Last Week of School

I cannot believe we are already at the last week of school!  This year has flown by and I have enjoyed every minute with your sweet children!  This has been a fabulous class!  I hope that you all have a wonderful summer, and that you get to enjoy your sweet children before they start the last year of elementary school.

 Reminders

May 23rd- Last Day, Party Day, Awards Day, Report Cards go home

On the 23rd of May we will have our end of year performance in the cafeteria at 8:00 (parents are invited to attend).  We will then head to our rooms directly after for a  reader's theater, classroom awards and then our classroom party will be in our rooms around 9:00. 

8:00- cafeteria- songs

8:20- classroom reader's theater and awards

9:00 ish - class party

We hope you can join us!

The sign-up genius is below to sign up!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0F4FAAAF2EA3FA7-thats 

May 13-17

Reminders:

May 13-14th STAAR Testing (Closed Campus)

May 16th -Volunteer Breakfast Library- please come if you volunteered this year!

May 23rd- Texas Play 8:00 , End of Year  Awards, End of Year Party 9:00, Last Day (report cards go home)


STAAR Testing

This Monday and Tuesday your child will take the STAAR test over math and reading.  This is something they have been preparing for all year by learning the skills necessary to do well.  At this point the only way they need to prepare is by relaxing, getting sleep and being confident. 
Encourage your child to just do their best and take their time.  Talk them through what to do if they feel stressed- we have discussed strategies in class. They have all worked so hard this year and this test is just a final exam and does not define them.  I'm proud of how far we have all come this year!
Do remember that our campus will be closed to outside visitors on Monday and Tuesday. Please remind your child to eat a good breakfast, bring snacks and water and books for when they finish.  It is a good idea to bring a sweater in case they feel cold. 

Rest of the Year
The rest of the week we will be focused on our Texas Play.  Each child will have lines in the reader's theater we will do in class and we will have songs we sing with Mr. Touchet in the cafeteria.  The play will take place at 8:00 on May 23rd and then we will have the end of year party and awards for the end of the year directly after in our classroom. 

Report Cards
Report Cards will go home on the last day of school at the end of the day.  If we have students who are leaving or moving before the end of the year then their report cards will be mailed.  Please provide the registrar with the correct address.

May 6th-10th

Reminders:

May 7th- All Library Books Due/ Spirit Night Phil's Ice House

May 9th- Ms. Wilder on First Grade Field Trip- Sub/ wear green for mental health

May 13-14th STAAR Testing (Closed Campus)

May 16th -Volunteer Breakfast Library

May 23rd- Texas Play, End of Year Party, Last Day (report cards go home)

Reading -

We are doing lots of reviewing of the skills we learned this year in
 preparation for the
STAAR testing coming up.  Remind you child just to do their best.
 They have learned all they
need to know over the course of the year.

Writing-
We have finished our Create Your Own stories and will now start working on comic
 strips for fun.  Your child will get to create their own comic and then analyze their
 own writing.

Social Studies
We will be wrapping up Texas History with the end of WWII.  After the STAAR test
next week they will be starting the Texas Play.  This is a great review for the year
 that is an overview of all the most important aspects of Texas history.

Homework
Nightly reading for comprehension and DreamBox for math are two great practices to
continue even through the summer in order to avoid summer slide.

Thank you to everyone who came to after school math tutoring.  They had 70 students in 3 rotating math groups. Your child's hard work will have them very well prepared to do well on the end of the year exams.

April 29th-May 3rd

Field Day
We had a wonderful time at Field Day!  Thank you to all the parents who volunteered.
The kids enjoyed it so much!

Reminders:

Next week we have Knowledge Night on Wednesday. 

Scholastic Book Fair is next Monday-Friday

STAAR testing will be on May 13-14

Last Day of School is May 23rd

Next Week:

Writing

We will be finishing up our Choose Your Own Adventure books and will be excited to share them 

for Knowledge Night.

We will have one last review spelling list that will go for only a week. 

Reading

We are reviewing all the reading skills and genres this week to prepare for the STAAR.

We will discuss poetry and figurative language, main idea, summary, theme, finding evidence 

in the text and many other skills. 

Social Studies

We will continue to talk about Texas in the 1920 and into the 1930s.  We will discuss the Dust Bowl, Great Depression and then next week will be moving into WWII.

Thank you for continuing to encourage your child to read nightly, study spelling and work on Dream Box. 

April 22nd-26th

Reminders

 April 26th- Field Day

April 29th- May 3rd- Book Fair

May 1st- Knowledge Night

May 13th and 14th - STAAR Testing

May 16th - Volunteer Breakfast

May 23rd- Last Day of School

Reading- 
Next week we will continue to work on reading skills that we will need for our end of year assessments. We all did very well on our practice, and now are going over the few areas that we need to reflect on shown with the testing. We will all be very well prepared. If you want to practice at home the following link has STAAR passages and the key to score them.  You can work on these at home if you want your child to get extra practice with what the STAAR really looks like.
https://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/staar_released_test_questions/

Writing-
We will continue to work on our Choose Your Own Adventure books.  These are so much fun and we are working hard to have them done for Knowledge Night so that we can have them on display.

Social Studies
We will be moving into the early 1900s and talking about WWI and the Stock Market Crash.  This is an exciting time in history that is fun to learn about.

Homework-
Thank you for working with your child at home.  This is the final push of the year and working with parents for 20-30 minutes a night reminds them that school is still being taken seriously and that it is not summer break yet.
This is a great time to have your child work on Dreambox to help them prep for the upcoming math tests, it is also a good time to have them read to you or try a reading STAAR release passage for practice. Remember to talk to your child about doing their best and working hard, but also that we don't want them to feel stressed or anxious.  Prepared and ready to do well is the goal.  Everyone in our class has worked hard this year and they are all ready to do well.

Field Day-
Next Friday is Field Day.  Please send your child with comfortable clothes, tennis shoes, sunscreen on them and with a water bottle.  There will be water stations outside and but when we come in at 2:00 they will want drink to rehydrate. We have many parents volunteering and there were still volunteer slots last time I looked, but not many. If you want to come and join the fun then please sign up!   https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b49a8aa28a7f58-2019

Thank you!

April 15-19th

Reminders:

April 16th and 17th are STAAR Ready Days
(STAAR practice) math and reading

April 19th is a holiday- there is no school

April 26th is Field Day- they are still looking for volunteers

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b49a8aa28a7f58-2019

April 29th-May 3rd- School Scholastic Book Fair

May 13th- STAAR Math

May 14th- STAAR Reading

May 23rd- Last Day of School

Reading-
This week we will start a review of our reading skills that will help prepare us
for the end of the year. We will be reading a fun story and looking at elements
like summary, theme, character development, POV and more.

Writing-
We will continue with working on our Choose Your Own Adventure stories. 
This large group project will be what we share on our spring parent night.
I cannot wait to see our final products.

Social Studies
We will take a look at the oil boom in Texas in the late 1800s and early 1900s and
discuss major changes during this time to Texas industries.

Homework-
Thank you for supporting your child by making sure that they read each night and
practice math on Dreambox. Thank you for reviewing assignments with them and
encouraging them to use their owl time to keep up with make-up and redo assignments.
These organizational and study skills will help them be prepared for 5th grade and
beyond.

April 8-12

Hey parents! We had a great time at Camp Write Along this week!
 Your kids did a great job.
Overall we are very prepared for Writing STAAR on Tuesday of next week.
 A few things about the STAAR.  Your children have worked hard and now
 what they need is to relax,
play, rest and eat healthy foods. 
That is what will make a difference for them on the
test.  Please tell them how proud you are of them and
their hard work!  Every single kid in
our class did an incredible job, and they have all had amazing
 growth this year.
On Monday we will share our writing with our buddies
and then they will bring it home.
Monday night is a perfect time to compliment their
 writing and tell them how prepared they
are to do well. Encourage them not to be stressed and
remind them that doing their best is
all anyone wants.

Our campus will be a closed campus on Tuesday of next week.
 You will not be able to come past the Safe and Secure Office if you
 are picking up or dropping off items.
Please be sure your child is on time to school. 
We will be starting the test at 8:00 so we can get it finished by
lunch time.  Please send your child with snacks and a water bottle. 
Encourage them to wear comfortable clothes and bring a light sweater
 or jacket.  They will want books in case they finish early to read. 

Again, this is just one day.  They are all amazing!
 They have had so much incredible growth this year,
 and I could not be more proud of them. 

Reminders:
Tuesday, April 9th- Writing STAAR Test
Friday, April 12th - Reptile Show
Tuesday and Wednesday- April 16-17th STAAR Ready Reading and Math
Friday, April 19th- Holiday
Friday, April 26th- Field Day

Reading:
Next week we will be wrapping up our reading unit over Dramatic literature.
We will be doing a lot of review before we assess since we had spring break and
Camp Write Along during this unit.

Writing:
Time for some fun writing!  We will start planning our own Choose Your Own
Adventure books in small groups.  We will first look at some of these fun types of
books and then we will plan and write them with some friends.

Social Studies:
We will review Texas History up to this point and review so that next week we can start with the beginning of what caused the Great Depression and how it impacted Texas.

A big "Thank You!" to the Cone and Browarski families for letting us use their camping gear this week!

April 1st- 5th

Reminders-
Writing Camp at school April 1st-5th (during the school day)
STAAR Writing April 9th
April 16th and 17th STAAR READY math and reading
April 19th - Easter Holiday- No School

Writing Camp-
Students will be participating in 4th grade Writing Camp this week. Writing Camp is a fun week full of writing activities and lessons, and it is something we do every school year before the STAAR Writing. Students will get to move from classroom to classroom for these writing lessons, and they will have math at the end of the day with their homeroom teacher. 
Your child will get to dress up each day and a snack will be provided. 

On Friday you will be invited in to hear your child's writing at the end of the week. 

Math- 
We will continue math instruction this week but math will be taught by me! :)
We will be learning input/output tables.  Students will continue to get lots of hands on experiences and practice in class!

March 25-29

Reminders:

March 16-24 is spring break.  Classes will resume on March 25th.

Mar. 18-22- Spring Break

Apr. 9- STAAR testing- No Visitors

Apr. 19- No School

Apr. 26- Field Day

Apr. 29-May 2- Book Fair

May 13-15- STAAR testing- No Visitors

May 23- Last Day of School

Homework:

Homework-
Read nightly - 20 minutes
Dreambox- 10 minutes a night (you can do chunks of
 time instead of logging in each night.)

Writing- Ungraded optional prompts- great practice for the upcoming 
Writing STAAR

Homework-

1. What are the similarities and differences between third and fourth grade.

Write about both and give specific responses.

2. Write about your favorite specials class, and give three reasons why it

is your favorite.

Writing- Students will be practicing responding to prompts that they have created themselves this week. This is meant to make them think about how the prompt is created and what it is really asking

for as a response.

We will continue with our grammar
lessons and grammar practice with a focus on complete sentences.

Reading- We will look at plays and elements of plays as well as perform a few plays in class.

We will also spend time on looking at idioms and what they mean.

Spelling- We will be focusing on grammar and grammar rules for
the next month up until the STAAR test during the time that
we have used for spelling.
During this time, we will focus on things that may be linked to spelling--
like identify subject and verb agreement.
For the next few weeks, there will not be a spelling list going home
or a spelling test.
There will be grammar and editing practice work that you will see
coming home in Tuesday Folders.

Social Studies- Students will begin learning about the Texas Frontier in class.

March 11-15

March 4-8

Reminders:

Mar. 11-15- STEAM week

Mar. 12- Field Trip

Mar. 18-22- Spring Break

Apr. 9- STAAR testing- No Visitors

Apr. 19- No School

Apr. 26- Field Day

Apr. 29-May 2- Book Fair

May 13-15- STAAR testing- No Visitors

May 23- Last Day of School

Homework-
Read nightly - 20 minutes
Dreambox- 10 minutes a night (you can do chunks of
 time instead of logging in each night.)

Writing- Ungraded optional prompts- great practice for the upcoming 
Writing STAAR

Ungraded Prompts
1. Write about someone you admire and why you admire them. 
2. Write about a place you would like to go and why you would like to go there. 

Writing- Students will be practicing responding to prompts in writing this week.
We will continue with our grammar
lessons and grammar practice with a focus on combining sentences.

Reading- We will be starting a new unit over dramatic elements in literature. We will look at plays and elements of plays as well as perform a few plays in class.

Spelling- We will be focusing on grammar and grammar rules for
the next month up until the STAAR test during the time that
we have used for spelling.
During this time, we will focus on things that may be linked to spelling--
like identify subject and verb agreement.
For the next few weeks, there will not be a spelling list going home
or a spelling test.
There will be grammar and editing practice work that you will see
coming home in
Tuesday Folders.

Social Studies- Students will begin learning about the Texas Frontier in class.

March 4-8

Reminders:

Mar. 8- Last Spring Academy

Mar. 11-15- STEAM week

Mar. 18-22- Spring Break

Apr. 9- STAAR testing- No Visitors

Apr. 19- No School

Apr. 26- Field Day

Apr. 29-May 2- Book Fair

May 13-15- STAAR testing- No Visitors

May 23- Last Day of School

Homework-
Read nightly - 20 minutes
Dreambox- 10 minutes a night (you can do chunks of
 time instead of logging in each night.)

Writing- Ungraded optional prompts- great practice for the upcoming 
Writing STAAR

Ungraded Prompts
1. A new student has just joined your class. Explain some things
 that will help him or her get used to this new school and new class. 

2. Think of a person who is one of the most interesting people
 you have ever met. Explain what this person is like. 

Writing- Students will be practicing responding to prompts in writing this week.
We will continue with our grammar
lessons and grammar practice, as well as adding to our word wall.
We will focus on compound sentences, strong
conclusions, and irregular verbs.

Reading- This week, we will be wrapping up our review of skills with nonfiction text.
We will be looking at main idea, dictionary skills, and text features.

Spelling- We will be focusing on grammar and grammar rules for
the next month up until the STAAR test during the time that
we have used for spelling.
During this time, we will focus on things that may be linked to spelling--
like using the correct homophone in a sentence based on the context.
We may also focus on things such as subject/verb agreement and tenses.
For the next few weeks, there will not be a spelling list going home
or a spelling test.
There will be grammar and editing practice work that you will see
coming home in
Tuesday Folders.

Social Studies- Students will begin learning about the Texas Frontier in class.

February 25-March 1

Reminders:

Mar. 2- Caraway City Limits

Mar. 8- Last Spring Academy

Mar. 11-15- STEAM week

Mar. 18-22- Spring Break

Apr. 9- STAAR testing- No Visitors

Apr. 19- No School

Apr. 26- Field Day

Apr. 29-May 2- Book Fair

May 13-15- STAAR testing- No Visitors

May 23- Last Day of School

Homework-
Read nightly - 20 minutes- 6 Flags sheet due at the end of the month
Dreambox- 10 minutes a night (you can do chunks of time instead of logging in each night.)
Spelling- 5 minutes or as needed (there is no new spelling on this short week,
 but it is a great time to review).
Writing- Ungraded optional prompts- great practice for the upcoming Writing STAAR

1. Write about one problem you have had to deal with. Explain how you have changed
as a result of overcoming this challenge.

2. Write about something you were successful at doing. Explain why this
experience was important to you.

Writing- This week we will be practicing some writing skills that are
important for writers to use in their writing. We will focus on good hooks,
strong conclusions, using transition words and adding details and examples.
We will also be taking some writing samples this week to check where\
we are at in our independent writing process.

Reading- We will be working on paired passages and main idea and details.
We will be reading and informational text and analyzing the passage to find the
details and the main idea.

Spelling- We will be focusing on grammar and grammar rules for
the next month up to the STAAR test during the time that we have used for spelling.
During this time we will focus on things that may be linked to spelling-
like the correct homophone to use in a sentence based on the context.
We may also focus on things such as subject/verb agreement and tenses.
For the next few weeks there will not be a spelling list going home or a spelling test,
but there will be some grammar and editing work that you will see coming home in future
Tuesday Folders.

Social Studies- We will be learning about the Reconstruction era.

February 20-22

Thank you! Thank you parents for making our party so special for
Valentine's Day.
I think the kids really enjoyed the games, food, decorations and
picture booth area.
I really appreciate our homeroom parents for working so hard
and for so many of
you coming or sending things in to make our party special.
Also, Thank you all for my lovely class gift! I loved the flowers,
card and beautiful
reusable pitcher. I loved all the individual cards and gifts of coffee,
chocolate and flowers too.
You guys really made me feel appreciated.

Important Reminders:

There is no school on February 18-19.
This will be a student holiday while teachers will have a work day.
I will see your child again on Wednesday, February 20th.

March 18th-22nd - Spring Break 

Homework-
Read nightly - 20 minutes- 6 Flags sheet due at the end of the month
Dreambox- 10 minutes a night (you can do chunks of time instead of logging in each night.)

Spelling- 5 minutes or as needed (there is no new spelling on this short week,
 but it is a great time to review).

Writing- Ungraded optional prompts- great practice for the upcoming Writing STAAR

1. What are some recent moments of happiness in your life?

2. Describe the people in your family. Do you all have similar likes or dislikes?

3. What is special about your hometown?

Writing- This week we will finish drafting our expository
essay and then edit and revise with partners. Then we will write and share
our final stories.
We will also review what we did on the Writing STAAR last week going over the
right answers. Next week these will come home for you to look at with your child.

Reading- We will continue to work on fact vs. opinion, theme and summary as
well as working with our reading partner.

Spelling- No spelling this week due to a very short week.

Social Studies- We will wrap up talking about the civil war and will move on to the
Reconstruction era.