Hello!
It's the last week of the quarter! As you already know, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are all half days, releasing at 12:30. We will have two quizzes this week, a geology quiz on Thursday, and our final Robin Hood quiz on Friday. Additionally, we have two special events this week. On Thursday, your child can dress up as any literary character they choose (pending Ms. Walls' approval). Ms. Walls and I are really excited to see your student's creativity and are already deciding what to wear ourselves. On Friday, we're having an end-of-year Robin Hood/Middle ages party across the 4th grade from 10-12:30. Our room moms have worked very hard to put this together and we're so glad we will have a chance to celebrate the end of the year.
Have a great week!
Monday, December 14, 2015
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Week 18 Overview
Hello!
We have a great week ahead of us! We have just one test, our regular weekly spelling test on Friday, so we will be able to cover a lot of content in Math, Science, History, and Literature.
We've been really enjoying teaching our scholars how to add and subtract fractions during the last few lessons. They seem to be understanding this complex new concept and are showing steady improvement in their ability to solve word problems with fractions. This week, our students are learning how to multiply fractions, a concept they've tackled with great confidence and enthusiasm.
In Literature, we're quickly approaching the end of Robin Hood, a book that everyone has really enjoyed. We've loved watching everyone improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills this semester, especially with Robin Hood, which has some very complex, old-fashioned language.
Our History lessons have covered a lot of great characters, that have sparked the imaginations of our students. Special favorites include: Bad, Bad King John, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Richard the Lion-Hearted. We're looking forward to discussing even more important figures, like Joan of Arc, this coming week.
In Science, we've been building on our study of the Earth's crust by studying the various kinds of mountains, including underwater mountains.
Just a note for you: Ms. Walls and I have noticed that our students' spelling quizzes have not been as strong as they should be lately. Because of this, we have started requiring their spelling homework to be turned in with the actual words they wrote, so we can see if they are practicing correctly. Thank you so much with your help with spelling this semester and for your support for your student's education!
Have a great week!
We have a great week ahead of us! We have just one test, our regular weekly spelling test on Friday, so we will be able to cover a lot of content in Math, Science, History, and Literature.
We've been really enjoying teaching our scholars how to add and subtract fractions during the last few lessons. They seem to be understanding this complex new concept and are showing steady improvement in their ability to solve word problems with fractions. This week, our students are learning how to multiply fractions, a concept they've tackled with great confidence and enthusiasm.
In Literature, we're quickly approaching the end of Robin Hood, a book that everyone has really enjoyed. We've loved watching everyone improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills this semester, especially with Robin Hood, which has some very complex, old-fashioned language.
Our History lessons have covered a lot of great characters, that have sparked the imaginations of our students. Special favorites include: Bad, Bad King John, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Richard the Lion-Hearted. We're looking forward to discussing even more important figures, like Joan of Arc, this coming week.
In Science, we've been building on our study of the Earth's crust by studying the various kinds of mountains, including underwater mountains.
Just a note for you: Ms. Walls and I have noticed that our students' spelling quizzes have not been as strong as they should be lately. Because of this, we have started requiring their spelling homework to be turned in with the actual words they wrote, so we can see if they are practicing correctly. Thank you so much with your help with spelling this semester and for your support for your student's education!
Have a great week!
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Week 17 Overview
Hello!
We hope you all had a restful Thanksgiving break! Ms. Walls and I enjoyed our time off very much and are ready to jump into the last few weeks of the semester with renewed energy. We are so thankful for our scholars, all of whom work hard every day to become more knowledgeable, wiser, kinder, and more great-hearted people. We are also thankful for all of you parents, who support your children faithfully and encourage us through your caring and involvement. Thank you so much!
This week, we will have two quizzes, one on Thursday over some of the grammar concepts we have been learning this quarter, and one on Friday over chapters 11-15 of Robin Hood. We've really enjoyed learning Paul Revere's Ride with the class over the last few weeks. Everyone has been doing a fantastic job of keeping up with their memorization and we're so pleased with their progress.
Have a great week!
We hope you all had a restful Thanksgiving break! Ms. Walls and I enjoyed our time off very much and are ready to jump into the last few weeks of the semester with renewed energy. We are so thankful for our scholars, all of whom work hard every day to become more knowledgeable, wiser, kinder, and more great-hearted people. We are also thankful for all of you parents, who support your children faithfully and encourage us through your caring and involvement. Thank you so much!
This week, we will have two quizzes, one on Thursday over some of the grammar concepts we have been learning this quarter, and one on Friday over chapters 11-15 of Robin Hood. We've really enjoyed learning Paul Revere's Ride with the class over the last few weeks. Everyone has been doing a fantastic job of keeping up with their memorization and we're so pleased with their progress.
Have a great week!
Monday, November 23, 2015
Week 16 Overview
Hello!
Happy Thanksgiving! We have a short, yet busy week ahead of us. Today we really enjoyed exploding the volcanoes we made last Friday. Ms. Walls had the brilliant idea of adding food coloring to make our baking soda and vinegar "lava" more realistic and we loved seeing everyone's beautiful creations overflow with pink foam! ;) Thank you so much to all our parents who helped us make volcanoes. We couldn't have done it without you! On the academic side, we will have a Geology quiz over tsunamis and volcanoes this Tuesday and we will have a fractions quiz on Wednesday. This Thanksgiving weekend will be an R+R weekend, so that means no homework on Wednesday!
Have a great week (and a great holiday)!
Happy Thanksgiving! We have a short, yet busy week ahead of us. Today we really enjoyed exploding the volcanoes we made last Friday. Ms. Walls had the brilliant idea of adding food coloring to make our baking soda and vinegar "lava" more realistic and we loved seeing everyone's beautiful creations overflow with pink foam! ;) Thank you so much to all our parents who helped us make volcanoes. We couldn't have done it without you! On the academic side, we will have a Geology quiz over tsunamis and volcanoes this Tuesday and we will have a fractions quiz on Wednesday. This Thanksgiving weekend will be an R+R weekend, so that means no homework on Wednesday!
Have a great week (and a great holiday)!
Monday, November 16, 2015
Week 14 overview
Hello!
The big event of the week is our Fall Concert this Thursday. Ms. Walls and I are so very excited to hear the results of our scholars' hard work in Music class! Ms. Blasi has put a lot of information on her blog for your reference (http://archwaylincolnmusic.blogspot.com/); for a full answer to any of your questions, please check there. Here's my shortened guide for the most frequently asked questions:
The big event of the week is our Fall Concert this Thursday. Ms. Walls and I are so very excited to hear the results of our scholars' hard work in Music class! Ms. Blasi has put a lot of information on her blog for your reference (http://archwaylincolnmusic.blogspot.com/); for a full answer to any of your questions, please check there. Here's my shortened guide for the most frequently asked questions:
- What time should we arrive? All students should report to their classrooms promptly at 6:45.
- What should my child wear? Girls must wear a white collared shirt, black skirt (knee length or lower) or dress slacks, and black dress shoes. Boys must wear a white collared, button-down shirt, black slacks, and black dress shoes.
- How long will the concert be? We're expecting the concert to last about 45 minutes. Please pick up your students from their classrooms after the entire concert is over (please do not leave during the concert!).
If you have other questions, please direct them to Ms. Blasi. She has worked very hard to make this concert happen, and we're so excited to see you all on Thursday!
Additionally, we have been collecting stuffing boxes for the food drive happening on Thursday. So far, we have collected 82 boxes, far exceeding our original goal of 50 boxes. Thank you so much for your help!
On the academic side of things, we have two tests this week: a Robin Hood test on Tuesday and a Middle Ages test on Friday. We've really enjoyed how our Literature and History classes have intersected this quarter; we hope our scholars' understanding of each subject has been deepened by the other! In Math, we're working on adding and subtracting fractions, a topic that our scholars have tackled with confidence and skill. In Science, our study of geology has included a discussion of various natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes. On Friday, we're hoping to create model volcanoes in our classroom!
Have a great week!
Friday, November 13, 2015
Concert Night Drop-Off
Hello!
Here is some information about our upcoming concert next Thursday!
Parents should drop off students at the Archway Building Entrance.
Students will not be dismissed until the end of the concert. We ask that you promptly pick up your student at the end of the concert. If you have a student performing in both the 5:30 PM Concert (K-2nd Grade) and the 7:30 PM Concert (3rd-5th Grade), please have one parent go to pick up the student who performed in the first concert and bring them back with you to the gym.
Should the need arise, we would recommend parking in the JC Penney's parking as overflow parking for the evening of the concert.
We're looking forward to hearing everyone perform!
Here is some information about our upcoming concert next Thursday!
Parents should drop off students at the Archway Building Entrance.
Students will not be dismissed until the end of the concert. We ask that you promptly pick up your student at the end of the concert. If you have a student performing in both the 5:30 PM Concert (K-2nd Grade) and the 7:30 PM Concert (3rd-5th Grade), please have one parent go to pick up the student who performed in the first concert and bring them back with you to the gym.
Should the need arise, we would recommend parking in the JC Penney's parking as overflow parking for the evening of the concert.
We're looking forward to hearing everyone perform!
Monday, November 9, 2015
Week 13 Overview
Hello!
We're looking forward to a fairly light week this week. There aren't any tests on the immediate horizon and we have Wednesday off. Yay! That being said, we are starting studying some exciting new things. In Math, we've starting discussing fractions. For some students, this was their very first exposure to fractions! We had an exciting and productive day today introducing that concept. In Science, we're continuing our study of earthquakes, a subject all of are scholars are thrilled to study. Tomorrow, we will be making seismographs out of tissue boxes! In History, we're continuing our study of the Middle Ages by discussing knights and chivalry, a subject that certainly fits in well with our Great Hearts virtues!
Today and tomorrow, we are having a book fair. Our students will be able to attend tomorrow (Tuesday) during school, and after school with parental supervision. If your student would like to buy a book, please send money to school with them.
Have a great week!
We're looking forward to a fairly light week this week. There aren't any tests on the immediate horizon and we have Wednesday off. Yay! That being said, we are starting studying some exciting new things. In Math, we've starting discussing fractions. For some students, this was their very first exposure to fractions! We had an exciting and productive day today introducing that concept. In Science, we're continuing our study of earthquakes, a subject all of are scholars are thrilled to study. Tomorrow, we will be making seismographs out of tissue boxes! In History, we're continuing our study of the Middle Ages by discussing knights and chivalry, a subject that certainly fits in well with our Great Hearts virtues!
Today and tomorrow, we are having a book fair. Our students will be able to attend tomorrow (Tuesday) during school, and after school with parental supervision. If your student would like to buy a book, please send money to school with them.
Have a great week!
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Project Week
Good afternoon 4B families! I wanted to draw your attention to the new link at the bottom of the page. It is titled 'Project Week' and it will contain all of the information related to January's project week. In the weeks to follow, we will be posting the rubric, a copy of the poem, and the checklist we will be sending home with your children to mark their progress. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Monday, November 2, 2015
Week 12 Overview
Hello!
We hope you had an exciting and safe Halloween! This week we have a lot to accomplish, including our first Robin Hood test on Tuesday. We spent our Literature period reviewing the study guide and I was really impressed with all the work our students put into studying for this quiz over the weekend! We've had a great time discussing Robin Hood's virtues (and vices) together. Ms. Walls and I are looking forward to reading through their quizzes this week. On Wednesday, we are having a Geology test, covering the layers of the earth and plate tectonics. Our class really enjoyed learning about plate boundaries using graham crackers and icing last Friday, and it seems like all the information they learned really stuck!
Finally, on Thursday, we have a Middle Ages quiz. Today, we further explored the feudal system by splitting the class into serfs and lords and splitting up candy in various portions, depending on what social class each student was assigned. Everyone quickly concluded that the feudal system was grossly unfair! Being allowed to eat a piece of candy seemed to sooth everyone's feelings by the end.
Have a great week!
We hope you had an exciting and safe Halloween! This week we have a lot to accomplish, including our first Robin Hood test on Tuesday. We spent our Literature period reviewing the study guide and I was really impressed with all the work our students put into studying for this quiz over the weekend! We've had a great time discussing Robin Hood's virtues (and vices) together. Ms. Walls and I are looking forward to reading through their quizzes this week. On Wednesday, we are having a Geology test, covering the layers of the earth and plate tectonics. Our class really enjoyed learning about plate boundaries using graham crackers and icing last Friday, and it seems like all the information they learned really stuck!
Finally, on Thursday, we have a Middle Ages quiz. Today, we further explored the feudal system by splitting the class into serfs and lords and splitting up candy in various portions, depending on what social class each student was assigned. Everyone quickly concluded that the feudal system was grossly unfair! Being allowed to eat a piece of candy seemed to sooth everyone's feelings by the end.
Have a great week!
Monday, October 26, 2015
Week 11 Overview
Hello!
I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for a full week of school! We are planning a lot of exciting activities in Science, including an edible exploration of plate tectonics on Friday. Also on Friday, we will have a Math test focusing on long division. We had a great time learning how to solve division word problems today, and with practice, we're confident that our students will succeed!
Our music teacher, Ms. Blasi, would like me to remind you to put our fall concert on your calendars. It's on November 19th from 7:30-8:30. More information can be found on her blog: Ms. Blasi's Blog.
As we dive into Robin Hood over the coming weeks, please make sure your student is equipped to succeed by buying the book for them, if you haven't already! I know that it can be hard to find at Barnes and Noble, but it is available on Amazon: Robin Hood link.
Have a great week!
I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for a full week of school! We are planning a lot of exciting activities in Science, including an edible exploration of plate tectonics on Friday. Also on Friday, we will have a Math test focusing on long division. We had a great time learning how to solve division word problems today, and with practice, we're confident that our students will succeed!
Our music teacher, Ms. Blasi, would like me to remind you to put our fall concert on your calendars. It's on November 19th from 7:30-8:30. More information can be found on her blog: Ms. Blasi's Blog.
As we dive into Robin Hood over the coming weeks, please make sure your student is equipped to succeed by buying the book for them, if you haven't already! I know that it can be hard to find at Barnes and Noble, but it is available on Amazon: Robin Hood link.
Have a great week!
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Week 10 Overview
Hello!
I hope you all had a wonderful and restful Fall Break; I know Ms. Walls and I did! We've had such a blast meeting with you all these past few days. It was so encouraging and energizing to hear from you and get your support. We're so very grateful for all our wonderful families!
This week, as you know, will be a bit shorter than normal. We're starting a new unit in Science (geology) and a new book in Literature (Robin Hood). Please make sure your student is equipped for success in the classroom by checking that he or she has the correct edition of the book! Click here for the Amazon link: Robin Hood. We're looking forward to seeing many of you in our reading groups in the coming weeks. If you'd like to sign up, please click on the "Reading Circle Volunteers" link to the left.
During 2nd Quarter, we will be increasing the pace and difficulty of the class. During 1st Quarter, we spent a lot of time making sure that everyone was on the same page and taking things slowly so those who were unfamiliar with the way our school does things could catch up. Now that everyone is familiar with our expectations, and are rising to meet them, we're going to raise the bar. Expect to see more writing assignments at home as we work on cursive, spelling, proper sentence formation, and paragraph writing.
We've also adjusted the way we expect the students to keep their homework organized. From now on, they will only be bringing their yellow folder home with them, keeping all other folders at school. The folder will contain all homework on one side, to be completed and returned the next day, and all materials to be left at home on the other. We hope this will alleviate some confusion about what is and is not homework, and the students will continue learning to take responsibility for their own work. That being said, please continue to sign your students agendas! :)
Have a great week!
I hope you all had a wonderful and restful Fall Break; I know Ms. Walls and I did! We've had such a blast meeting with you all these past few days. It was so encouraging and energizing to hear from you and get your support. We're so very grateful for all our wonderful families!
This week, as you know, will be a bit shorter than normal. We're starting a new unit in Science (geology) and a new book in Literature (Robin Hood). Please make sure your student is equipped for success in the classroom by checking that he or she has the correct edition of the book! Click here for the Amazon link: Robin Hood. We're looking forward to seeing many of you in our reading groups in the coming weeks. If you'd like to sign up, please click on the "Reading Circle Volunteers" link to the left.
During 2nd Quarter, we will be increasing the pace and difficulty of the class. During 1st Quarter, we spent a lot of time making sure that everyone was on the same page and taking things slowly so those who were unfamiliar with the way our school does things could catch up. Now that everyone is familiar with our expectations, and are rising to meet them, we're going to raise the bar. Expect to see more writing assignments at home as we work on cursive, spelling, proper sentence formation, and paragraph writing.
We've also adjusted the way we expect the students to keep their homework organized. From now on, they will only be bringing their yellow folder home with them, keeping all other folders at school. The folder will contain all homework on one side, to be completed and returned the next day, and all materials to be left at home on the other. We hope this will alleviate some confusion about what is and is not homework, and the students will continue learning to take responsibility for their own work. That being said, please continue to sign your students agendas! :)
Have a great week!
Monday, October 5, 2015
Week 9 Overview
Hello!
I hope you all had a restful weekend. As we finish up Quarter 1, we have a few tests this week: on Thursday, we will have a test on the Middle ages, and on Friday, we will have our final quiz on Pollyanna. Ms. Walls and I were very impressed with how well everyone did on their last Pollyanna quiz and especially enjoyed reading their short answers. Everyone has enjoyed Pollyanna so much, that we're a little sad to be moving on. Our next book (starting after Fall Break), will be Robin Hood, and even though we'll miss Pollyanna and her gladness, Ms. Walls and I are excited to be discussing Robin Hood's adventures with our class.
This week in Science, we're moving on from meteorology and starting to discuss the scientific method. We'll be able to practice using the scientific method in experiments involving soggy breakfast cereal (ask your student about it after school on Tuesday!), and a lava lamp (ask again on Friday!).
If you haven't already, please sign up for parent-teacher conferences 8/19-8/21 on the link to the left. Ms. Walls and I are really looking forward to meeting with all of you!
Have a great week (and a great Fall Break)!
I hope you all had a restful weekend. As we finish up Quarter 1, we have a few tests this week: on Thursday, we will have a test on the Middle ages, and on Friday, we will have our final quiz on Pollyanna. Ms. Walls and I were very impressed with how well everyone did on their last Pollyanna quiz and especially enjoyed reading their short answers. Everyone has enjoyed Pollyanna so much, that we're a little sad to be moving on. Our next book (starting after Fall Break), will be Robin Hood, and even though we'll miss Pollyanna and her gladness, Ms. Walls and I are excited to be discussing Robin Hood's adventures with our class.
This week in Science, we're moving on from meteorology and starting to discuss the scientific method. We'll be able to practice using the scientific method in experiments involving soggy breakfast cereal (ask your student about it after school on Tuesday!), and a lava lamp (ask again on Friday!).
If you haven't already, please sign up for parent-teacher conferences 8/19-8/21 on the link to the left. Ms. Walls and I are really looking forward to meeting with all of you!
Have a great week (and a great Fall Break)!
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Sign-Ups Are Here!
Our amazing liaisons have created a link for a reading circle sign-up, which is included in the blog links. If you have your fingerprint clearance, we would love to have you in our classroom so you can share in the wonderful literature we read together. There is a spot available for tomorrow, but Galileo testing is throwing off our schedule a bit. We can jump into the small reading groups on Tuesday, October 6th.
Also, I have posted a link to sign up for Parent-Teacher conferences. The conference dates are scheduled at the end of Fall Break, from October 19th to October 21st. Please take a look at the available appointments and select a time that best suits your schedule. You should also be receiving an email with a link to the sign-up platform. Next week, the front office will be adding all of our links to a spot on the Lincoln website. Mrs. King and I look forward to meeting with you all!
Please view the links on the left side of the page for tutoring, parent-teacher, and reading circle links.
Also, I have posted a link to sign up for Parent-Teacher conferences. The conference dates are scheduled at the end of Fall Break, from October 19th to October 21st. Please take a look at the available appointments and select a time that best suits your schedule. You should also be receiving an email with a link to the sign-up platform. Next week, the front office will be adding all of our links to a spot on the Lincoln website. Mrs. King and I look forward to meeting with you all!
Please view the links on the left side of the page for tutoring, parent-teacher, and reading circle links.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Free Concert this Weekend
Hello!
I want to let you all know about a fantastic, free, cultural opportunity happening this weekend. I'm a member of the Chandler Symphony Orchestra, a professional-level volunteer orchestra based in Chandler. This Sunday (10/4) at 3pm, we are giving a concert entitled Fate Awaits at the Chandler Center for the Arts. We're playing Beethoven's 5th Symphony and Vitali's Chaconne for violin and orchestra, among other great works, and admission is absolutely free! If you are coming and you or your children would like to learn more about the works that we're playing beforehand, please don't hesitate to email me (jfranklund@archwaylincoln.org). I love talking about music, and I find that I enjoy concerts so much more if I am familiar with the works being played. :)
I want to let you all know about a fantastic, free, cultural opportunity happening this weekend. I'm a member of the Chandler Symphony Orchestra, a professional-level volunteer orchestra based in Chandler. This Sunday (10/4) at 3pm, we are giving a concert entitled Fate Awaits at the Chandler Center for the Arts. We're playing Beethoven's 5th Symphony and Vitali's Chaconne for violin and orchestra, among other great works, and admission is absolutely free! If you are coming and you or your children would like to learn more about the works that we're playing beforehand, please don't hesitate to email me (jfranklund@archwaylincoln.org). I love talking about music, and I find that I enjoy concerts so much more if I am familiar with the works being played. :)
Monday, September 28, 2015
Spalding Spelling Homework
Hello!
Today (9/28) your student will bring home this sheet of paper for their spelling homework:
They will also bring home a composition book that they have been using for practicing phonograms in class. There are directions on the sheet, but just to review: please dictate (or have someone else dictate) these words to your student three times. Your student's words should look exactly like the ones on the sheet, including rules and markings. You may make corrections to your student's paper right away. When the homework is done, please initial the bottom of the sheet where it says "Proofed by:", so your student can turn the sheet in the next day for homework. Thank you so much for your cooperation!
Today (9/28) your student will bring home this sheet of paper for their spelling homework:
Week 8 Overview
Hello!
We have a big week ahead of us, with three quizzes by the end of the week. Our Meteorology test is now on Wednesday, which should give our students plenty of time to practice decoding and creating weather station models. On Thursday, we will have a quiz over the first 15 chapters of Pollyanna. We have all enjoyed discussing this book together during the past few weeks, and I feel confident that our students will do well on the quiz. Finally, on Friday we will have a Math quiz cover the order of operations. We've been working on this concept diligently for the past few weeks and I am again confident that our students know their stuff!
Ms. Walls and I have been so impressed with our class' presentation skills! Last Thursday and Friday they all recited Afternoon on a Hill for the entire class. No one got a grade lower than 100%! In fact, the class average was a 21 out of 20! Today, some students presented the flags they made for history class (we've been learning about heraldry). We so enjoyed the made-up countries your students thought of and loved their creative and detailed flags!
In our Spalding class today, we finally started working on 4th grade spelling words. The students were all excited to move on from "baby" words and rule pages to bigger, tougher words. Ms. Walls, under the direction of Mrs. Clause, has set up a new homework method that we will be following for the rest of the year in our spelling class. I've written a separate blog post explaining the homework in detail here.
At the end of this week, we will start preparing for Rocket Math, a face-pace math facts program we will be using to supplement Singapore Math. Expect more details here soon!
Have a great week!
We have a big week ahead of us, with three quizzes by the end of the week. Our Meteorology test is now on Wednesday, which should give our students plenty of time to practice decoding and creating weather station models. On Thursday, we will have a quiz over the first 15 chapters of Pollyanna. We have all enjoyed discussing this book together during the past few weeks, and I feel confident that our students will do well on the quiz. Finally, on Friday we will have a Math quiz cover the order of operations. We've been working on this concept diligently for the past few weeks and I am again confident that our students know their stuff!
Ms. Walls and I have been so impressed with our class' presentation skills! Last Thursday and Friday they all recited Afternoon on a Hill for the entire class. No one got a grade lower than 100%! In fact, the class average was a 21 out of 20! Today, some students presented the flags they made for history class (we've been learning about heraldry). We so enjoyed the made-up countries your students thought of and loved their creative and detailed flags!
In our Spalding class today, we finally started working on 4th grade spelling words. The students were all excited to move on from "baby" words and rule pages to bigger, tougher words. Ms. Walls, under the direction of Mrs. Clause, has set up a new homework method that we will be following for the rest of the year in our spelling class. I've written a separate blog post explaining the homework in detail here.
At the end of this week, we will start preparing for Rocket Math, a face-pace math facts program we will be using to supplement Singapore Math. Expect more details here soon!
Have a great week!
Monday, September 21, 2015
Week 7 Overview
Hello!
I hope you all had a relaxing and restful weekend. Ms. Walls and I are looking forward to another week of learning and growing with your students. On Monday, we will start reading Pollyanna together during Literature class. Ms. Walls and I have both been looking forward to this book. This is my first time reading it and I love to discover new books, and it's one of Ms. Walls childhood favorite (or at least the Hayley Mills movie was). We're really enjoying starting our history unit about the Middle Ages, and we have a fun science project planned for the week as well. We'll be studying weather and weather forecasting and practicing our decoding skills by learning some weather station symbols.
Spalding Night is Tuesday night (9/21) from 6:30-8. If you're confused about Spalding or have any questions, please attend and get all your questions answered!
Have a great week!
I hope you all had a relaxing and restful weekend. Ms. Walls and I are looking forward to another week of learning and growing with your students. On Monday, we will start reading Pollyanna together during Literature class. Ms. Walls and I have both been looking forward to this book. This is my first time reading it and I love to discover new books, and it's one of Ms. Walls childhood favorite (or at least the Hayley Mills movie was). We're really enjoying starting our history unit about the Middle Ages, and we have a fun science project planned for the week as well. We'll be studying weather and weather forecasting and practicing our decoding skills by learning some weather station symbols.
Spalding Night is Tuesday night (9/21) from 6:30-8. If you're confused about Spalding or have any questions, please attend and get all your questions answered!
Have a great week!
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Week 6 Overview
Hello!
This week has been full of new things to do and learn! On Tuesday, we had vision and hearing tests for the whole class. Ms. Walls and I have been really impressed with how well the students are adjusting to and embracing our classroom procedures; we were very proud of how quiet and still they were while waiting for their hearing and vision tests, even though it had interrupted P.E., one of their favorite specials!
As we we have been studying weather in our science class, we've had the opportunity to do a few demonstrations. We created thunder in the classroom by inflating brown paper lunch bags and then popping them all at the same time, simulating the rapid increase of air pressure around a lightning bolt. We also tried to simulate lightning by rubbing a balloon on a student's head to create friction, then bringing the balloon close to a fluorescent light bulb, hoping that the electric charge would jump from the balloon to the light bulb, simulating electricity jumping from cloud to cloud or cloud to ground. Unfortunately, it didn't work, but we were able to still talk about electricity and lightning anyway. Maybe you could try it again at home and have better luck than we did in class!
We were planning to have our final Wonderful Wizard of Oz quiz on Thursday, but after reviewing the study guides, we decided to have a discussion about themes today and move the test to Friday (9/18). We want to make sure the students are prepared to do their very best on the quiz! On Monday, we will start Pollyanna, so please make sure your student is prepared for class and has the book!
Have a great week!
This week has been full of new things to do and learn! On Tuesday, we had vision and hearing tests for the whole class. Ms. Walls and I have been really impressed with how well the students are adjusting to and embracing our classroom procedures; we were very proud of how quiet and still they were while waiting for their hearing and vision tests, even though it had interrupted P.E., one of their favorite specials!
As we we have been studying weather in our science class, we've had the opportunity to do a few demonstrations. We created thunder in the classroom by inflating brown paper lunch bags and then popping them all at the same time, simulating the rapid increase of air pressure around a lightning bolt. We also tried to simulate lightning by rubbing a balloon on a student's head to create friction, then bringing the balloon close to a fluorescent light bulb, hoping that the electric charge would jump from the balloon to the light bulb, simulating electricity jumping from cloud to cloud or cloud to ground. Unfortunately, it didn't work, but we were able to still talk about electricity and lightning anyway. Maybe you could try it again at home and have better luck than we did in class!
We were planning to have our final Wonderful Wizard of Oz quiz on Thursday, but after reviewing the study guides, we decided to have a discussion about themes today and move the test to Friday (9/18). We want to make sure the students are prepared to do their very best on the quiz! On Monday, we will start Pollyanna, so please make sure your student is prepared for class and has the book!
Have a great week!
Week 5 Overview
Hello!
I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend! Ms. Walls and I certainly did. We have had a busy week this week with a quiz over the Wizard of Oz on Wednesday, a quiz about pronouns on Thursday, and a math test on Friday. We've been reviewing in class in preparation for all of these assessments, and we're confident that our scholars can do well.
Progress reports will be submitted on Friday. Almost all the students who are currently receiving low grades are missing homework assignments that, once turned in, will raise their grade. We've heard reports of parents removing homework from folders at home and not sending it back to school, so just a friendly reminder: please only keep at home the work in your student's yellow take-home folder. Thank you!
Have a great week!
I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend! Ms. Walls and I certainly did. We have had a busy week this week with a quiz over the Wizard of Oz on Wednesday, a quiz about pronouns on Thursday, and a math test on Friday. We've been reviewing in class in preparation for all of these assessments, and we're confident that our scholars can do well.
Progress reports will be submitted on Friday. Almost all the students who are currently receiving low grades are missing homework assignments that, once turned in, will raise their grade. We've heard reports of parents removing homework from folders at home and not sending it back to school, so just a friendly reminder: please only keep at home the work in your student's yellow take-home folder. Thank you!
Have a great week!
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Week 4 Overview
Hello and welcome to Week 4!
This week we have two big events:
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This week in Language Arts, we will start learning how to write dictations and summaries of short passages. These are skills we will be working on all year, so your students should not be alarmed if they are difficult at first. In Math, we are learning how to find factors and multiples of numbers. We are continuing to read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz together and we have a quiz over chapters 8-15 planned for next Wednesday (9/9). In Geography, we are studying mountains, mountain ranges, and mountain wildlife. In Science, we are learning about the different layers of the atmosphere. Geography and Science have converged very nicely, as we have discussed how the atmosphere thins as you climb up tall mountains.
Have a great week!
This week we have two big events:
- Curriculum Night: Wednesday, September 2nd, 6:30-8. Please do not bring your children, as space is very limited
- Picture Day: Thursday, September 3rd. Order forms can be given to the photographer that day, or you can order online:
Choose: my images
Choose: school
Start the online order process
This week in Language Arts, we will start learning how to write dictations and summaries of short passages. These are skills we will be working on all year, so your students should not be alarmed if they are difficult at first. In Math, we are learning how to find factors and multiples of numbers. We are continuing to read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz together and we have a quiz over chapters 8-15 planned for next Wednesday (9/9). In Geography, we are studying mountains, mountain ranges, and mountain wildlife. In Science, we are learning about the different layers of the atmosphere. Geography and Science have converged very nicely, as we have discussed how the atmosphere thins as you climb up tall mountains.
Have a great week!
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Weeks 2-3 Overview
These last few weeks have just flown by! We've enjoyed getting to know your students better through all of our class activities. We have such a wonderful, curious group of students!
During the past few weeks, we have finished our review of 3rd grade and started new content. In math, we've practiced finding number patterns, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing large numbers, and rounding. Two of our classroom's favorite activities are solving word problems on white boards and skip counting using disco moves! In spelling, we are focusing on learning Spalding markings and writing correctly in the Spalding notebooks, which will eventually contain all spelling rules and words. We also read through chapter 9 of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz together. It is such a joy to hear your students reading aloud with expression and gusto! In geography, we studied times zones and in science, we continued our study of clouds and weather.
On Monday (8/21), Mrs. Margie Clouse came to observe our Spalding class. She learned the Spalding method from Mrs. Romilda Spalding herself and Ms. Walls and I are so grateful to have her as a resource as we work through the curriculum. She will be observing us every other Monday and helping us teach spelling and phonics in the most efficient way. On Thursday (8/24), we got the chance to put our science learning into practice by making a cloud in a bottle. By dropping a lighted match into a 2-liter bottle with an inch of water at the bottom, and then quickly closing the bottle and squeezing it, a small cloud was formed inside the bottle. If you want to find out why, ask your students!
As we have begun to dive into 4th grade content, you may have noticed your children struggling with their homework. Ms. Walls always writes down how long she expects each homework assignment to take so the students can copy it into their agenda. If it takes them significantly longer to complete an assignment, please let us know! We don't want our students to struggle unnecessarily and if a concept is proving difficult for many students, we will be happy to review it in class.
A few dates to keep in mind in the coming week:
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Choose: school
Start the online order process
Have a great week!
During the past few weeks, we have finished our review of 3rd grade and started new content. In math, we've practiced finding number patterns, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing large numbers, and rounding. Two of our classroom's favorite activities are solving word problems on white boards and skip counting using disco moves! In spelling, we are focusing on learning Spalding markings and writing correctly in the Spalding notebooks, which will eventually contain all spelling rules and words. We also read through chapter 9 of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz together. It is such a joy to hear your students reading aloud with expression and gusto! In geography, we studied times zones and in science, we continued our study of clouds and weather.
On Monday (8/21), Mrs. Margie Clouse came to observe our Spalding class. She learned the Spalding method from Mrs. Romilda Spalding herself and Ms. Walls and I are so grateful to have her as a resource as we work through the curriculum. She will be observing us every other Monday and helping us teach spelling and phonics in the most efficient way. On Thursday (8/24), we got the chance to put our science learning into practice by making a cloud in a bottle. By dropping a lighted match into a 2-liter bottle with an inch of water at the bottom, and then quickly closing the bottle and squeezing it, a small cloud was formed inside the bottle. If you want to find out why, ask your students!
As we have begun to dive into 4th grade content, you may have noticed your children struggling with their homework. Ms. Walls always writes down how long she expects each homework assignment to take so the students can copy it into their agenda. If it takes them significantly longer to complete an assignment, please let us know! We don't want our students to struggle unnecessarily and if a concept is proving difficult for many students, we will be happy to review it in class.
A few dates to keep in mind in the coming week:
- Curriculum Night: Wednesday, September 2nd, 6:30-8. Please do not bring your children, as space is very limited
- Picture Day: Thursday, September 3rd. Order forms can be given to the photographer that day, or you can order online:
Choose: my images
Choose: school
Start the online order process
Have a great week!
Friday, August 14, 2015
Week 1 Overview
Hello 4B families!
We so enjoyed meeting you and your scholars at our Meet the Teacher night on Monday. We're thrilled to have so many parents who are eager to be involved in their child's education and we can't wait to work with you during this coming year.
During the first few days of school, we have been teaching and reviewing our classroom procedures, including lunch and recess procedures. On Thursday and Friday, we began our review of content from 3rd grade in math and geography, introduced the origins of science as a study, and studied the genre of fairy tales. We hope that this content has not proved too difficult for your student, but if it did, please let us know! The students have been including time limits in their agendas next to the assignments. This is designed to inform you how long it should take or how long we think the students should spend on an assignment. If you are noticing your child spending more than the suggested time, please let us know. This will become especially important as we move into new content.
As we gear up for our first full week of school, there are a few announcements to keep in mind. Our first book this year is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. We will begin reading the novel out loud as a class on Monday, so please ensure your child has a copy. We love participation from all of our scholars and we do not want anyone to be left out.
We have been performing checks of uniforms this week, and I have noticed a couple of students do not have black belts. Please take some time over the weekend to ensure your child has everything needed to remain compliant with our uniform policy. If you have any questions about the uniform policy, please consult the Archway Lincoln Family Handbook or send me an email.
Finally, Curriculum Night is coming up for Archway Chandler! Please mark your calendars for September 2nd at 6:30 P.M. As this event approaches, more information will become available.
I hope you all have a great weekend and are as excited as we are to begin our exploration of the amazing content in 4th grade!
We so enjoyed meeting you and your scholars at our Meet the Teacher night on Monday. We're thrilled to have so many parents who are eager to be involved in their child's education and we can't wait to work with you during this coming year.
During the first few days of school, we have been teaching and reviewing our classroom procedures, including lunch and recess procedures. On Thursday and Friday, we began our review of content from 3rd grade in math and geography, introduced the origins of science as a study, and studied the genre of fairy tales. We hope that this content has not proved too difficult for your student, but if it did, please let us know! The students have been including time limits in their agendas next to the assignments. This is designed to inform you how long it should take or how long we think the students should spend on an assignment. If you are noticing your child spending more than the suggested time, please let us know. This will become especially important as we move into new content.
As we gear up for our first full week of school, there are a few announcements to keep in mind. Our first book this year is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. We will begin reading the novel out loud as a class on Monday, so please ensure your child has a copy. We love participation from all of our scholars and we do not want anyone to be left out.
We have been performing checks of uniforms this week, and I have noticed a couple of students do not have black belts. Please take some time over the weekend to ensure your child has everything needed to remain compliant with our uniform policy. If you have any questions about the uniform policy, please consult the Archway Lincoln Family Handbook or send me an email.
Finally, Curriculum Night is coming up for Archway Chandler! Please mark your calendars for September 2nd at 6:30 P.M. As this event approaches, more information will become available.
I hope you all have a great weekend and are as excited as we are to begin our exploration of the amazing content in 4th grade!
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Welcome to Fourth Grade!
This website is for parents/families in Ms. Walls' Fourth Grade Classroom at Archway Lincoln in Chandler, AZ.
Hopefully you have found this website with no trouble. I will be utilizing this blog as our general communication venue. Please check the website at least once a week in order to ensure you are up to date with your child's classroom.
To ensure constant communication and emails sent straight to your email/device, please sign up for email updates. Direct your attention to the bottom left corner of this page for a tab to enter your email. Please note that you will receive an email asking to click & confirm the request before you are sent updates.
Please contact me directly at kwalls@archwaylincoln.org to address personal questions or for help understanding how to utilize this blog. I'm looking forward to a great year!
-Ms. Walls
Hopefully you have found this website with no trouble. I will be utilizing this blog as our general communication venue. Please check the website at least once a week in order to ensure you are up to date with your child's classroom.
To ensure constant communication and emails sent straight to your email/device, please sign up for email updates. Direct your attention to the bottom left corner of this page for a tab to enter your email. Please note that you will receive an email asking to click & confirm the request before you are sent updates.
Please contact me directly at kwalls@archwaylincoln.org to address personal questions or for help understanding how to utilize this blog. I'm looking forward to a great year!
-Ms. Walls
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