February 5, 2010
Hello Parents,
This was a busy week and we have accomplished a lot. Math has moved to looking at different ways of adding and subtracting larger numbers. Science continues to involve weather. This week we learned about air pressure. We made barometers and are tracking air pressure and the weather to see the relationship.
We had the final parent meeting about our trip to the Teton Science School yesterday evening here in our classroom. Mrs. Johnson and I shared our finalized schedule. 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. We do have more equipment lists if yours has been misplaced. We 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 you have not made the $55.00 payment yet, we would like to have it as soon as possible, or contact us to make arrangements.
In Wyoming History we are continuing our activities on the Oregon Trail. All have completed their travels through the computer game. Many in the class died during this cross-country trek, most from disease and accidents. We had a higher percentage of deaths than what actually happened to those that really traveled the trail. While traveling, we stopped at Register Cliff to look for signs of past travelers and to sign our names on the cliff. 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 Friday, February 12th we will have an Oregon Trail Feast at lunchtime. We will celebrate with both classes. Since some people from each class did make it to Oregon, we feel there should be a celebration. The menu is stew, cornbread, hard tack, butter, dried apples, and lemonade. Mrs. Johnson’s class will be making the stew and cornbread, and Mr. Whitman’s class will make the hardtack, butter, dried apples, and lemonade. We will both be sending notes home that ask for a small food donation from each student. Mr. Whitman is 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.
Also on Friday, February 12th is the Valentine’s Day Celebration. It is being done a little differently this year. We will have the Oregon Trail lunch over the lunch hour. Then late in the afternoon in our classrooms we will have a cookie provided by the school and pass out Valentines. There will not be a formal party in the classrooms. 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.
Have a great Super Bowl weekend!
4th Grade Newsletter
January 29, 2010
Dear Parents,
Such a busy week! Preparations for Teton Science School are underway.
Next Thursday, February 4th, we will meet for the final Teton Science School meeting at 6:00 PM in Mr. Whitman’s room. We’ll share arrangements for our departure and answer any questions. Wednesday evening, I sent a group email from my home address, as the school’s account will not recognize it. The purpose of the email was to ensure that parents are able to receive the newsletters from Teton Science Camp. A few addresses bounced back, perhaps due to an entry error. If your child’s name appears below, would you please send the address you would like us to use. Thank you!
Students have finished sharing their stories on “nature that talks” with their classmates and will bring them home to share. These stories were completed independently and scored for as a “checkpoint” in writing. The information gathered was shared with students in a writing conference, celebrating creative writing and discussing areas for improvement. Please encourage your child to share their story, the elements they are excited about, and the elements they have identified for improvement.
Monday will be Day 5 of language arts with spelling tests and grammar homework due. Last week caught several students off guard ☺. Reading logs may be turned in as well for a Pizza Hut coupon reward. The selection this week was a play entitled “King in the Kitchen” with a surprise ending. It’s always a treat to hear the enthusiasm by each student as they read. Students have begun writing a commercial using elements from play writing. As students wrote with enthusiasm (and chuckles), the anticipation for the upcoming mini-plays built. I can’t wait to see their performances!
Enjoy your weekend!
Student Name _____________________________________________________________________________________
Preferred email address __________________________________________________________________________
January 15, 2010
Dear Parents,
Happy New Year! We have had a two full weeks to get back into thinking about school after the Holiday break. Thank you to those that sent in food for our holiday parties. Thank you to those who could come in and help serve and clean up, and to just be here. Also thanks to everyone for the wonderful gifts that were received. Being a teacher is wonderful!
Yesterday we were fortunate to have a new student join our fourth grade. She speaks Spanish, and all the students have enjoyed communicating with her and welcoming her to Indian Paintbrush. It is also nice to have another girl!
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 formed this 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, and we did a graphing activity today 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 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. Students have started the personal journals by establishing who their character is, some background of this character, and why they are traveling to Oregon. 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.
We have received most of the forms back from parents for our Teton Science School trip. We hope everyone is beginning to prepare by getting the necessary clothing. Sierra Trading Post has had some good sales and we also received a recommendation that the web site http://thesocksite.com is also a good place to look for socks and long underwear.
We would like to remind you that Monday, January18th, there is no school in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. / Wyoming Equality Day. Teachers will be participating in various trainings and working together.
December 18, 2009
Happy Holidays,
This will be the last Friday letter of 2009. We are almost halfway through this school year! It has gone fast, but we have accomplished much.
Today we had our Holiday parties. 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 one more story before we finish the third unit in our Reading Street series. We began studying polygons this week, and will use them to develop an understanding of angles and area. 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 have started our study of the Oregon Trail. We will be doing a lot of reading about the Oregon Trail, and we will begin writing in journals that we have made.
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.
We hope you have a very happy Holiday Season. It is an exciting time as we change the calendar to the year 2010! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your child’s life.
December 11, 2009
Dear Parents,
The holiday spirit is in evidence at the Albany County Courthouse this season. If you have the chance, a family treat might be to stop by and see the lights on the north side of the courthouse while turning your radio to 107.3 FM. Your children will love it!
Students create special moments every day in school and this week was no exception. As writing time drew to a close on Wednesday, one of the students, with a huge grin and a thumbs-up, exclaimed, “Good writing prompt!” Those are the magical moments when students put their hearts into learning. Students circled nouns and verbs in their rough drafts of a personal narrative, a favorite memory from a past winter break. Then descriptive words to modify those nouns and verbs (adjectives and adverbs) were added to make their writing come alive. With a partner, students created metaphors and similes that could also extend their writing.
Another astounding moment was Thursday morning as the class voted on the activity for their class party earned for being respectful and responsible in class. One of the most popular choices was the opportunity to choose their next writing prompt! Fourth graders never cease to amaze me.
Language arts this week brought a pourquoi story also known as an origin story, “How Night Came from the Sea”. A pourquoi tale is a fictional narrative that explains why something is the way it is. As students read, they practiced the skills of using context clues to learn the meaning of unfamiliar words, identifying generalizations in literature, and visualizing the text as a comprehension strategy. Students were challenged to bring in “really hard words” and our first arrived today from an Anatomy and Physiology book. We tackled the meaning of this word by identifying its part of speech (adjective) and the prefix, suffix, and base word (and the definitions for each). We listened to the pronunciation on the SmartBoard and looked at diagrams of the middle ear. Who knew that the incudostapedial was a joint in the middle ear? The point was to bring a little fun into our learning and to demonstrate how working with words is a skill for life.
Skating was great fun today and a good experience in recreational fitness. For many, this was their first opportunity and quite an accomplishment. The release of energy after a week of indoor recesses was a relief for everyone. Earlier in the week, parent volunteers from our own fourth grade parents, helped classes create ornaments to hang on the lobby tree. Many thanks to these parents for bringing holiday cheer to our hard-working students. On Thursday morning, the IPES choir performed before school in the gym, decking the halls with music and great fourth grade participation. Rumor has it that fourth graders performing in the String Project this week were awesome. It’s always fun to hear of all of the studentsÂ’ accomplishments that happen all year in all areas.
December 4, 2009 Dear Parents, On Friday morning, December 11th, the fourth grade classes will go to the Laramie Community Ice Rink for a P.E. activity. We will leave school around 9:20 am, get on the ice at 9:30, skate until 10:30, and then return to school around 10:45. 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 9:25 to 9:35. You would also be welcome to stay and skate with us as well! Please call or email either of us 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 have completed their trip to the Pacific and back. We will finish our study of their voyage on Monday by playing games of Lewis and Clark Jeopardy. 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. 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 $243.08 per student. The Indian Paintbrush PTA has agreed to pay $142.59 of this for each student; Indian Paintbrush School is paying $50.49 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 23rd, 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 or in case of any other need, and an email list to send daily notes of activities to parents. We will send this home for corrections or changes when it is developed. The packet that was sent home yesterday 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 us if you have any questions or concerns. We are planning on having another meeting toward the beginning of February. November 13, 2009 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 either one of us. The PTA Fundraiser pick-up went well on Monday. Thank you for your participation in the fundraiser! 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 23rd through February 26th, 2010. 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. The cost for the Teton Science School is $243.08 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. There will be a parent meeting on December 3rd from 7:00 to 8:00 here in our classrooms to distribute forms, go over equipment lists and schedules, and answer questions. We hope everyone can attend. There is no reason for students to attend, unless they need to come to allow you to come. 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! We are learning about the white explorers of the West, starting with Lewis and Clark. Lewis and Clark are about to start 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 have spent several days learning about mapping. We will learn about compasses and how to draw maps using distances and directions. 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. We will be describing animals that others have not seen, like Lewis and Clark had to do with the Pronghorn, Jackrabbit, and Prairie Dog. We are continuing to expand our knowledge of multiplication and division in Math. Students have learned that division is not such a mysterious operation, that it is easy to use known multiplication facts to solve division problems. We have also found out about how to deal with remainders in word problems. Please remember that Indian Paintbrush is collecting food donations for those less fortunate who may be in need. Food baskets will be delivered before Thanksgiving. Thank you for helping! October 23, 2009 Hello, Monday there is no school for students. It is a teacher in-service training day, and staff will be meeting here at IPES and at different training activities all over the district on a variety of items. Most of our Native American winter count stories are being completed. The stories are also being written in English so that others know what the pictures represent. They will be posted in the hallway for all to see! Our new math unit is again concentrating on multiplication and how to see more difficult multiplication problems as a combination of easier problems. 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 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. Thank you for returning the forms regarding preferred times for Parent-Teacher conferences. Yesterday teachers worked to plan conferences so that families can come to school at one time to attend all their children’s conferences. At the beginning of next week we will be sending home notes stating the times we 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. Both Mrs. Johnson and Mr. Whitman will be meeting with all parents, and we both look forward to talking with you and discussing your student’s progress. This week both classes planned our class Halloween Parties, which will take place Friday, October 30th, 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 in his or her planner as a reminder.) If parents cannot provide something for whatever reason, we will be able to make other arrangements. The student should inform us 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 these parties. Please ensure that all costumes are school appropriate. Mr. Slyman has already sent home a note with every student about the school guidelines. It is fun to see what the kids plan to eat and do at these parties. We 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. Please remember 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.
October 16, 2009
Dear Parents,
Thank you for returning your preferences for Parent-Teacher conferences. We look forward to meeting with you, sharing your child’s progress, and answering questions you might have. The staff will meet next week to coordinate sibling conferences for your convenience.
The highpoint in language arts this week was the completion of the students’ fairy tales in writing. As young authors, they learned about the elements of a fairy tale and created their own. The enthusiasm for writing has been impressive as they brainstormed ideas, created plans, wrote rough drafts, revised and edited those draft with peers and teachers, wrote their final copies in cursive, and presented their stories to the class. The greatest lesson learned, perhaps, was that writing takes time and effort, which was certainly witnessed throughout the fourth grade. This writing project will be scored for organization, specifically a beginning, middle, and end with a sequence of events that are in order. Future writing projects will address other six traits of writing more intensively. Students also received a score for their efforts in listening and speaking as stories were read aloud. Next week will find fourth graders throughout the building gathering information, conducting interviews, and writing articles for a fourth grade newspaper.
After reading a story about a grandfather and his grandson on a ranch and webbing ranch vocabulary concepts on a web, students read a story called “Coyote School News,” a story about students in one-room schoolhouse in 1938 who write a school newspaper and their achievements. The question of the week was, “How can we work together to achieve a goal?” Vocabulary is introduced each week with Concept Mapping software for the Smartboard. These slides are teacher made and interactive for students. They enjoy the challenge of predicting the meaning of a word, then opening a hidden slide and reading the definition for clarification. It’s fun to watch the class cheer for each other’s efforts! Spelling lists this week offered practice with irregular plurals while grammar assignments worked with regular plurals. While the “rules” of writing may be challenging to learn, students quickly find that writing comes more easily and creatively with the use of tools that are consistent.
In language arts, students have been collecting stones in a jar for positive work habits and behavior as they journey the fourth grade road together. The morning class enjoyed root beer floats today for their hard work. The afternoon class is “hot on their heels” with only a few stones to fill their jar. Congratulations, fourth graders!
A big welcome to our new student and his family to Laramie and IPES! Enjoy the autumn weather this weekend with your family!
October 9, 2009 Hello Parents, 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!
Hardness of minerals and how to test for hardness was the science focus this week. We have scratched test materials and real minerals to put them in order of hardness. We have looked at the hardness scale and test for hardness to identify the minerals that we had. Next we will move on to find other ways to learn about and identify rocks and minerals. Students are invited to bring in a favorite rock or small rock collection next week to share with the class. Over the last several weeks in math we have been conducted surveys, collected data, and put that data on various graphs. We have been evaluating other data and using it to draw conclusions. Next we will be using data to determine probabilities, and find out how knowing a probability can help us make good decisions. Accelerated Math has been mostly addition, and the students are doing well getting it done and scanned. Thanks for your help ensuring it gets done. I hope you have noticed that the TOPS reports that are printed out after each student scans shows the percentage on each practice and a running percentage for the grading period. Please take a minute to look at the picture and article on the school district web site (www.acsd1.org) about our trip to the Chimney Rock Ranch. Mrs. Johnson also has poems and pictures about the trip posted in the hallway outside our classrooms. Today the School Board came to visit IPES, having lunch in the cafeteria and then observing the fourth graders during reading groups. We are proud of our fantastic readers and what they are accomplishing! On Monday, October 26th 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.
Elementary schools are on trimesters, and the first one comes to an official end on November 13th. Parent Teacher conferences will take place on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 4th, and during the day and evening of Thursday, Nov. 5th. Having evening hours available sometimes makes it more convenient for parents. Rather than just randomly assigning parents a time for a conference, we would like parents to indicate on the attached slip what times would be best for your schedule. Please send the slips back to us next week so we can develop a schedule. We will then confirm the times with you or contact you if other times are necessary. We will work with the teachers of siblings to attempt to schedule all conferences for consecutive times. If a slip is not returned, we will just assign you a time when we have one available. Both Mr. Whitman and Mrs. Johnson plan to meet with parents of all Fourth grade students to discuss progress in each subject area. We look forward to seeing you! Name____________________________________________ I would prefer the following times for Parent Teacher Conferences: Wednesday, Nov. 4_______________________________ (Choose any time between 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.) Thursday, Nov.5______________________________ (Choose any time between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.) My second choice is: Wednesday, Nov. 4_______________________________ (Choose any time between 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.) Thursday, Nov.5______________________________ (Choose any time between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.)
October 2, 2009
Dear Parents,
Thank you for your participation and help with the IPES fundraiser. The community effort to help send our 4th grade students to Yellowstone each year is so appreciated! We saw the benefits of outdoor education last Friday as students read, wrote poetry, observed habitats, petroglypghs, and geological formations. Studies in these areas will continue in the classroom and students will have first hand experiences to assist them in relating to their studies. We couldn’t have asked for a better day with weather or student enthusiasm! Please feel free to stop by in a few days and see the bulletin board in the hallway outside the 4th grade classrooms with photos and poetry (from the students who chose to be “published”) from the trip.
Yosemite was the topic in reading this week, reading letters written from experiences in this national landmark. The television special by Ken Burns was a little more historical and adult centered, but filled with good information. The adventures of John Muir were especially intriguing and set an example for our students as they head to the Teton Science Camp in February. Mrs. Baumann is helping us plan an Internet lesson designed to introduce research and the use of kid friendly/appropriate search engines.
Connections between reading and writing happened all week as students identified the series of events in The Horned Toad Prince and wrote postcards sequencing a personal trip. It has been very exciting to see students increase the variety of sentences in their writing especially with the recent introduction of compound sentences in grammar. The action often comes to a screeching halt in the classroom when an interesting sentence is discovered! The grammar skill and homework this week will introduce clauses and complex sentences. Students already use these sentences in their writing from their conversational language and will learn how to write and punctuate them correctly. Students should have new spelling words to study on Wednesday evening. The number each week varies with their performance on the pretest. A specific skill and pattern is introduced each week for practice. This week’s words will concentrate on the various ways to spell the long U sound in words.
Please encourage your child to turn in their reading log on Thursday and receive their new one for October. 4th graders will participate in the “Book It” program and students will receive a Pizza Hut coupon for a free personal pizza after turning in a completed reading log.
Classrooms at IPES will hold Halloween parties on Friday, October 30th from 2-3 PM. In fourth grade, students plan their own parties and will bring notes home with items or games they have volunteered to bring. Students will put on costumes between 1:30 and 1:45.
Have a great weekend!
September 25, 2009 Monday the students do not have school because of a teacher in-service day. We hope they enjoy the three-day weekend! We are continuing to study rocks and minerals. 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 blue and black fish rocks and the shells that we could see. We have begun to determine what else is in them by adding water to what is left to see how it settles. We will then let the water evaporate to see what was dissolved in it. Later we will learn about the hardness of minerals and how to test for hardness. We will test for calcite in rocks by using vinegar. The new reading unit is about the geography of the west and Yosemite National Park. This ties in well with our study of Wyoming and the West. On Sunday evening, Sept. 27 at 7:00 pm on PBS Channel 12 or at 8:00 pm on PBS Channel 6, the premiere of “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” by Ken Burns begins. We recommend that you and your student watch at least the first episode of this six-episode series because it will contain much information about Yosemite. The series will continue on Monday through Friday. More information is available at www.pbs.org/nationalparks. We did get started using to the Accelerated Math program this week. Students enjoyed scanning it into the computer. Everyone should be bringing it home for homework. If it is done every night, it is very reasonable for students to be able to do. It is important for parents to be able to see what their students are doing in math, and for students to be able to show you what they know. You are welcome to provide any help that they may need, answer their questions, or even check over what they have done. You can even check their bubbling to ensure that is done correctly. I will always ask the students to use the TOPS report to check over what they have missed so that they don’t continue to do the same thing. 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. Next Tuesday the PTA fundraiser sheets are due back here at school. This fundraiser is conducted to support their programs and our upcoming trip to the Teton Science School. It is optional for families to participate, but your 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. 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. We try to post the letter on the site Friday morning but occasionally it is later Friday evening. Thanks for using this service! September 18, 2009 This has been a milestone week with students settling into school routines and student council elections. Our classes showed support for everyone who ran for Student Council Representative (only one position this year) and were very gracious to the ones elected. Any of the candidates would have represented us well. Congratulations to all for their speeches and courage!
Reading brought a touching story this week in "Grandfather's Journey", the story of a young Japanese man who visits the United States prior to WWII and his return to Japan. Perhaps your child would like to tell you the story and who the author is! Throughout the week, we discussed sequencing as a literary skill both in reading and writing. Sequencing of events and ideas allows readers to understand the story. Sequencing in writing helps students to communicate an event(s) to their reader in a way that allows the reader to understand. Classes practiced these skills by creating timelines and relating events from a personal trip in a postcard, which they will present next week. These budding, young writers were encouraged to show their "voice" in their postcards in order to make the reader interested want to read on. Grammar homework was not sent home this week due to the challenge it posed. After introducing the skill of working with subjects and predicates, we decided to spend more time at school working as a group. I was impressed as students began to have those "aha" moments and recognize the use of knowing the parts of a sentence. Similes were introduced as a literary element that makes writing more interesting. In a simile, one thing is compared to another using the words "like" or "as": Kim looked "like" a dream and was pretty "as" a picture.
As always, Mrs. Baumann expands our language arts block with wonderful programs in the library. Recently, some students began a reading lunch, listening to Mrs. Baumann read Ark Angel. Watch for news of future programs such as Early Bird readers. Each time a student participates in reading or writing activities, their ability to access and enjoy stories and information increases.
Mr. Whitman reports from math: " We did not start Accelerated Math this week due to district technology issues. We hope to get it going next week."
Each night students should have their planners and homework folders with homework or work that might be unfinished from the school day. We would appreciate your help in checking these with your child. Thanks so much!
Friday, September 25th from 8:30-2:00, we will travel to Chimney Rock Ranch. Students are reminded to bring a snack, water bottle, and lunch. We will walk across rustic ground so walking shoes are essential. Please check the weather that day. Jackets can always be stored in backpacks. We are excited for this hands-on learning experience as students have the chance to use their academic skills and knowledge in their outdoor world- the best part of living in Wyoming!
September 11, 2009
Hello Parents,
It was good to see so many of you at Open House last night. Having involved parents makes our job and that of the whole school so much easier and successful! Please feel free to stop by the classrooms at any time and view what we are doing. The students are always glad to show off what we have been doing.
The clay relief maps of Wyoming that the classes are making are nearing completion and will be on display here in the classrooms. The groups have worked well together to make sure they had all that was required. Everyone is proud of how they are turning out and we will show them off! 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.
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.
Next week we hope to begin adding the Accelerated Math program to the Investigations Math that we have been doing here in the classroom. It is hoped that all students find 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. Mr. Whitman decides 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, he then prints a test for them to complete on those items. Tests are done at school. To begin with, most of the items will be review from last year. Accelerated Math will match whatever we are learning in the Investigations Math.
Individual pictures will be taken on Thursday, September 17th. Envelopes for ordering went home earlier this week. 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. We try to post the letter on the site Friday morning but occasionally it is later Friday evening or over the weekend. 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 Fourth Grade Class.
September 4, 2009
Dear Parents,
What an exciting week this has been! Our classroom communities have begun growing and working together in kind and supportive ways, working towards supporting one another in learning.
Students read an excerpt from the story Because of Winn-Dixie, the story of a young girl new to town and the friendship she builds with the local librarian through their love of books and their mutual loneliness. The last two days, we have read books associated with Reading Street through methods of choral reading, silent reading, partner reading, and whisper reading. This allows students to spend more time reading. We have been busy assessing students so that they may participate in reading groups that address their needs and abilities. Several staff members will teach DI (direct instruction) groups from 1-1:30 PM each day.
In grammar, students concentrated on building and writing declarative (statements) and interrogative (questions) sentences. We have encouraged students to always write in complete sentences in their writing to help them grow as writers. Their first writing project is with the support of a group and will be on display at Open House. Roles of writer, illustrator, and tracer have been chosen as students work together on the writing process in an expository essay, “Our Favorite Things About School”. It has been exciting to listen to their enthusiasm as they work through the writing process- brainstorming ideas, organizing topics, writing leads, and learning to build paragraphs using topic sentences, key ideas, details, and explanations. These will be color-coded on their writing charts.
Thank you for your support as students complete homework assignments in grammar, unfinished work, reading each night and recording their time on their reading log, and studying for spelling tests. The number of words they study is based on their weekly pretests. If students would like to challenge themselves with more words each week than the spelling pretest indicates, they are always welcome to do so.
On the evening of Thursday, September 10th, Indian Paintbrush will be hosting an Open House from 6:00 to 7:00. Please put it on your calendar. We invite all to come and visit the classrooms and school as we begin the year.
Next week, Mr. Whitman will share details about math, Wyoming history, and science. It has been fun to listen as the students share about their projects!
August 28, 2009
Hello Parents,
We have begun our journey through fourth grade! This first week we have been busy getting to know each other. We feel that we have established a fairly strong bond within the classes.
This week the rules and guidelines of the classrooms and school were reviewed. We discussed being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. We have been discussing and defining a set of agreements that the classes 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. Art is on Tuesday mornings for Mrs. Johnson’s class and on Thursday mornings for Mr. Whitman’s class. Fourth Grade has recess from 10:30 to 10:45. We go to lunch at 11:35 and then go out to recess at about 11:50. Lunch recess lasts until 12:25, when all fourth graders return to the classrooms.
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 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.
Thursday began the first official day in Reading Street, our district language arts series. Students participated in a baseline test in reading and writing sample (Ask your child about eating carrots in the outdoor classroom!) that will help our staff determine and meet their needs. Each week students will read the selection, take the spelling pretest and have words assigned to study. Students will bring home spelling lists and grammar for homework. Attached is a reading log for students to record the minutes they read each night that could include reading silently, with a sibling, aloud with a parent, in the car… anywhere! Discussing and summarizing what they read is a wonderful way to show understanding and help their skills grow! Reading logs are a great way to encourage your child to read outside of school for practice and enjoyment. Students should read a minimum of 20 minutes each evening and, of course, more if they would like. October through March, these minutes will count as their Book It reward. Thank you for sharing in this wonderful partnership between home and school, helping your child be successful and enjoy reading!
At the end of each day we review what was assigned that day and provide an opportunity for the students to write these things in their planner. The school provides a planner to each student for daily use in recording upcoming events and homework. Mrs. Johnson and Mr. Whitman both expect each student to bring these planners to school each morning and then home every afternoon. It is a great way for you to see what we are doing each day.
Every Friday we will send home a “Fourth Grade News”. Mr. Whitman and Mrs. Johnson will alternate weeks writing these letters. When Mrs. Johnson writes them, they will concentrate more on Language Arts, and when Mr. Whitman, they will include more Math, Science, and Wyoming History. General information will always be included.
Thanks to those of you who have reviewed the student handbooks and returned the tear out forms, emergency forms, and other forms that were sent home on the first day. Included with this letter is a parent volunteer form that we ask that you to complete if you are interested. We will work to schedule volunteers as these are returned.
On the evening of Thursday, September 10th, Indian Paintbrush will be hosting an Open House from 6:00 to 7:00. Please put it on your calendar. We invite all to come and visit the classrooms and school as we begin the year.
August 2009
Dear Students and Parents,
Welcome to fourth grade, a year we anticipate will be filled with adventures in learning and cool field trips based on their areas of study! We’re looking forward to getting to know each of you! Please allow us to introduce ourselves… Mr. Whitman, beginning his fourteenth year as a fourth grade teacher and Mrs. Johnson, beginning her fifth year as a fourth grade teacher after teaching special education for twenty-five years. This is an exciting year as we work together to build a learning community in a safe, caring, and challenging environment.
We are eager to begin our new adventure in 4th grade. This year, we are addressing the curriculum in a way that has been researched and used extensively in education. Mr. Whitman and Mrs. Johnson will coordinate to teach ALL the 4th graders by dividing the curriculum and concentrating our time and skills. Mr. Whitman will teach math, science/health, and Wyoming history. Mrs. Johnson will teach a language arts block that will include reading, grammar, writing, handwriting, research and inquiry, spelling, and speaking and listening. Students will begin their day in their homeroom and participate in that teacher’s subject areas until lunch. After lunch, students will move to small group instruction in reading with both 4th grade teachers and support staff, then move to the other 4th grade classroom for that content area instruction. A list of homeroom teachers will be posted on the school doors soon. The benefits for your child include:
• Two teachers who know your child, meet regularly, monitor progress, and consult on how to challenge and meet your child’s needs.
• Teachers who are able to focus, plan, and are trained in specific content areas.
• Classrooms that are arranged as “labs” where lessons, centers, activities, and displays revolve around specific content areas (Mr. Whitman’s room will be organized as a science and math lab, Mrs. Johnson’s will be organized as a language lab).
The first days in fourth grade are spent getting to know each other, and learning how to work together. Our goal is for all students to be comfortable learning, feel safe taking chances and making mistakes, and helping one another grow and learn. We’ll work together to ensure that everyone is included, has respect for each other’s thoughts, ideas, and differences, and cooperates to make learning motivating, fun, challenging and exciting.
We welcome your participation in your child’s education through support of their class work and homework, visits to the classroom, and volunteering in the classroom (volunteer forms will be sent home at the start of school). Children are always proud to have their parents be a part of their education. We invite you to stop by and talk anytime before or after school. Please feel free to leave a message with the school secretary and we will return your call as soon as we are available. You can also contact us at home (Mr. Whitman 742-3918, Mrs. Johnson 742-7370) or by email (jwhitman@acsd1.org and ejohnson@acsd1.org). A weekly newsletter will be sent home as often as possible, a summary of news and the curriculum covered during the week as well as upcoming events. This newsletter will help facilitate your communication with your child. Students will also be responsible for completing their student planner and sharing that information with you. Please feel free to locate this newsletter and important events at www.schoolnotes.com, type in our ZIP code (82072), and select the 4th grade class. Mail, newsletters, and graded work will be placed in each student’s mailbox for them to take home. This is an important channel of communication between school and home.
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. Students will also be encouraged to read independently at home, keeping track of minutes on a reading log.
Math consists of the latest version of the Investigations program. Investigations is designed to engage students in making sense of mathematical ideas and to learn that they can be mathematical thinkers. Accelerated Math will also be incorporated into this program, which is a computer-based math program that individualizes math practice.
Students will have a snack break each morning during read aloud to provide energy and brain power. Students may bring a healthy, nutritious snack on a daily basis or bring a larger amount to store in the classroom. Please encourage a snack that will provide a mid-morning refueling and does not contain nuts or is made in a facility that processes nut products.
We are very excited to work with you, your children, and the staff here at Indian Paintbrush. We are going to have a wonderful year!
Mrs. Johnson and Mr. Whitman
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.
