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.)

Debrief of Week One

Dear Parents,

Now that the excitement of the first week of school is behind us and we have all had a chance to catch our breath I wanted to give you a few updates of how our first week went.  It has been fun getting to know the students and observing how they learn. The first two days we worked on a group project where the students needed to use teamwork to build a structure that could withstand wind. It was great to see them work through their struggles, come up with some interesting structures using their own problem solving strategies and most importantly working together as a team. I did take a few photos that will be posted on the website soon.  Later in the week we worked on the creative side as the students wrote stories encouraging them to use their imaginations. I have to admit we have some very creative thinkers in our class.

As expected in the beginning of any school year there will be a few minor classroom changes. These changes are being made to help students focus more and be less distracted during classroom time. The first change is regarding individual pencil sharpeners. These little items are creating major distractions and I have asked all students to leave them at home. Sharpened pencils will always be available to the students.  All they need to do is trade in their dull or broken pencil for a sharpened one. The second change is in regard to the class bathroom. The students are thrilled at the uniqueness of having a bathroom in the classroom. They are so thrilled that they like to spend much of their day in there at the most inopportune times.  As a result we will be starting a “bathroom pass system”. Students will be given an equal number of passes for the week. Once they have used all their passes for the week they will not have the opportunity to use the bathroom during class time.  Please remind and encourage your student that the bathroom is accessible to them before school, during both recesses and lunch without having to use a pass. Of course, if there is an emergency they will be allowed to use the bathroom. The final change is regarding water bottles.  We have already had several spills on our carpet from milk and juice that has required carpet cleaning.  Students are asked to bring water to drink during class time to keep hydrated and they can easily refill their bottles during the day.  Milk and juice is only acceptable during lunch. Thank you for your understanding.

It was a pleasure to meet many of you during Back to School Night and the School Dedication. As you are aware our TV monitor was not yet hooked up and I do want to bring your attention to the following link (click here) which is a video I created to give you a tour of the class website. The website will be your greatest source of online information about what is happening in class. Please enjoy and refer to the site often.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at the address below.

Mr. Williams

jwilliams@streamcharter.net

The Start of a New Year

August 1, 2014

Dear 4^th Grade Parents,

It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself to you as your student’s teacher for this school year.

I have been teaching for 10 years with the past 8 years at Roosevelt Elementary School, in Redwood City, CA teaching 5th Grade.  I grew up in San Carlos, CA, which is located in the San Francisco Bay Area halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. I attended Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo then went on to the University of San Diego where I majored in Diversified Liberal Arts with a Concentration in History.  I earned my teaching credential from Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont, CA

I wasn't always sure that teaching was going to be my profession.  School was not always easy for me, but with determination, the desire to learn and good role models I challenged myself to become a good student and realized I had something to offer, the "fun of learning".  With my interest in technology I have created a technology rich classroom affording my students the opportunity to get a sampling of what the future holds for them in their education and beyond. My mission is to provide an effective classroom learning environment while making the process of learning engaging, challenging and most of all fun.  I strive to challenge my students to their full potential.  In doing so my students have won the Biz World Challenge the past two years. Just this last year I was honored to receive the J. Russell Kent Award from the San Mateo County School Boards Association for my Pencil Box News program.  This award is given to innovative and outstanding classroom programs. 

When I am not spending time teaching or prepping for class I enjoy all types of sports. I am a loyal fan of the San Francisco Giants, 49ers and Sharks and bits of my enthusiasm for these teams are visible in my classroom.  I enjoy golf and I am constantly striving to keep my drives straight and on the fairway.  I enjoy all forms of technology having built computers and components from scratch.  There isn't a technology issue I shy away from.  Bring it on!  

I have two brothers, two nieces, and a dog named Charlie and my iPod is full of country music.

I made the decision to move to the Chico-Oroville area as my family moved here just six years ago. Being a family person I decided to pursue a teaching position in the area and this lead me to accepting a position with STREAM. I am excited to be a part of this team that has worked so diligently over that past few years to bring this new and innovative school to this community for your students.

Being new to the area I have a lot to learn and look forward to contributing to our community.  Together we will make a difference in educating our students and watch them develop into productive adults.

I am looking forward to this year; getting to know the students; my colleagues; the parents; the community and most of all teaching and sharing a positive, productive, and fun classroom.  You will have the opportunity to keep up with what is happening in our classroom through my class website which can be located at www.schooldaystoday.com.  The website is currently being updated but please take a moment to browse the site to get an understanding of what you can expect.  As the school year progresses I hope you will find the site to be helpful and informative.

As we get close to August 12^th, the first day of school, you will see that STREAM is transforming into a school environment.  Each classroom is a fresh pallet and I respectfully ask for your help.  Our greatest need is bookshelves for our class library along with cabinets for storage.  Donations of materials and helping hands would be greatly appreciated at this time.

I sincerely look forward to meeting each of you at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Monday, August 11^th and if not on “Opening Day” on Tuesday, August 12^th.

Should you have any questions or items to discuss now or through out the year please do not hesitate to contact me.  My contact information is below.

Thank you for welcoming me into the STREAM family and to provide your student with what I hope will be a great year for them.

Sincerely,

Jason M. Williams

Email: jwilliams@streamcharter.net

Phone: (530) 534 - 1633