hurricane Katrina" by Caitlin

"The Attack on Pearl Harbor" by Michael

"Pompeii" by Peighton

Mark Your Calendars!

Book Publishing Website

We have created written copies of the historical essays we have been working on in class. Today, we went to the computer lab and began creating ebooks of essays. There are two ways students continue this process at home. Using a desktop or laptop computer, they can use this website http://www.bookemon.com/ . Each student has a unique log in and password that will gain access to their books. Using an iPad, they can download the free app too.

Classroom Update

In the Classroom

We have been busy and will be starting some new units this week in several subjects. 

Reader's Workshop - This week, we will leave informational texts for a bit and revisit narrative text. Our focus will be on point of view. When reading narrative texts at home, ask your child about the point of view. We are learning how to analyze the point of view and how it affects the story.

Writer's Workshop - Writers are putting the finishing touches on their written published historical essay. We will spend some time in the lab this week starting to electronically publish their writing. We will be using a free app called BookPress. It is also available though a website. We won't have time for students to complete the electronic publishing at school, but those who choose to publish at home will have the opportunity to present their ebooks to the class. They are very excited about this process!

Math - We will test over the multiplication and division strategies we have been learning in class. Although we will continue to practice and refine these skills, we will move onto our next unit which explores fractions. Fractions can be frustrating for students, be on the look out for tips and tutorials on the blog.

Social Studies - We are making salt dough maps of Missouri that the students will paint and label later this week. This was an extension of their research. First, they completed an essay about Missouri's geography, climate/weather, and resources.
Science - Our next unit will be animal classification.

Scholastic Orders

Book orders are going home this evening. They are due February 11th. The online ordering code is GW264.

Upcoming Dates

We have several upcoming dates that I would like to make you aware of for this spring semester. More details will be sent home regarding each of the events.

February -
2 - Reading Rewards Assembly - 2:30 pm
9-13 - Bus Driver Appreciation Week
16 - Presidents' Day
18 - Fourth Grade NAEP Assessment
26 - Two Hour Late Start (Final)

March -
3 - Fourth Grade Program
12 - End of Third Quarter
13 - No School: Spring Break
16 - No School: Spring Break
18 - Author Visit at High School
20 - PTO Carnival
24 - McTeacher Night
25 - Fire Fighter Visit
31 - MAP Recognition Reception @ 2:45

April -
21 - Grandparents' Night and Art Show from 5:00-6:30

May -

Mark Twain Nominees 2015-2016

TITLE  The Water Castle	AUTHOR  Megan Frazer Blakemore		PUBLISHER Bloomsbury
Navigating Early	Clare Vanderpool		Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Counting by 7s	Holly Goldberg Sloan		Dial
Dorko the Magnificent	Andrea Beaty		Harry N. Abrams
Jinx	Sage Blackwood		Katherine Tegen Books
Will in Scarlet	Matthew Cody		Knopf Books for Young Readers
The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel	Deborah Hopkinson		Knopf Books for Young Readers
What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World	Henry Clark		Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Al Capone Does My Homework	Gennifer Choldenko		Puffin
Gaby, Lost and Found	Angela Cervantes		Scholastic Press
Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin	Liesl Shurtliff		Yearling
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library	Chris Grabenstein		Yearling

These are the final books nominated for the 2015-2016 Mark Twain award. Students successfully read all 12 books qualify to attend the Young Readers Festival in Warrensburg at the end of fifth grade!

Happy Reading,

Happy 100th Day of School

Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation Poster Contest 2015

Each year, the Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation Department hosts a poster contest for third and fourth grade students. Participating schools send their top three finalists' posters off to be judged by the board members against other students.

The kids did a great job and made it very difficult to choose the top three winners. Congratulations to Jasmin (1st place), Lucas (2nd place), and Mallory (3rd place). I am so proud of all of them! 

First place: Jasmin

2nd place: Lucas

3rd place: Mallory

Introducing the Regions of Missouri

We are embarking on a new adventure in class! Groups will be working together to research one of the five geographical regions of Missouri and create a time capsule to present to the class. We will use the iPads at school do their research, but students may choose to use time outside of class if necessary. The link to the Webquest and helpful research links can be found by clicking on the map.

http://www.pkwy.k12.mo.us/bellerive/homepages/assignment.cfm?UserID=belfourth&TeacherCourseID=0D55EBA6-1CC4-EACA-CE29C9A2BA0F4E45#Task

OREOs and Close Reading

You might have heard one of the new catch phrases in education... close reading. This a term that refers to your child's ability to read a text at a deeper level. This is a concept that we attempt to teach students by helping them understand that one encounter with a piece of text may not be enough to truly understand the text and the author's intentions.

Today we did a fun and tasty activity that helped illustrate this point. Ask your child what Oreos have to do with how we read!

Have a great night,
Mrs. T.

Scholastic Books

Encouraging reading is one of the most important things we can do to help your child succeed. It can be tough finding the right books to keep them interested, which is why you might want to check into Scholastic Reading Club. 

With Scholastic Reading Club: Every book you buy earns FREE Books for our classroom library. You can choose from handpicked, grade- and reading-level-specific books for your child. You'll find the best values on a variety of formats, including eBooks Each month. Your child also brought home a flyer last week. 

Together you can choose from books hand-selected by teachers and experts, and then order online or by returning your order form and payment to me.  

I'm excited to get our class reading! Thank you for your support!

If This Is Your First Time Ordering Online: VISIT www.scholastic.com/readingclub ENTER the one-time Class Activation Code GW264. SHOP from a carefully curated selection of the best books, value packs, and Storia eBooks. SUBMIT your order and earn FREE Books for our classroom. All book orders will be shipped to our classroom so we can celebrate the joy of reading together!

Orders are due next Wednesday, January 21st.

Thank you in advance for your support and please let me know if you have any questions!
Have a great day!

Mrs. T.

Writers in Action

The kids have been hard at work researching historical topics using books and iPads over the last few weeks. They are now in the process of pulling their research together and creating historical essays. Their enthusiasm over their topics is so exciting!!! I took some pictures today to show some of the kids hard at work! 

Division Help

Next week we will launch another multiplication and division unit. As you know, Everyday Math introduces different strategies that you may not be familiar with at home. To help you and your child with their homework, I including a few videos that may be helpful.

Please remember, while different strategies will be introduced and students will be asked to practice all strategies, they will ultimately be able to pick the strategy that works best for them. I have discovered that this is very helpful!

Partial Quotients Algorithm (1 divisor)

Partial Quotients Algorithm (2 divisor)

Long Division (Traditional)

Long Division with 2 digit divisor (Traditional)



Scientific, Historical, and Technical Text

In Reader's Workshop, we have been studying the many different forms of informational text. We have learned that as readers we learn different kinds of information based on the type of text we are reading. While most informational text we read is historical and scientific, we also read technical text to learn how to do something. This week we used the iPads to read different types of technical texts. Don't be surprised if you child comes home with a recipe for cookies or banana bread. We tried to use the iPads to build and launch space shuttles, but the requirement for flash didn't allow us to access the site. As promised, I told the class I would post the website for them to explore at home. Have fun!

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/RocketScience101/RocketScience101.html

It is good to be back!

It was so great to see the kids back at school even if it is FREEZING outdoors! They all have so much to share with me about what they have been doing over the last few weeks. Their excitement is so wonderful. I enjoyed my time at home with my family as well even if we ended the two weeks with a round of the flu. Thankfully, I believe we are starting to feel better! 

Poster Contest

Each year, the Soil and Water Conservation of Jackson County hosts a poster contest for third and fourth graders. Students will design and create their posters this week and our top three posters will be sent off to be judged by the Soil and Water Conservation department. Each student will be awarded a participation ribbon as well. This is a great project to work on as we get back into the routines and the kids LOVE creating this posters each year. Stay tuned for pictures of our top three posters as judged by a select group of teachers at PB.

Multiplication Timed Tests

As I shared with each of you during conferences, speed and accuracy are important for students when using their multiplication facts. We will begin timed tests today starting with our 10's today. Students will have 2 minutes to complete 60 problems with 90% accuracy. Basically, they can miss up to 5 problems and still pass. Students will remain on the same timed test until they pass. As students progress, they will be tested over their facts in this order: 10's, 2's, 5's, 3's, 4's, 6's, 7's, 8's, 9's, 11's, and 12's. Finally there will be a mixed factor test at the end. All students who pass ALL of their tests will be rewarded in May. The prize will be determined by the students achieving this honor. Hopefully this will inspire some independent study sessions at home. :)

Indoor Recess

Obviously, with the cooler temps this week, we will have indoor recess. Students may bring electronic devices to play on during this time if they have parent permission. If there is a problem with this items being used outside of recess time, they will be sent home and asked to not be brought back.

Grade Cards

Grade cards for second quarter will go home today. Please keep everything in your child's envelope and simply return the signed envelope. As you know, I was gone for a portion of this quarter, but I have tried to share with you as much information about your child's progress besides just their letter grades. Please let me know if you have any questions. 

One of my goals this second half of this year is to be more on top of posting to our blog! Stay tuned for pictures and more updates that have been previously posted this year.

Have a great week,
Mrs. T.