Sunday, December 13, 2015

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

Kids and Weather with Mr. Mike Shultz from Channel 11 News.
Alaska Room!
Alaska Room!
Indoor kids yoga!

This is the last week of school until the much needed winter break. It also means that this is the final opportunity to makeup assignments before report cards. I will finalize the grades next week and you should receive your student's report card the first week in January.

I hope you enjoyed seeing your kiddos on the nightly news giving some great weather information!

Thank you to all who have donated coins, winter clothing, and food. You are a true example of inspiration, compassion, and being involved for your children. All-in-all, the school raised over 30 boxes of clothes and $700 in funds. Our class has raised over 200 pounds of food for the local food bank, putting us in first place! Well done and thank you again!

Classroom party and book exchange on Friday: I would like to have a little celebration at the end of school Friday 12:30 - 2:00 where the students can play games that they design and then have a "White Elephant" style book exchange. If you would please send in you student with an age-appropriate book that is wrapped, that would be great. Think 3-5 grade reading level. I also anticipate having some snacks/food, so if there are allergy concerns, please email me and we can make special arrangements.

Last week we started our first AMP Training (Alaska Measures of Progress) and tried out yoga in our classroom for the first time! The students seemed to like it and we will try some more this week! The National Scrips Spelling Bee is coming up in February and I will send the kids home with a list of words to study from, but check online for more. This week we will have a class spelling bee to determine the four students that will participate in the school-wide spelling bee. We will also have one alternate.

This week
  • Biography Book Report (keep reading and logs)
  • Google Slides Presentation (making them)
  • Literacy Groups (The Bridge to Terabithia and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing)
  • DOL
  • Wreaths (Art)
  • Hand Washing (Hygiene and Health)
  • Cocoa and Cookies with Mrs. LaPlaunt in the commons on Friday
  • Bowl Glazing
  • Class Spelling Bee
  • Door decorating contest
In January
  • Biography Google Slides Presentations
  • Current Events - Social Studies Class Presentations
  • Tableaux of our next reading group book
Monday looks like:
9:00 - 9:10
Planners
Class Meeting
9:10 - 11:40
DOL
Commas
Step Books
11:40 - 12:10
Lunch
12:10 - 12:40
Recess
12:40 - 2:00
Math Block 
2:00 - 3:30
Fast Write to Music
Art
TDL
Read Aloud - Tale of Despereaux

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to call or email me anytime to discuss things further. I hope you find this information helpful and useful.

HOMEWORK DUE Friday, December 18, 2015
None - Happy Holidays

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if you are in my math class)
None - Happy Holidays

*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. 

ONGOING INFORMATION

I hope you have seen the newly implemented reading logs. After winter break, I would like to start those on a regular basis. I have not yet determined how the kiddos will get "credit" for those, but I am thinking of an incentive program...I will let you know how we will proceed, but keep an eye out for those in the future.

I sent home the calendar for presentations in January:
  • Part one is to keep a reading log (reading at home, filled out at home, turned in when finished with each sheet)
  • Part two are step books (done in class)
  • Part three is a Google Slides Presentation (started in class and may be worked on at home)

GOOGLE DRIVES - I am going to keep this information here for a while
  • You can access all of your student's digital assignments online and work at home if you would like. Just go to www.gmail.com and type in their email address and password. Then find the Google Menu (where you will find the Drive, Docs, and Slides) icon in the top right corner (it is a nine square grid next to their s-number). This is where they will make their Google Slides Presentation for their Biography Book Reports. It is as follows:
Username: s#@student.k12northstar.org (for example: s123456@student.k12northstar.org)
Password: s#g (for example: s123456g)

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Friday, December 18, 2015 through Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Winter Break - Early dismissal on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week
December 16-18, 2015 at 2 PM

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

We will be making snowflakes in class this Friday afternoon. Feel free to come by and have some fun!

We had a great week...Newton's First Law of Motion (Egg Drop), Buddies, Music Concert! A BIG THANK YOU to Sherri Wolf, Emmy Marshall, and Kathleen Wright for volunteering in our class room for pottery bowl making. It was a great success and this week we will fire them. Next week we will glaze and re-fire for the last time.

I hope you have seen the newly implemented reading logs. After winter break, I would like to start those on a regular basis. I have not yet determined how the kiddos will get "credit" for those, but I am thinking of an incentive program...I will let you know how we will proceed, but keep an eye out for those in the future.

WE HAVE A SPECIAL EVENT TOMORROW AT 2 PM. I LEARNED LATE LAST WEEK THAT OUR CLASS WILL BE ON THE CHANNEL 11 KIDS AND WEATHER REPORT THIS MONTH. MR. MIKE SHULTZ WILL BE COMING TO OUR CLASS TO RECORD THREE STUDENTS (THAT WE SELECTED AT RANDOM) TO PRESENT A WINTER PICTURE, STORY, AND A QUESTION. WE WILL ALSO MAKE A CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END. THESE SEGMENTS WILL BE AIRED ALL WEEK ON CHANNEL 11. TUNE IN TO SEE!

TUESDAY, December 8, 2015 from 9:10-12:00 we have a field trip planned for the Alaska Room at Anne Wien Elementary School. I have two parent volunteers for now and have room for one more if you would like to join. Simply show up to school on Tuesday, ready to go at 9:10. This is an annual trip and is a wonderful experience that highlights Alaskan Native Culture and Art.

So here is how our new book reports will continue: Biographies Students will chose their dates this week (I am thinking that we will have presentations in January).
  • Part one will be to keep a reading log (reading at home, filled out at home, turned in when finished with each sheet)
  • Part two will be step books (done in class)
  • Part three will be a Google Slides Presentation (started in class and may be worked on at home)
This week
  • Biography Book Report (keep reading and logs)
  • Start Google Slides Presentation (making them)
  • Literacy Groups (The Bridge to Terabithia and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing)
  • DOL
  • Spelling Lesson 9
  • StoryTown 9
  • Wreaths (Art)
  • Snowflakes (Art)
  • Hand Washing (Hygiene and Health)
  • Coordinates (Art and Math)
Coming up
  • WINTER BREAK IS COMING UP - 2 weeks left in the second quarter - wow that was fast!!!
  • Current Events - Social Studies Class Presentations (after the holiday break)
  • Tableaux of our next reading group book (after the holiday break)

AS ALWAYS, PLEASE check your child's planner for homework and correspondence!   

Monday looks like:
9:00 - 9:10
Planners
Class Meeting
9:10 - 11:40
DOL
Spelling Lesson 9
StoryTown Lesson 9
11:40 - 12:10
Lunch
12:10 - 12:40
Recess
12:40 - 2:00
Math Block Benchmark Test Lessons 5-8
2:00 - 3:30
Kids and Weather with Mr. Mike Shultz
Fast Write to Music
Wreaths

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to call or email me anytime to discuss things further. I hope you find this information helpful and useful.

HOMEWORK DUE Friday, December 11, 2015
-- Spelling Lesson 9
-- TFK: On Patrol

ON Friday, December 11, 2015
Quiz - Spelling Lesson 9

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if you are in my math class)
Homework due Tuesday, December 8, 2015
-- Practice 15-1
Homework due Wednesday, December 9, 2015
-- Practice 15-2
Homework due Thursday, December 10, 2015
-- Practice 15-3
Homework due Friday, December 11, 2015
-- Practice 15-4

*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. 

GOOGLE DRIVES - I am going to keep this information here for a while
  • You can access all of your student's digital assignments online and work at home if you would like. Just go to www.gmail.com and type in their email address and password. Then find the Google Menu (where you will find the Drive, Docs, and Slides) icon in the top right corner (it is a nine square grid next to their s-number). This is where they will make their Google Slides Presentation for their Biography Book Reports. It is as follows:
Username: s#@student.k12northstar.org (for example: s123456@student.k12northstar.org)
Password: s#g (for example: s123456g)

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Tuesday, December 8, 2015 (9:10-12:00)
Alaska Room Field Trip - two chaperones needed please

Friday, December 18, 2015 through Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Winter Break - Early out December 16-18, 2015 at 2 PM

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman