A New Year!

Classroom Update

It is hard to imagine that next week is our last full week of fourth grade. We will wrap our Famous Missourian projects in preparation for our living museum on Thursday and Friday. We will also take our final assessments in math and reading. In addition, we have several fun events approaching.

Also, today we launched Genius Hour and we discovered the class is passionate about a lot of different things. We will work on our Passion Projects over the course of the next few weeks. I am excited to see where their learning will take them!

Upcoming Dates
5/12-5/13 - Living Museum open to teachers and students from 1-3 pm
5/13 - Spelling Bee 9:30 AM in gym
5/16 - Fun Day
5/17 - Yearbook signing
5/18 - Last day of school (Early Dismissal) 

Judy Young Letters

After our author visit by Judy Young, we wrote thank you letters to her and asked a few more questions. We were so excited to get a response!

Hi Prairie Branch Students,

I had a great time speaking to you at the Grain Valley Author Day Festival at your district's high school, and I LOVED reading all the letters you wrote me. Your did a great job of writing, and I can tell you thought about what you were saying.

Ava - I am so happy that I was the 1st author you've ever met!

Katie- I am glad you learned that you can research a topic!

Aiden P. - You're right - you don't have to travel to get ideas - you can get them just from reading!

To "an anonymous writer" - I hope you like reading Promise!

Emma J. - I would love to come to Grain Valley again, too!

Jaxon - You're welcome. I'm glad I got to speak to you, too!

Shelby- I won't forget my visit to Grain Valley, either!

Chancellar - WOW! You were really listening to me! I'm glad you learned to explore, read, and imagine to get ideas! Have fun in Mexico!

Savannah- I'm glad you found new ways to become inspired to write!

Jordan - You asked what I do when not writing. One thing is snow shoeing in the mountains behind my house. I've attached a photo taken on April 1. I'm standing on over 5 feet of snow!

Isabella - You asked how I got the idea for Promise. I was driving to visit a school and drove past an abandoned fire tower. It was a long drive so I stopped to stretch my legs and walk around a bit. A crow flew out from the top, and when I got back in the car and started driving more, I started imagining about what that crow was doing up there, and maybe there was a boy up there with him. And I started asking myself questions like why is a boy up there? How did he get up there? When I got to my hotel room that night, I wrote the first paragraph. You also asked my dog's name: Hobo is my black lab, Pip is my Brittany. And, you asked why I moved to Idaho. My husband and I have been going to ID for many years and decided we loved it so much we wanted to live here. 

Andrew - You asked what my favorite part of being an author is. Getting to make up stories, and then seeing or hearing about kids like you that like to read them. It can't get any better!

Sarah  H. - Like Jordan, you also asked what I like to do when not writing. I love to hike. Attached is a photo of me and my husband hiking in Denali National Park in Alaska. 

Sophia M. - You asked how long it took to write my first book. It took about 18 months to write S is for Show Me, A Missouri Alphabet.

Sophia G. - You asked why I don't write more novels. I have! The Wild World of Buck Bray: The Missing Grizzly Cubs releases next fall. I started writing on it in Alaska in the attached picture. (My camper is named Arlo, The Traveling Studio).

Thank you again for the great day at Grain Valley, and for all your letters! And, I had fun answering your questions while sitting in an airport waiting for a plane to CA where I will be giving a writing workshop this week, working with kids in grades 3, 4 and 5 on their own writing.

Judy

Classroom Update

Spelling Bee

I want to congratulate 5 students as finalists in our classroom spelling bee. Our grade level spelling bee will be this Friday. Congratulations and good luck to Luke, Brody, Andrew, James, and Emmy!

Testing Dates

Just a reminder, we will testing on Monday, April 25, Wednesday, April 27, and Wednesday, May 4th.

This week our focus will be:

Reader's Workshop - Using text based evidence to answer questions fully.

Writer's Workshop - Draft biographies focusing on elements of structure.

Math - Multi step number stories

Social Studies - The Civil War

This week!

Papa John's Night is Thursday! 

Other upcoming dates: 

4 PTA Mtg 6:30 PM

8 DARE Graduation 2PM (We are guests)

12 Grandparents Night/ Art Show 5:30-7

22 MAP Assembly 3PM

25-May 13 MAP Testing

29 4th Grade Field Trip/Art

29 PTA Carnival 6PM

Important Upcoming Dates

Smarter Balanced Assessment Dates

This week will we do our final round of practice assessments for the students using the computers. The purpose of these practice assessments was to help familiarize students with the testing tools and the testing format. We all know how hard it is to do our best when we don't know what to expect. 

As of now, our class is scheduled to take the Smarter Balanced MAP assessment on Monday, April 25th starting at 1 pm for English Language Arts and Math on Wednesday, April 27th starting at 9:30 am. Our specials schedule will be adjusted to allow a longer testing window for students. Students who are not here during the scheduled testing time will be pulled to test at a later date. 

Career Week

We are also preparing for Career Week. I have attached a flyer detailing specific days we will recognize as a school. We have a few volunteers wishing to come speak to the class about their profession, but if it is not too late. You can sign up by visiting this link! 

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 Career Week 2016

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Music Program

Our annual fourth grade production of Tom Sawyer will be March 22nd at 6 pm. Students need to be dressed and in the classroom at 5:45 pm. To ensure students are properly supervised, please do not have them go to the room until 5:45 pm. Students will also do a daytime performance on Monday, March 21st at 2:00 pm. Guests are welcome at both performances. 

Grandparents' Night and Art Fair

Mrs. Agnew will have our halls looking fabulous on April 12th for our annual Grandparents' Night and Art Fair. Grandparents and families are welcome to come browse the halls and enjoy the fine artwork between 5:30 and 7 pm. We hope to see you there!

School Carnival 

Lastly, we are also looking forward to our upcoming school carnival hosted by PTA. Mark your calendars for Friday, April 29th. I have attached a flyer with more information. 

Other Important Dates
March 

16 Spring Pictures

16 Major Saver Cards Assembly 1PM

19 Helping Hands to Harvesters

21-31 Career Week

22 4th Grade program 6PM

31 Kindergarten Registration 4:30-6PM

April

4 PTA Mtg 6:30 PM

8 DARE Graduation 2PM (We are invited to attend)

12 Grandparents Night/ Art Show 5:30-7

22 MAP Assembly 3PM

29 4th Grade Field Trip/Art

29 PTA Carnival 6PM

STEM in the Gym... THIS WEEK!

Don't forget to make plans to attend STEM in the Gym this Thursday, February 25th. Exhibitors will be in the gym from 6-8 pm teaching students about science, technology, engineering, and math with engaging activities. You don't want to miss it!

Twiehaus Tidbits

Classroom News

We have something new to share with you! This newsletter is written by two of our student leaders, Shelby and Katie. We have a new team that will create and publish weekly newsletters each week. What's a better way of learning about our learning than from hearing it straight from the kids! We will send home paper copies each week as well as post the newsletters to the blog. Nice job, Ladies! Please enjoy!

Twiehaus Tidbits ~ February 3, 2016

In the Classroom...

Readers Workshop - After several weeks of digging into nonfiction, we are bringing all of our research together to share what we have learned about nonfiction texts and extreme weather. Students will present their knowledge to third graders. Next, we will do an in depth study of historical nonfiction texts. 

Writers Workshop - Writers are beginning to combine all the work they have done in reading and put it on paper in writing. We are focusing on growing ideas, building theories, and revising these theories as we write about our interpretations of books and stories. 

Math - Fractions, fractions, FRACTIONS! They are doing amazingly well on fractions! I am so proud of their hard work. This week we are explore subtracting fractions and then we will move into angles and rotations. We will test next week. 

Social Studies - We are wrapping up our unit on Missouri Regions this week and are in need of a few supplies for our end of the unit project. I willl send a note home tomorrow. Thank you in advance for your support!

Valentine's Day and Party

Our room parents have been busy once again planning our classroom party. I realize this is a lot of hard work, but greatly appreciated!!! We will send home more information soon, but there are a few things I can share now. Students are asked to bring a decorated Valentine's Day box for the party. Students will be voting on their favorite box during the party. Also, students will have time to pass out Valentines. I will send home a list of names!

Thank you for all that you do!

Emily

Mark your calendars!

Poetry Cafe!

Twiehaus Tidbits ~ Tuesday, January 19, 2016

In the Classroom

This week, we will wrap up a few of our units as well as launch a couple of new ones. I am so proud of all of their growth in multiplication! Please keep encouraging your child to practice their basic facts at home. This will help improve both their speed and accuracy when solving more complicated problems.  

Readers Workshop - Readers will be sharing and learning from one another this week which will launch us into our next half of our unit. Next, students will begin to explore a new subtopic that will allow them to start comparing their former topic to their new. This will really push their thinking as nonfiction readers! 

Writer's Workshop - Our poetry cafe will feature all of our poets and one of their most prized pieces of poetry. This will occur in class and I will be recording their readings to share with you soon. 

Math - We are returning to fractions this week. This unit will build on our previous fraction units and push their thinking a little more. This is the beauty of Everyday Math! What may have seemed to complicated before will be a little easier this go around. 

Social Studies - A few months ago, we explored the regions of the United States. For this unit, we will learn about the regions of Missouri. Students will be working in cooperative groups researching one region and have the opportunity to share their thinking with others. 

Upcoming Dates

January 
19 - Rink Ratz Family Night 6-8 pm
26 - Two Hour Late Start
28 - Papa John's Night 

February 

2 - PTA Meeting 6:30 pm in PB Library

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

5 - Mid-Quarter

12 - Valentine's Day Party 2:15-3:15 pm in classroom

15 - No School

25 - Two Hour Late Start

       STEM Night in the Gym - Science Night (Details to follow)

Twiehaus Tidbits ~ Friday, January 8, 2016

In the Classroom

It was a great week back in the classroom and we accomplished so much! This is what we have in store for next week. 

Readers Workshop - We are working in teams researching extreme weather. Next week will be the final week and we will begin to plan how groups will teach their content to the rest of the class. 

Writer's Workshop - We are becoming poets! The kids have explored free verse poetry and have begun to explore figurative language. Next week we will begin using meter and rhythm. This will be a short unit!

Math - Next week we will test over our unit. Since this unit was split by Christmas Break, we will do a review on Tuesday and test on Thursday and Friday. 

Science - We are participating in the Jackson County Water and Soil Conservation Poster Contests. Students are creating posters centered on the theme, "We all need trees." All of this work will be done in the classroom. 

Lunch Visitors

Our students are very fortunate to have so many parents who are able to join their children for lunch, from time to time. It has been customary for students to invite a friend to sit with them, but in order to accommodate guests, we are asking students to not invite friends to join them at the table. This will make it a special time for you and your child. Thank you for understanding!

Upcoming Dates

January 
12 - PTA Meeting in Library @ 6:30 pm
19 - Rink Ratz Family Night 6-8 pm
26 - Two Hour Late Start
28 - Papa John's Night 

Twiehaus Tidbits... Welcome 2016

A New Year

I hope that everyone enjoyed the last two weeks as much as I did. I thoroughly enjoyed having the time at home to play with my kids and spend time as a family. Even though we were always on the go, it was nice to have the extra time to do things we typically do not. These are the faces behind all the stories I tell to the kids in class. 

I am really looking forward to the kids coming back tomorrow and listening to them share about their adventures of over the last couple of weeks. Christmas, New Years, the first snow winter... I can only imagine that they will have a lot to share!

We are kicking off second semester and on the downhill slide of fourth grade. We have a lot to tackle, but it will be a fun and adventurous ride!

This Week

This week we will continue many of the same units we were exploring when we left for break, so the first couple of days will be a bit of review and catch up.

Readers Workshop - We will review, but then dive deeper into our nonfiction study. This part of the unit will allow us to put our skills to the test as we read and explore disastrous weather.

Writers Workshop - Over the next two weeks, we will be creating poetry. This will be a fun unit, but a brief one.

Math - We started double digit multiplication before break and we will continue with one more strategy this week. Next week we will asses and start in our next journal.

Science - Each year, fourth grade participates in a poster contest hosted by the Soil and Water Conservation Department. Last year, we had a first place winner from our school! This week will learn more about trees and their impact on our world and next week we will create posters for the contest. All of the work will be done at school.

Math Club

We will start back up with math club starting Wednesday afternoon. We will meet each and every Wednesday unless notified otherwise. In the event that I have to cancel, I will send an email out by noon. Oftentimes, decisions are made regarding inclement weather based on the assumption that students can make it home safely by the end of the school day. We will not have math club on days the weather is deteriorating. Again, I will be sure to let you know by noon.

Recess and Cold Weather

Finally, please be sure your child has the appropriate clothing for outdoor recess. We will typically go outside unless it is below 20 degrees windchill. Students need to have coats at school each day. Thank you!

Looking Ahead

January
6 - All Pro Dad in Library @ 7:45 am
9 - Grade cards go home
12 - PTA Meeting in Library @ 6:30 pm
18 - No School
19 - Rink Ratz Family Night 6-8 pm
26 - Two Hour Late Start
28 - Papa John's Night