Hello Parents, Wow! These last few weeks have gone by fast! I cannot believe that school is over next Wednesday! Tuesday of this last week was the school awards ceremony. Our class members received much recognition. Thank you to those parents who could attend. On Monday we are going with both fourth and fifth grade classes to Undine Park for fun and a picnic and then to the Recreation Center for swimming. We will leave school at about 10:15 for the park and them move to the Rec Center for swimming at 12:00. We will be done swimming at 1:30 and back at school around 2:00. It will be fun to spend the time with friends before summer lets everyone go different ways. Students will need a sack lunch, a swimsuit and towel, and anything else he or she might need for swimming or after swimming. These items should all be packed into a backpack or bag so that they can be kept track of easily. We are lucky to have such a fine recreation facility, and there is no cost for students to use it during school outings. We have been trying to complete all the Accelerated Math objectives this week. Many have completed all of the objectives and others are just doing some review before finishing. There has been lots of testing to finish the objectives. I have been very pleased with the whole class and their success in math. I hope that they have learned to enjoy math and have discovered that they are very good at it. We have completed our Wyoming History books and have been studying current day Wyoming. We have learned about the government of Wyoming, and have tried to learn the counties and county seats of the 23 counties in Wyoming. I am really impressed at what this group knows about Wyoming! This will be my last Friday letter. We spent some time today and will spend more time next week cleaning out the classroom. Much schoolwork and artwork will be coming home. Please ensure that the kids have a backpack or sack to carry their things home. Also, please make sure that all library books and any other schoolbooks are returned. Wednesday morning is the final day for students. School will be dismissed at 11:30 on Wednesday, June 3rd. Report cards will be sent home at that time. If your child will not be in school that day, please send in a stamped, self-addressed envelope so it can be mailed to you. Have a safe and enjoyable summer! It has been a pleasure working with you and your children this year! This has been a wonderful year with wonderful students. It is hard for me to see it come to an end.☹
May 22, 2009
Hello, We have been busy this past week and it has gone fast! Wednesday we had a wonderful trip to Fort Laramie. The weather was warm and sunny with just a little wind, and all seemed to enjoy the day and learned a lot. Don’t be surprised if your student asks you to take him or her back there over the summer. It is well worth the trip. Your fourth grader can be the tour guide. Also during the summer there is usually a lot of living history programs that do not happen at this time of year. The Ranger told us about the 175th birthday, which will be celebrated on June 19, 20, and 21. Thank you for getting your student to school early and picking him or her up late, and thanks to all the chaperones that were able to accompany us! Yesterday we participated in a PTA sponsored Cultural Kaleidoscope program on Russia. First we had an hour assembly with the third through sixth grades, and then there was a 40-minute workshop with just the third and fourth grades. It was fun and interesting for all. Thank you PTA! Next Tuesday at 1:00 pm in the gym is the Indian Paintbrush Awards Program. Many of our class members will be receiving awards for physical fitness and reading! Parents are invited to attend! On Monday, June 1st the fourth and fifth grades will go to the park for activities and a picnic before going to the Recreation Center for swimming from 12:00 to 1:30. This will be a fun day with all our classmates as the school year comes to an end. I will include more information in next week’s newsletter. Everyone is enjoying the Expedition Yellowstone story that we are reading in class and the other activities that we are doing with it. We went out and identified the trees on our school grounds using a tree key, and we are now writing tree stories to go with the tree cookies that everyone has. In math we continue to add to the checkbook register that we are keeping and are working to finish Accelerated Math. There are only two more chapters left to read in our Wyoming History books. Regrettably, we have not been able to fit in much more science on the human body. It is time to be returning any schoolbooks to school. This includes library books, textbooks, and books from our classroom library. I use the honor system for books in the classroom and hope that they are all returned for use in future years.
May 14, 2009
Dear Parents, Our trip to Fort Laramie is on Wednesday. Last week I sent home a letter about our trip and a permission slip. Thanks for getting these slips back to me so quickly. We have some volunteers who will accompany us to Fort Laramie. Mrs. Johnson and I will be dividing the students into groups for the adults to supervise during the trip. As the original note said, all students need to be here at school at 7:15 a.m. The bus will leave at 7:30. Each student needs to bring a lunch and snacks for both the morning and afternoon. A water bottle is needed (we will have water to refill it). Let’s hope that the weather next week good, as we will go regardless of the weather, (unless roads are closed), so please make sure your child is prepared for whatever the weather may be. They can bring their school backpack to keep things in, but they will not have to carry it around. We can leave it on the bus. We have requested that all electronic games and equipment be left at home. If there are any questions about this trip, please contact me at school or at home. Today was the Fourth Grade Rendezvous. What a great afternoon! I hope you hear all about the 12 stations that were set up for each group to visit. This activity included demonstrations of Indian, trapper, and trader experiences from the time of the Mountain Man in the area of the Rocky Mountains that was later to become Wyoming. We are fortunate that a local group, the LaRamie River Black Powder Brigade, is willing to take the time to show our children about history. We have begun a program called “Expedition Yellowstone”. This program combines a storybook that reviews much of what we have learned this year in Wyoming history with natural science and language arts. We have a dream cave in the classroom with many drawings on its wall, which relate to the first chapter of the book. Thursday we watched the formation of a caldera in the sand outside our classroom. Please be sure to ask your student about these activitiesThis is a great way to finish up the year! In math we have been learning how to write, add, and subtract money amounts by writing checks and keeping track of them in a checkbook register. We have filled out order forms from catalogues and added up the cost of the items plus shipping. We are also concentrating on finishing accelerated math. In science we continue to study the human body. We will finish the skeletal system and muscular system next week. Then the circulatory system will be the focus. The three main parts of the circulatory system are the heart, blood, and blood vessels. We will spend time recording our pulse and seeing how it changes. We will discuss what everyone can do to keep the circulatory system healthy.
May 8, 2009
Dear Parents Next Friday the fourth grades throughout the district will have the opportunity to participate in a rendezvous. This activity includes demonstrations of Indian, Trapper, and Trader experiences from the time of the Mountain Man in the area of the Rocky Mountains that was later to become Wyoming. We are fortunate that a local group, the LaRamie River Black Powder Brigade, is willing to take the time to show our children about history. This is about the 25th year that they have provided this experience. This years rendezvous will be Friday, May 15th at the UW Hanson Rodeo Arena. Transportation is by bus. We will eat lunch early at school before leaving at 11:30. They will also need to wear appropriate clothing for the weather (it is often colder inside than outside). We regret that we cannot open the rendezvous to parents, but we feel that if we do we will be taking time and attention away from the children. . We are rushing through our Wyoming History books. We will be discussing Fort Laramie before we go there. Then before the end of the year, we will spend time on the government of Wyoming. Today we finished the last lesson in the Reading Street series. During these next few weeks we will be reading many of the books that we have here in the classroom. We will form groups to read and discuss them together. We will be doing book reports and some other fun activities. In science we continue to study the human body. We are now covering the skeletal system and muscular system. Then the circulatory system will be the focus. The three main parts of the circulatory system are the heart, blood, and blood vessels. We will spend time recording our pulse and seeing how it changes. We will discuss what everyone can do to keep the circulatory system healthy. Today we had the “Grazing with Marty Moose” lesson. The lesson was covering nutrition and concentrated on the milk food group. With this we had fruit smoothies. It was fun for all the students to see how the large cameras and sound system worked. Thank you for getting the permission slips for this activity returned to me. Monday is only a half-day for students. School will be dismissed at 11:30. Many in our class are members of the school choir and will be spending the morning with the choir. Those not in choir will get together with those in Mrs. Johnson’s class for the morning and we will do activities together.
May 1, 2009
Hello, We have finally gotten enough copies of the Teton Science School DVD that the classes made. We also put a collection of all the pictures that were taken on a CD that can be viewed on a computer. Both of these were sent home with the students today. It is a wonderful way for your student to share the trip with you and to remember it for years to come. Thank you for making this experience possible! In math we are finishing the Solids and Silhouettes Unit. This involved looking at three-dimensional objects in various ways and determining volume. You may have seen you student’s drawing of a block object that made it look three-dimensional using triangle paper. Next we will review multiplication and division in the unit “How Many Package? How Many Groups”. We are continuing to practice our basic facts every day and then practice what we learn in class through Accelerated Math. Next week is the last unit in our Reading Street program. The story will be “The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon” about the Apollo 11 space flight. Next week will be the last formal spelling and grammar lessons that we will complete. In science we have started our study of the human body by reviewing all ten systems of the body. We then started a more in depth study of the skeletal system by counting our bones and determining how many bones are in the human body. (206) The information letter and permission slip for our trip to Fort Laramie was also sent home today. Please look for it and send back the permission slip. We still have room for more parents to go along, and would love to have you. If you would like to go along after looking at the schedule for the day, please let me know. The Marty Moose lesson that we were scheduled to participate in last month has been rescheduled for next Friday, May 8th. A new letter was sent home today with a new permission slip. The only change is in the date, but we still new the new ones returned by Friday. The next four weeks of school are filled with special events and happenings. I have attempted to post many of these on the schoolnotes calendar at my schoolnotes.com web site. I will try to keep this up to date as best as I can so you know what is happening. We will also try to get as much schoolwork done during this busy time as we can. Thanks for continuing to ensure that any homework gets done.
April 24, 2009
Hello Parents, It has been several weeks since I have sent home a Friday letter. Hopefully they will come home every Friday until the end of school. Everything went well during the days that I was gone last week. The students seemed to do well with the substitute. Last week we performed our play “Crime Doesn’t Pay” in our classroom for parents, family, and the other 4th Grade. Everyone worked on their parts and did not have to have the lines memorized, but most were familiar enough with them that they were read smoothly. We gathered and made many props here in the classroom, and thank you for your assistance helping your actor find the clothing that he or she needed. Thanks to those of you who could make it, and I understand if you were not able to attend. There are some pictures that were taken that I will try to send out to everyone via email. We had some great electricity projects and everyone was proud to show then off to both their classmates and to all the visitors at open house. We kept the projects around for a day and then they should have come home over the last several days. I have completed the grading of all the projects, and the students have the final grades among their papers today. It is my hope that all enjoyed this project and your student was able to show you how much he or she has learned about electricity. The next subject in science will be the Human Body. We will begin with the skeletal system and will then proceed to the muscular system before looking at many of the other systems. This should take us through the end of the year in science and health. We only have two weekly units left in our language arts program. Yesterday we started week 4 with new spelling words, grammar studies, and stories. The spelling test will then be next Friday. There are many special events happening over the next month. I will try to keep you up to date on how these things affect our classroom. Monday morning the class will be going to Laramie High School to watch a musical presentation. Then school is out at 11:30 on Monday for Teacher training in the afternoon. We have several teams participating in “Battle of the Books” and the final competition will be next Friday afternoon at 2:05. Wednesday, May 6th after school, the Space Camp Club will go to the UW planetarium. Permission slips were sent home yesterday with those that were interested. Our Marty Moose lesson and filming has not been officially rescheduled, but we are looking at Monday or Tuesday, May 4th or 5th. Next Friday I will send home the information sheet and permission slip for our trip to Fort Laramie. I also invite parents to accompany us as chaperones. We will be going on Wednesday, May 20th. It will be a long day, from about 7:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but it is a lot of fun. If you would like to go, please let me know.
April 3, 2009
I am sending this letter home this week knowing that I will not send one home next on the next several Fridays. Next week there is no school due on Friday or Monday due to the Easter Break, and then I will not be in the classroom on Thursday afternoon, April 17th, or Friday, April 18th. I will be attending Wyoming Education Association meetings. We have completed the PAWS testing. Today we did the last of the testing, which was the science paper/pencil test in the testing booklet. It seems that students have done well by giving it their best. The results should be available at the beginning of next school year. I have heard from some students that they are working on electricity projects, and I have heard from others that they are still looking for ideas. There are many ideas on the Internet with good directions. The projects will be on display at the open house on April 21st from 6:00 to 7:00. We started learning about electromagnets yesterday and will use them to make telegraphs. In Wyoming History this week we read about Cattlemen on the Range. Each student designed his or her own brand and made it with a wire coat hanger. On Monday we will place the brand on our cow. Next we will read about Outlaws and Lawmen in Wyoming. We will be practicing a play about them and plan to perform this play for parents, family, and the other 4th Grade on Wednesday, April 15th, at 2:30 in our classroom. Everyone will select their parts, and should be reading through the play next week to decide what parts would fit them the best. They will not have to have the lines memorized, but should be familiar enough with them that they can be read smoothly. We will be gathering and making many props here in the classroom, but will need your assistance helping your actor find the clothing that he or she needs. Most characters will wear western clothing. We will have a dress rehearsal on that Wednesday morning, before performing for you in the afternoon. We are excited to share this performance with you. The Marty Moose Lesson and filming for the Cent$ible Nutrition Program that was originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 7th, has to be rescheduled for later in the month. We are working on finding a day that works for everyone involved. I will let you know when a date is decided upon. I am not sure whether the permission slips will have to be redone, but that is a possibility. Thanks for your understanding. Even though the weather is getting nicer and the kids can feel that the end of the school year is near, we will not be slowing down our schoolwork. We still have a lot to cover before the class moves on to the fifth grade. This is also the time of year when there are many after school activities that occupy much time, but please make sure that there is time for completing school work. I do not want anyone to fall behind when we have so much to accomplish.
March 27, 2009
Hello Parents, I hope everyone had a good spring break. I think that all the kids did! It was fun to hear about the many enjoyable things that they did over Spring Break. We started the PAWS tests on Tuesday this week and will continue through next week. Next week students will take one more writing prompt, the math tests, and the science portion of the test. Thank you for ensuring that your student is here everyday to take these tests. Testing has not disrupted our regular schedule too much. Homework continues to be what ever is not finished in class and may include Accelerated Math, spelling and grammar, and Wyoming history review sheets. This week we read “Moonwalk” which was about Gerry and Vern getting into trouble while daring each other to jump over rilles, or narrow valleys on the Moon. Vern falls and hurts his knee while also knocking his battery, which gives him air to breathe in his spacesuit, loose. Luckily, the boys are able to get to a nearby shelter where Vern is out of danger. In Wyoming History this week we read about women in the new territory. Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote, and with this came many “firsts” for women. Next week we will read about Cattlemen on the Range. I have asked each student to bring a wire coat hanger and a pair of pliers to school on Monday so that each of them can make a brand of their own. We continue to study electricity in science. We have built series and parallel circuits and learned of the advantages and disadvantages of each. Next week we will use electricity to turn a rivet into a magnet and then test to see what will make this electromagnet stronger. Then we will put this magnet to work to do things for us. We have been talking about an electricity project and gotten some ideas. Today I assigned the electricity project and gave each student a copy of the requirements. In class they have had a lot of experience with static electricity, making both series and parallel circuits, and they will make electromagnets. We will also take items apart and see how parts could be used to do things. They also know what types of things conduct electricity and what things are insulators. I have many books here in the classroom that have ideas for electricity projects, so students should be able to find an idea here if they cannot come up with something on their own. I hope it is fun for all! These projects are due on Monday, April 20th. We will put them on display for the Celebrate Education Night on April 21st. On Tuesday, April 7th, the UWTV will be filming a nutrition lesson called Grazin’ with Marty Moose, Lesson Three here in our classroom. The lesson being filmed will serve as a professional development tool for the University of Wyoming Cent$ible Nutrition Program staff. In order for students to participate in the lesson, they must have the permission form signed and returned to me. A parent letter and the permission form were sent home earlier this week. Please let me know if you need another copy. Many have already been signed and returned – Thank You!
March 13, 2009
Hello Parents, After Spring Break, on Monday, March 23rd Indian Paintbrush will start the PAWS (Proficiency Assessment for Wyoming Students) testing. This assessment tests reading, writing, math and science. It is administered in the 3rd through 11th grades. It is designed to track individual student progress over these school years. This test will be conducted both on-line and by paper/pencil. Our class will begin by doing the tutorial on computer Tuesday morning, begin the reading paper/pencil portion Tuesday afternoon, March 24th and then follow with the reading online portion in the morning of Wednesday, March 25th. We will follow with math, writing, and science doing one portion each day. Every student is required to take these tests. If a student misses one test, it is difficult to get it made up and makes scheduling very difficult. Because of this, it is important for all students to be here for the testing. If you know that your student will not be here on any of these days, please let me know so I can schedule a time for the test to be made up. It is important for all students to get good sleep, have a good breakfast, and bring a snack during this time. Our regular lessons in reading, math, science, and Wyoming history will not be in their usual schedule, and there will be very little in the way of homework while we complete the testing. This week we have been working on the Teton Science School program from all the pictures that were taken. Each student has two or three pictures to narrate. The narration has been written or is being worked on, and we will work to improve these narrations and then will read them into the computer as part of the presentation. When complete we will present it to parents and others, and we will make a copy for each student to take home. Our class had a large number of students participate in the Talent Show yesterday. We do have a multi-talented class! Today was Bobby’s last day, and we will miss him! He and his family are excited to be moving to Bowling Green, KY and become Western Kentucky Hilltoppers with their “Big Red” mascot. I hope you all have a safe end enjoyable Spring Break.
March 6, 2009
Hello Parents, This week we read the story Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride. In it Eleanor Roosevelt asks her friend Amelia Earhart to dinner. In the middle of the dinner, these two brave and daring friends decide to take a ride in an airplane to see the city lights. Even after their exhilarating flight, they have enough excitement left in them to take a fast spin in Eleanor’s new car. It proves to be a memorable evening for the two friends. We were focusing on how sequence is used to help the reader understand the events in the story. The grammar subject was adverbs this week In Wyoming History we have finished learning about the Indian Wars and started learning about the building of the transcontinental railroad. This event is an important part of Laramie’s history and the history of the West. We will talk about the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific, the difficulties that each of the companies had, and how they overcame them. We will read the book Ten Mile Day about the Central Pacific setting the record of building ten miles of track in one day. We will also read Death of the Iron Horse about the Native Americans attacking this thing that was binding mother earth with tracks of steel. Our study of electricity continued this week mostly using magnets and learning about magnetic fields – how they attract iron but not other metals, and how opposite poles of the magnet attract each other and the same poles repel each other. We measured the magnetic force, and learned how to detect a magnetic field. Most of the students are very excited about this unit! You may hear about building a project, which is coming, but we have to learn a little about electricity before the projects are started. I have also given the students permission to bring in old electrical appliances (battery operated vacuums, can openers, cordless screwdrivers, toasters, blenders, etc.) so that we can take them apart, look how they work, and possibly use some of the parts. I hope you hear a lot about this unit at home. On Monday we celebrated Read Across America. Two guest readers from UW came to our classroom to read several fun books and share the importance of reading with the class. Next week there is a book fair in the Library for students or parents to purchase those desired books. Mrs. Turner would like to let everyone know that the students will be starting gymnastics in P.E. next week and would like to remind all students to wear tops that can be tucked in. Also, girls should not wear dresses, skirts, etc. on P.E. days. Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Houghton have been working on the gathering many of the pictures from the Teton Science School. These pictures will be put on a CD for each student to take home and share with families. Both classes will use these pictures to put together a program about our trip to share with everyone.
February 27, 2009
Hello Parents, Report cards were sent home on Wednesday, February 25th. I hope you have received them from your student. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns after receiving these, please contact me. I hope you have heard many accounts of our trip to the Teton Science School. It was a great trip! The weather really cooperated, with blue sky and reasonable temperatures every day. The facilities and accommodations at the school were wonderful. I hope you received the nightly email updates from Mrs. Johnson. Thank you for allowing your students to go! A big thanks also goes to the IPES PTA and all fundraising participants for helping fund this trip. We will work on a slide show about the trip that we will be able to show to parents and the PTA. We will burn a DVD with the program and all the pictures for each student to have as a keepsake. All of us teachers look forward to taking future fourth graders on this adventure. Thursday all students participated in the NAEP testing. It took the first hour and a half of the day and everyone found out that they do know a lot! I hope that this makes them feel more comfortable with the PAWS testing that comes at the end of March. In Wyoming History we just finished learning about the Pony Express and the Indian Wars. Next week we will study the building of the transcontinental railroad. This event is an important part of Laramie’s history and the history of the West. This week we started out new science unit on electricity. We have learned what electricity is (the movement of electrons from one atom to another). We have discovered that opposite charges attract and similar charges repel. We also know that there are two types of electricity – static and current. We have played with static electricity and used a Styrofoam tray and pie pan to generate it. We then used a Leiden jar to store some of the electrons to make a bigger spark. We will spend next week using magnets and learning about magnetic fields – how they attract iron but not other metals, and how opposite poles of the magnet attract each other and the same poles repel each other. We will measure the magnetic force, and learn how to detect a magnetic field. Most of the students are very excited about this unit! You may hear about building a project, which is coming, but we have to learn a little about electricity before the projects are started. I have also given the students permission to bring in old electrical appliances (battery operated vacuums, can openers, cordless screwdrivers, toasters, blenders, etc.) so that we can take them apart, look how they work, and possibly use some of the parts. I hope you hear a lot about this unit at home. Remember, you can check for the newsletter on the schoolnotes web page. It looks like some people are using this site and I hope you are finding it beneficial. The address is www.schoolnotes.com. We have had a great week. This is a wonderful group!
February 13, 2009
Hello Parents, Everyone is excited to be so close to our big adventure to the Teton Science School. Thanks for sending in any medications today. On Tuesday, please have your student here by 6:30. We plan on leaving at 7:00 and want to make sure that everyone is here with everything before then. Tuesday morning students need all of their equipment (clothing, toiletries, sheet, pillow case and sleeping bag) packed in their suite case or duffle bag. They also need a lunch for Tuesday packed in all disposable containers and separate from their suite case or duffle bag. For the bus ride they can bring a book to read, a notebook for writing or drawing, puzzle books, or small travel (non-electronic) games. You all should have received the phone tree earlier this week with everyone’s name and phone number. If it did not get home to you, they will be available at school Tuesday morning. Wednesday was our Oregon Trail lunch. We spent several days drying apples, and making the hard tack and butter. Thanks to those that provided the apples, whipping cream, lemonade, flour and the dehydrators and apple slicers. Mrs. Johnson’s class came to our room with their stew and we had a great celebration for our arrival in Oregon. We have some wonderful journals of the travels on the Oregon Trail! Very few of the 22 in the class actually made it to Oregon on their first try at the computer game, but we continued as if everyone made it. We also wrote a letter to someone back East about the journey. These letters may be encouraging the receiver to come to Oregon or they may be stating that the trip is too difficult and not worth it. We put these letters into a final form, addressed them for sending, and sealed them with wax. Hopefully we can find someone going back East to take the letters! Today was also the Valentine’s Day celebration. It was fun to work with the kindergarteners on math. We then returned to the classroom, passed out valentines, and most of the class played the Oregon Trail game on computers for the fun of it. We also had a cookie and ice cream. During the week after we get back from our Teton Science School trip, we will reflect on the trip and share some thoughts of how we would like to share it with parents and others. It will probably take a day or two to get back into the swing of the school building. The second trimester ends next Friday, and report cards will be sent home on Wednesday, February 25th.
February 9, 2009
Hello Parents, Thanks to all of you that were able to come last week to our Teton Science School meeting. It is exciting to have it getting so close! For those of you who could not make it, we discussed the schedule, medications (if needed), equipment, the phone tree, payment of costs, and when to have things at school. If there are any questions, please contact me. I have attached the phone tree to this note for everyone. Please call the next person on the list after you receive a call from the person above you on the list. Mrs. Johnson has sent out a test email message to those that provided email addresses. In Wyoming History we are continuing our travels on the Oregon Trail. About a third of the class has died so far during this cross-country trek, most from disease and accidents. This is a higher percentage of deaths than what actually happened to those that really traveled the trail. The Oregon Trail journals that everyone is keeping have many fun and exciting experiences recorded in them. Everyone is working on a letter to a friend back in the East telling him or her about the trip. We will complete these, fold the letters to look like envelopes, address them, and seal them with wax. On Wednesday, February 11th we will have our Oregon Trail Feast at lunchtime. We will celebrate with Mrs. Johnson’s class. The menu is stew, cornbread, hard tack, butter, dried apples, and lemonade. We are currently drying the apples, and tomorrow we will be making the hard tack and butter so they are ready for the feast. Thank you for sending in the small food donation from each student. I will send the dehydrators and apple slicers home Wednesday or Thursday. Thank you for letting us use them! Also on Friday, February 13th is the Valentine’s Day Celebration. It is being done a little differently this year. All classes will be working with a buddy class on a math activity. Then we will return to our classroom for a cookie provided by the school and to pass out Valentines. There will not be a formal party in the classroom. We will not take time in school to make Valentine’s boxes. If students want a fancy box, it is their responsibility to make one on their own at home. Exchanging Valentines is not a required activity, but if students decide to exchange them, they should make one for everyone in the class. We also made a list of names to use for these Valentines.
January 30, 2009
Hello Parents, This was a busy week and we have accomplished a lot. During the colder part of the week we spent many recesses indoors. The snow on the playground has been fun for all, but many have come back inside wet and cold! It is important to insure that students come to school prepared for the conditions. In Wyoming History we have been traveling on the Oregon Trail through the Oregon Trail computer game. We have lost some people already! The most common cause of death along the trail was disease and the second was accidents. Both have hit our groups already. Today we stopped at Register Cliff to look for signs of past travelers and to sign our names on the cliff. We are continuing to record the adventures in our journals. The students are writing some amazing journals about their adventures on the trail! All are also reading a variety of books about the Oregon Trail. On Wednesday, February 11th we will have an Oregon Trail Feast at lunchtime. We will celebrate with Mrs. Johnson’s class. Since some people from each class will probably make it to Oregon, we feel there should be a celebration. The menu is stew, cornbread, hard tack, butter, dried apples, and lemonade. We will be making the hard tack, butter, and dried apples early so they are ready for the feast. I will send another note home next week that asks for a small food donation from each student. I am in need of a food dehydrator or two and a spiral apple corer and slicer if anyone would be willing to allow them to be used in the classroom next week. Math has moved to the study of polygons. We have looked at different types of polygons, their names, and qualities. Today we learned how to determine the area rectangles, and next week we will look at the area of other shapes. Science continues to involve weather. This week we looked at clouds, what they are and the names of types of clouds. We did an experiment to determine the relative humidity in the room. Next we will determine the dew point in the room. We will have the final parent meeting about our trip to the Teton Science School on Thursday evening, February 5th, at 7:00, here in our classroom. Mrs. Johnson and I will have our schedule and activities while there finalized. We will also have the students divided into learning groups, will have room assignments, and the work schedule for meals. It is our hope that you have been successful in obtaining most of the equipment that your student will need for the trip. If your student is in need of any clothing or equipment, please let us know and we will strive to help him or her find it. At the meeting we can find out what others have to share and ensure that everyone has everything. I do have more equipment lists if yours has been misplaced. I have received the Teton Science School medical and permission forms from everyone – Thank You! For those that normally take any medication at home that they will need to continue to take while on our trip, the school nurse will need more school forms completed so that district policy is followed. Notes will be sent home for those that I know take medication. We will also deal with this at the parent meeting. Payment can be made at anytime, but we would like to get all finances taken care of by the end of the parent meeting on February 5th. I would like to remind you that I also post this newsletter on the school notes web site at www.schoolnotes.com. I hope you have a great Super Bowl weekend!
January 26, 2009
Dear Parents, Mrs. Johnson and I have been working with the Teton Science School to finalize our schedule and activities while there. It is our hope that you have been successful in obtaining most of the equipment that your student will need for the trip. The next parent meeting will be on Thursday evening, February 5th, at 7:00, here in our classroom. If your student is in need of any clothing or equipment, please let us know and we will strive to help him or her find it. At the meeting we can find out what others have to share and ensure that everyone has everything. I do have more equipment lists if yours has been misplaced. I have received the Teton Science School medical and permission forms from everyone – Thank You! For those that normally take any medication at home that they will need to continue to take while on our trip, the school nurse will need more school forms completed so that district policy is followed. If your student will be taking medication, please contact her. We will also deal with this at the parent meeting. Payment of $55.00 can be made at anytime, but we would like to get all finances taken care of by the end of the parent meeting on February 5th. Checks can be made out to Indian Paintbrush. We continue our study of the Oregon Trail. We formed groups that we will be traveling with, then we began putting information into the computer and purchasing supplies so that each group can begin traveling. While traveling the trail, each group will be keeping a journal in the computer about their experiences, as well as writing in their own personal journals. We have put together personal journals sewing in pages and decorating the covers. Most have been writing about themselves, where they live, and why they have decided to make this trip. We will continue traveling on the trail using the computer this week. Everyone will also start reading books about the Oregon Trail. There are many different books that are possibilities, and we will discuss them with others that are reading the same book. When all are done, we will then be able to discuss and compare the books as a whole class. Thanks to everyone who attended Math Night on Thursday. I think that everyone enjoyed seeing the variety on math activities that are happening through out the school. The fourth graders enjoyed sharing the Quick Images that we have done here in our classroom with others that came to visit. This week we will be looking at polygons in math and doing many activities involving their shape, attributes, and varieties. This letter is coming home on Monday because last week went by way too fast. I did not get it out on Friday like I usually do. This afternoon there was a UW Big Band Concert for the whole school in the Gym. Thursday and Friday of this week IPES will host the NCA visit to renew our accreditation. Parents have been invited to lunch in the gym on Thursday to participate in this. Friday students will have a long recess in the afternoon so that teachers can participate in the exit report.
January 12, 2009
Dear Parents, Happy New Year! We have had a full week to try to get back into thinking about school after the Holiday break. This letter is coming home on Monday because I did not get it written in time to send it home Friday. I have been suffering from a back strain, and it has been difficult keeping up. There was a substitute in the classroom on Monday, then again on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon. Thank you to those that sent in food for our holiday party. Thank you to those who could come in and help serve and clean up, and to just be here. I would also like to thank everyone for the wonderful gifts that I received. I love being a teacher! Next Friday, January 16th, the class will have a substitute. I will be in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a leadership conference. I will not send home a newsletter next Friday because of that. Then on Monday, January19th, there is no school in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr./Wyoming Equality Day. We have started to learn about the Oregon Trail and are leading up to a trip on it with the help of the Oregon Trail computer game. Everyone will be traveling in a group, which we will form next week. The group has to decide on their occupation, which determines the skills that they have and how much money that they start out with. They will have to choose the month and year that they will travel, after we do a graphing activity to see how many people traveled the trail each year. Then they will buy supplies and equipment, including a wagon and animals to pull it. We will put outlines of the three wagon choices on the floor of the classroom so we could see how big each one was. While traveling the trail, each group will be keeping a journal in the computer about their experiences, as well as writing in their own personal journals. We have read the book If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon and will next read Pioneer Cat. Ask you student about these books. The subject in science has changed to weather. Your student should know that the four basic things that combine to cause weather are the earth, sun, air, and water. We will be taking notes as we discuss and learn how this happens. We will be doing many activities where we measure various aspects of weather. I have received most of the forms back from parents for our Teton Science School trip. I hope everyone is beginning to prepare by getting the necessary clothing. Sierra Trading Post has had some good sales and I also received a recommendation that the web site http://thesocksite.com is also a good place to look for socks and long underwear. Mrs. Johnson and I are working with the Teton Science School on the schedule and the activities while we are there.
December 19, 2008
Happy Holidays, This will be the last Friday letter of 2008. We are almost halfway through this school year! It has gone fast, but we have accomplished much. Today we had our Holiday party. The kids again planned both the treats and the activities. Thank you for providing the treats. These parties mean a lot to the kids and they go very well when they have so much invested. We have finished the third unit in our Reading Street series. We began studying division this week, and will continue develop an understanding of what divison is and how to accomplish it. We are continueing to do our Accelerated Math. We have tried to get any current accelerated math done before the break, but there are some who will have some to do over vacation. When we return to school in January, we will begin a study of weather and then electricity in science. We finished our study of Mountain Men and Fur Trappers and next we will study the Oregon Trail. We will be doing a lot of reading about the Oregon Trail, and we will begin writing in journals. In January the planning for the Teton Science School trip will continue in ernest. The medical form and other signed sheets need to be turned in during that first week back if they have not been already. We will then be collecting the money due at the end of January. Please remember to begin gathering the necessary clothing that the students will need. I hope you have a very happy Holiday Season. It is an exciting time as we change the calendar to the year 2009! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your child’s life.
December 12, 2008
Dear Parents, Next Friday afternoon, December 19th, from about 1:30 to 3:00 we will have our Holiday Party. We planned this party last week and if your student volunteered to bring something they should have checked with you for an “OK”. If it is not OK, we can find others to help out. We would love to have parents come and participate in this party. If you would like to help out, please contact me. Next week will be an exciting week as 2008 comes to an end. We will be finishing our study of Mountain Men and Fur Trappers. We will finish our geometry unit in math. We will also complete the third unit in our reading series. Then we will be ready to begin the New Year with many new subjects. We have been practicing the Holiday program here at school this week. Next Monday we will have another practice here at school, then on Tuesday morning the whole school will go to the A&S Auditorium for a rehearsal there. The program will be presented for the audience of parents and others at the UW A&S Auditorium Tuesday evening. It is requested that students be there at 6:45. It will be an enjoyable evening for all! I have received many of the student packets for our trip to the Teton Science School, which include the medical history, the release, and the behavior agreement. I have more copies for those that have misplaced them. I would like to have these forms returned before next Friday. “The Indian Paintbrush community is committed to developing caring students within a safe, nurturing, and educationally challenging environment” is the new mission statement adopted by the staff and parents during meetings this last month. This is very similar to the old one and will help guide the school in everything we do. It is always impressive to work with such a caring group of educators! Please remember that no peanut or nut products are allowed at school. This includes items that were manufactured in a plant that processes these products or were made on the same equipment as peanuts and nuts. Please check the labels of all snacks and lunches before sending them to school. If a student inadvertently brings an item that falls into this category, the item will be taken to the nurse’s office. The student may take the unopened products home at the end of the day. Thank you for helping!!
December 5, 2008
Dear Parents, On Friday afternoon, December 19th, from about 1:30 to 3:00 we will have our Holiday Party. We planned this party today. The kids decided on treats and activities. We had volunteers that did not bring something at Halloween volunteer first to bring something for this party. They know they were to check with you for an “OK”. If it is not OK, we can find others to help out. Your student should also have written on the back of this note as a reminder if he or she needs to ask about bringing something. If your student has not asked you, please remind them. We would love to have parents come and participate in this party. If you would like to help out, please contact me. We will finish our study of Lewis and Clark on Monday by playing games of Lewis and Clark Jeopardy and doing a final review. It will be a review of many of the things we learned about the Voyage of Discovery. We will then study mountain men and fur trappers. We will learn much about these colorful people, and their role in discovering Wyoming. Next week we will learn about the beaver, why beaver furs were in such high demand, (to make hats) and how the trappers would catch the beaver. The Accelerated Math is going very well but it is important that each student completes the work and has it ready to scan each day. If it is not scanned, it is very hard to catch up! We are working with probability and describing the likelihood of an event in terms of a scale from impossible (probability of 0) to certain (probability of 1). Is less likely that you will pull a white block out of a bag than a blue block if there are 9 blue ones and 3 white ones? We will start the next unit on Monday about multiplication and division called Multiple Towers and Division Stories. During this unit, students will build on the work they did in the unit Factors, Multiples, and Arrays. Students will be solving multiplication problems with 2-digit numbers, division story problems, and problems about factors, multiples, and number relationships. I have been reminding the students about returning the beginning paperwork for our trip to the Teton Science School. This includes the medical history, the release, and the behavior agreement. I have more copies for those that have misplaced them. I would like to have these forms returned before the Holiday vacation. Payment of $55.00 does not need to be sent in until the beginning of February, but I appreciate it anytime.
November 21, 2008
Dear Parents, On Monday morning, November 24th, the fourth grade classes will go to the Laramie Community Ice Rink for a P.E. activity. We will leave school around 9:00 am, get on the ice at 9:15, skate until 10:15, and then return to school around 10:30. There is no cost to students for this activity. Skates are provided, but students may bring their own if they would like. We could use parent helpers to help get skates on and tied from about 9:00 to 9:15. You would also be welcome to stay and skate with us as well! Please call or email me if you would be able to help out. We do not require field trip slips for in-town trips. Mrs. Turner works hard to ensure that the students are exposed to any activities that could be continued through out a lifetime to help stay active. I hope students learn that this is another activity that can be done in the winter here in Laramie. Lewis and Clark are working their way up the Missouri River. We have tried to keep at the same point in the voyage on both the video and the book that we are reading. We will spend several days learning about mapping. We will learn about compasses and how to draw maps using distances and directions. We are currently describing animals that other have not seen, like Lewis and Clark had to do with the Pronghorn, Jackrabbit, and Prairie Dog We had a great showing last night for our first Teton Science School meeting. Thank you to all that attended. The Fourth Graders, as well as Mrs. Johnson and I, are excited! If you did not make it here is a brief overview of what we discussed. The cost for the Teton Science School portion of the trip is $229.25 per student. The Indian Paintbrush PTA has agreed to pay $133.80 of this for each student, Indian Paintbrush School is paying $45.45 per student, which leaves $55 for parents to pay. There are several options for paying for this remaining amount: Option 1: Pay the remaining $55 fee; Option 2: Pay a portion of the $55 fee and ask for a scholarship to fund the rest; or Option 3: Pay the remaining $55 fee and donate an additional amount for other expenses or scholarships. We presented a tentative schedule, leaving before school would start on Tuesday, February 17th, having lunch along the way, and arriving in Jackson in the late afternoon to unpack, get oriented, and have dinner before the evening program. Wednesday and Thursday would be at the Teton Science School participating in the activities we plan with their staff. Friday we will have breakfast there, pack and leave Jackson around 10:00, eat a sack lunch on the way back to Laramie, and arrive back home around 5:00. We are establishing a phone tree to be able to contact parents as we are getting close to home and in case of any other need. We will send this home for corrections or changes when it is developed. The packet that was sent home earlier this week contained a medical information sheet, a release, and a behavior agreement which all need to be returned to school. It also had an equipment list. It will be important that students have all of the equipment on this list. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Mr. Johnson and I are planning on having another meeting toward the end of January. Just a reminder that next week we only have school on Monday and Tuesday. I will not send home a letter next week. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.
November 14, 2008
Dear Parents, What a great week we have had! It seemed that each day went by fast. It was good to talk with each of you last week during Parent-Teacher conferences. Your involvement in you child’s education is extremely important! If you have questions or concerns at any time please contact me. The class did well for the substitute while I was gone last Friday and Monday. We have started our study of the white explorers of the West. We will learn about Lewis and Clark starting next week. Lewis was the eternal naturalist and loved discovering the unique animals of the west, so this is also the perfect time for students to study many of Wyoming’s animals. This will also help prepare us for the Teton Science School. Today we studied and matched hides and skulls of Wyoming wildlife using materials from the Wyoming Fish and Game Department. We have switched subjects in Math. We have begun a new mathematics unit about data and probability called Describing the Shape of the Data. During this unit, students collect, represent, describe, and interpret data. Students also look at the probability of various events. Our reading selection this week was a fantasy titled The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg. It tells a story of a stranger with no memory of who he is or where he's from. He recuperates in the home of a farmer and his family during the fall season. The other stories we have read made connections to fall and the change of seasons. Spelling words have “ed” and “ing” endings, with a focus on how the base word changes when the endings are added. The subject in grammar is action verbs and linking verbs. The spelling test will be next Wednesday, which is when we will finish this unit. Next week we will be sending home some of the beginning information on our trip to the Teton Science School. Then on Thursday evening, November 20th, we will have the first parent meeting to go over the information, the schedule, the equipment requirements, and answer any questions. This will be at 6:00 here in the fourth grade classrooms. We hope everyone can attend. There is no reason for students to attend, unless they need to come to allow you to come.
October 31, 2008
Dear Parents, Parent - Teacher Conferences are next Tuesday and Wednesday. The students do not have school on Monday or Tuesday. Everyone should have received the note with your scheduled time. Thank you for sending back the confirmation notices so that I know the time will fit into your schedule. We are close to the end of the first trimester, and report cards will be ready to go home at Parent – Teacher conferences. I look forward to meeting with you. Thanks to all the parents who provided treats for our Halloween Party today! It is fun to see what the kids plan to eat and do at these parties. I feel that giving them the responsibility for the party makes them appreciate it more, makes them more responsible for their behavior, and ensures less mess in the end. They also have a lot of fun doing what they planned. It could not be done without the support and assistance from home. We will call on different students to provide treats at the Holiday and Valentines parties. Next week we will wrap up our study of Native Americans. Then next in Wyoming History we will begin studying the discovery of the West by European Americans. We will spend several weeks studying Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery. We will watch short segments of the PBS video, read the book Lewis and Clark, use the PBS Lewis and Clark web site, and a variety of written work. Everyone will probably hear more about it, and the students should become very knowledgeable of this amazing voyage! I will not be sending home a weekly note next week for two reasons. First, I will be seeing all of you on Tuesday or Wednesday, and then I will not be in the classroom on Friday, November 7th and Monday, November 10th. I am taking a long weekend to go visit my son in Anchorage, Alaska. I am sure that the class will do well with the substitute that will be in the classroom. I look forward to seeing you next week. This is a wonderful group of kids. You should be proud of all of them!
October 24, 2008
Hello, Most of our Native American reports are close to being completed. The students all seem to be very interested in the tribe they chose and telling others about it. We are typing the reports on the computers, and are also learning how to use Microsoft Word, import pictures into the reports, and maybe even a little keyboarding! All of the reports will be completed next week. Thank you for returning the forms regarding preferred times for Parent-Teacher conferences. With this newsletter I am sending home a note stating the times I have scheduled you for these conferences. Please keep the top of the note as your reminder of the scheduled time, and return the bottom of the note confirming or requesting a reschedule of the time. I look forward to talking with you and discussing your student’s progress. The Teton Science School presentation was well attended on Tuesday. It was just an introduction into the school and our trip there. On November 20th, we plan to have a formal meeting for parents to discuss financing, equipment, our schedule, and the program that will take place there. It is an exciting time for everyone as we begin to prepare in more detail. Thanks to all the parents who have agreed to provide treats for our Halloween Party! Your student should have talked to you if he or she is responsible for bringing items. It is fun to see what the kids plan to eat and do at these parties. I feel that giving them the responsibility for the party makes them appreciate it more, makes them more responsible for their behavior, and ensures less mess in the end. They also have a lot of fun doing what they planned. It could not be done without the support and assistance from home. We will call on different students to provide treats at the Christmas and Valentines parties. I will remind everyone that all treats must be tree nut and peanut free. This includes any small candy items that students may bring to share with their classmates. Please remember that costumes need to be appropriate for school, with no blood, weapons, or masks. I welcome parents to join us for the party.
October 17, 2008
Hello Parents, Monday there is no school for students. It is a teacher in-service training day, and staff will be meeting here at IPES on a variety of items. We are continuing to plan our trip to the Teton Science School. The dates are February 17th through February 20th, 2009. The cost for the Teton Science School is $229.25 per person, which includes 3 nights lodging, 8 meals, program instruction, transportation to program areas, and equipment. Much of this cost will be covered by the PTA through the recent fundraiser. We are unsure of the exact amount that we will be asking parents to cover. Remember that there will be an informational program presented by some of the students that went last year at 5:30 prior to the PTA meeting on Tuesday, October 21st. Mrs. Johnson and I will also be there to answer questions. Also attached to this news is a letter to you and your student from one of the students that went last year. Math continues to concentrate on multiplication and we have begun to think of multiplication as a way of organizing things into arrays. The fact practices have been the basic multiplication facts, which we will continue to practice. I recommend that all the students practice these facts at home so that they come easily to them from memory. By knowing the basic facts, they will be able to accomplish any multiplication or division problem. We have not begun a new science unit. We are reading the story Grace and the Time Machine from our reading series. In Social Studies we are continuing to study Native Americans and are working on a report on a Native American Plains Indian tribe. We are using the computer program Kidspiration to guide us in putting the report together. The class brainstormed what we would like to know about Native American tribes and have put a web together in Kidspiration. We are doing research to find the information we are looking for and then the computer program will assist us in writing the report. We may need you to assist your student at home in finding additional information about the tribe. Today we planned our class Halloween Party, which will take place Friday, October 31st, between 1: 30 and 3:00. The students decided what activities and food they would like. If a student volunteered to bring an item, he or she should inform you about it and check to see if it is all right. (It should also be written on the back of this note as a reminder.) If parents cannot provide something for whatever reason, we will be able to make other arrangements. The student should inform me if it is necessary to make other arrangements. Students should bring their costumes to school (if they want to wear one) and will change into it at 1:30. Then there will be a common recess on the playground at about 1:45, then back to the classroom for the party. Parents are welcome to join us for this party. Please ensure that all costumes are school appropriate. Elementary schools are on trimesters, and the first one comes to an end on November 7th. Parent Teacher conferences will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4th, and during the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 5th. Having evening hours available sometimes makes it more convenient for parents. Rather than just randomly assigning parents a time for a conference, I would like parents to indicate on the attached slip what times would be best for your schedule. Please send the slips back to me on Tuesday and I will develop a schedule. I will then confirm the times with you or contact you if other times are necessary. I will work with the teachers of siblings to attempt to schedule all conferences for consecutive times.
Name____________________________________________
I would prefer the following times for Parent Teacher Conferences: Tuesday, Nov. 4_______________________________ (Choose any time between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.) Wednesday, Nov.5______________________________ (Choose any time between 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.)
My second choice is: Tuesday, Nov. 4_______________________________ (Choose any time between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.) Wednesday, Nov.5______________________________ (Choose any time between 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.)
October 10. 2008
Hello Parents, Tuesday, October 14th is the day to return the PTA Readers Digest fundraiser packets. From the talk of the students, many are participating and selling a lot. The PTA has agreed to use much of the money raised to fund the fourth grade trip to the Teton Science School located in Jackson, Wy. This trip is scheduled for February 17th through February 20th. Mr. Slyman has been a wonderful inspiration for this trip. This annual trip to the Teton Science School has become a regular part of the fourth grade experience at Indian Paintbrush. The Teton Science School is a non-profit educational organization that provides programs about the natural and cultural history of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. They integrate ecology, culture, and community to ensure academic excellence and personal success, provide a connection with nature through responsible observation and exploration, and promote natural resource stewardship. There will be much planning and communication with parents as we prepare for this trip. You will be hearing more details as they develop. There will be an informational program presented by some of the students that went last year at 5:30 prior to the PTA meeting on Tuesday, October 21st. Mrs. Johnson and I will also be there to answer questions. More information on the school can be found on their website at www.tetonscience.org. We feel that this is a wonderful experience for all our students and are excited to make it happen! Wednesday was our field trip to the Chimney Rock ranch. The weather was very nice which made for a great morning. It is nice of Mrs. Johnson to arrange permission for us to visit this exciting area. Hopefully your student had lots of things to share with you Wednesday night. We began multiplication this week. We began by working with arrays and will continue working to develop an understanding of what multiplication represents. The Investigations program is trying to get students to see why the algorithm works and to see that sometimes it is easier to obtain the answer in other ways. We will also review all the multiplication facts through 12. Today we started reading the story Coyote School News. It is about children in a southern Arizona country school. Everyone received their new spelling words for the week, and they should be written on the family times, which should also come home today. We completed our study of rocks and minerals with the final test today. We will not start a new science unit right away and will put more time and effort into our Native American study. Student pictures are being sent home today. Retakes for those who need them are on Thursday, October 23rd. Other items of interest include the PTA bear sales before and after school on Thursday and Friday, October 16th and 17th. On Monday, October 20th there is no school for students because of staff development. Also PTA and Student Council have begun selling popcorn on Fridays for 25c. Your student may be asking to bring a quarter to school on Fridays.
October 3, 2008
Hello, Wednesday is our field trip to the Chimney Rock ranch. Hopefully the weather will be nice but be sure to prepare your student for whatever the weather. Thank you for getting all the permission slips back. We are coming close to finishing our study of rocks and minerals. This week we determined what minerals were in granite. We will review all we have done in this unit and then have a test over it next week. Next week in Math we will began learning about multiplication. We will work with various ways of thinking about multiplication. The daily fact practices will move to multiplication facts. The goal is to make these facts come easily. Accelerated Math will also include the basic multiplication facts. In Wyoming History we continue to study Native Americans. We switched from one history book to the one that we will use through out the remainder of the year. For the next several weeks, much of what we do throughout the day will involve Native Americans. We will read books about them, write about them, complete special projects, and even Art will involve Native Americans! We have a UW education student, Ms. Sell, participating in our classroom several hours a day three days a week through the month of October. She will be working with students, small groups, and teach several lessons during her time in the class. Please remember that no peanut or nut products are allowed at school. This includes items that were manufactured in a plant that processes these products or were made on the same equipment as peanuts and nuts. Please check the labels of all snacks and lunches before sending them to school. If a student inadvertently brings an item that falls into this category, the item will be taken to the nurse’s office. The student may take the unopened products home at the end of the day. Thank you for helping!!
September 26, 2008
Hello, Monday the students do not have school because of a teacher in-service day. I hope they enjoy the three-day weekend! We are continuing to study rocks and minerals. This week we tested for calcite in rocks by using vinegar. Calcite is the only mineral to bubble in an acid like vinegar. We are letting the vinegar evaporate and will observe what is left. Our classroom smells like vinegar while it’s evaporating! I hope your student asks to use vinegar to test rocks at home. We have also had many interesting rock collections brought in and shared with the class. The students got their new spelling words yesterday and the test over those words will be next Thursday due to not having school on Monday. The new reading unit is about the geography of the west and Yosemite National Park. This ties in well with our study of the Wyoming and the West. As you may have heard from your student, we had a breakdown of the Accelerated Math program this week. All the data and results since the beginning of the year was lost, so we started over. All the previous sheets were recycled, scan forms thrown away, and everyone received new practices sheets with new form numbers. We will not go back and cover everything that we have done, but will review some of it. We will quickly move on to subtraction, which is the subject of Investigations Math currently. Wyoming History is now centering on Native Americans, which we will study for most of October. We are charting specific information about the Great Basin and Great Plains way of life both before and after the arrival of the horse. We will be reading many books about Native Americans, writing about Native Americans, and doing many activities dealing with Native Americans. Thanks you for returning the permission slips for our field trip to the Chimney Rock ranch to see the petroglyphs. Next Tuesday the PTA will have an introductory assembly about the Readers Digest fundraiser they are conducting to support their programs and our upcoming trip to the Teton Science School. It will be at 2:00 in the gym. It is optional for families to participate, but you contribution to the fundraiser is appreciated, especially since it enables the fourth grades to take such a fantastic trip! Fourth graders will be helping out with this fundraiser here at school.
September 19. 2008
Hello, It seems like weeks go by so fast! Next week we will be welcoming a new student to our class. His name is Jarryd and he is from Illinois. I know that this group will welcome him and easily make him a part of the class. This week we determined the final few ingredients in our mock rocks. We combined the powder with water and let it settle. At the bottom of the settling vial was sand. Above that was flour. We drained off the water and evaporated it to learn that there was also salt in the mock rocks. Then we learned about the hardness of minerals and how to test for hardness. We will look at the hardness scale and test for hardness to identify minerals before moving on to find other ways to learn about rocks and minerals. Students are invited to bring in a favorite rock or small rock collection next week to share with the class. This week we read the books Everybody Needs a Rock and If You are a Hunter of Fossils by Byrd Baylor that tie in with our study of earth materials. We are reading a folk tale in the Reading Street books, and next week we will read some more folk tales that tie in with our study of rocks combined with our study of Native Americans. Earlier in the week the class read about early man and how scientists think man traveled to the Americas across the land bridge between Asia and North America. In our Wyoming History books we are now reading about the Great Basin way of life and the Plains way of life to begin our study of Native Americans. We will then chart specific information about each culture both before and after the arrival of the horse. Tuesday we heard from all the candidates for Student Council offices and Wednesday we cast our ballots. Today we voted for our class representatives. We had nominations on Wednesday and everyone in the class was nominated. Those that did not want to run for the office removed their names from consideration. Some of those that were interested in the positions actively campaigned. Today each nominee had an opportunity to say something, and then we cast out ballots. Our Fourth Grade Representatives are Allison and Matteo. The class as a whole has done a nice job getting their work done and turned in on time. I do not require the use of the planners unless the student has shown that it is necessary to help keep organized and accomplish the work. This has shown to be effective for most, but for those that do have difficulty, I will require them to use it and they may even be required to get a parent signature each night. Thanks for your encouragement at home! Remember Paul Taylor? In 2005 he conducted a 2-week Australian cultural arts in education residency here at IPES. It was a wonderful experience as he introduced our students to traditional Aboriginal culture through teachings he learned from Elder Yidumduma Bill Harney. This was the basis of the beautiful mural that hangs in the school’s foyer. IPES 4th and 5th grade classes have been invited to attend a special schools concert featuring Aboriginal Elder Yidumduma Bill Harney and Paul Taylor on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008, at the UW Fine Arts Recital Hall from10:00 am to 11:00 am. We will go by bus there and back.
September 12, 2008
Hello Parents, It was good to see so many of you at Open House last night. Having involved parents makes my job and that of the whole school so much easier and successful! Please feel free to stop by the classroom at any time and view what we are doing. The students are always glad to show off what we have been doing. We have determined some of the ingredients that were in the mock rocks and discussed how they are similar to real rocks. (Mock Rocks are made of ingredients just like real rocks are made of minerals.) We have separated out the red and green fish rocks and the shells that we could see. Next week we will determine what else is in them. We will then learn about the hardness of minerals and how to test for hardness. Next week we will learn about the arrival of man in the Americas. We will learn about the work archeologists have done to find evidence of when and how man arrived. Then we will begin studying Native Americans. The clay relief maps of Wyoming that the class is making are nearing completion and will be on display here in the classroom. The groups worked well together to make sure they had all that was required. Everyone is proud of how they turned out and we will show them off! The list of new spelling words went home on Thursday. Some students have 20 words and others have 25 depending on how many they got correct on the pretest. We use the words each day here in the classroom but it is also good to practice them at home. Individual pictures will be taken on Thursday, September 18th. Envelopes for ordering went home yesterday. If yours did not get home, more can be picked up in the office. I am sending home with this letter a note about Powerschool access. It contains the passwords and an explanation of what the system can do. Many of you have signed up to get notice of this newsletter through the www.schoolnotes.com site. This should make it easy for you to get this letter without your student delivering it to you. I try to post the letter on the site Friday morning but occasionally it is later Friday evening. Thanks for using this service! It is a joy to be working with your children! They are all wonderful individuals and have joined together to make a GREAT class.
September 5, 2008
Hello Parents, This has been a busy week! We have learned how our Language Arts program works. First of all it runs in a five-day cycle, but not necessarily Monday through Friday because of four-day weeks and other disruptions. On the first day students will bring home a “Family Times” sheet outlining the subjects for the week. There is a spelling pretest on Day 1 where we determine how many of the words they will study through the next four days. The words are difficult, and we have all been working on the first ten words so far. There are grammar lessons that are covered. We read a variety of books and passages during the unit focused on a specific subject. This reading will be done in small groups of students. It has been difficult for me to get everything in during the afternoon when we do Language Arts, but as everyone gets more used to the routine, it should go smoother. We have also started getting used to the Accelerated Math program and finding it an enjoyable way to practice math. Students do the practice that the computer prints out, circling the answers on the sheet (this is usually done as homework unless they have found time at school). They then transfer the answers to the scan sheet and scan them at school each morning. The computer grades them, and prints out the results and a new practice. Depending on how well a student does, it prints out more of the same type of problems or allows students to move on to the next thing. I decide what area each student should be working on and when they will be allowed to move to the next subject area. After the students successfully complete about 5 objectives, I then print a test for them to complete on those items. Tests are done at school. Right now, most of the items are review from last year. I will try to make Accelerated Math match whatever we are learning in the Investigations Math. The Wyoming relief maps that the class is making are coming along well. The groups have started putting the clay mountains on the maps. They will be on display here in the classroom for the open house next week even if they are not finished. The groups are working well together to make sure they have all that was required. Everyone will be proud to show them off! Monday we will start our first science unit on rocks and minerals. We will start by looking at “Mock Rocks”. Everyone will examined their rock carefully and take its measurements. Then we will take the rocks apart in an effort to find out what they are made of. We will then run several tests on them next week in an attempt to prove what is in them. We will learn that Mock Rocks are made of ingredients just like real rocks are made of minerals. We will then proceed with learning about minerals. I would like to remind you that I post all the newsletters on the schoolnotes web site (www.schoolnotes.com). You can sign up to receive an email whenever I post any new news there. That way you do not miss class newsletters that should have gotten home. The Fall Open House is scheduled for Thursday, September 11 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. I hope you can all make it to see how we have started the new year!
August 29. 2008
Hello Parents, We have begun our journey through fourth grade! This first week we have been busy getting to know each other. I feel that we have established a fairly strong bond within the class. This week the class decided what type of rules we needed in the classroom. It was determined that a long list of “No’s” and “Don’ts” was not needed. We discussed being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. We have been discussing and defining a set of agreements that the class will use to guide what we do. They are: Listening, Mutual Respect, Participation, Appreciations, and No Putdowns. Ask your student what these agreements are and what they should look like, sound like and feel like. We have established our schedule to begin the year. All of our specials occur in the morning. We have Music and P.E. on Monday and Friday mornings. Counseling and Library are on Tuesday mornings every week. Art is on Thursday mornings. Fourth Grade has recess from 10:30 to 10:45 and during the lunch period, the Third and Fourth graders eat lunch at 12:00 and then go out to recess at about 12:20. Lunch recess lasts until 12:45. It is nice having lunch first this year. To begin Wyoming History, we have been studying the important landforms in our state. We have spent time reading and learning about the map of the state. We will begin making relief maps of Wyoming next week. We will use salt dough on a cardboard base where we will draw the mountain ranges, rivers, and major cities. In Math we are beginning the new Investigations program. There does not seem to be much homework, and much of what there is involves sharing with family what we have done in class. The homework will be the Accelerated Math that is printed out from the computer. The students will get a practice sheet that is printed by the computer, complete the sheet and transfer the answers onto a computer scan card, then feed the scan card through the reader on the computer. The computer prints out the results of their work and a new practice sheet based on those results. We will be scanning our math everyday. The students and I still getting the routine of the Reading Street program down. These five days are kind of a time for learning how the five-day program will work. There are many parts of language arts all tied together in the one program. We have started spelling and have seen that the words are difficult! We started out this week with 10, 20, or 25 spelling words and are doing a practice sheet every day. The grammar is about declarative and interrogative sentences. Our reading has centered around the story Winn Dixie. With the exception of the Accelerated Math lessons, I do not assign formal homework on a regular basis. We do plenty of work during the day and I allow a reasonable amount of classroom time to complete it. If a student uses the class time wisely, most work can be done at school and not taken home. If the student decides not to use classroom time wisely, then the work needs to be completed at home. I keep track of who has turned in assignments and make reminders to those who have not completed things. I will allow a one-day grace period after an assignment’s due date. At the end of each day we review what was assigned that day, which provides an opportunity for the students to write things in their planner. The school gave a planner to each student and we are using them every day. I expect each student to bring these to school each morning and then home every afternoon. It is a great way for you to see what we are doing each day. Thanks to those of you who have reviewed the student handbooks and returned the tear out forms in them for completing the emergency forms, and all the other forms that were sent home on the first day. I am working on scheduling and confirming times for volunteers. On the evening of Thursday, September 11th, Indian Paintbrush will be hosting an Open House from 6:00 to 7:00. Please put it on your calendar. I invite all to come and visit the classroom and school as we begin the year. Enjoy the Labor Day weekend!
August 25, 2008
Dear parents, The school year is off to a great start! I want to welcome you and your child to the fourth grade, and provide some information about the upcoming year. First, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Jay Whitman and this is my thirteenth year teaching fourth grade here at Indian Paintbrush. Again this year we have two classes of fourth graders. Mrs. Johnson and I will be working together on many topics throughout the year. We will be spending the first several days in the class getting to know each other and learning how to work together. I want everyone to feel comfortable learning, taking chances, and making mistakes. I will ensure that everyone has respect for each other’s thoughts, ideas, and differences. We will cooperate in the classroom to make learning fun, exciting, and something everyone wants to do. I encourage parent support and assistance in the classroom. There are many ways that this can be done. As always, your support, assistance, and encouragement of your child's school work at home is the most important. Here at school, I always welcome you in the classroom. Come to observe and participate. I would love to have parents participate on a regular basis and help provide more one-on-one instruction to the children. I can probably find other jobs if they are preferred. Children are always proud to have their parents be a part of their education. I have attached a form to this letter for you to indicate your interests in volunteering. Thank You! I invite you to stop by and talk with me anytime before or after school. Do not hesitate to call and leave a message with the school secretary and I will return your call as soon as I am available. You can also call me at home in the evenings (742-3918). I will attempt to send a newsletter home with your child every Friday. It will be a summary of what we covered during the week as well as special events and things to look forward to the next week. This will be a way for me to communicate with you and hopefully it will facilitate your communication with your student. Please look for this newsletter on Fridays. I will also be using the Internet site schoolnotes.com. Just go to www.schoolnotes.com, type in our ZIP code (82072) and select my name or class. I will post the weekly newsletters and any other important information. I can post more if the site is being used a lot. You can also receive an email from schoolnotes when I post something new on the site. All you have to do is sign up and provide your email address on the site. You can also contact me anytime via email at jwhitman@acsd1.org. You can also email me through schoolnotes. Each student has a mailbox where I place items to go home. These items include the Friday newsletter and other notes from school as well as completed and graded work. It will be the child's responsibility to get things home from the mailbox. If a time period goes by and you are not receiving notes or papers at home, please contact me and we can find out where they are going. This is an important channel of communication between school and home. Our class Language Arts block in the afternoon will consist of instruction in reading, grammar, spelling, and writing based on the Reading Street program. This is the second year of this program in the school district. Scott Foresman Reading Street is designed to help teachers build readers through motivating and engaging literature, scientifically research-based instruction, and a wealth of reliable teaching tools. The program takes the guesswork out of differentiating instruction with a strong emphasis on ongoing progress monitoring and an explicit plan to help with managing small groups of students. In addition, Reading Street prioritizes skill instruction at each grade level, so teachers can be assured they will focus on the right skill, at the right time, and for every student. This new program has been an adjustment for all of us, but I am looking forward to continuing it this year. We also have an updated Math program this year. It is the latest version of the Investigations program that the district has used in the past. Investigations is designed to engage students in making sense of mathematical ideas. It helps students make sense of mathematics and learn that they can be mathematical thinkers. I will also incorporate Accelerated Math into this program, which is a computer based math program that individualizes math practice. Students will have Accelerated math practice on almost a daily basis. We will have a snack break each morning. Each child may bring a healthy, nutritious snack on a daily basis or may bring in something to keep in their locker which will last them several days. The purpose of the snack is to provide energy and brain power midway through the morning, and I don’t feel pop, candy, or similar items do this. Please encourage a snack that will provide a mid-morning refueling. Remember that Indian Paintbrush is a nut free school, so make sure that any food items do not contain nuts and are not made in a facility that also processes nut products. I am very excited to be working with you, your children, and the staff here at Indian Paintbrush. We are going to have a wonderful year!
Sincerely, Jay Whitman
CLASSROOM VOLUNTEERS
I would like to volunteer in the classroom. The areas or activities that I would like to help with are:
The best times and days for me are:
Name: ____________________________________
Phone: ___________________
The ABC's of a GREAT Year! A--All ideas count. B--Be polite to others. C--Cooperate with your peers. D--Do your best. E--Enjoy learning. F--Finish your work. G--Give a helping hand. H--Have fun. I--Invite others to play with you. J--Just do your best. K--Keep trying. L--Listen carefully. M--Make the most of your time. N--Name and date all papers. O--Obey school & classroom rules. P--Practice makes perfect. Q--Quiet in the halls. R--Respect yourself and others. S--Smile T--Think before you act. U--Use your time wisely. V--Volunteer to help others. W--Wait your turn. X--eXpect success. Y--You can achieve your dreams. Z--Zero in on your goals.
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