Have a Wonderful Summer!
Thank you for making this year such a memorable one! It was pleasure to be a part of each of your families this year. As I got to know all the children it reminds me more and more of how fortunate I am to be surrounded by an incredible group of students and an extraordinary support system.
Please do not ever think that my relationship with your family should end here. If you ever have any questions or need support, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Have a wonderful summer and see you in August!
Please do not ever think that my relationship with your family should end here. If you ever have any questions or need support, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Have a wonderful summer and see you in August!
Updates for the Week of May 19th
I hope this beautiful weather today brought you outdoors! It feels gereat to be outside with my laptop updating the website!
As the school year comes to a close, it is important to remind students that we still have a few more weeks to go! The last day to accept any assignments will be June 6th. Grade must be finalized by then so that report cards ca be completed and sent home with students on the following Tuesday.
This Friday is Field Day! Students should wear their grade level t-shirts as we work our way through a Field Day that is all about Colorado History! Students should have hats, bring/ wear sunscreen, wear sneakers and bring a water bottle.
Next week (beginningMay 26th) will be our last homework menu for the school year. Students should have completed Wordly Wise Lesson 17 by the end of this week. We will have our last Wordly Wise assessment this Thursday and Friday (provided that our field day time is slotted in the afternoon).
There will be no school May 26th in celebration of Memorial Day.
June 10th is the last day of school Students will be dismissed early this day and we will finish up cleaning the classroom and have a light breakfast to celebrate their continuation onto 5th grade. If your child will not be in school on Tuesday, or if you are planning on beginning their summer break early. please let me know so that I can notify the front office. All books that have been checked out or assigned to them must be checked back in or paid for before their progress report will be released.
Dojo points are updated and reflect the homework menus due on Friday. In order for the report to accurately reflect the points earned, it is necessary to enter negative points. A dojo point is taken away for each point that was not earned on the homework menu.
As always, if you have any questions please let me know. Have a great week!
As the school year comes to a close, it is important to remind students that we still have a few more weeks to go! The last day to accept any assignments will be June 6th. Grade must be finalized by then so that report cards ca be completed and sent home with students on the following Tuesday.
This Friday is Field Day! Students should wear their grade level t-shirts as we work our way through a Field Day that is all about Colorado History! Students should have hats, bring/ wear sunscreen, wear sneakers and bring a water bottle.
Next week (beginningMay 26th) will be our last homework menu for the school year. Students should have completed Wordly Wise Lesson 17 by the end of this week. We will have our last Wordly Wise assessment this Thursday and Friday (provided that our field day time is slotted in the afternoon).
There will be no school May 26th in celebration of Memorial Day.
June 10th is the last day of school Students will be dismissed early this day and we will finish up cleaning the classroom and have a light breakfast to celebrate their continuation onto 5th grade. If your child will not be in school on Tuesday, or if you are planning on beginning their summer break early. please let me know so that I can notify the front office. All books that have been checked out or assigned to them must be checked back in or paid for before their progress report will be released.
Dojo points are updated and reflect the homework menus due on Friday. In order for the report to accurately reflect the points earned, it is necessary to enter negative points. A dojo point is taken away for each point that was not earned on the homework menu.
As always, if you have any questions please let me know. Have a great week!
Updates for the Week of May 12th
I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day this weekend. The weather was sure a surprise!
As we wrap up this school year, we have had a few conversations during class meetings regarding making good choices and surrounding ourselves with good people. I hope this is a message that you can reinforce at home.
I have listed a few dates below to add to your calendar, if you have not already.
As always, if you have any questions, please let me know!
May 23rd - Field Day - wear your grade level shirt!
May 26th - No School
June 10th - Last Day of School (half day)
As we wrap up this school year, we have had a few conversations during class meetings regarding making good choices and surrounding ourselves with good people. I hope this is a message that you can reinforce at home.
I have listed a few dates below to add to your calendar, if you have not already.
As always, if you have any questions, please let me know!
May 23rd - Field Day - wear your grade level shirt!
May 26th - No School
June 10th - Last Day of School (half day)
Update for the Week of May 5th - Happy Cinco de Mayo!
We are into the home stretch! Only a few more weeks and we will be saying good-bye to 4th grade and hello to 5th!
We had a lot of fun at the 5k run on Sunday (although a sick dog had me running a few minutes late!).
We had some incredible success with the Boosterthon. Make sure that all pledges have been either completed online or been returned to school.
The Living Museum was a huge hit once again! I was so impressed with the students hard work, presentation skills and accuracy! There were some pretty incredible costumes and props as well!
Finally, to wrap up the last week's events, we finished another successful Taste of ACE night. With all the scheduling conflicts (the Avs, sports, etc.) we still managed a pretty good turn out. Well done to all the presenters (if you check your Dojo points, you earned a few extra points for your teamwork and persistence).
The next major event on the ACE calendar is Field Day! This year's theme is Colorad History (something we know a whole lot about!). Field Day will be May 23rd. If you have any questions about the day and volunteering, contact Carol Hasstedt at [email protected]
Have a wonderful week! As always, if you have any questions, please let me know!
We had a lot of fun at the 5k run on Sunday (although a sick dog had me running a few minutes late!).
We had some incredible success with the Boosterthon. Make sure that all pledges have been either completed online or been returned to school.
The Living Museum was a huge hit once again! I was so impressed with the students hard work, presentation skills and accuracy! There were some pretty incredible costumes and props as well!
Finally, to wrap up the last week's events, we finished another successful Taste of ACE night. With all the scheduling conflicts (the Avs, sports, etc.) we still managed a pretty good turn out. Well done to all the presenters (if you check your Dojo points, you earned a few extra points for your teamwork and persistence).
The next major event on the ACE calendar is Field Day! This year's theme is Colorad History (something we know a whole lot about!). Field Day will be May 23rd. If you have any questions about the day and volunteering, contact Carol Hasstedt at [email protected]
Have a wonderful week! As always, if you have any questions, please let me know!
Updates for the Week of April 28th
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. ACE week begins this week. I have uploaded the schedule of the week's events below.
The Boosterthon Fun Run was a blast on Friday! The students had an incredible time running their sponsored laps outside on Friday afternoon while we raised money for the school. All pledges are due to school by Wednesday.
CMAS testing is complete. We will continue any necessary make ups this week. We look forward as a school and a grade level team to see the results!
We will be presenting our Colorado Living Museum Projects on Wednesday evening during the Taste of ACE event. We will also be presenting to the school at various times throughout the day on Thursday. Students were reminded last week that if they were interested in dressing up in a costume that represents their topic, they are more than welcome to. Students who are choosing not to dress in a costume, are encouraged to dress "professionally" as they will be acting as a docent in our living museum.
I have listed the important dates for the next few weeks below. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask! Have a wonderful week!
April 28th - May 1st - All Cultures Embraced (ACE) Week
April 30th - Taste of ACE, evening Colorado Living Museum Presentations (for parents and family)
May 1st - Colorado Living Museum grade level presentations (during the school day)
May 2nd - No Contact Day, No School
May 3rd - May 25th - Spring MAP Testing Window
May 15th 1:30-1:55pm - Sky Vista Spanish Students
The Boosterthon Fun Run was a blast on Friday! The students had an incredible time running their sponsored laps outside on Friday afternoon while we raised money for the school. All pledges are due to school by Wednesday.
CMAS testing is complete. We will continue any necessary make ups this week. We look forward as a school and a grade level team to see the results!
We will be presenting our Colorado Living Museum Projects on Wednesday evening during the Taste of ACE event. We will also be presenting to the school at various times throughout the day on Thursday. Students were reminded last week that if they were interested in dressing up in a costume that represents their topic, they are more than welcome to. Students who are choosing not to dress in a costume, are encouraged to dress "professionally" as they will be acting as a docent in our living museum.
I have listed the important dates for the next few weeks below. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask! Have a wonderful week!
April 28th - May 1st - All Cultures Embraced (ACE) Week
April 30th - Taste of ACE, evening Colorado Living Museum Presentations (for parents and family)
May 1st - Colorado Living Museum grade level presentations (during the school day)
May 2nd - No Contact Day, No School
May 3rd - May 25th - Spring MAP Testing Window
May 15th 1:30-1:55pm - Sky Vista Spanish Students
final_ace_culture_week_2014.docx | |
File Size: | 20 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Updates for the Week of April 21st
I hope everyone had a nice weekend and if you celebrate, a nice holiday. We are off to another busy, busy week! Below I have listed the important dates for the next two weeks. Dojo points will be available by this evening.Quarters for Kids - April 14th - April 18th
Monday, April 21st - Class and Individual Pictures
April 22nd - April 24th 12:00 - 2:00pm - CMAS (Colorado Measurement of Academic Success - Social Studies)
May 15th 1:30-1:55pm - Sky Vista Spanish Students - as of today this is tentative.
Friday, April 25th - BoosterTHON Fun Run - 2:00pm - 3:00pm (formally known as the Walk-a-thon)
April 28th - May 1st - All Cultures Embraced (ACE) Week
April 30th - Taste of ACE, evening Colorado Living Museum Presentations
May 1st - Colorado Living Museum grade level presentations (during the school day)
May 2nd - No Contact Day, No School
May 4th - ACE 5K Run/ 1K Walk (this is not the same as the Boosterthon and is open to the entire community)
May 23rd - Field Day
As always, if you have any questions, let me know!
Monday, April 21st - Class and Individual Pictures
April 22nd - April 24th 12:00 - 2:00pm - CMAS (Colorado Measurement of Academic Success - Social Studies)
May 15th 1:30-1:55pm - Sky Vista Spanish Students - as of today this is tentative.
Friday, April 25th - BoosterTHON Fun Run - 2:00pm - 3:00pm (formally known as the Walk-a-thon)
April 28th - May 1st - All Cultures Embraced (ACE) Week
April 30th - Taste of ACE, evening Colorado Living Museum Presentations
May 1st - Colorado Living Museum grade level presentations (during the school day)
May 2nd - No Contact Day, No School
May 4th - ACE 5K Run/ 1K Walk (this is not the same as the Boosterthon and is open to the entire community)
May 23rd - Field Day
As always, if you have any questions, let me know!
Welcome Back! Updates for the Week of April 14th
I hope everyone enjoyed their break and is well rested! April is an extraordinarily busy month. Below I have listed some dates to remember. I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday!
Quarters for Kids - April 14th - April 18th
Tuesday, April 15th - Jeff Waters Presentation
April 17th - 25th - CampusHi5 (first 10 minutes of recess 11:00-11:10)
Thursday, April 17th, 10:30 am - Colorado Experience Field Trip (chaperones have already been chosen, so if you volunteered to chaperone and did not receive an email, please let me know as soon as possible)
Monday, April 21st - Class Pictures
April 22nd - April 24th 12:00 - 2:00pm - CMAS (Colorado Measurement of Academic Success - Social Studies)
April 24th, May 1st, May 8th 1:30-1:55pm - Sky Vista Spanish Students
Friday, April 25th - BoosterTHON Fun Run - 2:00pm - 3:00pm (formally known as the Walk-a-thon)
April 28th - May 1st - All Cultures Embraced (ACE) Week
April 30th - Taste of ACE, evening Colorado Living Museum Presentations
May 1st - Colorado Living Museum grade level presentations
May 2nd - No Contact Day, No School
As you can see we have a busy and exciting month.
As always if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Enjoy your weekend and your week!
Quarters for Kids - April 14th - April 18th
Tuesday, April 15th - Jeff Waters Presentation
April 17th - 25th - CampusHi5 (first 10 minutes of recess 11:00-11:10)
Thursday, April 17th, 10:30 am - Colorado Experience Field Trip (chaperones have already been chosen, so if you volunteered to chaperone and did not receive an email, please let me know as soon as possible)
Monday, April 21st - Class Pictures
April 22nd - April 24th 12:00 - 2:00pm - CMAS (Colorado Measurement of Academic Success - Social Studies)
April 24th, May 1st, May 8th 1:30-1:55pm - Sky Vista Spanish Students
Friday, April 25th - BoosterTHON Fun Run - 2:00pm - 3:00pm (formally known as the Walk-a-thon)
April 28th - May 1st - All Cultures Embraced (ACE) Week
April 30th - Taste of ACE, evening Colorado Living Museum Presentations
May 1st - Colorado Living Museum grade level presentations
May 2nd - No Contact Day, No School
As you can see we have a busy and exciting month.
As always if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Enjoy your weekend and your week!
Using Lexile.com
We had the chance as a class to use Lexile.com on Monday to check book levels. Lexile Ranges and numbers is one of many ways that books can be leveled. Since students receive a Lexile Range after completing their Reading MAP test, and since Lexile Ranges are used with many Common Core materials, we have chosen to use this leveling system for this project.
There are two ways to search for books using Lexile Ranges. They can either begin with the book title and find the Lexile level, or they can refine a search for books that are within their Lexile Range.
Searching for a book's Lexile Number:
1. Go to Lexile.com
2. Enter the name of the book in the top right corner search space.
3. Click search. The book title and/or a copy of the cover should appear.
Searching for books within a Lexile Range
1. Go to Lexile.com
2.Enter the Lexile Range in the two spaces provided on the left side
3.Click the Search Button and follow the directions to refine the search by interest.
There are two ways to search for books using Lexile Ranges. They can either begin with the book title and find the Lexile level, or they can refine a search for books that are within their Lexile Range.
Searching for a book's Lexile Number:
1. Go to Lexile.com
2. Enter the name of the book in the top right corner search space.
3. Click search. The book title and/or a copy of the cover should appear.
Searching for books within a Lexile Range
1. Go to Lexile.com
2.Enter the Lexile Range in the two spaces provided on the left side
3.Click the Search Button and follow the directions to refine the search by interest.
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 3/24/14
I hope everyone has had an excellent weekend! One more week until Spring Break and it is a busy one, once again!
This week begins the "Quarters for Kids" fundraiser. Quarters for Kids is an opportunity for students to help families in need. To learn more about Quarters for Kids, visit the Volunteers of America - Colorado Branch website. Students can bring in any denomination of money and for every 25 cents they donate, they will be given a raffle ticket. The winner of the raffle gets the opportunity to join Mr. Schleich downtown for a breakfast where they will present the Aspen Crossing Donation to the Volunteers of America Colorado Branch.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered to chaperone for the Colorado Experience Museum Field Trip. Last Thursday, emails were sent out letting the randomly selected chaperones know they were chosen. I also sent out emails to let those whose names were not chosen know they were not selected.Although the form said that the chaperones would not be chosen until April, I had received all the permission slips as of the first part of last week, so I went ahead and chose the chaperones early. If you have any questions about the selection process or about the field trip in general, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Also, as a few of you had mentioned on the permission slip, the date beneath the contact information was listed as May 30th. This was obviously an oversight (we reused the permission slip from last year's field trip which took place May 30th for this year's trip). I have since fixed the information on the permission slip and for clarification, the phone number you supplied is in the event you need to be contacted on April 17th, not May 30th. Thanks for pointing this out!
Please see the update from last week regarding the CMAS assessment that will be taking place the week of April 21st.
We have started our Colorado Living Museum Projects and we are excited! Ask your student about this year's project and what you can do to help them be as successful as possible.
There will be graded papers once again in Thursday folders this week now that we have had some time to get back into a somewhat typical routine. As was previously stated in conferences, the graded work that comes home at this point should be mostly proficient work since students have had an entire 2/3 of the school year to work towards and understand what the expectations are to produce fourth grade proficient work. If you have any questions or are concerned about your child's progress, I encourage you first to review the work with your child. Then, if you are still concerned, please contact me.
Have a wonderful week!
Some dates to remember:
March 31st - First Day of Spring Break
April 14th - First day back to school from Spring Break
April 15th - Jeff Waters
April 17th - Colorado Experience 4th Grade Field Trip
Week of April 21st - CMAS Assessment
This week begins the "Quarters for Kids" fundraiser. Quarters for Kids is an opportunity for students to help families in need. To learn more about Quarters for Kids, visit the Volunteers of America - Colorado Branch website. Students can bring in any denomination of money and for every 25 cents they donate, they will be given a raffle ticket. The winner of the raffle gets the opportunity to join Mr. Schleich downtown for a breakfast where they will present the Aspen Crossing Donation to the Volunteers of America Colorado Branch.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered to chaperone for the Colorado Experience Museum Field Trip. Last Thursday, emails were sent out letting the randomly selected chaperones know they were chosen. I also sent out emails to let those whose names were not chosen know they were not selected.Although the form said that the chaperones would not be chosen until April, I had received all the permission slips as of the first part of last week, so I went ahead and chose the chaperones early. If you have any questions about the selection process or about the field trip in general, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Also, as a few of you had mentioned on the permission slip, the date beneath the contact information was listed as May 30th. This was obviously an oversight (we reused the permission slip from last year's field trip which took place May 30th for this year's trip). I have since fixed the information on the permission slip and for clarification, the phone number you supplied is in the event you need to be contacted on April 17th, not May 30th. Thanks for pointing this out!
Please see the update from last week regarding the CMAS assessment that will be taking place the week of April 21st.
We have started our Colorado Living Museum Projects and we are excited! Ask your student about this year's project and what you can do to help them be as successful as possible.
There will be graded papers once again in Thursday folders this week now that we have had some time to get back into a somewhat typical routine. As was previously stated in conferences, the graded work that comes home at this point should be mostly proficient work since students have had an entire 2/3 of the school year to work towards and understand what the expectations are to produce fourth grade proficient work. If you have any questions or are concerned about your child's progress, I encourage you first to review the work with your child. Then, if you are still concerned, please contact me.
Have a wonderful week!
Some dates to remember:
March 31st - First Day of Spring Break
April 14th - First day back to school from Spring Break
April 15th - Jeff Waters
April 17th - Colorado Experience 4th Grade Field Trip
Week of April 21st - CMAS Assessment
No Homework Club Tomorrow - 3/21/14!
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 3/17/14 and Top o' the Mornin' to Ya'!
Things will begin to get back to "normal" this week as we have a full five day week without testing!
Our rendez-vous was a great success. When we debriefed after the experience, the class had a clear understanding of what it was like 175 years ago for the mountain men and Native Americans in the area. Please ask your child about their experience with the rendez-vous and ask them about what was shared in class.
Please be sure that all permission slips for the Colorado History Museum Field Trip have been turned in by this Wednesday. An email will be coming out this week letting our randomly selected chaperones know that they have been chosen for the field trip. We will also send an email out to let those know who were not selected. This should give you plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements. The field trip will take place on Thursday, April 17th just in time for the exciting fourth grade activities that will be taking place after spring break.
As a welcome break from testing, we will be creating salt dough maps this Thursday and Friday. A letter was sent home in Thursday folders this week with information relevant to the creation of our maps. Students will need to either create the dough at home, or bring the necessary dry ingredients for salt dough in a plastic bag. Students will also need a hard surface like a square piece of cardboard that is roughly the size of a cookie sheet (if cookie sheets were square).
First, students will be participating in the CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success : Science and Social Studies) Assessment . This assessment, also known as the "PARCC Assessment", will test students' knowledge of concepts in social studies(science will not be assessed in fourth grade). We will be using the Pearson's website in class to expose students to the online, computer based format.
I encourage you to review the website yourself at the Pearson Access Website. Once you have entered the website, choose the link "TestNav8.0 Grade 4 Social Studies ePAT". This will bring you to some sample questions. Again, this testing window begins after spring break and when we have the exact date, we will let you know.
The second major event is the 4th grade Living Museum Project. For this project, students will partner up with a classmate and research a randomly selected topic. Their research will result in a written essay, visual aid and presentation where students will have the chance to dress up in a way that is relevant to their topic. We have a special treat in store for our presentations this year, so be on the lookout for more information. Families will be welcome to see the presentations during on April 30th, during Aspen Crossing's Taste of ACE
Our next FOSS kit has arrived and for this final module we will be studying the Sun, Moon and Planets. We hope to begin this module before spring break, time permitting.
Books for book bags will be chosen a little differently this week. Students will be given the opportunity to select the leveled text they wish to complete for this week's summary. These texts will be chosen Monday.
Beginning the week before spring break, students will begin reading a book completing a Book of the Month Project using a free choice text at or slightly above their Lexile level. Students will be responsible for choosing these texts. Titles will be due to me the Friday before spring break. We will spend some time in class using the Lexile.com website so students are familiar with how to choose books at their reading level. We will be visiting the library on Wednesday and if students would like to choose a book at school, they will need to make sure all their library books have been returned by Tuesday. After this week, the class will have one more opportunity to check out of the school library before spring break. Students can also check out their book from the local library or purchase a book to use for the project. Just remember that the book must be at or slightly above their Lexile Range.
If you have any questions,please let me know.Have a happy St. Patrick's Day and a wonderful week!
Our rendez-vous was a great success. When we debriefed after the experience, the class had a clear understanding of what it was like 175 years ago for the mountain men and Native Americans in the area. Please ask your child about their experience with the rendez-vous and ask them about what was shared in class.
Please be sure that all permission slips for the Colorado History Museum Field Trip have been turned in by this Wednesday. An email will be coming out this week letting our randomly selected chaperones know that they have been chosen for the field trip. We will also send an email out to let those know who were not selected. This should give you plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements. The field trip will take place on Thursday, April 17th just in time for the exciting fourth grade activities that will be taking place after spring break.
As a welcome break from testing, we will be creating salt dough maps this Thursday and Friday. A letter was sent home in Thursday folders this week with information relevant to the creation of our maps. Students will need to either create the dough at home, or bring the necessary dry ingredients for salt dough in a plastic bag. Students will also need a hard surface like a square piece of cardboard that is roughly the size of a cookie sheet (if cookie sheets were square).
First, students will be participating in the CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success : Science and Social Studies) Assessment . This assessment, also known as the "PARCC Assessment", will test students' knowledge of concepts in social studies(science will not be assessed in fourth grade). We will be using the Pearson's website in class to expose students to the online, computer based format.
I encourage you to review the website yourself at the Pearson Access Website. Once you have entered the website, choose the link "TestNav8.0 Grade 4 Social Studies ePAT". This will bring you to some sample questions. Again, this testing window begins after spring break and when we have the exact date, we will let you know.
The second major event is the 4th grade Living Museum Project. For this project, students will partner up with a classmate and research a randomly selected topic. Their research will result in a written essay, visual aid and presentation where students will have the chance to dress up in a way that is relevant to their topic. We have a special treat in store for our presentations this year, so be on the lookout for more information. Families will be welcome to see the presentations during on April 30th, during Aspen Crossing's Taste of ACE
Our next FOSS kit has arrived and for this final module we will be studying the Sun, Moon and Planets. We hope to begin this module before spring break, time permitting.
Books for book bags will be chosen a little differently this week. Students will be given the opportunity to select the leveled text they wish to complete for this week's summary. These texts will be chosen Monday.
Beginning the week before spring break, students will begin reading a book completing a Book of the Month Project using a free choice text at or slightly above their Lexile level. Students will be responsible for choosing these texts. Titles will be due to me the Friday before spring break. We will spend some time in class using the Lexile.com website so students are familiar with how to choose books at their reading level. We will be visiting the library on Wednesday and if students would like to choose a book at school, they will need to make sure all their library books have been returned by Tuesday. After this week, the class will have one more opportunity to check out of the school library before spring break. Students can also check out their book from the local library or purchase a book to use for the project. Just remember that the book must be at or slightly above their Lexile Range.
If you have any questions,please let me know.Have a happy St. Patrick's Day and a wonderful week!
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 3/10/14
I hope everyone did something fun or relaxing this weekend!
This will be our final week of TCAP testing. We will work on the Reading and Writing portions this week. It would be a great time to talk to your child about what their reading and writing goals are and how they will apply these to the reading and writing portion of the TCAP test.
It is also important to make sure that everyone is getting a good night's rest with electronics being turned off at least 30 minutes before bed time. Remember the healthy, low sugar, low sodium breakfasts with lots of protein and whole grains to give the students sustainable energy.
This Friday, the fourth grade will participate in a "Rendez-vous". As we have learned from the visits with Mr. Jeff Waters and with the lessons in our Social Studies text, a rendez-vous was a meeting point or place where fur trappers and other traders would meet to trade their goods with other traders and settlers in the region. Students will need to return the purple permission slip by Friday, 9:00 am in order to participate in the rendez-vous. I have attached a copy of the permission slip below.
Below, you will also find the permission slip for the Colorado History Museum. We will be visiting the museum on April 14th. Permission slips should be returned ASAP.
Students will be asked to read for 30 minutes each night, complete a reading log, write one summary of the week's reading and complete math computation practice either on xtramath.org or using the computation packet.
Enjoy the week and let's hope for good weather and TCAP success!
This will be our final week of TCAP testing. We will work on the Reading and Writing portions this week. It would be a great time to talk to your child about what their reading and writing goals are and how they will apply these to the reading and writing portion of the TCAP test.
It is also important to make sure that everyone is getting a good night's rest with electronics being turned off at least 30 minutes before bed time. Remember the healthy, low sugar, low sodium breakfasts with lots of protein and whole grains to give the students sustainable energy.
This Friday, the fourth grade will participate in a "Rendez-vous". As we have learned from the visits with Mr. Jeff Waters and with the lessons in our Social Studies text, a rendez-vous was a meeting point or place where fur trappers and other traders would meet to trade their goods with other traders and settlers in the region. Students will need to return the purple permission slip by Friday, 9:00 am in order to participate in the rendez-vous. I have attached a copy of the permission slip below.
Below, you will also find the permission slip for the Colorado History Museum. We will be visiting the museum on April 14th. Permission slips should be returned ASAP.
Students will be asked to read for 30 minutes each night, complete a reading log, write one summary of the week's reading and complete math computation practice either on xtramath.org or using the computation packet.
Enjoy the week and let's hope for good weather and TCAP success!
rendezvous_letter_10-11.doc | |
File Size: | 23 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 3/3/14
I hope everyone is ready for a very busy three day week!
We will begin with TCAP testing Monday afternoon. As a parent (and as a student) there are things that we can all do to assure that our students are prepared to do their best. First, this test is important. It is certainly not our goal to add any additional stress by overstating the importance of the test, but we want to be sure that all students are taking it seriously. Second, a good bed time, as always, will set students up for success. Please turn off all electronic devices (iPads, tables, computers, T.V.'s, iPhones, mp3 players, iPods, etc.) at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime. Electronic devices, as we know, can be extremely stimulating and we need to give student brains at least 30 minutes to wind down. Third, be sure to have a healthy breakfast and if a student brings home lunch, pack them or have them pack a healthy lunch. Sugary cereals, syrup, soda, candy and other foods high in refined sugar and salt content can cause a sugar crash. Proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetable and lots of water are beneficial in creating sustainable energy. Finally, ask them about what they intend to do to assure their success. It would be wonderful for everyone to score advanced, but proficient is a wonderful goal and what we strive for as a whole school. Which strategies will they promise to use in order to be successful?
Student Led Conferences also begin Monday afternoon. We have worked hard to prepare for these conferences. Once again, students will need to be at conferences in order to present their progress to you. I will be available to answer a brief clarifying question or two, but your student is the best source of information as they reflect on their growth this trimester. Student Led Conferences align with the Communication Standards of Common Core which is one of the many reasons why they have become such an important part of your child's education. In depth student reflection supports self awareness, ownership and growth.
Thank you to everyone who has donated TCAP snacks this week. The class will not go hungry or thirsty; that's for sure!
Finally, thank you to all our guest readers last week. Read Across American was certainly a fun and engaging week!
If you have any questions, please let me know. Have a great week!
Homework Club will resume March 18th after TCAP testing and conferences have ended.
We will begin with TCAP testing Monday afternoon. As a parent (and as a student) there are things that we can all do to assure that our students are prepared to do their best. First, this test is important. It is certainly not our goal to add any additional stress by overstating the importance of the test, but we want to be sure that all students are taking it seriously. Second, a good bed time, as always, will set students up for success. Please turn off all electronic devices (iPads, tables, computers, T.V.'s, iPhones, mp3 players, iPods, etc.) at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime. Electronic devices, as we know, can be extremely stimulating and we need to give student brains at least 30 minutes to wind down. Third, be sure to have a healthy breakfast and if a student brings home lunch, pack them or have them pack a healthy lunch. Sugary cereals, syrup, soda, candy and other foods high in refined sugar and salt content can cause a sugar crash. Proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetable and lots of water are beneficial in creating sustainable energy. Finally, ask them about what they intend to do to assure their success. It would be wonderful for everyone to score advanced, but proficient is a wonderful goal and what we strive for as a whole school. Which strategies will they promise to use in order to be successful?
Student Led Conferences also begin Monday afternoon. We have worked hard to prepare for these conferences. Once again, students will need to be at conferences in order to present their progress to you. I will be available to answer a brief clarifying question or two, but your student is the best source of information as they reflect on their growth this trimester. Student Led Conferences align with the Communication Standards of Common Core which is one of the many reasons why they have become such an important part of your child's education. In depth student reflection supports self awareness, ownership and growth.
Thank you to everyone who has donated TCAP snacks this week. The class will not go hungry or thirsty; that's for sure!
Finally, thank you to all our guest readers last week. Read Across American was certainly a fun and engaging week!
If you have any questions, please let me know. Have a great week!
Homework Club will resume March 18th after TCAP testing and conferences have ended.
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 2/24/14
This week begins Read Across America! Monday we will begin by celebrating the Grinch and wearing our green. I have uploaded the week's events below. Thank you to all the guest reader volunteers who will be reading with the class on Thursday. Second grade, who has planned the week's events, will have a table set up as you enter the school with books and water available. I will also have some books in the classroom to choose from.
Next week is a big week with Student Led Conferences and TCAP! If you have not already, please sign up for a student led conference time. Also, thank you to everyone who has volunteered to bring in snacks for TCAP week.
Finally, Mr. Blethen will be joining the class on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday while I am out of town to attend to some family business. He has not only been a fourth grade parent from my classroom, but has also been a guest teacher in the district. I am confident that things will go well and as planned this next week. Because of my absence, there will be no homework club on Tuesday, 2/25/14. Homework club will resume on Friday, 2/28/14.
As always, if you have any questions, please let me know!
Our final out of school Field Trip will take place April 17th. Please have the permission slips returned before Spring Break which begins on March 28th. If you already paid for our fourth grade field trips at the beginning of the year, there is no additional charge however the permission slip must be returned.I have uploaded the permission slip below. If you have not yet paid, the cost of this field trip is $8.
Jeff Waters will be joining us one final time on April 14th. More information about this "in school" field trip will follow.
TCAP Snack Sign Up
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-tcap
Read Across America
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-read
Student Led Conferences
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-studentled
Next week is a big week with Student Led Conferences and TCAP! If you have not already, please sign up for a student led conference time. Also, thank you to everyone who has volunteered to bring in snacks for TCAP week.
Finally, Mr. Blethen will be joining the class on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday while I am out of town to attend to some family business. He has not only been a fourth grade parent from my classroom, but has also been a guest teacher in the district. I am confident that things will go well and as planned this next week. Because of my absence, there will be no homework club on Tuesday, 2/25/14. Homework club will resume on Friday, 2/28/14.
As always, if you have any questions, please let me know!
Our final out of school Field Trip will take place April 17th. Please have the permission slips returned before Spring Break which begins on March 28th. If you already paid for our fourth grade field trips at the beginning of the year, there is no additional charge however the permission slip must be returned.I have uploaded the permission slip below. If you have not yet paid, the cost of this field trip is $8.
Jeff Waters will be joining us one final time on April 14th. More information about this "in school" field trip will follow.
TCAP Snack Sign Up
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-tcap
Read Across America
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-read
Student Led Conferences
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-studentled
co_history_museum_permission_form_.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |
co_history_museum_permission_form_.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Read Across America
read_across_america_schedule.pdf | |
File Size: | 69 kb |
File Type: |
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 2/18/14
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.
If you have not already, be sure to visit Sign Up Genius to sign up for TCAP Snack Sign Up, to read to the class if you are available for Read Across America and for Student Led Conferences.
Read Across America will be next week, beginning February 24th. We are still looking for volunteers to help decorate our door for the First Annual Read Across America Door Decorating Contest. The class is in need of some parent volunteers who will be willing to help with the decoration of our classroom door this Friday, February 21st or Monday, February 24th.
TCAP and Conferences will begin the week of March 3rd. Please be sure to sign up for a snack donation and have all snacks to the classroom by February 28th.
Student Led Conferences will begin the week of March 3rd. Please be sure to sign up for a slot using Sign Up Genius. Remember that there will be several conferences occurring simulatneously. I will be available to answer some questions, but students will be leading you through the conference. I encourage you to ask your child what will be covered in the conference after this Thursday (that is when we will begin to prepare for the conferences) and if you have specific questions, be sure to ask them of your child so that they can prepare the answers in time for conferences.
Finally, on a sadder note, due to a death in my husband's family, the students will have a guest teacher on Thursday. I do apologize for the repeated absences this month, but unfortunately none have been avoidable. February has been a busy month for professional development and responsibilities that take me outside the classroom.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Enjoy your week!
TCAP Snack Sign Up
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-tcap
Read Across America
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-read
Student Led Conferences
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-studentled
If you have not already, be sure to visit Sign Up Genius to sign up for TCAP Snack Sign Up, to read to the class if you are available for Read Across America and for Student Led Conferences.
Read Across America will be next week, beginning February 24th. We are still looking for volunteers to help decorate our door for the First Annual Read Across America Door Decorating Contest. The class is in need of some parent volunteers who will be willing to help with the decoration of our classroom door this Friday, February 21st or Monday, February 24th.
TCAP and Conferences will begin the week of March 3rd. Please be sure to sign up for a snack donation and have all snacks to the classroom by February 28th.
Student Led Conferences will begin the week of March 3rd. Please be sure to sign up for a slot using Sign Up Genius. Remember that there will be several conferences occurring simulatneously. I will be available to answer some questions, but students will be leading you through the conference. I encourage you to ask your child what will be covered in the conference after this Thursday (that is when we will begin to prepare for the conferences) and if you have specific questions, be sure to ask them of your child so that they can prepare the answers in time for conferences.
Finally, on a sadder note, due to a death in my husband's family, the students will have a guest teacher on Thursday. I do apologize for the repeated absences this month, but unfortunately none have been avoidable. February has been a busy month for professional development and responsibilities that take me outside the classroom.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Enjoy your week!
TCAP Snack Sign Up
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-tcap
Read Across America
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-read
Student Led Conferences
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-studentled
Student-Led Conferences
It is almost that time of year again! Student-Led Conferences will the afternoon of March 3rd and will run until March 5th. Students will need to be in attendance since the conferences are once again, student-led. Please use the link below to sign up!
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-studentled
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-studentled
Harlem Globetrotters
Check out the information below about a fun night out!
cherry_creek_schools_denverco.pdf | |
File Size: | 483 kb |
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pepsi_center_seating_map.pdf | |
File Size: | 1158 kb |
File Type: |
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 2/10/14
I hope everyone had an excellent weekend. Below, I have included the links to all the established Sign Up Genius accounts. There is one for the Valentine Party this Friday (please not the time is a little different from that of previous parties, one to sign up for Read Across America and one for TCAP Snacks.
Thanks to everyone who was able to join us for TCAP Night last Thursday. As promised, I will have the TCAP resources available to you by the end of this week. Please visit the resource section of the class website. If you are interested in starting to review with your child at home, have them bring their blue, TCAP prep book home and ask them to explain all the wonderful things we have been doing to prepare for TCAP. As you know, TCAP assesses the content we teach in class, so in theory, we have been doing TCAP all year long!
Finally, please join us at Casa Vallarta on Wednesday and support ACE!
Any questions or conccerns, please do not hesitate to ask! Have a great week!
Read Across America
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-read
TCAP Snacks
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-tcap
Valentine Party
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-valentines
(we still need veggies and fruit!)
Thanks to everyone who was able to join us for TCAP Night last Thursday. As promised, I will have the TCAP resources available to you by the end of this week. Please visit the resource section of the class website. If you are interested in starting to review with your child at home, have them bring their blue, TCAP prep book home and ask them to explain all the wonderful things we have been doing to prepare for TCAP. As you know, TCAP assesses the content we teach in class, so in theory, we have been doing TCAP all year long!
Finally, please join us at Casa Vallarta on Wednesday and support ACE!
Any questions or conccerns, please do not hesitate to ask! Have a great week!
Read Across America
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-read
TCAP Snacks
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-tcap
Valentine Party
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-valentines
(we still need veggies and fruit!)
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 2/3/14
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
Pastries for Parents will take place this Friday at 8:30am. I will not be there as I will be at the District Spelling Bee, supporting ACE!
I will also not be at school on Monday. If you have any messages or information to get to your student during the school day, I would encourage you to contact the front office to the message will be delivered.
TCAP Night is this Thursday at 6:30 pm. I encourage everyone to be a part of this informational night. We will meet in the gym for 45 minutes to discuss the differences between the 3rd and 4th grade assessments (and there are some big changes).
The ACE fundraiser is complete. Please be sure to turn in any necessary fundraiser materials that may need to be delivered to school as soon as possible.
Enjoy your week and if you need anything, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Pastries for Parents will take place this Friday at 8:30am. I will not be there as I will be at the District Spelling Bee, supporting ACE!
I will also not be at school on Monday. If you have any messages or information to get to your student during the school day, I would encourage you to contact the front office to the message will be delivered.
TCAP Night is this Thursday at 6:30 pm. I encourage everyone to be a part of this informational night. We will meet in the gym for 45 minutes to discuss the differences between the 3rd and 4th grade assessments (and there are some big changes).
The ACE fundraiser is complete. Please be sure to turn in any necessary fundraiser materials that may need to be delivered to school as soon as possible.
Enjoy your week and if you need anything, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Pastries for Parents is Postponed
Homework Club is back on tomorrow!
Pastries for Parents will be postponed until February 7th. Because of this, Homework Club is back on! If you have already made other plans for tomorrow in the morning, it is completely understood!
Whenever there is a delayed start, all morning activities are cancelled and of course, in the event of a snow day, all school events are canceled fro the day.
Whenever there is a delayed start, all morning activities are cancelled and of course, in the event of a snow day, all school events are canceled fro the day.
JRFH T-Shirt Design Contest
If students are interested in drawing a design for JRFH t-shirt for next year have them submit their drawing on a 8x10 paper to Carol Hasstedt by Thursday Jan. 30th this week! Include on the t-shirt the year and something to do with jump roping and/or a heart! They can work on this during indoor recess or at home.
Updates from the Desk for the week of January 27th
I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend!
February 6th will be the 4th and 5th grade TCAP Informational Night. We hope to see you there at 6:30 while we discuss differences between the 3rd and 4th grade tests, expectations for this year's test and share some sample questions in all three content areas. If you are unable to attend, I will be posting the Power Point presentation on the class website and will be sending some information home. While these can help with your understanding, it is always better to be there in person.
The PTCO has developed a challenge between grade levels. The classroom in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade to have the greatest amount of fundraiser sales, will celebrate with a pizza party sponsored by PTCO. Please see the PTCO note below for further information.
We will be hosting Mr. Jeff Waters on Tuesday, January 28th. He will entertain the students with the second part of his three part series about the history of Colorado.We will welcome Mr. Waters in the afternoon.
Pastries for Parents will be this Friday, January 31st. Please stop by and enjoy a donut in the classroom on Friday morning. Homework Club will be canceled so that everyone can enjoy this treat with their family members.
Homework Club will also be canceled on February 7th. I will be fortunate enough to be chaperoning the Aspen Crossing Representatives at the District Spelling Bee that day.
We are excited to host FedEx through Junior Achievement on February 21st. If you are not familiar with Junior Achievement, it is a community outreach program that brings successful members of our community in to teach the classes about Personal Financial Literacy and other topics in Social Studies and Civics. They will be working with students from 9:30 until approximately 10:30 am. If you would like to know more about Junior Achievement, please visit their website at www.juniorachievement.org. In order to thank the Junior Achievement volunteers for their time and effort, the staff at Aspen Crossing will be hosting a breakfast on the morning of February 21st. Because of this, homework club will be canceled on February 21st as well.
I apologize for all the Homework Club cancellations. This is the first year that Homework Club has been held on two different days a week and with those additional days come additional calendar conflicts.
Class Dojo is updated. I did not enter the homework menu points in the comments section this week because the only points that were entered today were homework menu points from last week. In order to determine the total number of points earned last week, simply count up the points logged today.If you still have not accessed Class Dojo, please feel free to email me and I will be happy to give you the parent access code so you can begin to track your child's work habit and homework achievement.
Have a great weekend and GO BRONCOS!
February 6th will be the 4th and 5th grade TCAP Informational Night. We hope to see you there at 6:30 while we discuss differences between the 3rd and 4th grade tests, expectations for this year's test and share some sample questions in all three content areas. If you are unable to attend, I will be posting the Power Point presentation on the class website and will be sending some information home. While these can help with your understanding, it is always better to be there in person.
The PTCO has developed a challenge between grade levels. The classroom in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade to have the greatest amount of fundraiser sales, will celebrate with a pizza party sponsored by PTCO. Please see the PTCO note below for further information.
We will be hosting Mr. Jeff Waters on Tuesday, January 28th. He will entertain the students with the second part of his three part series about the history of Colorado.We will welcome Mr. Waters in the afternoon.
Pastries for Parents will be this Friday, January 31st. Please stop by and enjoy a donut in the classroom on Friday morning. Homework Club will be canceled so that everyone can enjoy this treat with their family members.
Homework Club will also be canceled on February 7th. I will be fortunate enough to be chaperoning the Aspen Crossing Representatives at the District Spelling Bee that day.
We are excited to host FedEx through Junior Achievement on February 21st. If you are not familiar with Junior Achievement, it is a community outreach program that brings successful members of our community in to teach the classes about Personal Financial Literacy and other topics in Social Studies and Civics. They will be working with students from 9:30 until approximately 10:30 am. If you would like to know more about Junior Achievement, please visit their website at www.juniorachievement.org. In order to thank the Junior Achievement volunteers for their time and effort, the staff at Aspen Crossing will be hosting a breakfast on the morning of February 21st. Because of this, homework club will be canceled on February 21st as well.
I apologize for all the Homework Club cancellations. This is the first year that Homework Club has been held on two different days a week and with those additional days come additional calendar conflicts.
Class Dojo is updated. I did not enter the homework menu points in the comments section this week because the only points that were entered today were homework menu points from last week. In order to determine the total number of points earned last week, simply count up the points logged today.If you still have not accessed Class Dojo, please feel free to email me and I will be happy to give you the parent access code so you can begin to track your child's work habit and homework achievement.
Have a great weekend and GO BRONCOS!
Fundraiser Note from PTCO
Hey everyone, a couple of things about the Butter Braid + online fundraiser going on right now.
In order to help jump start your classes we have come up with a friendly competition. Grades Kdg, 1st and 2nd will be competing for a pizza party and 3rd, 4th, and 5th will be competing. Once all the orders are in and tallied and we get the online report we will announce which 2 grades are the winners. These fundraisers go until 1/31/14.
Also, the butter braid people are offering raspberry and Bavarian cream, they just failed to add them to their order sheet, people may right them in.
In order to help jump start your classes we have come up with a friendly competition. Grades Kdg, 1st and 2nd will be competing for a pizza party and 3rd, 4th, and 5th will be competing. Once all the orders are in and tallied and we get the online report we will announce which 2 grades are the winners. These fundraisers go until 1/31/14.
Also, the butter braid people are offering raspberry and Bavarian cream, they just failed to add them to their order sheet, people may right them in.
Updates from the Desk for the Week of January 20th/21st
I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to their week. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!
Math - My math group will be assessed on Unit 4 content Wednesday. I appreciate your support as students continue to use xtramath.org to support their computation work. Although the computation packets are an option, xtramath.org is an excellent tool for tracking student progress.
Writing - We will begin work with narrative and expository long essays for the next month. We will be creating 5 paragraph essays and begin to develop how paragraphs are developed based on supporting details that connect to a common main idea (hence the justification for this work in reading). Journaling is always an excellent way to support writing. When students journal, ask them to write something they would be willing to share with you. Show them how details they have written about can be grouped together under a main idea.
Social Studies - We will continue our work with the geography of Colorado. In lesson two, we will begin working on our oral presentation skills through group presentations based on Lesson 2, Chapter 1 content. We will also be visited from Mr. Jeff Waters this week.
Science - Our next Foss kit will arrive in April. This kit will focus on the solar system.
- Class Dojo homework menu points will be updated Tuesday afternoon.
- This week we will be exploring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- We are continuing our TCAP review work for the next few weeks. TCAP testing will take place the second week of March.
- We will be holding an informational night in February to inform parents about the 4th grade TCAP assessment. There are some significant differences to the test compared to third grade. More information regarding this will follow.
- The fourth grade will be participating in a district literacy training tomorrow. It will take place in the afternoon and the students will have a guest teacher from 12:15 - 3:30pm.
Math - My math group will be assessed on Unit 4 content Wednesday. I appreciate your support as students continue to use xtramath.org to support their computation work. Although the computation packets are an option, xtramath.org is an excellent tool for tracking student progress.
Writing - We will begin work with narrative and expository long essays for the next month. We will be creating 5 paragraph essays and begin to develop how paragraphs are developed based on supporting details that connect to a common main idea (hence the justification for this work in reading). Journaling is always an excellent way to support writing. When students journal, ask them to write something they would be willing to share with you. Show them how details they have written about can be grouped together under a main idea.
Social Studies - We will continue our work with the geography of Colorado. In lesson two, we will begin working on our oral presentation skills through group presentations based on Lesson 2, Chapter 1 content. We will also be visited from Mr. Jeff Waters this week.
Science - Our next Foss kit will arrive in April. This kit will focus on the solar system.
Updates from the desk for the Week of January 13th
I hope everyone is staying warm this week! Below are the highlights for this week!
Reading - Our focus these past few weeks has been reading a story and finding details that support and author or character's viewpoint. We have used the one-sided multi-flow map to connect the story details we have read to the viewpoint we infer the character or author has about a particular topic. We will continue to practice writing summary statements that clearly identify what the map is communicating
Writing - We are wrapping up our short expository essay unit this week and moving into long essays next week. The focus in our writing mini lessons has been connecting details to main ideas in the planning stages, revising for run-ons and fragments and editing for spelling using what we already know about patterns in spelling.
Social Studies - Our study of Colorado brings us to the geography of Colorado. What a great time to pull up a map of Colorado on the computer or on a Smart Phone and discuss the map features. Talking about the key or legend, longitude and latitude and the cardinal directions is extremely beneficial.
TCAP Prep - It is TCAP time! We have been spending 20-25 minutes each day collectively reviewing all our literacy strategies and test taking strategies in one format similar to the TCAP format. This week, we will discuss story structure, figurative language and its purpose in writing (to entertain and engage) as well as how to create a well constructed open response and how to approach multiple choice questions.
In observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, there will be no school on Monday.
If you have any questions never hesitate to call or email! Have a great week!
Reading - Our focus these past few weeks has been reading a story and finding details that support and author or character's viewpoint. We have used the one-sided multi-flow map to connect the story details we have read to the viewpoint we infer the character or author has about a particular topic. We will continue to practice writing summary statements that clearly identify what the map is communicating
Writing - We are wrapping up our short expository essay unit this week and moving into long essays next week. The focus in our writing mini lessons has been connecting details to main ideas in the planning stages, revising for run-ons and fragments and editing for spelling using what we already know about patterns in spelling.
Social Studies - Our study of Colorado brings us to the geography of Colorado. What a great time to pull up a map of Colorado on the computer or on a Smart Phone and discuss the map features. Talking about the key or legend, longitude and latitude and the cardinal directions is extremely beneficial.
TCAP Prep - It is TCAP time! We have been spending 20-25 minutes each day collectively reviewing all our literacy strategies and test taking strategies in one format similar to the TCAP format. This week, we will discuss story structure, figurative language and its purpose in writing (to entertain and engage) as well as how to create a well constructed open response and how to approach multiple choice questions.
In observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, there will be no school on Monday.
If you have any questions never hesitate to call or email! Have a great week!
Updates From the Desk for the Week of January 6th
I hope everyone had a restful break and a happy New Year!
First, let me clarify a few questions the class had regarding the homework menu that was explained before break. Students were not required to complete a homework menu over break, but were given the option to complete additional credits in order to earn homework passes. If they chose this option they would also need additional time which is why they were given out before break. The homework menu that is due this Friday is the same menu but students need only complete 8 credits worth of work. Their new book bags were also given out before break. There is a change to the Summar/ Reading Log portion of the menu. Students will need to complete a summary for each for (total of 2 summaries) for their weekly reading. As before, the writing of a summary can take the place of one night's book reading but should still be logged on the reading log if this is the case (rather than writing the story title, students can write "Summary")
This Friday, we will be United in Orange at Aspen Crossing! Students may wear their orange gear to support the Denver Broncos as they play the San Diego Chargers this Sunday at Invesco Field. Go Broncos!
Over the break, I spent some time aligning Scoot Pad assignments with areas of need based on MAP scores. Of course all of these assignments do not need to be completed in order for students to earn homework menu credit. However, please monitor your child if they choose to complete Scoot Pad as a menu choice. They should work on ScootPad for at least 20 minutes. Also, encourage them as I have to work on the ELA/reading assignments. Many of the students have been completing math work, however a balance with literacy assignments as well is beneficial.
As always, if you have any questions let me know!
First, let me clarify a few questions the class had regarding the homework menu that was explained before break. Students were not required to complete a homework menu over break, but were given the option to complete additional credits in order to earn homework passes. If they chose this option they would also need additional time which is why they were given out before break. The homework menu that is due this Friday is the same menu but students need only complete 8 credits worth of work. Their new book bags were also given out before break. There is a change to the Summar/ Reading Log portion of the menu. Students will need to complete a summary for each for (total of 2 summaries) for their weekly reading. As before, the writing of a summary can take the place of one night's book reading but should still be logged on the reading log if this is the case (rather than writing the story title, students can write "Summary")
This Friday, we will be United in Orange at Aspen Crossing! Students may wear their orange gear to support the Denver Broncos as they play the San Diego Chargers this Sunday at Invesco Field. Go Broncos!
Over the break, I spent some time aligning Scoot Pad assignments with areas of need based on MAP scores. Of course all of these assignments do not need to be completed in order for students to earn homework menu credit. However, please monitor your child if they choose to complete Scoot Pad as a menu choice. They should work on ScootPad for at least 20 minutes. Also, encourage them as I have to work on the ELA/reading assignments. Many of the students have been completing math work, however a balance with literacy assignments as well is beneficial.
As always, if you have any questions let me know!
Updates from the Desk - Winter Break Addition
I hope everyone is having an excellent winter break with friends and family. This break is well deserved!
Today, I will be working on some updates to the class website, Wordly Wise, Scoot Pad, xtramath.org and Adapted Mind based on the data collection MAP testing provided. I am excited to be able to tailor these online programs so that they meet your child's needs. While Wordly Wise has already been updated to reflect the next lesson (I will check in later into the break to update it further if students complete the lesson), I should have the other online resources updated by the evening of Friday, December 27th.
If you have any questions regarding the MAP scores that came home last week, please feel free to email me and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Below are some of the content the class has to look forward to when we return in the new year!
Reading- Now that we have finished two Literature Circle Studies and two sessions of MAP testing, Mrs. Ojeda and I have had a chance to reevaluate the overall needs of the class. Beginning in January, we will start with reading skills instruction using the Houghton-Mifflin Reading Program. This will give the class a chance to not only learn how to use specific reading skills to increase comprehension and think deeper, but it will allow students to use the skills in context with engaging reading stories. Students will be using the stories and demonstrating their learning with Thinking Maps, Graphic Organizers and comprehension assessments with multiple choice and open response style questions. Our first story will be Grandfather's Journey. Please feel free to explore the Houghton-Mifflin Website at http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/hmr06/4/. Click on Theme 1 Journeys and a Resource (either Bibliography, Internet Links or Extension Activities. Again, the story is Grandfather's Journey. Also, try the Houghton-Mifflin for Kids and Families links on the right side.
Social Studies - We will continue our studies with the land formations of Colorado and the indigenous groups to our area. In the late spring, we will be participating in our first ever standardized Social Studies assessment called the PARCC Assessment. As we learn more about this brand new assessment we will continue to update you with news and suggested activities. To find out some basic information regarding this assessment, please visit http://www.parcconline.org/about-parcc.
Writing - So far this year, we have planned and written short essays. This January, we will begin to extend the length of these essays to a 4-5 paragraph essay. This will not only enhance our writing through stronger word choice and additional details. As before, students are expected to capitalize, use end punctuation and spell the fourth grade "No Excuse Words" correctly. We will enhance this experience through conferencing and peer and personal revision. We will also be introducing the fourth grade standards for long essays using the Write from the Beginning Fourth Grade Rubric.
Science - We have completed two FOSS modules, Electricity and Magnetism and Environments. We will start our third and final module, The Sun, Moon and Planets, in the early spring. While we will still continuously incorporate science in our everyday instruction, there are some wonderful exhibits at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science I encourage you to enjoy with your family. Rather than seeing a movie during this cold season, try exploring the museum for the day.
Math- Mrs. Tidwell's math group will continue with their study of Decimals. For all who are interested, check out the tab above called "Mrs. Tidwell's Math Class for some games related to decimals and their application. Unfortunately, these games do not work on iPhone and iPads because I believe they require Flash Player.
Today, I will be working on some updates to the class website, Wordly Wise, Scoot Pad, xtramath.org and Adapted Mind based on the data collection MAP testing provided. I am excited to be able to tailor these online programs so that they meet your child's needs. While Wordly Wise has already been updated to reflect the next lesson (I will check in later into the break to update it further if students complete the lesson), I should have the other online resources updated by the evening of Friday, December 27th.
If you have any questions regarding the MAP scores that came home last week, please feel free to email me and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Below are some of the content the class has to look forward to when we return in the new year!
Reading- Now that we have finished two Literature Circle Studies and two sessions of MAP testing, Mrs. Ojeda and I have had a chance to reevaluate the overall needs of the class. Beginning in January, we will start with reading skills instruction using the Houghton-Mifflin Reading Program. This will give the class a chance to not only learn how to use specific reading skills to increase comprehension and think deeper, but it will allow students to use the skills in context with engaging reading stories. Students will be using the stories and demonstrating their learning with Thinking Maps, Graphic Organizers and comprehension assessments with multiple choice and open response style questions. Our first story will be Grandfather's Journey. Please feel free to explore the Houghton-Mifflin Website at http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/hmr06/4/. Click on Theme 1 Journeys and a Resource (either Bibliography, Internet Links or Extension Activities. Again, the story is Grandfather's Journey. Also, try the Houghton-Mifflin for Kids and Families links on the right side.
Social Studies - We will continue our studies with the land formations of Colorado and the indigenous groups to our area. In the late spring, we will be participating in our first ever standardized Social Studies assessment called the PARCC Assessment. As we learn more about this brand new assessment we will continue to update you with news and suggested activities. To find out some basic information regarding this assessment, please visit http://www.parcconline.org/about-parcc.
Writing - So far this year, we have planned and written short essays. This January, we will begin to extend the length of these essays to a 4-5 paragraph essay. This will not only enhance our writing through stronger word choice and additional details. As before, students are expected to capitalize, use end punctuation and spell the fourth grade "No Excuse Words" correctly. We will enhance this experience through conferencing and peer and personal revision. We will also be introducing the fourth grade standards for long essays using the Write from the Beginning Fourth Grade Rubric.
Science - We have completed two FOSS modules, Electricity and Magnetism and Environments. We will start our third and final module, The Sun, Moon and Planets, in the early spring. While we will still continuously incorporate science in our everyday instruction, there are some wonderful exhibits at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science I encourage you to enjoy with your family. Rather than seeing a movie during this cold season, try exploring the museum for the day.
Math- Mrs. Tidwell's math group will continue with their study of Decimals. For all who are interested, check out the tab above called "Mrs. Tidwell's Math Class for some games related to decimals and their application. Unfortunately, these games do not work on iPhone and iPads because I believe they require Flash Player.
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 12/16/13
I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend. We are in the homestretch before winter break!
Our school holiday shop will be open until the end of this week! Students have been previewing items today and can bring in money to make purchases all this week.
Winter Grams will also be for sale until Wednesday. All the proceeds from the Winter Gram sales will go towards our adopted families for Spirit of Caring.
Our Winter Party will take place this Friday from 1:00 - 1:50. Everyone is welcome to come and help. We are still in need of a few items on Sign Up Genius. I included the link below:http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-winter
During the party, we will be holding our book exchange. If you have any questions about the book exchange, please let me know. We are asking students to bring in one, wrapped book appropriate for fourth grade boys and girls. It can gently used or brand new.
On Friday, we will be reading books from the author Chris Van Allsburg who is known this time of year for his book The Polar Express. Since we will be completing a compare and contrast activity with the movie, students were given a permission slip on Friday that should be returned no later than this Wednesday. I have uploaded the permission slip to the links and resources page found by clicking on the "More..." tab above.
Thursday, MAP scores will be coming home along with some support resources.
Finally, the tragedy at Arapaho High is weighing heavily on many of our hearts. We have two wonderful mental health staff members that are here to support your families. Please let me know so that I can do my best to help. Also, please know how much I care about you and your family.
Our school holiday shop will be open until the end of this week! Students have been previewing items today and can bring in money to make purchases all this week.
Winter Grams will also be for sale until Wednesday. All the proceeds from the Winter Gram sales will go towards our adopted families for Spirit of Caring.
Our Winter Party will take place this Friday from 1:00 - 1:50. Everyone is welcome to come and help. We are still in need of a few items on Sign Up Genius. I included the link below:http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-winter
During the party, we will be holding our book exchange. If you have any questions about the book exchange, please let me know. We are asking students to bring in one, wrapped book appropriate for fourth grade boys and girls. It can gently used or brand new.
On Friday, we will be reading books from the author Chris Van Allsburg who is known this time of year for his book The Polar Express. Since we will be completing a compare and contrast activity with the movie, students were given a permission slip on Friday that should be returned no later than this Wednesday. I have uploaded the permission slip to the links and resources page found by clicking on the "More..." tab above.
Thursday, MAP scores will be coming home along with some support resources.
Finally, the tragedy at Arapaho High is weighing heavily on many of our hearts. We have two wonderful mental health staff members that are here to support your families. Please let me know so that I can do my best to help. Also, please know how much I care about you and your family.
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 12/9/13
Wow! It has been a busy, busy, cold week! Thanks to everyone who donated for our Spirit of Caring Drive. We were able to collect enough items and monetary donations for our family in need to have a nice holiday. Ms. Larson and myself will be using the cash donations to purchase items to supplement what was not donated. I hope to have some pictures posted next week of the items we were able to collect.
We have completed our first set of MAP test for the winter session, but still have some more testing to complete. As soon as all the testing is completed, I will send the reports home in Thursday folders (probably the 18th).
There have been some changes made to the homework menu. First, students were assigned a book bag. In their book bags are two texts - a nonfiction text and a fiction text at their just right reading level. Students are asked to read these books for their thirty minutes of reading each night. The books are short - only 15-20 pages. They may take the students all week to read, however I anticipate that they will finish them within a night or two. Once they have finished reading their book bag books, they may read a free choice book to complete their 30 minutes of reading.
Second, students are asked to complete one summary of one of the books in their book bag (fiction or nonfiction). They were supplied with a summary template to help them with this. The summary writing can be in place of their thirty minutes of reading or night (or if they want to read as well, fantastic!).
Next, students will need to complete a very brief reading log. The reading log asks for the name of the book, how long they read for, student's initials and an initial from you. This initial can be in place of the initial on their homework log.
Finally, students are asked to complete lesson A-D of Wordly Wise at home. I encourage them to do this online using the Wordly Wise username and password provided in class, however I understand that there can be limitations with technology. The students also have a paper, comb bound Wordly Wise book that they can complete this assignment in. We will always read the words together on Monday, but if students choose the online version, there is a tool that can read the words and text to them.
It may seem like more, but it is really not. The credit amounts for the assignments have been increased and since computation practice, reading and writing and summary and Wordly Wise are all required, only one brief additional task needs to be chosen to reach the credit allotment. As always, the expectation is 40 minutes of homework not including 30 minutes of reading. If written and computer assignments (not reading, written and computer assignments) take more 60 minutes of on task work time, write a note in your child's planner and we can help. Homework menus are always given the Friday before the week the menu is due so students can plan ahead if they know they have a busy week ahead of them!
Aspen Crossing will be hosting its first ever holiday gift store. Students will preview the items in the store (similiar to the way the book fair is previewed) and then will have a chance to purchase items on a later date. The store will be open 12/16 - 12/20.
Finally, if at any time, you know that your child will either be leaving school early or will not be in school at all, please let me know either by calling, writing a note in your child's planner or by emailing me. Students always have their technology resources to work with while they are home as well as their homework menu, but I am more than happy to put some work together so that they will not be too far behind when they return.
I hope everyone has a safe and warm weekend!
We have completed our first set of MAP test for the winter session, but still have some more testing to complete. As soon as all the testing is completed, I will send the reports home in Thursday folders (probably the 18th).
There have been some changes made to the homework menu. First, students were assigned a book bag. In their book bags are two texts - a nonfiction text and a fiction text at their just right reading level. Students are asked to read these books for their thirty minutes of reading each night. The books are short - only 15-20 pages. They may take the students all week to read, however I anticipate that they will finish them within a night or two. Once they have finished reading their book bag books, they may read a free choice book to complete their 30 minutes of reading.
Second, students are asked to complete one summary of one of the books in their book bag (fiction or nonfiction). They were supplied with a summary template to help them with this. The summary writing can be in place of their thirty minutes of reading or night (or if they want to read as well, fantastic!).
Next, students will need to complete a very brief reading log. The reading log asks for the name of the book, how long they read for, student's initials and an initial from you. This initial can be in place of the initial on their homework log.
Finally, students are asked to complete lesson A-D of Wordly Wise at home. I encourage them to do this online using the Wordly Wise username and password provided in class, however I understand that there can be limitations with technology. The students also have a paper, comb bound Wordly Wise book that they can complete this assignment in. We will always read the words together on Monday, but if students choose the online version, there is a tool that can read the words and text to them.
It may seem like more, but it is really not. The credit amounts for the assignments have been increased and since computation practice, reading and writing and summary and Wordly Wise are all required, only one brief additional task needs to be chosen to reach the credit allotment. As always, the expectation is 40 minutes of homework not including 30 minutes of reading. If written and computer assignments (not reading, written and computer assignments) take more 60 minutes of on task work time, write a note in your child's planner and we can help. Homework menus are always given the Friday before the week the menu is due so students can plan ahead if they know they have a busy week ahead of them!
Aspen Crossing will be hosting its first ever holiday gift store. Students will preview the items in the store (similiar to the way the book fair is previewed) and then will have a chance to purchase items on a later date. The store will be open 12/16 - 12/20.
Finally, if at any time, you know that your child will either be leaving school early or will not be in school at all, please let me know either by calling, writing a note in your child's planner or by emailing me. Students always have their technology resources to work with while they are home as well as their homework menu, but I am more than happy to put some work together so that they will not be too far behind when they return.
I hope everyone has a safe and warm weekend!
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 12/2/13
I hope everyone enjoyed their break! Only 18 days until Winter Break (where does the time go!). We will be hosting our Winter Holiday Party on 12/20 AT 1:00pm. Please see the SignUp Genius Website to sign up to donate items or to join us. We will be completing a fun arts and crafts project and will be participating in a book share!
Thank you to all who have already donated to the Spirit of Caring. As promised (although a little late, sorry) here are the specifics for the child that Ms. Larson and our class has adopted:
Age: 6
Shirt and pants: Size 8
Shoes: 1 1/2
We will be MAP testing tomorrow and Wednesday. Since the purchase of our new Chromebooks, we have increased flexibility with our testing schedule. (we thought that we would not be able to test until January due to the accessibility of technology). Tomorrow we will be reviewing our goals from conferences and making sure we are applying all that we have learned!
We will beginning our learning logs soon. Please have your child bring in a new one subject, spiral notebook so that they can begin to log their learning and keep a record of their Progress Monitoring Forms.
Finally, we will be holding a book exchange during our Winter Party. A letter outlining the book exchange will be coming home this Thursday. Students are asked to bring in a new or very gently used book that would appeal to a boy or girl to school by December 18th. The book should be wrapped. As always, if you would like to donate more than one book, we welcome the donations. In the letter I have suggested some of the places where inexpensive books can be found.
Thank you to all who have already donated to the Spirit of Caring. As promised (although a little late, sorry) here are the specifics for the child that Ms. Larson and our class has adopted:
Age: 6
Shirt and pants: Size 8
Shoes: 1 1/2
We will be MAP testing tomorrow and Wednesday. Since the purchase of our new Chromebooks, we have increased flexibility with our testing schedule. (we thought that we would not be able to test until January due to the accessibility of technology). Tomorrow we will be reviewing our goals from conferences and making sure we are applying all that we have learned!
We will beginning our learning logs soon. Please have your child bring in a new one subject, spiral notebook so that they can begin to log their learning and keep a record of their Progress Monitoring Forms.
Finally, we will be holding a book exchange during our Winter Party. A letter outlining the book exchange will be coming home this Thursday. Students are asked to bring in a new or very gently used book that would appeal to a boy or girl to school by December 18th. The book should be wrapped. As always, if you would like to donate more than one book, we welcome the donations. In the letter I have suggested some of the places where inexpensive books can be found.
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 11/25/13
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. This is such an incredible time of year and I hope you have the chance to spend time with those you love and to remember to be thankful for all we are fortunate to have.
If your child will not be coming to school this week or will be leaving early, please email me.
There a few new resources under the more - links and resources tab. One is a link to an online application called Adapted Mind. This online resource is similar to Scoot Pad. By Tuesday, everyone will have their username and password. This will allow them to log in and begin taking a pretest that will place them on a track of activities that will reinforce content that may be challenging.
A few other links that I have provided link to various typing games. Since standardizing testing is moving in the direction of computer based assessments. This means that students will need to fine tune their word processing skills. By using the links provided in the more - links and resources tabs, students can practice finger placement and become stronger typers.
The homework menu that was handed out last week is not due until December 6th, giving the class plenty of time to read the menu directions, choose the correct amount of activities and complete these tasks correctly and with 100% effort.
If your child will not be coming to school this week or will be leaving early, please email me.
There a few new resources under the more - links and resources tab. One is a link to an online application called Adapted Mind. This online resource is similar to Scoot Pad. By Tuesday, everyone will have their username and password. This will allow them to log in and begin taking a pretest that will place them on a track of activities that will reinforce content that may be challenging.
A few other links that I have provided link to various typing games. Since standardizing testing is moving in the direction of computer based assessments. This means that students will need to fine tune their word processing skills. By using the links provided in the more - links and resources tabs, students can practice finger placement and become stronger typers.
The homework menu that was handed out last week is not due until December 6th, giving the class plenty of time to read the menu directions, choose the correct amount of activities and complete these tasks correctly and with 100% effort.
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 11/18/13
Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to conferences this week. This was the best attendance I have had for conferences to date, so I appreciate your continued support. The class should be incredibly proud of how well they presented for their goals during student led conferences.
This week is Red Ribbon Week - a week when we celebrate positive, health choices and saying no to drugs! I have listed the weeks events below:
Monday - "Follow Your Dreams - Don't Do Drugs!" - We will talk about reaching your dreams and how staying drug free can help!
Tuesday - "Team Up Against Drugs" - Students can wear their favorite team shirts and jerseys. We will be playing games and discussing teamwork. Fourth grade will also hold a door decorating contest with the theme being "Teaming Up Against Drugs". If you would like to donate items related to sports teams and/or teamwork in general that will become a part of our door, please have your child bring them with them to school on Tuesday. Remember, they may not be returned in the same condition they come to school in, so expensive, precious items should stay home.
Wednesday - "Wear Red Day" - Wear red and bring red colored, healthy snacks!
Thursday - " Put a Cap on Drugs" - Students can wear hats to school to show their commitment to staying drug free.
Friday - " I Pledge to Be Drug Free" - We will wear our pledge stickers, sign them and place their pledge stickers on a banner found in the Respectaurant.
We will be packing up our care package to the soldier's in Afghanistan this week. I will post some pictures as soon as that is all taken care of!
Finally, thank you for all the paper tubes for our Thanksgiving activity next week. I think we have enough for each student!
This week is Red Ribbon Week - a week when we celebrate positive, health choices and saying no to drugs! I have listed the weeks events below:
Monday - "Follow Your Dreams - Don't Do Drugs!" - We will talk about reaching your dreams and how staying drug free can help!
Tuesday - "Team Up Against Drugs" - Students can wear their favorite team shirts and jerseys. We will be playing games and discussing teamwork. Fourth grade will also hold a door decorating contest with the theme being "Teaming Up Against Drugs". If you would like to donate items related to sports teams and/or teamwork in general that will become a part of our door, please have your child bring them with them to school on Tuesday. Remember, they may not be returned in the same condition they come to school in, so expensive, precious items should stay home.
Wednesday - "Wear Red Day" - Wear red and bring red colored, healthy snacks!
Thursday - " Put a Cap on Drugs" - Students can wear hats to school to show their commitment to staying drug free.
Friday - " I Pledge to Be Drug Free" - We will wear our pledge stickers, sign them and place their pledge stickers on a banner found in the Respectaurant.
We will be packing up our care package to the soldier's in Afghanistan this week. I will post some pictures as soon as that is all taken care of!
Finally, thank you for all the paper tubes for our Thanksgiving activity next week. I think we have enough for each student!
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 11/11/13
Our Veterans Day Celebration was a smash! It was wonderful to be able to celebrate all the active military and veterans in such an incredible way! A huge thank you to Ms. Larson for allowing us to dress her as Lady Liberty (pictures are soon to follow!)
Student led conferences will be held this entire week. The students have been working hard preparing their Bodies of Evidence to share with you. They are meeting with me one on one for some guidance as we complete this first set of conferences. Please make sure they accompany you to the conference. I will be in the classroom the entire time to answer any questions and offer encouragement. They are working hard; you should be proud!
Student Council will be selling Veterans Day Grams this week. All proceeds will be donated to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Colorado Chapter and the VA Hospital in Denver. The price is 25 cents for one or 5 for a dollar.
Thank you to everyone who has donated items for the carer package we are sending to Afghanistan. We had an excellent conversation in class about the sacrifices our troops are making each and everyday to make this world a safer place. The care package will be greatly appreciated!
There will be no school this Friday due to conferences. Homework club is also canceled this week.
Have a great week and I look forward to seeing everyone this week at conferences!
Student led conferences will be held this entire week. The students have been working hard preparing their Bodies of Evidence to share with you. They are meeting with me one on one for some guidance as we complete this first set of conferences. Please make sure they accompany you to the conference. I will be in the classroom the entire time to answer any questions and offer encouragement. They are working hard; you should be proud!
Student Council will be selling Veterans Day Grams this week. All proceeds will be donated to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Colorado Chapter and the VA Hospital in Denver. The price is 25 cents for one or 5 for a dollar.
Thank you to everyone who has donated items for the carer package we are sending to Afghanistan. We had an excellent conversation in class about the sacrifices our troops are making each and everyday to make this world a safer place. The care package will be greatly appreciated!
There will be no school this Friday due to conferences. Homework club is also canceled this week.
Have a great week and I look forward to seeing everyone this week at conferences!
Homelessness Awareness Month
November is Homelessness Awareness Month
If you lost your housing and now live in a shelter, motel, vehicle, camping ground, or temporary trailer; on the street; doubled-up with family or friends; or in another type of temporary or inadequate housing, your child might be able to receive help through a federal law called the McKinney-Vento Act.
Under the McKinney-Vento Act, children in homeless situations have the right to:
Go to school, no matter where they live or how long they have lived there.
Attend either the local school or the school of origin, if this is in their best interest; the school of origin is the school the child attended when he/she was permanently housed or the school in which the child was last enrolled.
Receive transportation assistance to and from the school of origin, if needed.
Enroll in school immediately, even if missing records and documents normally required for enrollment, such as a birth certificate, proof of residence, previous school records, or immunization/medical records.
Enroll, attend classes, and participate fully in all school activities while the school gathers records.
Have access to the same programs and services that are available to all other students, including transportation and supplemental educational services.
Attend school with children not experiencing homelessness; a school cannot segregate a student because he or she is homeless.
What can I do to help my child in school?
Make sure your child goes to school every day and arrives on time, rested and fed.
Provide a quiet place for your child to do homework and set aside time every day to help your child with homework.
Pay attention to your child’s health needs and take care of problems early.
Ask your child what he or she is learning in school; have him or her explain it to you. If you show interest in your child’s education, he or she will know that it’s important.
Read to your child every day; for older children, set aside time each day for you and your child to read together silently. Talk about what you read.
Praise your child for what he or she does well, like getting a good grade or playing on a school sports team.
Listen to what your child shares with you and talk about any problems he or she is having. You can also talk about these problems with a teacher or school counselor.
Encourage your child to participate in things like sports and music.
Whom can I contact to help with my child’s education?
Every school district has a local homeless education liaison. This person can help you decide which school would be best for your child and communicate with the school. The local liaison also can help your child get school supplies, supplemental services, and free school meals; set up transportation to and from the school of origin; and help you find community supports.
When you enroll your child in a new school, you should ask to meet his/her teacher(s). You should also talk to your child’s teacher(s) every so often to talk about how he or she is doing. Know at least one teacher at your child’s school well enough to ask questions about your child’s schoolwork and to give him or her information that will help your child learn.
The school counselor can help your child deal with changes and challenges. Share with this person any information about how your child is acting at home or things he or she is dealing with that might affect his/her schoolwork.
Other good people to know are the school principal, attendance officer, bus driver, school social worker, and school nurse.
All school and school district staff can help make sure your child gets all the services he or she needs to do well in school. You are an important partner in your child’s schooling and should work as a team with the school and school district.
Contact the CCSD District Homeless Education Liaison - Vicky Lisi at 720-554-4555 or [email protected]
If you lost your housing and now live in a shelter, motel, vehicle, camping ground, or temporary trailer; on the street; doubled-up with family or friends; or in another type of temporary or inadequate housing, your child might be able to receive help through a federal law called the McKinney-Vento Act.
Under the McKinney-Vento Act, children in homeless situations have the right to:
Go to school, no matter where they live or how long they have lived there.
Attend either the local school or the school of origin, if this is in their best interest; the school of origin is the school the child attended when he/she was permanently housed or the school in which the child was last enrolled.
Receive transportation assistance to and from the school of origin, if needed.
Enroll in school immediately, even if missing records and documents normally required for enrollment, such as a birth certificate, proof of residence, previous school records, or immunization/medical records.
Enroll, attend classes, and participate fully in all school activities while the school gathers records.
Have access to the same programs and services that are available to all other students, including transportation and supplemental educational services.
Attend school with children not experiencing homelessness; a school cannot segregate a student because he or she is homeless.
What can I do to help my child in school?
Make sure your child goes to school every day and arrives on time, rested and fed.
Provide a quiet place for your child to do homework and set aside time every day to help your child with homework.
Pay attention to your child’s health needs and take care of problems early.
Ask your child what he or she is learning in school; have him or her explain it to you. If you show interest in your child’s education, he or she will know that it’s important.
Read to your child every day; for older children, set aside time each day for you and your child to read together silently. Talk about what you read.
Praise your child for what he or she does well, like getting a good grade or playing on a school sports team.
Listen to what your child shares with you and talk about any problems he or she is having. You can also talk about these problems with a teacher or school counselor.
Encourage your child to participate in things like sports and music.
Whom can I contact to help with my child’s education?
Every school district has a local homeless education liaison. This person can help you decide which school would be best for your child and communicate with the school. The local liaison also can help your child get school supplies, supplemental services, and free school meals; set up transportation to and from the school of origin; and help you find community supports.
When you enroll your child in a new school, you should ask to meet his/her teacher(s). You should also talk to your child’s teacher(s) every so often to talk about how he or she is doing. Know at least one teacher at your child’s school well enough to ask questions about your child’s schoolwork and to give him or her information that will help your child learn.
The school counselor can help your child deal with changes and challenges. Share with this person any information about how your child is acting at home or things he or she is dealing with that might affect his/her schoolwork.
Other good people to know are the school principal, attendance officer, bus driver, school social worker, and school nurse.
All school and school district staff can help make sure your child gets all the services he or she needs to do well in school. You are an important partner in your child’s schooling and should work as a team with the school and school district.
Contact the CCSD District Homeless Education Liaison - Vicky Lisi at 720-554-4555 or [email protected]
Welcome Back!
I hope everyone had an enjoyable and restful break! Now it is time to begin the second trimester of fourth grade!
We had a wonderful time on our field trip to the State Capital and the Governor's Residence today. The class represented Aspen Crossing extraordinarily - you should all be extremely proud! I will post some links on the resources page to extend and support what we were fortunate enough to experience today.
There will not be a homework menu this week. Students will still need to have their planners signed, complete 30 minutes of reading and complete their computation practice. Starting Tuesday, students will have some reading and some literature circle preparation to complete at home but this will only be for this week. Please check your child's planner each night for specific nightly homework. Homework menus will resume next week.
This Friday, Aspen Crossing Elementary will be celebrating the veterans' that have sacrificed so much for our country. In addition to writing essays, filling out our thank you cards and learning about the importance of the military, we will be celebrating with our annual Aspen Crossing School wide Parade this Friday. If you know someone, or you yourself are a veteran or active military, we invite you to come visit our hospitality room this Friday. We invite all parents, friends and family to the ACE Parade on Friday.
Please be sure to sign up for a conference for next week using the Sign Up Genius link listed below. Please remember that conferences in fourth grade are student led however I will be available to support the students and briefly answer any questions you may have.
Job Applications are due this Friday.
Finally, I have had a few parents already turn in toilet paper and/or paper towel rolls. We will be using these for a fun Thanksgiving Day project the Monday and Tuesday before break. If you could please have your child bring in two paper towel/ toilet paper cardboard tubes, that will be all they need to create a fun addition to your Thanksgiving table.
We had a wonderful time on our field trip to the State Capital and the Governor's Residence today. The class represented Aspen Crossing extraordinarily - you should all be extremely proud! I will post some links on the resources page to extend and support what we were fortunate enough to experience today.
There will not be a homework menu this week. Students will still need to have their planners signed, complete 30 minutes of reading and complete their computation practice. Starting Tuesday, students will have some reading and some literature circle preparation to complete at home but this will only be for this week. Please check your child's planner each night for specific nightly homework. Homework menus will resume next week.
This Friday, Aspen Crossing Elementary will be celebrating the veterans' that have sacrificed so much for our country. In addition to writing essays, filling out our thank you cards and learning about the importance of the military, we will be celebrating with our annual Aspen Crossing School wide Parade this Friday. If you know someone, or you yourself are a veteran or active military, we invite you to come visit our hospitality room this Friday. We invite all parents, friends and family to the ACE Parade on Friday.
Please be sure to sign up for a conference for next week using the Sign Up Genius link listed below. Please remember that conferences in fourth grade are student led however I will be available to support the students and briefly answer any questions you may have.
Job Applications are due this Friday.
Finally, I have had a few parents already turn in toilet paper and/or paper towel rolls. We will be using these for a fun Thanksgiving Day project the Monday and Tuesday before break. If you could please have your child bring in two paper towel/ toilet paper cardboard tubes, that will be all they need to create a fun addition to your Thanksgiving table.
First Trimester Conferences
The sign up for first trimester student lead conferences is live! Conferences will be student led this year and we will be signing up for times using Sign Up Genius. If for some reason, the invite email has not made it to your inbox, you can follow the link below to sign up.
Since conferences are student lead, there will be four slots available for each time. Although students will be presenting their conference to you, I will be available to answer some quick clarifying questions and will be moving from conference to conference to offer encouragement.
If you have any questions let me know!
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-first
Since conferences are student lead, there will be four slots available for each time. Although students will be presenting their conference to you, I will be available to answer some quick clarifying questions and will be moving from conference to conference to offer encouragement.
If you have any questions let me know!
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-first
Updates From the Desk for the Week of October 14th
All Homework Menu Dojo Points will be awarded by this afternoon. The points will show up on their Monday report.
Our Fall Harvest Party is this Friday so if you signed up for an item to donate, please send it in with your student on Friday morning even if you will be joining us for the party. If you would still like to sign up for a Fall Harvest Party donation, the Sign Up Genius account will be open until Thursday afternoon. Please use the link listed below to sign up for a party item.
Our two chaperones for the November 4th field trip have been chosen and I will be notifying all parents that volunteered today via email. Thank you for you to everyone who volunteered!
Sign Up Genus will also be the platform we use to sign up for First Trimester conferences, so the Fall Harvest Party was an excellent way for us to practice using this online platform. A letter will be coming home in Thursday folders explaining how to use Sign Up Genius for those who are new to it!
First Trimester conferences are student led in fourth grade. This means that students will be guiding you through their work to show not only all they accomplished this trimester, but also to show you why they have earned the proficiencies they have and what their plans are for success in the next trimester. They will be sharing MAP data and Lexile ranges at this time as well. I will also be available to answer questions.
There will be an optional Homework Menu to bring home over fall break. This menu is optional but I do encourage students to continue working on xtramath.org and to continue reading over break. There will be a handsome reward for students that work on their menu over break so it is worth the time!
Enjoy your Fall Break and please make sure to take every opportunity to enjoy each others company and relax!
Our Fall Harvest Party is this Friday so if you signed up for an item to donate, please send it in with your student on Friday morning even if you will be joining us for the party. If you would still like to sign up for a Fall Harvest Party donation, the Sign Up Genius account will be open until Thursday afternoon. Please use the link listed below to sign up for a party item.
Our two chaperones for the November 4th field trip have been chosen and I will be notifying all parents that volunteered today via email. Thank you for you to everyone who volunteered!
Sign Up Genus will also be the platform we use to sign up for First Trimester conferences, so the Fall Harvest Party was an excellent way for us to practice using this online platform. A letter will be coming home in Thursday folders explaining how to use Sign Up Genius for those who are new to it!
First Trimester conferences are student led in fourth grade. This means that students will be guiding you through their work to show not only all they accomplished this trimester, but also to show you why they have earned the proficiencies they have and what their plans are for success in the next trimester. They will be sharing MAP data and Lexile ranges at this time as well. I will also be available to answer questions.
There will be an optional Homework Menu to bring home over fall break. This menu is optional but I do encourage students to continue working on xtramath.org and to continue reading over break. There will be a handsome reward for students that work on their menu over break so it is worth the time!
Enjoy your Fall Break and please make sure to take every opportunity to enjoy each others company and relax!
Thursday Folder
There are loads of papers coming home in Thursday folders. Please be sure to review the information that is coming home. In fourth grade, students will be leading conferences this trimester and next, so we will begin to collect artifacts that represent our progress from this trimester. Because of this, Thursday folders may look thinner than usual over the next few school weeks. As always, if you have any questions about your child's progress, please feel free to email me and I can give you the most recent data that I have collected.
Challenge School
This document was sent to us via district email. It is a blurb from Challenge School.
blurb.doc | |
File Size: | 28 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Homework Club is Canceled Tomorow
Due to a district meeting, homework club will be canceled tomorrow. I apologize for the frequent cancellations. Typically, homework club is not canceled this often.
Updates from the Desk for the Week of October 7th
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Fall is certainly here! We had a wonderful time taping Mr. Schleich to the gym wall on Friday!
Our fall harvest party will be taking place on October 18th at 1:00 pm. There are still a few items that we are in need of, so please visit the sign up genius to see how you can help! The first party of the school year is pretty low key. We just take the time to enjoy each other's company.
November 4th will be our first field trip to the Colorado State Capital and Governor's Residence. Permission slips must be turned in by Wednesday. We will then draw names to determine chaperones for this field trip. We are limited to two and the state capital and Governor's Residence strictly enforce this guideline.
The homework menus are continuing to look great! Remember, parent initials are required for students to earn the points for reading each night and for completing fact practice. Also, students should be working on the menu each night so that their completed assignments are done well and total the weekly point requirement.
Have a great week!
Our fall harvest party will be taking place on October 18th at 1:00 pm. There are still a few items that we are in need of, so please visit the sign up genius to see how you can help! The first party of the school year is pretty low key. We just take the time to enjoy each other's company.
November 4th will be our first field trip to the Colorado State Capital and Governor's Residence. Permission slips must be turned in by Wednesday. We will then draw names to determine chaperones for this field trip. We are limited to two and the state capital and Governor's Residence strictly enforce this guideline.
The homework menus are continuing to look great! Remember, parent initials are required for students to earn the points for reading each night and for completing fact practice. Also, students should be working on the menu each night so that their completed assignments are done well and total the weekly point requirement.
Have a great week!
Friday Afternoon 10/4/13
Updates from the Desk for the Week of September 30th
Once again, I apologize for the last minute cancellation of homework club on Friday. I was given the opportunity to attend a workshop that was too good to miss. Homework club will resume on Tuesday at 8:10. Homework menus will be collected and scored on Monday (with Dojo points to follow). In the past weeks, if students attempted the activity on their homework menu, they were given one point for the attempt. We are now well into the routine of homework menus, so points will only be awarded if the activity is completed correctly using the directions found on the menu. Thirty minutes of reading and 10 minutes of computation should occur each night and there is a place on the menu for parents to sign that this has taken place.
It is hard to believe Fall Break is just around the corner! The day we come back from break will be our first field trip (not our first choice in dates, but the capital is in high demand!). Students will need to have their permission slips filled out and returned before fall break. If you chose to not pay ahead for field trips, please include the the $7 field trip amount with your student's permission slip.
The Fall Harvest Party is only a few weeks away. I letter will be coming home in Thursday folders this week, but to learn about all the information you will need to know and sign up for party donations go to :
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-fall
Finally, we will be creating a fun craft right before Thanksgiving that will make a beautiful addition to your already wonderful Thanksgiving table. If you could save 2 toilet paper rolls or 1 paper towel roll for our craft and send it in with your student, we would appreciate it!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Fall surely is here!
It is hard to believe Fall Break is just around the corner! The day we come back from break will be our first field trip (not our first choice in dates, but the capital is in high demand!). Students will need to have their permission slips filled out and returned before fall break. If you chose to not pay ahead for field trips, please include the the $7 field trip amount with your student's permission slip.
The Fall Harvest Party is only a few weeks away. I letter will be coming home in Thursday folders this week, but to learn about all the information you will need to know and sign up for party donations go to :
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-fall
Finally, we will be creating a fun craft right before Thanksgiving that will make a beautiful addition to your already wonderful Thanksgiving table. If you could save 2 toilet paper rolls or 1 paper towel roll for our craft and send it in with your student, we would appreciate it!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Fall surely is here!
Homework Club is canceled for September 27th
Tomorrow I will be attending a district training. Homework is canceled tomorrow. I will see everyone on Tuesday, 10/1 for homework club again!
Story Structure in 4th Grade
Over the past few weeks we have been working incredibly hard using brace maps to outline a narrative story’s structure. I have linked a checklist that will be coming home in Thursday folders attached to our latest story map assessment. As you child completes their 30 minutes of reading each night, I encourage you to use the checklist as a guide and ask them about the setting, characters and plot. We will continue to visit story structure as we continue our reading in class.
The two key areas that should earn the most focus are generalizing story events and developing a problem and solution that connect. Rather than having them retell you what they read, have them summarize the evening’s reading. They should not be listing every event, just the most important ones. A good rule of thumb is summarizing an evening’s reading in 4-5 statements. Since most of the class is reading chapter books at home, the solution will not always be determined in a single night’s reading. I encourage you to ask your child to write the problem down so it can be revisited when the problem is solved in the story.
Finally, encourage your children to read fiction as well as non-fiction. The checklist I have given will align with fiction, but may be mildly applicable to nonfiction reading as well. Try to make time in the evening to read with your child. They loved to be read to even at this age, so if a child is resistant to reading strike a deal – you will read one page aloud if they read one to you. This is also modeling great reading fluency and slow the evening’s events down so you can spend some wonderful, quality time together.
Thanks for all your support and as always, if you have any questions let me know.
The two key areas that should earn the most focus are generalizing story events and developing a problem and solution that connect. Rather than having them retell you what they read, have them summarize the evening’s reading. They should not be listing every event, just the most important ones. A good rule of thumb is summarizing an evening’s reading in 4-5 statements. Since most of the class is reading chapter books at home, the solution will not always be determined in a single night’s reading. I encourage you to ask your child to write the problem down so it can be revisited when the problem is solved in the story.
Finally, encourage your children to read fiction as well as non-fiction. The checklist I have given will align with fiction, but may be mildly applicable to nonfiction reading as well. Try to make time in the evening to read with your child. They loved to be read to even at this age, so if a child is resistant to reading strike a deal – you will read one page aloud if they read one to you. This is also modeling great reading fluency and slow the evening’s events down so you can spend some wonderful, quality time together.
Thanks for all your support and as always, if you have any questions let me know.
Updates from the Desk for the Week of 9/23
I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. We had a chance as a staff to explore the new technology that has been made available to us this year. At the end of next week, we will be transitioning from the class website to schoology.com. This was the district platform that was made available to you during registration for this school year. A letter will be coming home within the next two weeks with how to set up an account and log onto the website. What will be different for you? The only difference will be that rather than updating the class website with information, links and documents, I will be doing it on the class schoology.com site. This weebly will no longer be updated approximately one week after all information comes home. Don't worry! I will link this website to schoology.com when this happens, keep it live for one more week, and then shut it down.
When should you look for this change to happen? I am predicting that by the week before fall break, the full transition to schoology.com will have happened.
Square 1 Art projects are due Friday. This fundraiser is so exciting for the students because regardless of whether you buy any of the items available with your child's art, every student gets a full sheet of stickers of their art.
We will be finishing up MAP testing on Wednesday and makeups will take place some time next week. Testing first thing in the morning can be tough, but the class did an incredible job today and I am sure they will be continuing their best throughout the testing.
Finally, on Wednesday, we will begin to switch for math. Math group assignments are based on a body of evidence that has been collected beginning last year. Their group assignment is based on MAP scores, TCAP scores and their progress for the first two units of Everyday Math (math journal pages, unit tests, etc.). Students will switch on Wednesday but will come home with a letter outlining who their new math teacher is and all of her contact information. Any questions, please let me know!
When should you look for this change to happen? I am predicting that by the week before fall break, the full transition to schoology.com will have happened.
Square 1 Art projects are due Friday. This fundraiser is so exciting for the students because regardless of whether you buy any of the items available with your child's art, every student gets a full sheet of stickers of their art.
We will be finishing up MAP testing on Wednesday and makeups will take place some time next week. Testing first thing in the morning can be tough, but the class did an incredible job today and I am sure they will be continuing their best throughout the testing.
Finally, on Wednesday, we will begin to switch for math. Math group assignments are based on a body of evidence that has been collected beginning last year. Their group assignment is based on MAP scores, TCAP scores and their progress for the first two units of Everyday Math (math journal pages, unit tests, etc.). Students will switch on Wednesday but will come home with a letter outlining who their new math teacher is and all of her contact information. Any questions, please let me know!
MAP Testing Next Week
We began MAP testing today and will resume testing next week. Monday - Wednesday, we will be testing at 9:10 am sharp, so please make sure your child has had a delicious, nutritious breakfast and a good night's sleep. Sugary breakfasts can lead to a sugar crash, and everyone should be in tip top shape for their assessments.
You will notice a few additional assessments that are administered in 4th grade - Language Usage for some may be new. Science is one testing session with two content areas.
One way you can help your child is ask them how they plan on being successful on the test. Don't let them get away with a simple answer. It should be specific. If they are having trouble thinking of a specific strategy, have them close their eyes and visualize themselves taking the test and then ask them what they can do to be successful. Then, ask them what are the two things they will promise themselves they will do that will have the greatest impact on their testing.
I have uploaded the goal setting sheets we use in class just before we take the test. At the top of each page is the range for score at benchmark and above (I tell the class that we are looking for scores at benchmark and above, so we don't worry about what score it takes to be below benchmark).
I will send scores home after we have completed all tests along with some additional work you can do with your child at home to support certain standards and content. Look for these in Thursday folders on October 3rd.
Thanks again for all you do and as always, let me know how I can help!
You will notice a few additional assessments that are administered in 4th grade - Language Usage for some may be new. Science is one testing session with two content areas.
One way you can help your child is ask them how they plan on being successful on the test. Don't let them get away with a simple answer. It should be specific. If they are having trouble thinking of a specific strategy, have them close their eyes and visualize themselves taking the test and then ask them what they can do to be successful. Then, ask them what are the two things they will promise themselves they will do that will have the greatest impact on their testing.
I have uploaded the goal setting sheets we use in class just before we take the test. At the top of each page is the range for score at benchmark and above (I tell the class that we are looking for scores at benchmark and above, so we don't worry about what score it takes to be below benchmark).
I will send scores home after we have completed all tests along with some additional work you can do with your child at home to support certain standards and content. Look for these in Thursday folders on October 3rd.
Thanks again for all you do and as always, let me know how I can help!
maps_-_math_goal_setting_record.docx | |
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maps_-_science_-_general_science_goal_setting_record.docx | |
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maps_-_science_-_concepts_and_processes_goal_setting_record.docx | |
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maps_-_reading_goal_setting_record.docx | |
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maps_-_language_usagegoal_setting_record.docx | |
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Dr. Martin Luther King Art Contest for Aurora Youth
Please see the attached flyer!
mlk_art_contest_flyer.pdf | |
File Size: | 809 kb |
File Type: |
Updates from the Desk for the Week of September 16th
I have the new homework menu uploaded to the Homework page of the website. Since we did not have school on Friday, homework menus obviously could not be distributed and glued into the students homework notebooks. To complicate matters more, this week is a four day week for students. To maintain the amount of time students are given to complete their homework menu, this Monday's menus ( week of September 16th) will be due Monday, September 23rd.
I hope everyone stayed safe, dry and warm this weekend.
I hope everyone stayed safe, dry and warm this weekend.
Rainy Day Games
Visit the more... tab and go to links. Or click on this link here to find some rainy day games!
More Updates Below!
I just emailed the screenshot for today and the field trip letter that was sent home on Thursday. The planner can be found on the homework page, and the field trip letter can be found under the links page.
I linked a few computation game websites to the links page as well. In case you have some trouble getting onto xtramath.org, try one of these sites and write a quick note in your child's planner saying that they worked on another online math game.
Some students have come home with pink papers titled "You've Been Pink Slipped!" These slips are one more additional way that the fourth grade communicates with you regarding missing assignments and homework. If an assignment is incomplete or not turned in by 9:00 am, students will complete a pink slip at recess. This slip explains what they were missing and why. I will then review the slip with the student, sign it, and the expectation is that students bring this home and return it the next school day. If the slip is not returned, they will be calling you at recess to either leave a message or talk to you about the pink slip. I will upload a picture of the Pink Slip tomorrow to the links site.
Finally, today was a BUSY day and I did not have a chance to enter Dojo points for the menus from last week. I will enter those point tomorrow in addition to the points they will earn for completing their Monday Night homework.
Finally, Pastries for Parents will take place on Thursday at 8:15.
Just not enough hours in the day...
I linked a few computation game websites to the links page as well. In case you have some trouble getting onto xtramath.org, try one of these sites and write a quick note in your child's planner saying that they worked on another online math game.
Some students have come home with pink papers titled "You've Been Pink Slipped!" These slips are one more additional way that the fourth grade communicates with you regarding missing assignments and homework. If an assignment is incomplete or not turned in by 9:00 am, students will complete a pink slip at recess. This slip explains what they were missing and why. I will then review the slip with the student, sign it, and the expectation is that students bring this home and return it the next school day. If the slip is not returned, they will be calling you at recess to either leave a message or talk to you about the pink slip. I will upload a picture of the Pink Slip tomorrow to the links site.
Finally, today was a BUSY day and I did not have a chance to enter Dojo points for the menus from last week. I will enter those point tomorrow in addition to the points they will earn for completing their Monday Night homework.
Finally, Pastries for Parents will take place on Thursday at 8:15.
Just not enough hours in the day...
Updates from the Desk for the Week of September 9th
It has been a week full of hard work! Homework Menus were distributed on Friday and should have been glued into homework notebooks. The menu for the week of 9/9 has been posted on the "Homework" page. As for the homework menus for the week of 9/3, points were awarded for effort and feedback was given. As future homework menus come home and are returned at the end of the week, students will be awarded points not only based on effort, but based on content. It is important that they check over their work (capitals, indents, end punctuation) and complete all the directions as written on the menu. If students have any questions, they can feel free to stay behind for a minute or two at recess. Recess is truly the only time that we have each and every day where I can meet with students one on one to answer questions about homework.
A letter was sent home last Thursday regarding field trips for the school year. If you are interested in paying for your child's field trips this year up front, the cost is $20. We would like to have the money by this Friday so it can be deposited in plenty of time for our first field trip coming up in November. If you do not have the form, I will post it to the website tomorrow morning or you can simply send the money in with your student and we will make sure to accurately document that we have received it.
Pastries for Parents will be this week. I will send a Remind 101 text and email once I get back to school tomorrow and have more information. During Pastries for Parents, your child will have the chance to sit down and go over their homework menu with you. This way if you have any questions, I will be available to answer them for you!
Square1Art will be due at the end of this month. It is a great fundraiser for Holiday presents so think about purchasing a piece of your child's art for grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.
ABC Fundraiser packets were due on Friday, however, if you would like to return the envelope on Monday, the hardworking PTCO will be by school once again to pick up any extra envelopes! Remember to sell so we can Duck Tape Mr. Schleich to the wall!
Thank you to everyone who has been checking their child's Classroom Dojo accounts! All points for homework and classroom habits are awarded (or subtracted) the day the students earn them (and in the case of work habits, the moment they earn them!). Homework menus are a bit more challenging. These points are documented on Friday and then added to Class Dojo over the weekend or on Monday (not enough hours in the day on Friday to check over the menus, give feedback, and record on Dojo). One main reason why students have been losing Dojo points is because their homework has not been out by 9:00 am to be checked. You can understand how important this is when there is only ten minutes in the morning (9:00am - 9:10 am) to take attendance, say The Pledge of Allegiance, read learning targets for the day and check 24 study links and planners. If students do not have their homework out to be checked by 9:00 am they are asked to come in at recess to show their completed assignments (they can immediately head out to recess if all the work in completed) and they unfortunately do not earn their Dojo points. As so many of you have been doing (thanks!), if you have a question about why a Dojo point was earned or lost, please email me and I will review my written records to give you a more exact answer. It would be great if Class Dojo had a way for me to leave comments or go back to previous days, but I have not been able to find that setting yet!
Keep using xtramath.org! I am hoping that we can all begin to use this for weekly computation. If the only road block has been accessing it at home, please let me know and I will try to troubleshoot this at school as best I can. The computation box must be initialed on the Homework Menu in order for students to earn credit this week.
Let me know if you have any questions! Have a great week!
A letter was sent home last Thursday regarding field trips for the school year. If you are interested in paying for your child's field trips this year up front, the cost is $20. We would like to have the money by this Friday so it can be deposited in plenty of time for our first field trip coming up in November. If you do not have the form, I will post it to the website tomorrow morning or you can simply send the money in with your student and we will make sure to accurately document that we have received it.
Pastries for Parents will be this week. I will send a Remind 101 text and email once I get back to school tomorrow and have more information. During Pastries for Parents, your child will have the chance to sit down and go over their homework menu with you. This way if you have any questions, I will be available to answer them for you!
Square1Art will be due at the end of this month. It is a great fundraiser for Holiday presents so think about purchasing a piece of your child's art for grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.
ABC Fundraiser packets were due on Friday, however, if you would like to return the envelope on Monday, the hardworking PTCO will be by school once again to pick up any extra envelopes! Remember to sell so we can Duck Tape Mr. Schleich to the wall!
Thank you to everyone who has been checking their child's Classroom Dojo accounts! All points for homework and classroom habits are awarded (or subtracted) the day the students earn them (and in the case of work habits, the moment they earn them!). Homework menus are a bit more challenging. These points are documented on Friday and then added to Class Dojo over the weekend or on Monday (not enough hours in the day on Friday to check over the menus, give feedback, and record on Dojo). One main reason why students have been losing Dojo points is because their homework has not been out by 9:00 am to be checked. You can understand how important this is when there is only ten minutes in the morning (9:00am - 9:10 am) to take attendance, say The Pledge of Allegiance, read learning targets for the day and check 24 study links and planners. If students do not have their homework out to be checked by 9:00 am they are asked to come in at recess to show their completed assignments (they can immediately head out to recess if all the work in completed) and they unfortunately do not earn their Dojo points. As so many of you have been doing (thanks!), if you have a question about why a Dojo point was earned or lost, please email me and I will review my written records to give you a more exact answer. It would be great if Class Dojo had a way for me to leave comments or go back to previous days, but I have not been able to find that setting yet!
Keep using xtramath.org! I am hoping that we can all begin to use this for weekly computation. If the only road block has been accessing it at home, please let me know and I will try to troubleshoot this at school as best I can. The computation box must be initialed on the Homework Menu in order for students to earn credit this week.
Let me know if you have any questions! Have a great week!
School Lunch Information
Updates from the Desk for the Week of September 2nd
Dojo points have just been awarded for homework menus completed last week. The menu was worth a total of 5 points. Beginning next week, students who have not attempted to complete activities that are worth the total week's value amount will need to stay in at recess to make up the missing assignments. I will continue to award Dojo points for the menu, however the best resource to discover how well your student is progressing with their homework menu will be by looking at their Homework Notebook. Homework menus are always distributed the last day of the week and are due the last day of the next week (this Friday, 8/30, menus due Friday, 9/7, were handed out and should have been glued into notebooks). As always, I will upload the menu to the Homework Page. Any questions, please let me know!
I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow night at 7:30 pm for Curriculum Night. The information presented will be an overview of fourth grade. As you already know, policies and procedures can vary from classroom to classroom. If you have any questions that are specific to our own fourth grade classroom, please feel free to email or call me. Time will be limited on Tuesday and I want to make sure I am answering all of your questions while still respecting your time as well as my teammates' time. We are just getting started this year. Many things are new and expectations are high. With practice and consistency, this group will rise to the occasion and many of the expectations will become habitual and routine.
I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow night at 7:30 pm for Curriculum Night. The information presented will be an overview of fourth grade. As you already know, policies and procedures can vary from classroom to classroom. If you have any questions that are specific to our own fourth grade classroom, please feel free to email or call me. Time will be limited on Tuesday and I want to make sure I am answering all of your questions while still respecting your time as well as my teammates' time. We are just getting started this year. Many things are new and expectations are high. With practice and consistency, this group will rise to the occasion and many of the expectations will become habitual and routine.
Dates to Remember
Curriculum Night 9/3 7:30 pm (Intermediate Grades 3-5)
ABC Fundraiser Packets due 9/6
Pastries for Parents 9/12
ABC Fundraiser Packets due 9/6
Pastries for Parents 9/12
Updates from the Desk for the week of August 26th
Week two is over and we are continuing to get to know each other a little more each day. This week's classroom goals will focus on listening and on task behaviors. The first few weeks can be overwhelming - new teacher, new protocols, new content and LOTS of new learning. As always, I will give the students valuable feedback so they can continue their hard work with encouragement and clear direction. The expectation in 4th grade is if they do not know, they need to ask. Independence and self advocacy is key!
Next week, September 3rd, is Curriculum Night. Intermediate grades will begin later in the evening after the primary grade presentations. I believe the start time is around 7:00 pm but I will update you with an exact time (a flyer did go home the first week of school in Thursday folders) as soon as possible.
I understand that all students do not have access to computers and the internet at home. This can make it challenging to log onto Class Dojo, the class website or xtramath.org. The expectation is that xtramath.org is where each night's computation work is to be completed, however I will make a computation packet available to those students who do not have access to the internet at home or who would like to do some pencil and paper calculation in addition to their online prep. It should be turned in on the last day of the week with homework menus. In the event that the packet is misplaced, it can be found on the Homework page. If your child will not be in school on Friday because of holiday plans, the homework menu should be turned in no later than Thursday, August 29th. If you will be leaving early in the week, it must be completed and turned in before leaving.
Finally, with so many tools accessible to us as teachers and parents, maintenance can be challenging. I will do my best to make Class Dojo part of the everyday routine so that you can see how well your child is progressing each day. I have attached a daily class schedule so that when accessing the Class Dojo report, you can have a sense of what subjects they are having the most success and the most challenges with in terms of work habits. As always, please contact me if you have any questions. I will continue to make the daily planner available on the class website, but will no longer send a screen shot of the planner each day via email. In the future, it can be found on the homework page.
Have a great week!
Next week, September 3rd, is Curriculum Night. Intermediate grades will begin later in the evening after the primary grade presentations. I believe the start time is around 7:00 pm but I will update you with an exact time (a flyer did go home the first week of school in Thursday folders) as soon as possible.
I understand that all students do not have access to computers and the internet at home. This can make it challenging to log onto Class Dojo, the class website or xtramath.org. The expectation is that xtramath.org is where each night's computation work is to be completed, however I will make a computation packet available to those students who do not have access to the internet at home or who would like to do some pencil and paper calculation in addition to their online prep. It should be turned in on the last day of the week with homework menus. In the event that the packet is misplaced, it can be found on the Homework page. If your child will not be in school on Friday because of holiday plans, the homework menu should be turned in no later than Thursday, August 29th. If you will be leaving early in the week, it must be completed and turned in before leaving.
Finally, with so many tools accessible to us as teachers and parents, maintenance can be challenging. I will do my best to make Class Dojo part of the everyday routine so that you can see how well your child is progressing each day. I have attached a daily class schedule so that when accessing the Class Dojo report, you can have a sense of what subjects they are having the most success and the most challenges with in terms of work habits. As always, please contact me if you have any questions. I will continue to make the daily planner available on the class website, but will no longer send a screen shot of the planner each day via email. In the future, it can be found on the homework page.
Have a great week!
Updates from the Desk for the week of August 19th
We are off to a great start this year! Please be sure to check out the Homework page where homework menus can be found for the upcoming week. It was my intention to upload the Classroom Occupations Application before leaving school on Friday but we all know about the best laid plans. I will have that available on Monday.
Please be sure to mark your calendars for Curriculum Night on September 3rd. Curriculum Night is a chance for the fourth grade team to describe content, standards, expectations and procedures in fourth grade. With all the changes in standards this year, we have made many changes to fourth grade, so even if you were fortunate enough to have a child work their way through fourth grade at Aspen Crossing, we encourage you to attend this extremely important event. All parents that attend will leave with a Homework Pass for their child to use on one homework menu item.
If you have not already, please sign up for Remind101 to receive text message reminders about important class events.
Students will come home Wednesday with their Class Dojo student codes. Class Dojo is an online application that teachers and parents can use to communicate work and social habits. Students earn points for great work habits and social behaviors while losing points for challenges in behavior. It will be updated as frequently as possible, students can check on their progress daily. To learn more about Class Dojo, visit the Class Dojo Website.
Scoot Pad 4th grade usernames and passwords were distributed last week. Students will need to use these usernames and passwords in order to access 4th grade content. To learn more about Scoot Pad, visit the Scoot Pad Website
Tomorrow, students will not be met on the blacktop tomorrow. The school doors will open at 8:50 am and students are expected to be in their seats, checked in by 9:00 am so they are not marked tardy. We have so much to cover every day that students are asked to use the restroom, get drinks, fill water bottles and or visit the lunchroom to make lunch account deposits by 9:00 am so that we can begin the day right!
Finally, on Friday, we ran out of time and did not have a chance to hold Student Council Elections. We will hold elections after lunch on Monday at 11:45 am. Students will then present a 30 second to 2 minute speech describing why they would make an excellent classroom representative. All students who are interested in running for student council must be available from 3:30 - 4:10 on Thursday afternoons. Transportation will not be provided, so students should have a reliable ride home.
Please be sure to mark your calendars for Curriculum Night on September 3rd. Curriculum Night is a chance for the fourth grade team to describe content, standards, expectations and procedures in fourth grade. With all the changes in standards this year, we have made many changes to fourth grade, so even if you were fortunate enough to have a child work their way through fourth grade at Aspen Crossing, we encourage you to attend this extremely important event. All parents that attend will leave with a Homework Pass for their child to use on one homework menu item.
If you have not already, please sign up for Remind101 to receive text message reminders about important class events.
Students will come home Wednesday with their Class Dojo student codes. Class Dojo is an online application that teachers and parents can use to communicate work and social habits. Students earn points for great work habits and social behaviors while losing points for challenges in behavior. It will be updated as frequently as possible, students can check on their progress daily. To learn more about Class Dojo, visit the Class Dojo Website.
Scoot Pad 4th grade usernames and passwords were distributed last week. Students will need to use these usernames and passwords in order to access 4th grade content. To learn more about Scoot Pad, visit the Scoot Pad Website
Tomorrow, students will not be met on the blacktop tomorrow. The school doors will open at 8:50 am and students are expected to be in their seats, checked in by 9:00 am so they are not marked tardy. We have so much to cover every day that students are asked to use the restroom, get drinks, fill water bottles and or visit the lunchroom to make lunch account deposits by 9:00 am so that we can begin the day right!
Finally, on Friday, we ran out of time and did not have a chance to hold Student Council Elections. We will hold elections after lunch on Monday at 11:45 am. Students will then present a 30 second to 2 minute speech describing why they would make an excellent classroom representative. All students who are interested in running for student council must be available from 3:30 - 4:10 on Thursday afternoons. Transportation will not be provided, so students should have a reliable ride home.
Welcome Back Aspen Crossing Marmots!
It was great getting to know everyone on Thursday night and I am looking forward to a successful and fun year! Remember, we are meeting on the recess blacktop on Monday in the morning so we can all walk in together - new pod, new doors!
We will also be spending some time decorating our science notebooks and writer's notebooks so if you would like to bring in stickers and other items to decorate your notebooks with, feel free!
We will begin goal setting conferences on Tuesday.
Finally, I will be sending a test email to parents to make sure I have your email addresses correctly. If you do not receive an email from me by Sunday evening (8/11) please email me at [email protected] so I can add your name to the fourth grade contact list. Below you will also find a screenshot of how to sign up for Reminder 101 to receive text message reminders regarding whole class events like field trips and class parties.
Enjoy this last weekend and welcome back!
We will also be spending some time decorating our science notebooks and writer's notebooks so if you would like to bring in stickers and other items to decorate your notebooks with, feel free!
We will begin goal setting conferences on Tuesday.
Finally, I will be sending a test email to parents to make sure I have your email addresses correctly. If you do not receive an email from me by Sunday evening (8/11) please email me at [email protected] so I can add your name to the fourth grade contact list. Below you will also find a screenshot of how to sign up for Reminder 101 to receive text message reminders regarding whole class events like field trips and class parties.
Enjoy this last weekend and welcome back!
Back in Town...
I hope everyone is having an excellent summer filled with memory making experiences! Now that my husband and I are back in town, I have started to link some information to help you with the transition from the Cherry Creek Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum (the standards from last school year) to the Colorado State Academic Standards (known as "Common Core"). The first myth I would like to dispel, is that Common Core and the Colorado Academic Standards are the same. They are not the same, but similar. The Colorado State Academic Standards are a refined version of Common Core, and since they are so similar and since both are new to our state, the titles have been used interchangeably. One additional piece of information is the district will be coming with an additional refined version of the standards, so be prepared for more terminology to come your way.
Please explore the links section for some information regarding Common Core and the Colorado Academic Standards. I have also not made any changes to Scoot Pad, so students should be able to access the website using their usernames and passwords. I will see what I can do to change the activities to align with 5th grade standards and if it will be possible to maintain the students active status as they progress through 5th grade in the event that their homeroom teacher has not set up access to Scoot Pad.
I will also spend some time this morning exploring some fun sites with games and activities so that your student can get back into the swing of things and fight summer regression.
As always, if you have any questions, I am always happy to do my best to help. I will be checking my email more regularly now that I am stateside again! Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Please explore the links section for some information regarding Common Core and the Colorado Academic Standards. I have also not made any changes to Scoot Pad, so students should be able to access the website using their usernames and passwords. I will see what I can do to change the activities to align with 5th grade standards and if it will be possible to maintain the students active status as they progress through 5th grade in the event that their homeroom teacher has not set up access to Scoot Pad.
I will also spend some time this morning exploring some fun sites with games and activities so that your student can get back into the swing of things and fight summer regression.
As always, if you have any questions, I am always happy to do my best to help. I will be checking my email more regularly now that I am stateside again! Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Website Availability This Summer
Thank you to everyone who made this school year a success! When working with parents who are supportive and who view their child's educator as a professional, it allows students to be successful and the job that I love to be even more enjoyable. I thank you for that.
I will continue to periodically update the site this summer with games, activities and links for parents to help you understand the transition from the Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum to the Colorado Academic Standards. This means changes to standardized testing, instructional content and the teacher evaluation system.
I will also check my email from time to time this summer, so if you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I will do my best to respond in a timely manner with the most accurate information I have access to from home.
Once again thank you for a wonderful school year, and I can't wait to see everyone once again for the 2013-2014 School Year.
ENJOY THE SUMMER!
I will continue to periodically update the site this summer with games, activities and links for parents to help you understand the transition from the Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum to the Colorado Academic Standards. This means changes to standardized testing, instructional content and the teacher evaluation system.
I will also check my email from time to time this summer, so if you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I will do my best to respond in a timely manner with the most accurate information I have access to from home.
Once again thank you for a wonderful school year, and I can't wait to see everyone once again for the 2013-2014 School Year.
ENJOY THE SUMMER!
Updates for the Week of June 3rd (Our Final Update for the School Year)
It is our last full week of school before summer break. I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their patience and support this school year. I love what I do and having a group of supportive parents makes it so much more enjoyable. Thank you!
As for the week, this will be our last week for homework. We will be completing summaries, reading and math homework all this week. We will not be completing a Wordly Wise lesson since we successfully completed the program.
All SRB's were successfully returned. If an SRB was returned damaged, your child will receive a letter on Tuesday stating the cost to replace the SRB.
Dates to Remember
June 3rd - June 7th Summer Birthday Celebrations
June 5th - ACE Award Party
June 6th - Move Up Day
June 10th - Last Full Day of School
June 11th - Last Day of School (Early Dismissal) Progress Reports Sent Home
As for the week, this will be our last week for homework. We will be completing summaries, reading and math homework all this week. We will not be completing a Wordly Wise lesson since we successfully completed the program.
All SRB's were successfully returned. If an SRB was returned damaged, your child will receive a letter on Tuesday stating the cost to replace the SRB.
Dates to Remember
June 3rd - June 7th Summer Birthday Celebrations
June 5th - ACE Award Party
June 6th - Move Up Day
June 10th - Last Full Day of School
June 11th - Last Day of School (Early Dismissal) Progress Reports Sent Home
Updates for the Week of May 28th
I hope everyone had a restful Memorial Day. I also hope you took a moment with family and friends to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live in as incredible a country as we do!
This is a pretty busy week (and time of year). I have listed some important dates below. Tomorrow is the 4th Grade Colorado Wax Museum. We will be presenting to parents and family from 10:30 - 10:55. We have set this time aside for you because the room can get very crowded (and warm). This way, your child will have you as a part of a captive audience and will not be dividing their time amongst the other ACE Explorers who are going to visit us during the day. Students are encouraged to dress up in costumes relevant to their topic or in "professional attire" as they take on the role of docent.
All library books and Student Refernce Books must be returned by June 11th in order to receive report cards. Any outstanding items or fees will result in Progress Reports being held until the issues are resolved.
Dates to Remember
May 29th - Colorado Wax Museum
May 30th - 4th Grade Field Trip to the Colorado History Museum in downtown Denver (disposable bag lunch and no backpacks please per museum guidelines).
Jun 3rd - Last Day for Test Corrections or Late Assignments to be turned in for partial credit
June 3rd/4th - ACE Award Ice Cream Party
June 4th - Move Up Day (9:30 - 10:30)
June 3rd - June 7th - Summer Birthday Celebrations (3:00 - 3:30)
June 11th - Last Day of School (Early Dismissal)
This is a pretty busy week (and time of year). I have listed some important dates below. Tomorrow is the 4th Grade Colorado Wax Museum. We will be presenting to parents and family from 10:30 - 10:55. We have set this time aside for you because the room can get very crowded (and warm). This way, your child will have you as a part of a captive audience and will not be dividing their time amongst the other ACE Explorers who are going to visit us during the day. Students are encouraged to dress up in costumes relevant to their topic or in "professional attire" as they take on the role of docent.
All library books and Student Refernce Books must be returned by June 11th in order to receive report cards. Any outstanding items or fees will result in Progress Reports being held until the issues are resolved.
Dates to Remember
May 29th - Colorado Wax Museum
May 30th - 4th Grade Field Trip to the Colorado History Museum in downtown Denver (disposable bag lunch and no backpacks please per museum guidelines).
Jun 3rd - Last Day for Test Corrections or Late Assignments to be turned in for partial credit
June 3rd/4th - ACE Award Ice Cream Party
June 4th - Move Up Day (9:30 - 10:30)
June 3rd - June 7th - Summer Birthday Celebrations (3:00 - 3:30)
June 11th - Last Day of School (Early Dismissal)
Updates for the Week of May 20th
Then end of the school year is just around the corner! It is certainly crunch time! Since the end of data collection is just around the corner, all test corrections will be due by Tuesday, May 28th. This will give me some time to review the work and reassign newly earned point values. I appreciate everyone's patience while I continue to grade and then re-grade test corrections.
This Friday is Aspen Crossing Field Day. We will have the chance to become mad scientists in the morning. Please remember sunscreen, hats and water!
Next week is a big one! The Colorado Wax Museum will take place on Wednesday, May 29th. Parents and family are welcome to join us from 10:30 - 10:55am to watch their students present their Wax Museum projects. Students will need to have their final drafts, posters and notecards completed by Tuesday, May 28th. We have spent loads of in class time but students may still be coming home with some a few parts of their projects to finish. If students would like to dress in costume for their projects they may, but it is not a requirement for the presentation (in the past students have dressed up in "professional attire", as their character or as a person from the period).
Finally, the field trip is just around the corner. All the parents who will be chaperoning have been contacted (thank you everyone who has volunteered). Please remember that students will need a disposable bag lunch and will not be permitted to bring backpacks to the museum per museum guidelines.
Any questions, please feel free to email me at anytime!
This Friday is Aspen Crossing Field Day. We will have the chance to become mad scientists in the morning. Please remember sunscreen, hats and water!
Next week is a big one! The Colorado Wax Museum will take place on Wednesday, May 29th. Parents and family are welcome to join us from 10:30 - 10:55am to watch their students present their Wax Museum projects. Students will need to have their final drafts, posters and notecards completed by Tuesday, May 28th. We have spent loads of in class time but students may still be coming home with some a few parts of their projects to finish. If students would like to dress in costume for their projects they may, but it is not a requirement for the presentation (in the past students have dressed up in "professional attire", as their character or as a person from the period).
Finally, the field trip is just around the corner. All the parents who will be chaperoning have been contacted (thank you everyone who has volunteered). Please remember that students will need a disposable bag lunch and will not be permitted to bring backpacks to the museum per museum guidelines.
Any questions, please feel free to email me at anytime!
Updates for the Week of May 13th
Only four more weeks of school so it is time to put our noses to the grindstone and finish strong! We have almost completed all DRA II testing for the week. If students passed a benchmark level test at the beginning of the school year, they will not be tested at the end. We will also finish our spring MAP test this week and I am happy to say that overall, the scores continue to go up and meet benchmark (if not higher!)
We will be welcoming Jeff Waters tomorrow for the second part of the Mountain Man presentation. Mr. Waters is incredibly engaging and knowledgeable and we are excited to host him once again!
Next Friday, May 24th is Field Day! We will spend the morning playing "mad scientist" during the Field Day events. Mrs. Hastedt is always looking for parent volunteers who can help. If you are able to help this Friday, please call the front office or contact Mrs. Hastedt herself. Remember, students should apply plenty of sunscreen in the morning before coming to school, they should bring hats and water bottles and be ready for some fun in the sun!
Information about the Colorado Wax Museum went home last Thursday. Parents are welcome to join us from 10:30 - 10:55 to see their child's presentation. The rest of the day will be spent presenting to other grade levels. Students are encouraged to continue their research at home since we will begin writing our rough drafts on Wednesday.
Finally, our field trip to the Colorado History Museum will be on May 30th. We will be notifying chaperones later this week after the deadline to return permission slips has passed.
You may have noticed some changes to the Wordly Wise Coversheets. Since this is the first year that Aspen Crossing has used the Wordly Wise vocabulary program to supplement spelling and word work, we are still working on ways to assure that students receive all the credit they deserve for their hard work. These new coversheets will reflect the standards that Wordly Wise addresses as well as giving students additional points for demonstrating proficiency in these components.
Finally, to help bridge communication with missing assignments, students will be coming home with "Oops!" slips when assignments are not completed in class or for homework. These slips reflect the homework log that students fill out in class stating what assignment was missing, what the student's plan is to complete it and assure that it will not happen again. It should be signed by parents and returned the very next day.
We will be welcoming Jeff Waters tomorrow for the second part of the Mountain Man presentation. Mr. Waters is incredibly engaging and knowledgeable and we are excited to host him once again!
Next Friday, May 24th is Field Day! We will spend the morning playing "mad scientist" during the Field Day events. Mrs. Hastedt is always looking for parent volunteers who can help. If you are able to help this Friday, please call the front office or contact Mrs. Hastedt herself. Remember, students should apply plenty of sunscreen in the morning before coming to school, they should bring hats and water bottles and be ready for some fun in the sun!
Information about the Colorado Wax Museum went home last Thursday. Parents are welcome to join us from 10:30 - 10:55 to see their child's presentation. The rest of the day will be spent presenting to other grade levels. Students are encouraged to continue their research at home since we will begin writing our rough drafts on Wednesday.
Finally, our field trip to the Colorado History Museum will be on May 30th. We will be notifying chaperones later this week after the deadline to return permission slips has passed.
You may have noticed some changes to the Wordly Wise Coversheets. Since this is the first year that Aspen Crossing has used the Wordly Wise vocabulary program to supplement spelling and word work, we are still working on ways to assure that students receive all the credit they deserve for their hard work. These new coversheets will reflect the standards that Wordly Wise addresses as well as giving students additional points for demonstrating proficiency in these components.
Finally, to help bridge communication with missing assignments, students will be coming home with "Oops!" slips when assignments are not completed in class or for homework. These slips reflect the homework log that students fill out in class stating what assignment was missing, what the student's plan is to complete it and assure that it will not happen again. It should be signed by parents and returned the very next day.
Updates for the week of May 6th
We were able to say our goodbyes to Ms.O on Thursday. I know she will be missed by the class!
For the rest of this week and next we will be completing our DRA II assessments and finishing MAP testing for the year. The only students who will need to complete a DRA II are the ones who did not meet the end of the year benchmark ( a level 40) at the beginning of the school year. If your child completed a DRA 40 or higher at the start of the school year, then they will not be restested until September.
Jeff Waters will be joining us to concluded the Mountain Man presentation next Monday. We can't wait to host him again!
Our class field trip to the Colorado History Museum will take place May 30th. Please be on the lookout this week for a permission slip and field trip information letter.
Finally, the 4th Grade Colorado Wax Museum presentations will take place the 29th of May. Parents will be invited to see their child's presentation from 10:30 - 10:55 of that day. We will be sending home more information about the Wax Museum this week. We hope you can make it!
The PTO Carnival will also be taking place May 31st. Please look for an email detailing the events of the evening!
If you have any questions about upcoming events or how your student is progressing this trimester, please do not hesitate to email me.
For the rest of this week and next we will be completing our DRA II assessments and finishing MAP testing for the year. The only students who will need to complete a DRA II are the ones who did not meet the end of the year benchmark ( a level 40) at the beginning of the school year. If your child completed a DRA 40 or higher at the start of the school year, then they will not be restested until September.
Jeff Waters will be joining us to concluded the Mountain Man presentation next Monday. We can't wait to host him again!
Our class field trip to the Colorado History Museum will take place May 30th. Please be on the lookout this week for a permission slip and field trip information letter.
Finally, the 4th Grade Colorado Wax Museum presentations will take place the 29th of May. Parents will be invited to see their child's presentation from 10:30 - 10:55 of that day. We will be sending home more information about the Wax Museum this week. We hope you can make it!
The PTO Carnival will also be taking place May 31st. Please look for an email detailing the events of the evening!
If you have any questions about upcoming events or how your student is progressing this trimester, please do not hesitate to email me.
Updates for the week of April 29th - May 2nd
All Cultures Embraced week is here!
Monday is the "Day of the Child." Students will dress up nice, and in the afternoon we will have a school picnic. If you can, bring a bag lunch. On Tuesday we will have a school wide picture. Please wear your grade level t-shirts. Wednesday is the "Taste of Ace." The event is from 6 - 8. Thursday is "Children's Day." We will have the Taiko Drummers Assembly in the afternoon.
Their is no school on Friday.
All Cultures Embraced week is here!
Monday is the "Day of the Child." Students will dress up nice, and in the afternoon we will have a school picnic. If you can, bring a bag lunch. On Tuesday we will have a school wide picture. Please wear your grade level t-shirts. Wednesday is the "Taste of Ace." The event is from 6 - 8. Thursday is "Children's Day." We will have the Taiko Drummers Assembly in the afternoon.
Their is no school on Friday.
All Cultures Embraced Schedule of Events
all_cultures_embraced_schedule_of_events.docx | |
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Updates for the week of April 22nd - 26th
The book of the month project is due April 29th.
Thank you everyone for participating in Quarters for Kids
The Walk-a-Thon is this Friday at 2:00. Please bring water!
The book of the month project is due April 29th.
Thank you everyone for participating in Quarters for Kids
The Walk-a-Thon is this Friday at 2:00. Please bring water!
Updates for the week of April 15th-19th
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great spring break!
This week we will return to our normal schedule.
Quarters for Kids has been extended to Friday, April 19th
The final Spirit Night will be at Casa Vallarta Mexican Restaurant Tuesday, April 16th
The Walk A Thon is on Friday, April 26th. The information about upcoming events will be sent home this Monday.
The book of the month is due in a couple of weeks on Monday, April 29th.
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great spring break!
This week we will return to our normal schedule.
Quarters for Kids has been extended to Friday, April 19th
The final Spirit Night will be at Casa Vallarta Mexican Restaurant Tuesday, April 16th
The Walk A Thon is on Friday, April 26th. The information about upcoming events will be sent home this Monday.
The book of the month is due in a couple of weeks on Monday, April 29th.
Updates for the week of April 1st - April 12th
There will be no school for two weeks starting the 1st of April.
April 29th the book of the month project is due.
Students will read an autobiography or biography.
Students will bring home a rubric including the directions and expectations.
They will have note cards which can be provided if needed, and students will take notes as they read.
They will have to do a oral presentation of two to three minutes.
When students present, they can dress up as their person, but it is not required.
Enjoy spring break!
There will be no school for two weeks starting the 1st of April.
April 29th the book of the month project is due.
Students will read an autobiography or biography.
Students will bring home a rubric including the directions and expectations.
They will have note cards which can be provided if needed, and students will take notes as they read.
They will have to do a oral presentation of two to three minutes.
When students present, they can dress up as their person, but it is not required.
Enjoy spring break!
4th_grade_read_in.doc | |
File Size: | 55 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Updates for the week of March 25th
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and drove carefully through the snow.
TCAP is officially over, and we will be back at our regular schedule. I am proud of the students for working diligently hard these last two weeks. To celebrate their effort and the beginning of Spring break, we will have a read in on Friday the 29th of March. Students can bring a pillow, stuff animal, and most importantly a book(s) to read. Later on in the afternoon, students will have a pizza party and a movie.
To the right of the screen above the update is additional information about the read in!
This week we will begin quarters for kids. Spring break will begin April 1st through April 12th.
Updates for the week of March 11th to the week of March 18th
TCAP week is here!
Make sure to get a good night of sleep and a nutritious breakfast in the morning.
For the first week of TCAP, students will have morning and afternoon testing on Tuesday and Wednesday. For the week of March 18th, students will have TCAP in the morning on Tuesday through Thursday.
Updates for the Week of March 4th
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!
TCAP is coming up! It begins March 12th.
Make sure to get sleep and eat a nutritious breakfast. Bedtime should be thirty minutes after electronics have been turned off. The brain needs time to unwind!
Students have had two weeks to complete many of the Blue TCAP Book stories while in class, so homework should be completing these assignments, not beginning them!
Please make sure to sign up on the Sign Up Genius website for snack donations.
The website if you have not received the invitation is:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA9A82BA75-tcap
In addition, if parents would like to send in an encouraging letter or card for their child to open just before we begin testing on Tuesday, March 12th, please send them in with your child in an unmarked envelope, and we will make sure your child receives it.
Finally thank you for all your responses regarding the Student Lead Conferences Powerpoint. If you have not received your child's presentation by Friday afternoon, please email me so that I can make sure to get it to you as soon as possible. I will also make sure to fulfill any requests for supplemental work or information made during conferences by the end of this week. Your patience is appreciated!
Updates for the Week of February 25th
Student lead conferences will be this week!
Wednesday the 27th is dress up day!
There will be no school on Thursday and Friday February 28th and March 1st.
TCAP will begin March 12th Tuesday morning.
Updates for the Week of February 18th
I hope everyone enjoyed President's weekend!
Student lead conferences will begin next week, which is the week of February 25th.
TCAP begins the week of March 11th. TCAP will take place during the morning and during the afternoon we will be on a regular school schedule. For breakfast eat whole wheat foods, protein, and complex carbohydrates. Breakfast food with less or no sugar will help them stay focus during the test and less likely to feel tired.
70's day is Friday February 22nd. It cost .25 cents to dress up, and all proceeds go the Children's Hospital of Denver.
Book Fair is next week!
There is no school March 1st.
Updates for the week of February 4th and February 11th
I hope everyone enjoyed Super Bowl Weekend. Congratulation to the Baltimore Ravens!
TCAP Night will begin at 6:30 in the library. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents who are unfamiliar with the 4th grade TCAP to learn a little more about the standards, test sessions and rigor of the fourth grade test.
Butter Braid sales are due this Friday!
Book of the Month projects are due February 20th. I have uploaded pictures to the BOM tab.
Students began their Valentine's Day writing today and the short essay will be due Tuesday. We will use these to create our boxes on Thursday. If your child will be using a ready made or box or a box from last year, we will have other activities for them to participate in during the designated box design time.
Parties will begin at 2:50 and we will celebrate until the end of the day.
Finally, class pictures will take place on February 13th. This will be the whole class picture so let's have the students looking sharp!
TCAP Night will begin at 6:30 in the library. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents who are unfamiliar with the 4th grade TCAP to learn a little more about the standards, test sessions and rigor of the fourth grade test.
Butter Braid sales are due this Friday!
Book of the Month projects are due February 20th. I have uploaded pictures to the BOM tab.
Students began their Valentine's Day writing today and the short essay will be due Tuesday. We will use these to create our boxes on Thursday. If your child will be using a ready made or box or a box from last year, we will have other activities for them to participate in during the designated box design time.
Parties will begin at 2:50 and we will celebrate until the end of the day.
Finally, class pictures will take place on February 13th. This will be the whole class picture so let's have the students looking sharp!
Updates for the week of January 28th
Another week closer to our favorite time of year - TCAP! We will begin testing in March, but to prepare the students for the structure and necessary endurance the test requires (in fourth grade we will be taking each session virtually consecutively - with breaks on Monday and Friday - and will add additional sessions). Because we are preparing for this high stakes, standardized assessment, the students brought home the first revision to our reading homework on Thursday of last week. The assignment is not due until this Friday, February 1st, and will take the place of the weekly reading summaries.
The amount of time it takes to read the passages in the pink TCAP practice packet can also be used towards the nightly 30 minutes of reading.
On Friday, conference letters were also sent home. This trimester, we will be hosting student lead conferences which will be an opportunity for the students to showcase their own achievements via a pre-recorded movie. Of course I will be available to answer questions as well as supply you with supplemental materials to support your student's success.
Finally, this Friday will be the student council sponsored "Football Spirit Wear Day"! We encourage students to wear their favorite football gear and donate 25 cents to Children's Hospital of Denver. We were fortunate enough to donate $500 this year based on all the positive support during each and every spirit day, last year (SY 2011-2012).
As always, if you have any questions please let me know. Have a wonderful week!
The amount of time it takes to read the passages in the pink TCAP practice packet can also be used towards the nightly 30 minutes of reading.
On Friday, conference letters were also sent home. This trimester, we will be hosting student lead conferences which will be an opportunity for the students to showcase their own achievements via a pre-recorded movie. Of course I will be available to answer questions as well as supply you with supplemental materials to support your student's success.
Finally, this Friday will be the student council sponsored "Football Spirit Wear Day"! We encourage students to wear their favorite football gear and donate 25 cents to Children's Hospital of Denver. We were fortunate enough to donate $500 this year based on all the positive support during each and every spirit day, last year (SY 2011-2012).
As always, if you have any questions please let me know. Have a wonderful week!
Updates for the week of January 14th
Ms. O has enjoyed her first week with the class and has been an increible suppor. It will be a pleasure to continue to have her as a part of the class!
Monday will be our first Spelling Bee practice. All students who returned a spelling bee permission slip should meet in the library Monday morning at 8:15 am. The Aspen Crossing School Spelling Bee will be taking place on Thursday. Students will be able to watch a recorded version of the spelling bee late in the day.
Our next book of the month project will be a Newbery Pamphlet. Students selected titles last week and were given a permission slip to have signed before choosing a book. This is because some themes may be controversial or mature for students, so it is important for you to review all the titles before giving permission. After the students have selected their title, they may choose a book from the school library, from home, from the public library or a book store. They are neve limited to books from our school library. The project will be due February 20th. Since stuents are now familiar with the projects, I will show them an exemplar this week. Hopefully, I will have some pictures on the website to share with you by then as well.
Finally, we will continue regular reading homework for at least two more weeks before beginning TCAP type review assignments in lieu of weekly summaries. TCAP begins this March. Summaries from last week will be returned to students with feedback so that they may continue to respond to literature using the 4-5 main detail summary format.
Monday will be our first Spelling Bee practice. All students who returned a spelling bee permission slip should meet in the library Monday morning at 8:15 am. The Aspen Crossing School Spelling Bee will be taking place on Thursday. Students will be able to watch a recorded version of the spelling bee late in the day.
Our next book of the month project will be a Newbery Pamphlet. Students selected titles last week and were given a permission slip to have signed before choosing a book. This is because some themes may be controversial or mature for students, so it is important for you to review all the titles before giving permission. After the students have selected their title, they may choose a book from the school library, from home, from the public library or a book store. They are neve limited to books from our school library. The project will be due February 20th. Since stuents are now familiar with the projects, I will show them an exemplar this week. Hopefully, I will have some pictures on the website to share with you by then as well.
Finally, we will continue regular reading homework for at least two more weeks before beginning TCAP type review assignments in lieu of weekly summaries. TCAP begins this March. Summaries from last week will be returned to students with feedback so that they may continue to respond to literature using the 4-5 main detail summary format.
Welcome 2013!
I hope everyone had a wonderful break and is having a Happy New Year! I would like to be the first to welcome and introduce a new member of the fourth grade team - Jasmine Oglesby. Ms. O will be supporting the class as a student teacher. She is currently working towards her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado. She will hit the ground running on Monday and I know the class will make her feel welcome.
This week's homework page has been updated. There will be few changes in the homework assignments beginning next week, so please continue to monitor the student planner and the website. As always, we will spend the week modeling the new assignment so the class has a clear understanding of the expectations.
Thanks for all your continued support and I can't wait to see the class on Monday!
This week's homework page has been updated. There will be few changes in the homework assignments beginning next week, so please continue to monitor the student planner and the website. As always, we will spend the week modeling the new assignment so the class has a clear understanding of the expectations.
Thanks for all your continued support and I can't wait to see the class on Monday!
Updates for the Week of December 17th
Thanks for your patience this week as we work as a fourth grade preparing for the seasonal celebrations on Thursday and Friday!
There will be a new BOM assigned after break, so students will not have a required reading over the next two weeks however, we do encourage you to continue reading with your student and monitoring their understanding using our "Check for Understanding" strategy.
We will be celebrating the season on Friday with our class party from 12:00 - 12:30. The reason for this is that we will be participating in an assembly at the end of the day from 2:15 - 3:30. We will also have our read in first thing in the morning and will still be participating in specials from 1:20 - 2:05. As you can see, we have a very busy day filled with fun!
Finally, we would like to wish you a very happy holiday and a safe new year. It is important for me to let you know how much I care for each one of your children. We try our best to make ACE a caring and loving place for them to come each and everyday.
There will be a new BOM assigned after break, so students will not have a required reading over the next two weeks however, we do encourage you to continue reading with your student and monitoring their understanding using our "Check for Understanding" strategy.
We will be celebrating the season on Friday with our class party from 12:00 - 12:30. The reason for this is that we will be participating in an assembly at the end of the day from 2:15 - 3:30. We will also have our read in first thing in the morning and will still be participating in specials from 1:20 - 2:05. As you can see, we have a very busy day filled with fun!
Finally, we would like to wish you a very happy holiday and a safe new year. It is important for me to let you know how much I care for each one of your children. We try our best to make ACE a caring and loving place for them to come each and everyday.
Updates for the Week of December 10th
Winter Break is just around the corner and we are already feeling the effects of Jack Frost. Please make sure that students are dressed appropriately for the weather and outdoor recess.
Students will be completing Wordly Wise once again for homework. Since the assignments have been modeled in class, the expectation is that students can completed the tasks independently. We will assess using a comprehension passage on Friday.
We will be celebrating the Winter Season with our class party next Friday. The party will be earlier, 12:00, due to the winter assembly at the end of the day. Students should bring in donated party items by nect Wednesday.
Our Mountain Main Colorado History presentation will take place next Thursday from 2:00 - 3:15. Students should bring their 2.50 "in school field trip" money no later than Thursday of next week.
Finally, if students will be out of school due to illness or family emergency, please email or call to let me know. If it is appropriate and given enough time, I will put together some make up work that can be completed at home. Sometimes, the majority of the make up assignments will need to be completed durng recess because of the nature of the tasks.
Students will be completing Wordly Wise once again for homework. Since the assignments have been modeled in class, the expectation is that students can completed the tasks independently. We will assess using a comprehension passage on Friday.
We will be celebrating the Winter Season with our class party next Friday. The party will be earlier, 12:00, due to the winter assembly at the end of the day. Students should bring in donated party items by nect Wednesday.
Our Mountain Main Colorado History presentation will take place next Thursday from 2:00 - 3:15. Students should bring their 2.50 "in school field trip" money no later than Thursday of next week.
Finally, if students will be out of school due to illness or family emergency, please email or call to let me know. If it is appropriate and given enough time, I will put together some make up work that can be completed at home. Sometimes, the majority of the make up assignments will need to be completed durng recess because of the nature of the tasks.
Updates for the week of December 3rd
This week we will be finishing our Spirit of Caring Campaign at Aspen Crossing. We will be accepting all donations until the end of the week.
Book of the month projects will be due December 18th and cursive books should be completed by December 10th (the remaining excercises are all review).
Book of the month projects will be due December 18th and cursive books should be completed by December 10th (the remaining excercises are all review).
We're Back!
Now that the Thanksgiving Break is over, we are back to three weeks of hard work before our Winter Break. I hope that everyone had a memorable and relaxing holiday with their friends and family. I am thankful for the incredible fourth grade class that I have been fortunate to be a part of this year and the incredible parents who have been an incredible support network this year.
We will be finishing our Spirit of Caring Donation Drive the 4th of December. Please make sure we have all donations by then so that they can be wrapped for the families in need.
Below are a list of some upcoming events for the rest of 2012:
November 30th - Student Council Sponsored Hat Day!
December 18th - Realistic Fiction Book of the Month Project - Literature Cubes (checklists were distributed Tuesday, November 20th; Book titles are due Monday November 26th - we have been to the library twice to choose books)
December 20th - Colorado Mountain Man presentation
December 21st - Winter Party 2:30 - 3:00
December 24th - First Day of Winter Break
We will be finishing our Spirit of Caring Donation Drive the 4th of December. Please make sure we have all donations by then so that they can be wrapped for the families in need.
Below are a list of some upcoming events for the rest of 2012:
November 30th - Student Council Sponsored Hat Day!
December 18th - Realistic Fiction Book of the Month Project - Literature Cubes (checklists were distributed Tuesday, November 20th; Book titles are due Monday November 26th - we have been to the library twice to choose books)
December 20th - Colorado Mountain Man presentation
December 21st - Winter Party 2:30 - 3:00
December 24th - First Day of Winter Break
Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving Break!
This time of year makes us all reflect on what we have to be thankful for. I am thankful for family, friends, health and the parents and students that have made this school year so incredible. Thank you for your continued support and I hope everyone has a restful holiday weekend!
Website Updates; Spirit of Caring; Pasteries for Parents; Conference Follow Ups
The transition to the Grade Level
website has not been as smooth as anticipated, so to make sure that important
information is still accessible to you, I will continue to update the class
website as well as the grade level ACE website. I encourage you to check both
sites, since my intention is to eventually phase this one out.
On that note, the Aspen Crossing Spirit of Caring has started once again. This Thursday, we will be sending a letter home describing the needs of the family we will be supporting through the holiday season. Typically in the past, each classroom has adopted a member of the family. Gift cards from Target and King Soopers are welcomed as well. Please keep an eye out for this information in Thursday folders.
In addition to our Spirit of Caring, annual food drive sponsored by Student Council is underway. The class who donates the most nonperishable goods will be rewarded with a celebratory breakfast treat. We are currently in second place, by the deficit is pretty huge. We are almost 150 cans behind the leader. Boxed sides, canned goods, pasta, sauce, canned proteins like tuna and chicken are all great ideas to help fill the pantry of families in need from our own community.
This Thursday, we welcome you to join us for Pastries for Parents. Parents are welcome to join us on Thursday for a light breakfast of pastries and beverages. Anyone who is willing to volunteer to distribute pastries and beverages in the classroom on Thursday, please contact me. I will unfortunately be in a meeting Thursday morning and will be unable to attend, but I encourage you to use this opportunity to meet your child's math teacher once again.
This Thursday Aspen Crossing will be holding our first annual Turkey Trot. Students were given a yellow flier yesterday with specific information about this event.
Thank you for all your support during conferences and your patience while this overwhelmed teacher took one things at a time. Now that things have relatively settled, it is my intention to get back to any parents who had additional questions that could not be answered during our limited time. If you have not heard from me via email or phone call by next Tuesday, please do not hesitate to email me with a reminder. It is important to me that I do my best to communicate with you and support your needs as well as your student's.
Finally, thank you to everyone who helped make our Veteran's Day celebration incredible. The parade and the fourth grade's iconic Cha Cha Slide was absolutely amazing, and was a wonderful way to honor our veterans as well as those who are actively serving in our military.
On that note, the Aspen Crossing Spirit of Caring has started once again. This Thursday, we will be sending a letter home describing the needs of the family we will be supporting through the holiday season. Typically in the past, each classroom has adopted a member of the family. Gift cards from Target and King Soopers are welcomed as well. Please keep an eye out for this information in Thursday folders.
In addition to our Spirit of Caring, annual food drive sponsored by Student Council is underway. The class who donates the most nonperishable goods will be rewarded with a celebratory breakfast treat. We are currently in second place, by the deficit is pretty huge. We are almost 150 cans behind the leader. Boxed sides, canned goods, pasta, sauce, canned proteins like tuna and chicken are all great ideas to help fill the pantry of families in need from our own community.
This Thursday, we welcome you to join us for Pastries for Parents. Parents are welcome to join us on Thursday for a light breakfast of pastries and beverages. Anyone who is willing to volunteer to distribute pastries and beverages in the classroom on Thursday, please contact me. I will unfortunately be in a meeting Thursday morning and will be unable to attend, but I encourage you to use this opportunity to meet your child's math teacher once again.
This Thursday Aspen Crossing will be holding our first annual Turkey Trot. Students were given a yellow flier yesterday with specific information about this event.
Thank you for all your support during conferences and your patience while this overwhelmed teacher took one things at a time. Now that things have relatively settled, it is my intention to get back to any parents who had additional questions that could not be answered during our limited time. If you have not heard from me via email or phone call by next Tuesday, please do not hesitate to email me with a reminder. It is important to me that I do my best to communicate with you and support your needs as well as your student's.
Finally, thank you to everyone who helped make our Veteran's Day celebration incredible. The parade and the fourth grade's iconic Cha Cha Slide was absolutely amazing, and was a wonderful way to honor our veterans as well as those who are actively serving in our military.
Red Ribbon Week, Fall Break and the Last Week of the Class Website
This week begins Red Ribbon Week - a week dedicated to encourging students to make safe and healthy choices.To kick off Red Ribbon Week, students were asked to "Vote for their Future" and wear red, white and blue today. Tomorrow we will be "Teaming Up Against Drugs". Students are encouraged to wear their favorite team jersey. Wednesday we will "Shade out Drugs" and wear sunglasses followed by "Red Day" on Thursday. On "Red Day" students are asked to wear red and pack healthy red snacks for lunch and snack time. We will pledge to stay drug free by signing our name on our Thursday sticker. Finally, on Friday, we will celebrate Red Ribbon Week with our "Read In". Not only will we have schoolwide DEAR time (Drop Everything and Read) but students are asked to bring in a pillow and three or four books that they will have time to read silently throughout the day.
Trunk or Treat will take place this Friday. Come and check out the Collegiate themes trunks of the fourth grade. We will also have our Fall Harvest party on Friday beginning at 2:30. Students may begin bringing in donations on Wednesday. I will be sending a reminder email out tomorrow for those of you that have so kindly volunteered to donate items for the party.
We will also be creating our Salt Dough Maps of Colorado to celebrate the completion of our first chapter with our new social studies program A Colorado Story. Students should bring their salt dough to school on Thursday, so we can mold our maps and be ready to paint on Friday.
Pig Races will happen this Thursday to celebrate the Schoolwide Fundraiser. May the best pig win!
Fall Break takes place from October 22 - November 4th. Have a safe and healthy break! We will see you in November! I will be sending home some fun activities students can complete over break to help them learn more about the election and our voting prcess in the United States. The best way to teach your child about the election, is to get out and vote yourself!
Trunk or Treat will take place this Friday. Come and check out the Collegiate themes trunks of the fourth grade. We will also have our Fall Harvest party on Friday beginning at 2:30. Students may begin bringing in donations on Wednesday. I will be sending a reminder email out tomorrow for those of you that have so kindly volunteered to donate items for the party.
We will also be creating our Salt Dough Maps of Colorado to celebrate the completion of our first chapter with our new social studies program A Colorado Story. Students should bring their salt dough to school on Thursday, so we can mold our maps and be ready to paint on Friday.
Pig Races will happen this Thursday to celebrate the Schoolwide Fundraiser. May the best pig win!
Fall Break takes place from October 22 - November 4th. Have a safe and healthy break! We will see you in November! I will be sending home some fun activities students can complete over break to help them learn more about the election and our voting prcess in the United States. The best way to teach your child about the election, is to get out and vote yourself!
October News from the desk . . .
Only the more weeks until Fall Break! Where has the time gone? I appreciate everyone's patience while conferences are scheduled. We are fortunate to have so many knowledgable support staff at ACE to consider, and because of this scheduling conferences can be challenging. Thanks for your patience!
We will be having our fall party on the last Friday before fall break. I wil be sending a communication letter home this Thursday in Thursday Folders with more information. All incomplete work must be turned in by tomorrow, Monday, October 8th in order to earn partial credit. The end of data collection for the first trimester is this Friday, October 12th, so I will need to have enough time to record and document the grades and proficiencies. Unfortunately, students will not be able to resubmit these assignments for improved grades with corrections. Progress reports will be handed out Octobe 19th, the Friday before fall break. This will be the first year students earn summary grades on their progress reports. Please remember that although proficiencies and grades work together as parts of the body of evidence to determine grade level performance, there is no direct correlation between grades and proficiencies. In other words, proficiecnt does not mean "A", "B" or "C". If you have any questions regarding summary grades, we will be more than happy to explain how proficiencies and grades are determined during conferences. I am still in the process of compiling data collection sheets with MAP and DRA II assessment information and anticiapte having those completed by Thursday.
Finally, the class website will no longer be updated after fall break. Please refer to the grade level website that can be found through the links on the Aspen Crossing Elementary Website. Once you arrive at our school homepage, click on the classrooms link found on the left side.
We will be having our fall party on the last Friday before fall break. I wil be sending a communication letter home this Thursday in Thursday Folders with more information. All incomplete work must be turned in by tomorrow, Monday, October 8th in order to earn partial credit. The end of data collection for the first trimester is this Friday, October 12th, so I will need to have enough time to record and document the grades and proficiencies. Unfortunately, students will not be able to resubmit these assignments for improved grades with corrections. Progress reports will be handed out Octobe 19th, the Friday before fall break. This will be the first year students earn summary grades on their progress reports. Please remember that although proficiencies and grades work together as parts of the body of evidence to determine grade level performance, there is no direct correlation between grades and proficiencies. In other words, proficiecnt does not mean "A", "B" or "C". If you have any questions regarding summary grades, we will be more than happy to explain how proficiencies and grades are determined during conferences. I am still in the process of compiling data collection sheets with MAP and DRA II assessment information and anticiapte having those completed by Thursday.
Finally, the class website will no longer be updated after fall break. Please refer to the grade level website that can be found through the links on the Aspen Crossing Elementary Website. Once you arrive at our school homepage, click on the classrooms link found on the left side.
October is off to a great start!
Monday is October Count day. It is important for all students to be on time to school on Monday so they are marked as present. This student count is one factor that determines funding for our 2012-2013 School Year, so we thank you in advance for getting your ACE Explorer to school on time!
MAP testing will be completed as of Monday afternoon. In addition to their DRA II reading levels, I will be sending these test scores home with students this week. I would like to extend an invitation to all parents to schedule a brief conference (in addition to the fall conferences in November) if they would like to discuss the scores their child earned. Please call or email me and we can find some time to briefly meet in person or over the phone. If we do not meet prior to November, I will be more than happy to discuss them during the scheduled November conference time.
As always, thanks for your flexibility with homework. It is important that the assignments that come home are ones that it would appear the students are comfortable with and at times, in class content takes longer than anticipated to cover. Although I may not have time to update the website on a daily basis, we do spend approximately 5-10 minutes in class reviewing the planner. In fourth grade, students are expected to be responsible for the completion fo the planner and its accurate portrayal of homework assignments.
On that note, we are also in the process of researching a different spelling program. Because of this, we have spent our word study time in class determining what grade level spelling words the students are still struggling with and focusing on spelling them correctly. For the students who are consistently spelling their grade level words correctly, their word study will be differentiated to included higher level vocabulary. Please see the Spelling page for some lists, games and vocabulary lessons that are differentiated for a variety of student needs. We anticipate the new word study program to begin some time in the next two weeks. We appreciate your patience while we continue to research and make the best choice to address student needs.
Finally, I will be attending a workshop sponsored by the district on Tuesday, so the students will have a guest teacher. If you need me, I will be available through district mail. I will not be available to return phone calls until Tuesday, October 3rd.
Have a great week!
MAP testing will be completed as of Monday afternoon. In addition to their DRA II reading levels, I will be sending these test scores home with students this week. I would like to extend an invitation to all parents to schedule a brief conference (in addition to the fall conferences in November) if they would like to discuss the scores their child earned. Please call or email me and we can find some time to briefly meet in person or over the phone. If we do not meet prior to November, I will be more than happy to discuss them during the scheduled November conference time.
As always, thanks for your flexibility with homework. It is important that the assignments that come home are ones that it would appear the students are comfortable with and at times, in class content takes longer than anticipated to cover. Although I may not have time to update the website on a daily basis, we do spend approximately 5-10 minutes in class reviewing the planner. In fourth grade, students are expected to be responsible for the completion fo the planner and its accurate portrayal of homework assignments.
On that note, we are also in the process of researching a different spelling program. Because of this, we have spent our word study time in class determining what grade level spelling words the students are still struggling with and focusing on spelling them correctly. For the students who are consistently spelling their grade level words correctly, their word study will be differentiated to included higher level vocabulary. Please see the Spelling page for some lists, games and vocabulary lessons that are differentiated for a variety of student needs. We anticipate the new word study program to begin some time in the next two weeks. We appreciate your patience while we continue to research and make the best choice to address student needs.
Finally, I will be attending a workshop sponsored by the district on Tuesday, so the students will have a guest teacher. If you need me, I will be available through district mail. I will not be available to return phone calls until Tuesday, October 3rd.
Have a great week!
Announcements for the week of September 24th
Thanks for your patience while I update the homework portion of the website. Spelling groups will take place during whole group class time this week while we transition into a new spelling program that will better support the needs of our students this year. Students will have spelling homework this week. Their homework will be to record on index cards words that were spelled incorrectly on a 4th grade spelling inventory that was administered today. These are the fourth grade no excuse words and should be spelled correctly in all writing piececs. Some students earned a 100% on their spelling test today. In this case, they will not have any spelling words to record tonight. Each day a new set of 25 words are administered, so they may have homework later on in the week depending on their performance in future assessments. We will have completed the entire spelling inventory by Thursday.
I am nearing the end of DRA II and MAP testing so I should have all student scores by the end of this week. I would like to invite any parent to meet with me, either over the phone or in person, to discuss the results of these assessments. I will also have some at home strategies to share with you to help develop some challenge areas. Please look for an email or letter home regarding this in the next week (provided all the data is collected).
Have a wonderful week and happy fall!
I am nearing the end of DRA II and MAP testing so I should have all student scores by the end of this week. I would like to invite any parent to meet with me, either over the phone or in person, to discuss the results of these assessments. I will also have some at home strategies to share with you to help develop some challenge areas. Please look for an email or letter home regarding this in the next week (provided all the data is collected).
Have a wonderful week and happy fall!
This week is another four day week!
Thanks again for everyone who was able to make Curriculum Night. I will be uploading the Power Point presentation that we used tomorrow (Monday) morning.
It has been a crazy few weeks juggling field trips, MAP testing and DRA II testing while only have four in class instructional days for the past two weeks, and we will have another four day week this upcoming week, so I think we all can look forward to getting back into our trypical routine.
We have decided as a grade level to cancel spelling groups this week, so there will be no spelling homework. We will resume a typical spelling schedule next week provided all MAP testing for the classrooms is completed.
Classroom Occupation Applications are due tomorrow (Monday) and we will have new students in new class occupation positions by Wednesday.
Mrs. Smetz sent home recorder order forms in last week's Thursday folder. If students already have recorders at home, they are encouraged to reuse these recorders. Mrs. Smeltz senda these order forms out only as a courtesy to students who do not have a recorder.
All assessment corrections are due tomorrow. If test corrections are turned in after Tuesday, I will correct the student work, however they will not recieve partial credit towards an improved grade.
I will be sending sealed envelopes home with MAP test scores and DRA II scores as soon as the assessment window is closed and all assessment data is completed. I will also be conferencing with students to let them know what all these numbers mean and to set up some specific kid friendly goals with them so they know exactly what they can do to stay on track.
Finally, thanks to all of you who returned signed Unit 1 math coversheets. I have uploaded the Unit 1 supplemental materials to the Everyday Math page, but I am more than happy to send these worksheets and activities home with students as well.
It has been a crazy few weeks juggling field trips, MAP testing and DRA II testing while only have four in class instructional days for the past two weeks, and we will have another four day week this upcoming week, so I think we all can look forward to getting back into our trypical routine.
We have decided as a grade level to cancel spelling groups this week, so there will be no spelling homework. We will resume a typical spelling schedule next week provided all MAP testing for the classrooms is completed.
Classroom Occupation Applications are due tomorrow (Monday) and we will have new students in new class occupation positions by Wednesday.
Mrs. Smetz sent home recorder order forms in last week's Thursday folder. If students already have recorders at home, they are encouraged to reuse these recorders. Mrs. Smeltz senda these order forms out only as a courtesy to students who do not have a recorder.
All assessment corrections are due tomorrow. If test corrections are turned in after Tuesday, I will correct the student work, however they will not recieve partial credit towards an improved grade.
I will be sending sealed envelopes home with MAP test scores and DRA II scores as soon as the assessment window is closed and all assessment data is completed. I will also be conferencing with students to let them know what all these numbers mean and to set up some specific kid friendly goals with them so they know exactly what they can do to stay on track.
Finally, thanks to all of you who returned signed Unit 1 math coversheets. I have uploaded the Unit 1 supplemental materials to the Everyday Math page, but I am more than happy to send these worksheets and activities home with students as well.
Supplemental Math Materials for Unit 1, Unit 2 Test and Field Trip Info
I have linked some worksheets to support students as they master concepts related to geometry. They can be found on the Everyday Math page. I also encourage you to visit my delicious account found on the links page. It has been last school year since I checked in on this web page where I have bookmarked a variety of activities to support student achievement in all content areas, so if any has trouble with any of the links, I would appreciate you letting me know so I can fix them right away!
Our Unit 2 test will be administered on Wednesday, rather than Tuesday. With MAP testing taking place and with our field trip on Monday, I wanted to make sure that the class has had enough time with the material, to be successful on their test.
Finally, our field trip will be taking place on Monday. All chaperones have been notified (as of two weeks ago) so we thank everyone who volunteered. Students will need to wear comfortable shoes, a bag lunch that they can carry in a backpack for approximately 7 blocks. Coolers and heavy lunch bags can add unneccessarily difficulty to the walk.
Our Unit 2 test will be administered on Wednesday, rather than Tuesday. With MAP testing taking place and with our field trip on Monday, I wanted to make sure that the class has had enough time with the material, to be successful on their test.
Finally, our field trip will be taking place on Monday. All chaperones have been notified (as of two weeks ago) so we thank everyone who volunteered. Students will need to wear comfortable shoes, a bag lunch that they can carry in a backpack for approximately 7 blocks. Coolers and heavy lunch bags can add unneccessarily difficulty to the walk.
Fact Practice, IPICK, Snacks, Field Trips and Fundraisers
Check out the links on the Everyday Math page. There are links to online games, worksheets and flash cards to support fact practice. We will be taking two fact practice assessments a week to support the memorization of basic facts 0-10.
As we continue to work together as a group developing new ways engage our students as readers, we have practiced several strategies using the Daily 5. When choosing a book at home or from the library, students can use their IPICK strategy. The mnemonic stands for " I Choose; Purpose; Interest; Comprehension and Know Vocabulary. Before choosing a book, students should know the purpose (is this book for fun? for a book report? to learn about turtles? to write a report?, etc.). Next students should think of books that they are interested in. If the book is for fun, well think of the types of books they enjoy. If the book is for a report, but non-fiction is not their favorite type of book, possibly choosing a shorter book, or a non-fiction book that has illustrations and writing that is similar to books they do enjoy. Comprehension and knowing vocabulary can be assessed superficially if a student reads one or two pages of the book, depending on the amount of text on the page. After reading if the reader can accurately tell what happened and who the characters were the student can probably comprehend the text. If students can read and understand most of the words ( we practiced the five finger rule), the vocabulary is proabably just right. Ask your child how to use IPICK when at the bookstore or library. We will also go through this in more detail at Curriculum Night on September 11th.
Students may bring in snacks to munch on at 2:05 when they return from Specials. We ask the snacks they bring be finger foods that will not turn fingers (or papers) orange and do not need utensils or a trash can to deposit shells in. Students do need to unpack their snacks at the beginning of the day as well. To keep snack time as minimal a disruption as possible, students will not be allowed to go to their backpacks to get them
Field trip September 10th! Thank you to all the volunteers who were willing to chaperone 23 4th graders through Denver and the Capital Building. All the chaperones have been contacted and their names have been given to the field trip coordinators at the Captial and Governor's Residence.
Finally, our school fundraiser is coming to a close. Aspen Crossing recieved 50% of all the money from sales to support the purchase of laptops as well as to support field trips and all the fun, engaging things we would love to make possible at Aspen Crossing.
As we continue to work together as a group developing new ways engage our students as readers, we have practiced several strategies using the Daily 5. When choosing a book at home or from the library, students can use their IPICK strategy. The mnemonic stands for " I Choose; Purpose; Interest; Comprehension and Know Vocabulary. Before choosing a book, students should know the purpose (is this book for fun? for a book report? to learn about turtles? to write a report?, etc.). Next students should think of books that they are interested in. If the book is for fun, well think of the types of books they enjoy. If the book is for a report, but non-fiction is not their favorite type of book, possibly choosing a shorter book, or a non-fiction book that has illustrations and writing that is similar to books they do enjoy. Comprehension and knowing vocabulary can be assessed superficially if a student reads one or two pages of the book, depending on the amount of text on the page. After reading if the reader can accurately tell what happened and who the characters were the student can probably comprehend the text. If students can read and understand most of the words ( we practiced the five finger rule), the vocabulary is proabably just right. Ask your child how to use IPICK when at the bookstore or library. We will also go through this in more detail at Curriculum Night on September 11th.
Students may bring in snacks to munch on at 2:05 when they return from Specials. We ask the snacks they bring be finger foods that will not turn fingers (or papers) orange and do not need utensils or a trash can to deposit shells in. Students do need to unpack their snacks at the beginning of the day as well. To keep snack time as minimal a disruption as possible, students will not be allowed to go to their backpacks to get them
Field trip September 10th! Thank you to all the volunteers who were willing to chaperone 23 4th graders through Denver and the Capital Building. All the chaperones have been contacted and their names have been given to the field trip coordinators at the Captial and Governor's Residence.
Finally, our school fundraiser is coming to a close. Aspen Crossing recieved 50% of all the money from sales to support the purchase of laptops as well as to support field trips and all the fun, engaging things we would love to make possible at Aspen Crossing.
Snacks, Progress Monitoring and Spelling
I hope everyone has fun and relaxing plans for this weekend. Due to schedule changes that have been made to accomodate two spectacular assemblies, we have had to push progress monitoring off one more week. Unfortunately there was not enough time today to model and answer questions around how the progress monitoring works.
Tomorrow if students would like to bring snacks to munch on in the afternoon, they are more than welcome to bring in an afternoon treat. We only ask that the snacks not turn fingers orange (powdery, colorful fingers lead to powdery, colorful papers) and that they not require utensils. Some suggestions are granola bars or fruit. Please refrain from peanut products as well, since we do have some peanut allergies in class.
Finally spelling will begin next week with spelling homework tentatively beginning the following week. We will be modeling excellent spelling behaviors during spelling in class next week. In other words spelling homework will be completed in class.
Tomorrow if students would like to bring snacks to munch on in the afternoon, they are more than welcome to bring in an afternoon treat. We only ask that the snacks not turn fingers orange (powdery, colorful fingers lead to powdery, colorful papers) and that they not require utensils. Some suggestions are granola bars or fruit. Please refrain from peanut products as well, since we do have some peanut allergies in class.
Finally spelling will begin next week with spelling homework tentatively beginning the following week. We will be modeling excellent spelling behaviors during spelling in class next week. In other words spelling homework will be completed in class.
Fundraisers, Field Trips, Progress Monitoring and a Fun First Two Weeks!
These first two weeks have flown by! Thank you to everyone who was able to make their goal setting conferences. It was wonderful to hear your goals and dreams for your children this school year. If you still need to schedule a goal setting conference, please email me immediately. Goal setting will end this Friday, August 31st.
The fundraiser kick off assembly took place Friday afternoon, and boy was it exciting! We are all aware of the budget constraints facing each and every school district in the state of Colorado (and around our nation), and our fundraisers help to ease part of the financial burden. The school earns 50% of all sales from this fundraiser and the money earned will be used to purchase new laptops for ACE. As we move further into the 21st century, placing laptops in the hands of our children is imperative for us to prepare them for a work force with jobs we have yet to imagine. Plus, there is some pretty neat stuff in the catalog!
We will be having our first field trip to the state capital and governor's residence on Monday, September 10th. Since it is just around the corner, permission slips and the $6 transportation fee should be returned to school no later than September 5th so final deposits can be made. There is a considerable amount of walking between the state capital and governor's residence, so walking shoes are recommended. Students will be carrying their lunch with them between the capital and governor's residence, so they will need to pack a lunch which can be carried approximately 7 city blocks. Chaperones will be notified this week. Due to restrictions set by the capital and governor's residence, only 2 chaperones are permitted per class.
Check out the homework page for this week's upcoming assignments. Spelling homework will begin after Labor Day weekend. Spelling groups may or may not begin this week. We will keep you posted as the 4th grade team continues to meet!
Beginning this week, students will be bringing home a progress monitoring sheet. This purple sheet is completed to serve as a quick reference
of your child's progress so far this school year. For the first few weeks, we will spend time in class filling in grades and proficiencies earned over the
past week or two. Proficiencies are not the equivalent of grades; rather they go hand in hand to develop a body of evidence that illustrates a clear picture of your child's performance this school year. More detail about proficiencies and grades, their similarities and differences will be given at Curriculum
Night. Please review this worksheet, discuss the grades and proficiencies with your child, and sign it to be returned on Friday.
Reminder - NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY in observance of LABOR DAY!
GO TEMPLE! BEAT VILLANOVA!
The fundraiser kick off assembly took place Friday afternoon, and boy was it exciting! We are all aware of the budget constraints facing each and every school district in the state of Colorado (and around our nation), and our fundraisers help to ease part of the financial burden. The school earns 50% of all sales from this fundraiser and the money earned will be used to purchase new laptops for ACE. As we move further into the 21st century, placing laptops in the hands of our children is imperative for us to prepare them for a work force with jobs we have yet to imagine. Plus, there is some pretty neat stuff in the catalog!
We will be having our first field trip to the state capital and governor's residence on Monday, September 10th. Since it is just around the corner, permission slips and the $6 transportation fee should be returned to school no later than September 5th so final deposits can be made. There is a considerable amount of walking between the state capital and governor's residence, so walking shoes are recommended. Students will be carrying their lunch with them between the capital and governor's residence, so they will need to pack a lunch which can be carried approximately 7 city blocks. Chaperones will be notified this week. Due to restrictions set by the capital and governor's residence, only 2 chaperones are permitted per class.
Check out the homework page for this week's upcoming assignments. Spelling homework will begin after Labor Day weekend. Spelling groups may or may not begin this week. We will keep you posted as the 4th grade team continues to meet!
Beginning this week, students will be bringing home a progress monitoring sheet. This purple sheet is completed to serve as a quick reference
of your child's progress so far this school year. For the first few weeks, we will spend time in class filling in grades and proficiencies earned over the
past week or two. Proficiencies are not the equivalent of grades; rather they go hand in hand to develop a body of evidence that illustrates a clear picture of your child's performance this school year. More detail about proficiencies and grades, their similarities and differences will be given at Curriculum
Night. Please review this worksheet, discuss the grades and proficiencies with your child, and sign it to be returned on Friday.
Reminder - NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY in observance of LABOR DAY!
GO TEMPLE! BEAT VILLANOVA!
Welcome Back Aspen Crossing Exploring Marmots!
Thanks for your patience while I work my way through updated the site for this year's incredible group of 4th graders! First, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who was able to make it to Meet and Greet. It was wonderful to have a chance to meet you, and for some of you, reconnect!
Goal setting conferences will continue for the rest of this week. I still have times available this week and will be more than happy to set up some time conferences next week as well.
Finally, please take some time to explore what is available on the website. I have changed some of the links, and hope to have more resources available to you to make fourth grade a smooth transition. It is year where we work on independence and self advocacy while learning and having fun!
August 24th will be our PTCO kick off assembly for our Fall Fundraiser. The PTCO is doing a tremendous job promoting and supporting ACE in the purchase of additional laptops for our student's use.
Finally, do not forget to register for the Cherry Creek Fitness Festival on September 8th. Click on the link below to register. If your daughter was a Lady Running Marmot, it would be great to have the all the ladies wear their t-shirts and run together! More information about running with the Lady Marmots and the 2013 Lady Marmot Season coming soon!
http://www.fasbfitnessfestival.com
Goal setting conferences will continue for the rest of this week. I still have times available this week and will be more than happy to set up some time conferences next week as well.
Finally, please take some time to explore what is available on the website. I have changed some of the links, and hope to have more resources available to you to make fourth grade a smooth transition. It is year where we work on independence and self advocacy while learning and having fun!
August 24th will be our PTCO kick off assembly for our Fall Fundraiser. The PTCO is doing a tremendous job promoting and supporting ACE in the purchase of additional laptops for our student's use.
Finally, do not forget to register for the Cherry Creek Fitness Festival on September 8th. Click on the link below to register. If your daughter was a Lady Running Marmot, it would be great to have the all the ladies wear their t-shirts and run together! More information about running with the Lady Marmots and the 2013 Lady Marmot Season coming soon!
http://www.fasbfitnessfestival.com