Sunday, December 14, 2014

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

Snowflakes with Mrs. LaPlaunt! 

RE-CAP from last week!
WOW! My heart soars with pride and enthusiasm. What an amazing display of compassion, inspiration, and involvement. Our class raised 287 pounds of food for the Fairbanks Food Bank. I am so proud of every student that participated! I knew we had a special class but this is simply amazing. We have also been awarded a Root Beer Float Party for our accomplishment! I will keep you posted as to which day! Please join us if you are able to. Pearl Creek Elementary School raised over 1,500 pounds for the food bank this year!

This week!
Here we go...last week of the second quarter and a well deserved winter break! However, we will leave our foot on the gas, so hold on! I have also just changed the plan for Monday morning...there are a lot of students that have missing work or assignments to correct. I will have TDL time in the morning. Those students that are done and caught up, I will give them the writing assignment I had planned, as it is an enjoyable one!

Please note that we have early dismissal days on Wednesday the 17th, Thursday the 18th, and Friday the 19th at 2 PM.
  • Monday afternoon, we will have a visit from Mr. Mike Shultz from channel 11 here in Fairbanks. He will speak with three students from our class about the weather and take a group shot for the evening news! I will let you know more details after I speak with Mr. Shultz tomorrow.
  • Wednesday morning we will create Origami Wreaths and Holiday Haikus.
  • Thursday is Mrs. Finnell's Wax Museum in the commons.
  • Friday is the annual door decorating contest finals (our door is already lookin' great).
  • Friday is the last day for box tops...please send in box tops with your student.
  • Friday is our tour of Mr. Kurzbard's class and their Athabascan Artifacts.
  • Lastly, Friday we will have a class holiday party/end of the semester celebration. Together with Mrs. Hammer's class, we will have fun outside playing four goal soccer followed by a hot cocoa and pizza party. Afterwards, we will have a class book exchange.
We will be having white elephant book exchange in our own classroom on Friday, December 19, 2014 (last day before break). Intermediate-level chapter books are strongly encouraged for this, so if you have some extra books around the house (aside from the ones for the school book exchange), please send in your student with $5 for food and a wrapped book to exchange during the party. Thanks so much for your involvement and help. Without you, this would not be possible. 

This will most likely be the last blog entry until after the new year...The next post will come on Monday, January 6, 2015. That is the last day of winter break, before the students return to school. Monday is a teacher work day and I will be at school if you have any questions or concerns. In the meantime, I wish all of you and your families a happy and safe holiday season!

School Info-bytes! (also available at www.plc.k12northstar.org/pta/infobytes or www.facebook.com/PearlCreekPTA

If your kiddos are interested in the PTA Reflections ART Program, the theme this year is, "The world would be a better place if..." Entries can be made in dance choreography, film production, music composition, literature, photography, or visual arts. Deadline is January 8, 2015. I have more information and entry forms in class as well as the main office. Also, parent volunteers are needed for the program. Contact Kristi at kristiannedowning@gmail.com.

Want to help with the ice rink this year??? Volunteers are needed with the maintenance so please contact Chris Tilly if you can or want to help: rinks@gci.net. 

Monday looks like:
9 - 9:20
Planners
Class Meeting
9:20 - 10:55
TO DO LIST - A LOT OF MISSING ASSIGNMENTS/CORRECTIONS
10:55 - 11:30
Library
11:30 - 12:00
Charlotte's Web
12:00 - 12:30
Lunch
12:30 - 1:00
Recess
1:05 - 2:15
Math Block: Math Skits
2:15 - 2:30
Weather with Mr. Mike Shultz
2:30 - 3:30
Weather with Mr. Mike Shultz


Homework due Wednesday, December 17, 2014
-- $5 for Class Party on Friday
-- Wrapped book for Book Exchange

Homework due Thursday, December 18, 2014
-- Charlotte's Web Venn Diagram (in-class)*

Homework due Friday, December 19, 2014
-- Late, make-up, and redo assignments. I would encourage all students and parents to check Power School frequently this week. I will be grading all week. 

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if you are in my math class)
-- We will not start Topic 8 until after the break and we have just finished Topic 7. Check Power School for any missing assignments and this will be due by the end of the week. There will be math only on Monday and Tuesday this week because of early dismissal. 

*Please keep in mind, projects or tests we have in class may have to be brought home to be finished or to study. Please ask your child if they have completed their work before you have signed their planner. 

Dates to Remember:

December 17-19, 2014
Last day of the second quarter is Friday, December 19, 2014. There are half-days on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (December 17-19), with a 2 PM dismissal time.

January 7, 2015
First Day back to school after the winter break. It is a Tuesday. Please mark your calendars. I will send out a reminder on the blog Monday, January 6, 2015

If you are interested in attending or helping out as a chaperone on a field trip, you must be cleared with the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District...see me for a packet. If you would like to simply help out in class or volunteer, just let me know!

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog


A lot of snow last week?
You bet! 



RE-CAP from last week!
  • Winter music concert was at 1 PM and 7 PM at Pearl Creek Tuesday, December 2, 2014. Great job to those that participated and worked so hard all semester long! You should be very proud!
  • Field Trip to Herring Auditorium was Friday: The Nutcracker was awesome!
  • Mrs. Moore had an opportunity to stop in again and facilitate a lesson about Alaskan Native artist Melvin Olanna. His stylized sculptures reflect his Inupiaq culture. We created a simple animal shape from paper, using a paper scoring technique to make it look 3D. The sculptures are mounted on Alaskan landscapes outside our classroom. Stop by and check them out!      

This week!
  • Snowflakes with Mrs. LaPlaunt on Monday from 2:30-3:30 PM.
  • Ms. Misha will join us on Thursday, December 11, 2014 in the morning to learn more about the AMP (Alaska Measure of Progress) testing program.
  • Finishing Charlotte's Web Reading Groups.

Girl Scout Troop 48 SOAP Toiletry Drive (LAST WEEK for donations)

Pearl Creek's Girl Scout Troop 48 is collecting personal hygiene items to donate to SOAP - Fairbanks Counseling and Adoption's Street Outreach and Advocacy Program.  SOAP is a program that reaches out to young people ages 10 to 21 who are at risk of homelessness, are homeless, or who have run away from home. They provide support and resources for morale, health, and physical needs.  

Some physical needs that can be hard to meet are personal hygiene and wellness.  Toiletry products are expensive but necessary. SOAP gave us a short list of toiletry items that homeless youth often need:
  • Lipbalm or Chapstick
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Body Wash
  • Toothbrushes
  • Toothpaste
  • Deodorant - for males and females
  • Lotion
If you have other related items you would like to donate, we will pass them along. We will be collecting items until December 15th in the box by the kaleidoscope. Look for our posters around the school! Thanks from Troop 48!

If your kiddos are interested in the PTA Reflections ART Program, the theme this year is, "The world would be a better place if..." Entries can be made in dance choreography, film production, music composition, literature, photography, or visual arts. Deadline is January 8, 2015. I have more information and entry forms in class as well as the main office. Also, parent volunteers are needed for the program. Contact Kristi at kristiannedowning@gmail.com.

Speaking of the PTA: If you are interested in attending the next meeting, it is on Thursday, December 11, 2014 in the Pearl Creek Library.

Pearl Creek is also showing compassion in other ways this year:

There is currently a food drive led by Mr. Powers' class. Please send in your kids with canned food for the Fairbanks Food Bank. Thank you in advance for your generosity. The final day for this is December 12, 2014. 

The PTA is collecting "gently used" books for our school-wide book exchange. Donations can be delivered to a box by the kaleidoscope or boxes in the library. (Intermediate-level chapter books are especially needed!) When there are enough books, there will be a giveaway event.

Want to help with the ice rink this year??? Volunteers are needed with the maintenance so please contact Chris Tilly if you can or want to help: rinks@gci.net.

I am thinking about having white elephant book exchange in our own classroom on Friday, December 19, 2014 (last day before break). Intermediate-level chapter books are strongly encouraged for this, so if you have some extra books around the house (aside from the ones for the school book exchange), please have your student wrap and bring it in. This will only work if we have everyone on board...thoughts please...no news is go ahead news! Thanks!  

Monday looks like:

9 - 9:20
Planners
Class Book Committee Sign-ups
9:20 - 10:55
Spelling (No Excuse Spelling Words Final Quiz)
StoryTown
States of Matter: Flubber
10:55 - 11:30
Library - Newbery Book Pics
11:30 - 12:00
SSR
12:00 - 12:30
Lunch
12:30 - 1:00
Recess
1:05 - 2:15
Math Block: EnVision Math Topic 7-4
2:15 - 2:30
Movement
2:30 - 3:30
Snowflakes with Mrs. LaPlaunt

Homework due Monday, December 8, 2014
-- Spelling Quiz (no excuse spelling words)*

Homework due Tuesday, December 9, 2014
-- Newbery Book Picks

Homework due Friday, December 12, 2014
-- TFK: The Science of Sugar
-- StoryTown Lesson 3 (in-class)*
-- GEONOTES WEEK 4 (in-class)*

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if you are in my math class)
Homework due Monday, December 8, 2014
-- Reteach/Practice 7-3 
Homework due Tuesday, December 9, 2014
-- Reteach/Practice 7-4 
Homework due Wednesday, December 10, 2014
-- Reteach/Practice 7-5
Homework due Thursday, December 11, 2014
-- Reteach/Practice Review
Homework due Friday, December 12, 2014
-- Reteach/Practice Topic 7 Computer Practice Test 

*Please keep in mind, projects or tests we have in class may have to be brought home to be finished or to study. Please ask your child if they have completed their work before you have signed their planner. 

Dates to Remember:

December 17-19, 2014
Last day of the second quarter is Friday, December 19, 2014. There are half-days on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (December 17-19), with a 2 PM dismissal time.

If you are interested in attending or helping out as a chaperone on a field trip, you must be cleared with the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District...see me for a packet. If you would like to simply help out in class or volunteer, just let me know!

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman