Update for the week of September 22

Hello Again Room Echo Parents

The past week has been very busy and successful with the students continuing to work hard.  We completed our commercials and they will be posted on the website shortly.  Please make sure to watch them. We took our math tests on Friday with a few students that need to finish on Monday. Estimating will be our next unit of study.

With the internet finally up and running at full speed we are able to start incorporating more technology in the classroom including the ability to use Class Dojo which I talked about at the Ribbon Cutting. You will be receiving parent login information on Monday for Class Dojo. For those are not familiar with Class Dojo, it is an online program that allows parents to view and get weekly reports sent to them on how their student is doing in class each day.  

I have also updated the "Wish List" for the classroom online (click here). Thank you in advance for your help with some of our needs.

Mr. Williams

www.schooldaystoday.com

Below is the commercials the students created.

We Just Keep On Working

(This letter is going home on Monday with the students to be signed and returned.)

Dear Parents,

The students of Room Echo are nicely getting into our everyday routine.  They are engaged in the curriculum and already progress is being made.  We will be finishing Chapter One in math which is place values.  There will be a test either Thursday or Friday.  Multiplication facts are part of our everyday routine and 1/3 of the class has completed their facts up to 12. 

I hope your student has been telling you about our Language Art reading, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  Students have been working on a persuasive argument which we will be filming within the week and then posted on the class website.  Please make sure to take a look of what they are doing. 

In science we will be working on the water cycle and filtration unit where the students will eventually be creating their own water filter.

A few important upcoming dates:  Progress reports will be coming home to you on Wednesday, September 17^th.   Please make sure to ask your student for it.  Picture day is this Thursday, September 18^th.  Both Thursday and Friday will be “no logo days”. 

With our extended school day, I am finding that many of the students are getting a bit hungry about 3:00.  I would like to institute a voluntary Snack Schedule.  For those of you that would like to participate you will be responsible for providing a snack for each student that is participating.  Only those students/parents that have agreed to participate in the Snack Schedule will receive a snack or be scheduled to bring snacks.  A parent has volunteered to coordinate the schedule and will inform you of the appropriate snacks and number of snacks you will need to bring.  I ask that all parents return the bottom portion of this letter indicating that they are either interested or not in participating.  At the same time I would like for you to include your email address if you are not receiving these letters electronically. I would ask that your student return the form below by Wednesday, Sept. 17^th so we can begin the Snack Schedule next week.

As always please feel free to contact me by email if you have questions.  Make sure you do check the class website www.schooldaystoday.com, where you will find pictures from “Student of the Month”, Genius Hour, science, and behind the scene shots of the persuasive argument commercials.

Mr. Williams

Behind the Scenes of Our Commercials

Pictures from Genius Hour Musical Group

Student of the Month - August

Science Temperature Experiment

Three Weeks In and We Are Rolling

Dear Parents,

As the end of summer approaches it is hard to believe that we have been in school three weeks.  We still are feeling a few growing pains but on the other side we now have most of our classroom technology in place and we are ready to move along.  Students will be getting ready to begin using iPads by learning about proper and appropriate usage with the curriculum offered by Common Sense Media.

Our classroom reps have been selected and the class voted and elected Ashley and Quade to represent room “Echo”.  Overall the student’s speeches were nicely done and I am in the process of writing a critique for each student and should have it to them by the end of the week.  One common observation, which is not unusual for students at this grade level, is learning to project their voices.  They will have plenty of opportunity as the year progresses to work on this skill.  Please make sure to take a look at the pictures of the students voting under the blogger link on the classroom website www.schooldaystoday.com.

Save those receipts and fundraise for STREAM while you shop.  The school has three easy opportunities for you to help fundraise.  Shoparoo is a smart phone application that is as easy as shop, scan and submit.  Any shopping receipt can be scanned and submitted for Shoparoo points designated to STREAM.  Get your family and friends involved. It is a fundraiser that doesn’t cost you anything. Using the same concept start collecting your BoxTops for Education and Campbell Soups Labels for Education.  Just cut those coupons and have your student bring them to class. Quick and easy fundraisers that help STREAM. 

Now that we are getting into our fourth grade curriculum I want to remind you to encourage your student to practice their multiplication tables each night for 20 minutes. They should be using their flash cards and working on their facts from 0 to 12.  We will also be working on Place Value up to the millions place and how to round and write the numbers in word form and expanded form.  In Language Arts we have begun our literature study on the Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing.  Make sure to have your student share with you what vocabulary word they are creating a skit for.

I know that many of you have questions and information that you would like to share with me.  Please feel free to contact me via email and we can arrange a mutually agreeable time to meet.  You can also catch me first thing in the morning for a quick conversation on the playground as I have yard supervision every morning or please feel free to contact me by email at anytime.  And please remember that the classroom website is an excellent source of information.

Have a great week!

Mr. Williams

(Pictures from voting for Class Reps.)