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