Field Trips

 The fourth graders had a great time both at Ms. Kelly's farm on Thursday and at the Calvin Coolidge homestead on Friday.  Thank you to those of you who volunteered your time to chaperone!  Enjoy the photos.

Ms. Kelly giving directions on how to plant the Three Sisters.

 Students had to read the directions carefully in order to plant the first two of the Three Sisters -  corn and squash.  (The beans will be planted later after the corn comes up.)

On the topic of digging up the ground, ask your child how they are liking the story Holes, which I have been reading aloud to the class.  We had a surprise visit from Mr. Moreno last week where he told us it was one of his favorite stories and asked the students to quiz him on the book.  I would like to show students the movie version and have them compare it to the text.  The movie is rated PG, so if you have any concerns about your child watching the film, please contact me.

Thank you!

The students did a wonderful job in the concert on Thursday evening!  Thank you to those families who brought their children early (for either concert), so they could help out as greeters.

Thank you, also, to the two families who sent in box fans for us to use in the classroom.  It made a big difference this past week, as the room got pretty warm in the afternoon.

In the Friday Folder there was an information sheet about our upcoming 3-5 Pod Orientation Night on Monday, June 8th.  While initially planned as a way to dispense information to incoming third graders and their families, we realized that there are so many changes to the format of the schedule next year that it might be beneficial to everyone.  If you have any questions about how next year will look, as far as the new schedule and the changing of classes for each subject, please join us on June 8th.

Also in the Friday Folder was some information about summer school.  I encourage you to consider summer school as an option for helping your child be ready for the start of fifth grade, particularly if your child has received mostly 1s or 2s on their report card in the areas of reading or math.

End of the Year

The end of the year is quickly approaching!  There will be a lot of special events happening in these last few weeks.  A few dates to keep in mind:

Tuesday, May 26th - Memorial Day Assembly 9am (Feel free to join us in the multi-purpose room.)

Thursday, May 28th - 3-5 Spring Concert starting at 6:15pm (Only members of chorus and band will be performing)

Thursday, June 4th - Field Trip to Meacham farm;  We will be planting the Three Sisters crops to be harvested in the fall.  Students need to bring a lunch as we will be having lunch at the farm.

Friday, June 5th - Field Trip to Calvin Coolidge Homestead;  Students need to bring comfortable shoes for walking, clothes appropriate for the weather, and a lunch.

Testing and Opportunities for Books

The students worked hard this past week on the language arts portion of the standardized testing.  This week they will be taking the Science NECAP test and the math portion of the standardized testing.  I have tried to help the students keep the testing in perspective and not get too stressed out by it, but it also helps if they are getting to bed on time and eating a healthy breakfast in the morning.  Thanks for your help with this!

I sent home the final book order for this year in the Friday Folder.  Orders are due by Thursday, so we will have plenty of time to receive the books before the end of the school year.

Also, don't forget about the Book Swap this week.  Here is the notice that was included in the Wildcat News:

The PTSF (Parents, Teachers, Students, Friends) organization is planning the 5th annual Book Swap for grades K-5.  Please donate your gently used children's books to this cause.  Classroom teachers and Ms. Symancyk are now accepting used books until May 19 for the Book Swap which will be held on May 21 and 22.  The books will be sorted and displayed for all the K-5 students to choose a book (or maybe 2) for their very own.  Book Swap books are priceless in more ways than one.  Thank you for putting more books into the hands of students!

Teamwork

This past week students were asked to work with a partner to compose a metaphor poem about an assigned color.  I was very impressed with the work that they did.  Some excerpts from their poems are included below.

Yellow is the sun on a hot summer day.
Yellow is the scent of books being opened for the first time.
Yellow is sleeping and relaxing on a comfy, newly made bed.

Green is luck

As you see a rainbow in the sky

Green is a clover

As you find it lying on the ground

Green is grass   

when it slips through your toes in the summer

Pink is cherry blossom trees swaying in the spring breeze

Pink is being kissed by your mom

Pink is a heartbeat of a newborn baby 

Orange is a friend's house, having fun

Orange is balloons floating into the orange sunset

Orange is the city, with bright lights and lots of noise

Purple is the gloomy sky before dark

Purple is the soft cry in the distance

Purple is a cloudy day when no one wants to go outside 

Neon green is trying and trying to make a shot
And celebrating when you finally do.

It is also the sound of "never give up" repeating in your head.

Red's sound is laughter

when you’re chatting with your friends.

Red is roses

in a fresh bouquet.

Red's taste is strawberry ice cream

on a hot summer day.

Brown is a drum beat

Slow and depressing

Brown is spoiled milk

When it has already separated

Brown is dirty bandages

That have not been disposed of

Blue is the sky in the middle of summer

Blue is blueberries fresh from Mother Earth

Blue is cotton candy, fluffy and soft

The class also displayed great teamwork when decorating our door for Spirit Week. Our assigned state was Florida, and I was amazed at the way in which the students planned, organized themselves, and worked in groups to decorate the top of the door like the swamp (Everglades), the middle of the door like Universal Studios, and the bottom of the door like the beach.

Spanish Skit

The students did a terrific job presenting their Spanish skit to Mrs. Pogue's first graders on Friday.  Ms. Meyer, the World Language teacher, even commented on how this class stood out among all of her classes for how well they worked together to learn their lines.  I was very proud to hear that!  By now, the beautiful masks have probably already made it home, but here are a few pictures for you to enjoy as well.

Don't forget that this week is Spirit Week!  (The schedule is on the last post, if you need a reminder of the theme of each day.)

Important Dates

There are less than two months left of school, and there is going to be a lot happening over the course of those remaining weeks.  To begin with, please remember that this Wednesday (April 29th) is a noon dismissal for students.  Friday, May 1st is also a big day.  At 9:00am we will be treated to a presentation about the Maasai of Kenya.  Feel free to join us, if you are available.  The students will also be performing their Spanish skit Friday afternoon at 12:35.  The class has been practicing their lines for several weeks and designed their own masks during Art class.  The performance will take place in Mrs. Pogue's first grade classroom and only takes about ten minutes, so if you would like to be in the audience I would suggest showing up a few minutes early.  I know the students would appreciate the support.  Finally, any money raised for Jump Rope 4 Heart is due on Friday.

The following week (May 4th - May 8th) will be Spirit Week.  Monday is national Star Wars day so students may dress like a Star Wars character and/or bring in a light saber (for use at recess only).  Tuesday is random acts of kindness day.  Wednesday is mismatch day.  Thursday is hat day, and Friday is pajama day.  As part of Spirit Week, we will also be decorating our door that week to represent the state of Florida.  The students are already full of ideas, so I can't wait to see what they come up with.

Other Important Dates:
Weeks of May 11th and May 18th - SBAC Testing and Science NECAPs
Tuesday, May 26th - Memorial Day Assembly at 9am
Friday, June 5th - Fourth grade field trip to Calvin Coolidge's homestead in Plymouth, VT (Please contact me if you would like to be a chaperone for this trip.)

Health Week Photos

Students participating in Jump Rope for Heart.

Health Week was a great success!  Students enjoyed learning about massage and reiki and hearing about Mr. Pogue's adventures on the Appalachian Trail.  On Friday the whole school gathered to present a large donation to the Norris Cotton Cancer Center.  Enjoy the pictures!

Wearing pink to support cancer awareness!

Health Week

There will be many special events happening this week as a part of Health Week at HES.  The activities vary a bit from grade to grade, so here is a run-down of what our class will be doing each day.

Monday - A presenter will share the benefits of massage and teach some simple techniques that individuals can use to help stay alert when tired or to calm down when stressed.

Tuesday - The class will participate in Jump Rope for Heart.  The fundraising envelopes went home in the Friday Folder.  Students will have until after April Break to collect donations.

Wednesday - A presenter will share about the Japanese technique of Reiki.  I have to admit that I don't know much about Reiki, so this will be a learning experience for me as well.

Thursday - Mr. Pogue will talk about his adventures hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Friday - The day will begin with a special, school-wide assembly.

Each day there is also a special color that students are encouraged to wear.  Students will be offered a healthy snack of that color at snack time.
Monday - Red
Tuesday - Yellow/Orange
Wednesday - Blue/Purple
Thursday - Green
Friday - Pink (Students are encouraged to wear their pink breast cancer awareness shirts, if they purchased one)


Also, the April book order was sent home on Friday.  It is due back on Thursday, April 9th, which hopefully means we should receive the books shortly after returning from break.

Spring

Supposedly spring has arrived, though it is hard to tell from looking out the window.  Hopefully some warm weather will dry out the playground soon.  Between cold temperatures and a wet, icy playground, the students have been forced to stay indoors for recess far too often.

Thank you to everyone for getting in touch with me about conferences.  It was nice to sit down and discuss each student's progress and what we have been studying recently.  Here is a look ahead to what we will be covering in the final trimester.

Math - We have begun a rather comprehensive unit on fractions, covering an understanding of improper fractions, equivalent fractions, fractions on a number line, addition and subtraction of fractions, and eventually multiplication of fractions.  The next module will then connect fractions to decimals and cover computation using decimal numbers.

Writing - Right now our focus has returned to opinion writing, where students are composing a persuasive essay on a topic that matters to them.  Building on the structure we learned earlier in the year, we are now trying to improve our introductions, conclusions, and transitions, while making sure we include a variety of strong evidence to support our opinion statement.  My hope is that we will have time to use a short study of poetry to improve our word choice and use of figurative language.  Then we will return to narratives one final time before the end of the year.

Reading - This trimester students will learn to use context clues to identify the meanings of unknown words in both fiction and non-fiction texts.  We will also revisit how to identify the main idea and how to summarize a text, as these are skills that need more practice.  The class will also explore the differences between poetry, prose, and drama.

Parent Teacher Conferences

A reminder that there will be no school next Friday, March 20th.  That is the first day I will be offering parent teacher conferences.  If you have not contacted me yet about a conference, please let me know either a time that would work well for you to meet with me or that you do not feel the need to meet at this time.  All HES parents will be asked to fill out a short survey that gives us feedback on how we are doing and how we can improve.  Thank you in advance for taking the time to do this.  

A Celebration of Reading

Mr. Moreno interviewing the characters from The Cat in the Hat.

 The students worked hard on their Track My Progress testing this past week and logged a lot of hours of reading as part of our Dr. Seuss Read-a-thon.  After Monday, our class alone had read for 23 hours!  I am really proud of their effort and enthusiasm.  What a fun group to teach!

Mr. Moreno shares his favorite Dr. Seuss book with the class.

Please look carefully at the Friday Folder, as it included important information about parent-teacher conferences, dental hygiene week, and an upcoming movie night for 2nd -4th graders.  Also included was the March book order, which is due back this Thursday if you would like to order any books.

Finally, a reminder that this Thursday is a noon dismissal and there is no school this Friday.

Dr. Seuss's Birthday Celebration

In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday, and Read Across America Day, HES has several special events planned for this coming week.  First, the whole school, staff included, will have some DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time each day.  The students will not know when the announcement to "drop everything and read" will be made, so they will have to have a book with them at all times.  In addition, there will be a school-wide reading incentive, asking students to keep track of the minutes they read each day (at school and at home).  Finally, a special guest reader will be visiting our classroom on Thursday morning after the assembly.

Speaking of the assembly, two fourth grade students, Gracie Fortier and Judson Dunne, will be performing at this week's assembly, so if you get a chance, come check it out!

At the beginning of the week students will partake in another round of Track My Progress testing.  This online testing program, which students complete four times a year, helps us chart the progress they are making in reading and math.  The fourth graders will take the math portion of the test on Monday and the reading portion on Tuesday.

We will end our week with another Four Winds lesson on Friday afternoon.  All in all, it should be a busy week!

Spirit Week

This coming week is going to be an exciting one for the students.  On Tuesday morning, Robert Rivest, a professional mime, will be performing for the students on the topics of stress management and kindness.  Wednesday afternoon our class will be having another Four Winds environmental science lesson.  Friday the entire 3-5 pod will be taking part in a whole-day Read-a-thon.  We have planned different reading related activities for the students throughout the day and arranged to have some special guest readers.

As if that weren't enough, next week is also Spirit Week for the school.  Please see the schedule for the spirit days below.
Spirit Week
Tuesday- "Crazy Day" (like fashion disaster, crazy hairdo, etc.)
Wednesday- Last Name Day (everyone is addressed by last name; for example - Mr. Sanders)
Thursday- Hat Day
Friday - Pajama Day (can wear outer layer pjs & can bring a stuffed animal)

And of course, students are also welcome to bring in valentines for their friends on Friday.  My only request is that, if they choose to send in valentines, students provide a valentine for each of the classmates.  I sent home a list of students' names in the Friday Folder, so your child can be sure not to accidentally leave anybody out.

Also in the Friday Folder was the February Scholastic Book Order.  Orders are due this Thursday (February 12th), which means we should receive the books shortly after the break.  There is a coupon included for a free book when you place an order of at least $10.

Don't forget -- This week is the final week for the Box Tops competition.  Our class is still in the lead, but there is a class closing the gap so please send in any final Box Tops that you can find around the house.

Reading Buddies

Two weeks ago we began meeting with Mrs. Pogue's first grade class on Wednesday afternoons to share some reading time together.  I have been so impressed with how wonderful the fourth-graders are with their first grade buddies.  Enjoy the pictures!

Keep sending in those Box Tops - Our class is currently in the lead!

Book Orders and Box Tops

The annual Box Tops competition has begun!  Our class has already brought in quite a few Box Tops, but please keep checking around your house and send in what you can find.  The class that collects the most Box Tops by February 13th will earn an ice cream party later in the spring.  Thanks for your help!

I sent the January Scholastic book order home in the Friday Folder.  Orders are due by this Thursday, but please remember that you can also place your order online using the classroom code LBMD8.

2015

The students had a very successful first week of 2015!  They came back from the break focused and ready to learn.

Here is a quick overview of what we have been learning during the second trimester and where we are headed in the next few weeks.

Math - Students have spent a lot of time modeling and solving both multiplication and division problems.  The emphasis in the Common Core State Standards is on students being able to show an understanding of place value while solving these types of problems.  That means that, in addition to using the standard algorithm for multiplication and division (the way that most of us learned in school), students must also understand how to show multiplication and division on a place value chart or with the area model or another similar place value algorithm.  I know that this makes the homework confusing at times for parents, but please remember that it is always okay for your child to leave problems blank (even a whole page on occasion) if they do not understand.  That just lets me know that we need to practice some more in class.  I do not grade homework, and I only ask that students attempt the problems to see if they are able to solve them independently.  Thanks for your continued help with this.

Writing - Informational writing has been our recent focus.  Students were tasked with researching a holiday and writing an informational report about it.  There were many steps involved in this process, including summarizing what they had read and picking out which information they deemed as important for their report.   The students were taught to break their report into sections with appropriate headings and to use transition words and phrases to create flow within their paper.  Soon we will be returning to narrative writing and building on the basic structure that students learned earlier in the year.  Our goal will be to add more dialogue and description to our stories.

Reading - Several weeks were spent looking closely at nonfiction texts.  Students practiced identifying the text structure and picking out main ideas and details.  We have now returned to reading groups focused on fiction texts, where we will learn to identify the point of view that the story is being told from as well as continuing to focus on general comprehension.