Sunday, January 31, 2016

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog


Professional Development for teachers this Friday, February 5, 2016 - No School

STEM Night this Thursday, February 4, 2016 - Come out and see all of the wonderful demonstrations.

PLEASE NOTE: I HAVE NOT ASSIGNED HOMEWORK THIS WEEK. WE WILL BE DOING A LOT OF IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS AND FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT THIS WEEK (ALSO DUE TO THE SHORT WEEK AND AMP PRACTICE TESTS). MY MATH STUDENTS WILL HAVE LIMITED HOMEWORK AND A TEST ON TUESDAY.

This week
  • Reading Logs (con't) - more information down below
  • Literacy Groups
  • Comic Life
  • Self Reflections/Writing
  • DOL
  • Our Solar System (finish)
  • Kahn Academy
  • Moon Journaling
  • Current Events (start google slides presentations in class) 
Coming Up
  • Tableaux
  • Spelling Bee
  • STEM LESSON: Force and Motion (Exploding Canisters)
Monday looks like:
9:00 - 9:10
Planners
Class Meeting
New Jobs
New Seats
9:10 - 11:00
Moon Journals
DOL
Self Reflections
11:00 - 11:40
Library
11:40 - 12:10
Lunch
12:10 - 12:40
Recess
12:40 - 2:00
Math Block 
2:00 - 3:30
GeoNotes 9
Pluto
Cans

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 THURSDAY, February 4, 2015
PLEASE NOTE: I HAVE NOT ASSIGNED HOMEWORK THIS WEEK. WE WILL BE DOING A LOT OF IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS AND FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT THIS WEEK. (ALSO, DUE TO THE SHORT WEEK AND AMP PRACTICE TESTS)

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if you are in my math class)
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
-- Topic 10 Review 
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
-- NONE (TEST TOPIC 10 TUESDAY)
Thursday, February 4, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 11-1

ONGOING INFORMATION

READING LOGS
I have decided to implement weekly reading logs as a regular part of our class for this next quarter. Students will receive "points" for for each day that they read a minimum of 20 minutes at home. The purpose: for students to read each day (not 100 minutes over the weekend or 40 minutes on Tuesday to catch up for Monday).
The logs will be due on a rolling basis and should have dates read on them. I will give credit as they are turned in and filled out correctly (please initial these). The points students receive will be added to their overall reading grade, counting towards their final grade.
It is simple, if students read and turn in their logs, they will see their grade improve significantly while naturally benefitting in fluency and accuracy. If they do not, they will not be given a "0" on the assignment, they simply will not receive any points.
Please look for these to come home this week. I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs. Email me with any questions or concerns please.

GOOGLE DRIVE
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:

Thursday, February 4, 2016
STEM night at Pearl Creek - Come out to tour STEM booths and interact with STEM experts!!!

Friday, February 5, 2016 
Teacher In-service day (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, February 15, 2016 and Tuesday February 16, 2016
Student-led parent/teacher conferences (NO SCHOOL) - please speak to Mrs. Lisa Corbett at the front office for your scheduled time if you have questions. I will send home papers with your confirmed times when we are closer.

Friday, March 11, 2016
End of third quarter and beginning of spring break - early dismissal at 2 PM

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman

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Sunday, January 24, 2016

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog



 Last week

We finished up most of our Biography book reports with some delightful presentations! By now, students should have picked an appropriate, relevant, and current event in the news (domestic or foreign) to read about and report on to the class for their next Google Slide Presentation. Students' 5ws sheets were due on Friday and I will be looking over these this week.

I have picked some new computer programs to implement for differentiated instruction. The kids logged into Kahn Academy and Prodigy Math last week and have set sail! I will send home flyers this week with additional information and log-ins if you want to practice at home with your student.

Thanks for your support with these!

This week
  • Reading Logs (con't) - more information down below
  • Literacy Groups
  • DOL
  • GOOGLE SLIDES PRESENTATIONS FINISH UP THIS WEEK
  • Our Solar System
  • Kahn Academy
  • Prodigy Math
  • Moon Journaling
  • Current Events (start google slides presentations in class) 
In January
  • Tableaux
  • STEM LESSON: Force and Motion (Exploding Canisters)
Monday looks like:
9:00 - 9:10
Planners
Class Meeting
9:10 - 11:00
Moon Journals
DOL
Spelling Lesson 13
GeoNotes 8
SSR
11:00 - 11:40
Library
11:40 - 12:10
Lunch
12:10 - 12:40
Recess
12:40 - 2:00
Math Block 
2:00 - 3:30
TFK: Caught
Laptops - Chrome Books (Kahn Academy)
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, January 29, 2015
-- Spelling Lesson 13
-- TFK: Caught
-- Moon Journal Week Three

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if you are in my math class)
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 10-3
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 10-4
Thursday, January 28, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 10-5
Friday, January 29, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 10-6

ONGOING INFORMATION

READING LOGS
I have decided to implement weekly reading logs as a regular part of our class for this next quarter. Students will receive "points" for for each day that they read a minimum of 20 minutes at home. The purpose: for students to read each day (not 100 minutes over the weekend or 40 minutes on Tuesday to catch up for Monday).
The logs will be due on a rolling basis and should have dates read on them. I will give credit as they are turned in and filled out correctly (please initial these). The points students receive will be added to their overall reading grade, counting towards their final grade.
It is simple, if students read and turn in their logs, they will see their grade improve significantly while naturally benefitting in fluency and accuracy. If they do not, they will not be given a "0" on the assignment, they simply will not receive any points.
Please look for these to come home this week. I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs. Email me with any questions or concerns please.

GOOGLE DRIVE
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:

Thursday, February 4, 2016
STEM night at Pearl Creek - Come out to tour STEM booths and interact with STEM experts!!!

 Friday, February 5, 2016 
Teacher In-service day (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, February 15, 2016 and Tuesday February 16, 2016
Student-led parent/teacher conferences (NO SCHOOL) - please speak to Mrs. Lisa Corbett at the front office for your scheduled time if you have questions. I will send home papers with your confirmed times when we are closer.

Friday, March 11, 2016
End of third quarter and beginning of spring break - early dismissal at 2 PM

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman

Posted by at

Monday, January 18, 2016

Monday, January 18, 2016

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog


Martin Luther King, Jr., was a great man who worked for racial equality and civil rights in the United States of America. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Martin had a brother, Alfred, and a sister, Christine. Both his father and grandfather were ministers. His mother was a schoolteacher who taught him how to read before he went to school.

Young Martin was an excellent student in school; he skipped grades in both elementary school and high school. He enjoyed reading books, singing, riding a bicycle, and playing football and baseball. Martin entered Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, when he was only 15 years old.

Martin experienced racism early in life. He decided to do to something to make the world a better and fairer place.

After graduating from college and getting married, Dr. King became a minister and moved to Alabama.

During the 1950's, Dr. King became active in the movement for civil rights and racial equality. He participated in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott and many other peaceful demonstrations that protested the unfair treatment of African-Americans. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.

 Commemorating the life of a tremendously important leader, we celebrate Martin Luther King Day each year in January, the month in which he was born. August 28, the anniversary of Dr. King's 1963 I Have a Dream speech, is called "Dream Day."

Last week

We have started our Biography book reports with some delightful presentations! I have been mostly impressed!!! Art specialists were in school all week and we had our lesson on Thursday morning! This week we will finish our own art lesson on Andy Warhol - adding items to our cans of soup! Universal screening went extremely well and I am pleased to announce that every student in our class has improved in their reading fluency and accuracy. We will go over the numbers at our student-led parent/teacher conferences in February.

Students should have picked an appropriate, relevant, and current event in the news (domestic or foreign) to read about and report on to the class for their next Google Slide Presentation.

I have picked some new computer programs to implement for differentiated instruction. The kids logged into Kahn Academy and Prodigy Math last week and have set sail! I will send home flyers this week with additional information and log-ins if you want to practice at home with your student.

Thanks for your support with these!

This week
  • Reading Logs (con't) - more information down below
  • Literacy Groups
  • DOL
  • GOOGLE SLIDES PRESENTATIONS CONTINUE THIS WEEK
  • Our Solar System
  • Kahn Academy
  • Prodigy Math
  • Moon Journaling
  • Current Events (finish picking topic/article) 
In January
  • Biography Google Slides Presentations
  • Current Events - Social Studies Class Topics
  • Tableaux
  • STEM LESSON: Force and Motion (Exploding Canisters)
Tuesday looks like:
9:00 - 9:10
Planners
Class Meeting
New Seats
New Jobs
9:10 - 11:00
Moon Journals
DOL
Spelling Lesson 12
StoryTown Lesson 12
New Year Resolutions finish
11:00 - 11:40
PE
11:40 - 12:10
Lunch
12:10 - 12:40
Recess
12:40 - 2:00
Math Block 
2:00 - 3:30
Our Solar System - Saturn
Biography Google Slides Presentations
TFK: The Coolest Inventions of 2015
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, January 22, 2015
-- Spelling Lesson 12
-- TFK: The Coolest Inventions of 2015 
-- Moon Journal Week Two
-- Current Events Article Finalized

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if you are in my math class)
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
-- TOPIC 9 REVIEW PART 2
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
-- NONE (TEST WAS TUESDAY)
Thursday, January 21, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 10-2
Friday, January 22, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 10-3

ONGOING INFORMATION

READING LOGS
I have decided to implement weekly reading logs as a regular part of our class for this next quarter. Students will receive "points" for for each day that they read a minimum of 20 minutes at home. The purpose: for students to read each day (not 100 minutes over the weekend or 40 minutes on Tuesday to catch up for Monday).
The logs will be due on a rolling basis and should have dates read on them. I will give credit as they are turned in and filled out correctly (please initial these). The points students receive will be added to their overall reading grade, counting towards their final grade.
It is simple, if students read and turn in their logs, they will see their grade improve significantly while naturally benefitting in fluency and accuracy. If they do not, they will not be given a "0" on the assignment, they simply will not receive any points.
Please look for these to come home this week. I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs. Email me with any questions or concerns please.

GOOGLE DRIVE
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, February 5, 2016 
Teacher In-service day (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, February 15, 2016 and Tuesday February 16, 2016
Student-led parent/teacher conferences (NO SCHOOL) - please speak to Mrs. Lisa Corbett at the front office for your scheduled time if you have questions. I will send home papers with your confirmed times when we are closer.

Friday, March 11, 2016
End of third quarter and beginning of spring break - early dismissal at 2 PM

Monday, March 14, 2016 thru Friday, March 18, 2016
Spring break (NO SCHOOL - not including weekends)

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman

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Sunday, January 10, 2016

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

Spring and more daylight are around the corner!!!

Report cards went home Friday! Rest assured...all students have improved :)
Last week was great! We hit the ground running and have ambitious goals for 2016! The kiddos were eager to share their stories from break and get back to learning. We returned to some routine procedures like DOL, Spelling, and TFK! We have also begun our unit on the Solar System, and the kids are highly engaged. Moon Journals will not be a nightly assignment, but rather a weekly record. I will send home more info about how we will proceed this week. They will continue through January and finish as the moon completes a full cycle (28.5 days). There was actually a new moon on Sunday so perfect timing!

I will speak to the students tomorrow about picking a current events topic/article. I would like them to pick an appropriate, relevant, and current event in the news (domestic or foreign) to read about and report on to the class for their next Google Slide Presentation. On that note, we will also be starting our Biography Book Report Presentations this week.

We finished last week with a well-deserved pancake breakfast and a class spelling bee. We will send four students and one alternate form our class to the school spelling bee, which is coming up in February.

I have been looking into some new computer programs to implement for differentiated instruction and will be trying Kahn Academy and Prodigy Game (Math). I will send home flyers with additional information and log-ins if you want to practice at home with your student. Thanks for your support with these!

This week
  • Reading Logs (con't) - more information down below
  • Literacy Groups
  • DOL
  • GOOGLE SLIDES PRESENTATIONS START THIS WEEK - please check your student's date
  • Universal Screening
  • Our Solar System
  • Kahn Academy
  • Prodigy Math
  • Moon Journaling
  • Current Events (pick topic/article) 
In January
  • Biography Google Slides Presentations
  • Current Events - Social Studies Class Topics
  • Tableaux
  • STEM LESSON: Force and Motion (Exploding Canisters)
Monday looks like:
9:00 - 9:10
Planners
Class Meeting
9:10 - 11:00
DOL
Spelling Lesson 11
Universal Screening
New Year Resolutions (con't)
11:00 - 11:40
Library
11:40 - 12:10
Lunch
12:10 - 12:40
Recess
12:40 - 2:00
Math Block 
2:00 - 3:30
Our Solar System - Venus
Current Events Discussion and Rubric
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, January 15, 2015
-- Spelling Lesson 11
-- Moon Journal Week One
-- Current Events Article Picked

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if you are in my math class)
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 9-5
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 9-6
Thursday, January 14, 2016
-- Topic 9 Review (test Friday)
Friday, January 15, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 10-1

ONGOING INFORMATION

READING LOGS
I have decided to implement weekly reading logs as a regular part of our class for this next quarter. Students will receive "points" for for each day that they read a minimum of 20 minutes at home. The purpose: for students to read each day (not 100 minutes over the weekend or 40 minutes on Tuesday to catch up for Monday).
The logs will be due on a rolling basis and should have dates read on them. I will give credit as they are turned in and filled out correctly (please initial these). The points students receive will be added to their overall reading grade, counting towards their final grade.
It is simple, if students read and turn in their logs, they will see their grade improve significantly while naturally benefitting in fluency and accuracy. If they do not, they will not be given a "0" on the assignment, they simply will not receive any points.
Please look for these to come home this week. I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs. Email me with any questions or concerns please.

GOOGLE DRIVE
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:

Monday, January 18, 2016
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Holiday (no school)

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman

Posted by at

Monday, January 4, 2016

Monday, January 4, 2016

Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog




From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU so much for your kindness and generosity before the break. I received many nice cards with gifts from around town (Fred's, Sunrise, Food Factory, Gullivers, Starbucks). I love that we keep it local by the way. I really enjoyed the coffee, plants, nuts, candy, wine, eggs, pens and pictures!!! I feel so lucky to have such an awesome class and supportive bunch of parents! I had a great break and I hope you did as well!





GOOGLE SLIDES PRESENTATIONS
Over the break, I had a few emails from parents requesting that the due dates of the Google Slides Biography Book Reports presentations be adjusted. After dialogue, I realize that some students have been traveling and busy over the last two weeks, so I have decided to push our calendar back by one week. I will send home a new calendar (Tuesday, January 5, 2016) with each student.

READING LOGS
I have decided to implement weekly reading logs as a regular part of our class for this next quarter. Students will receive "points" for for each day that they read a minimum of 20 minutes at home. The purpose: for students to read each day (not 100 minutes over the weekend or 40 minutes on Tuesday to catch up for Monday).
The logs will be due on a rolling basis and should have dates read on them. I will give credit as they are turned in and filled out correctly (please initial these). The points students receive will be added to their overall reading grade, counting towards their final grade.
It is simple, if students read and turn in their logs, they will see their grade improve significantly while naturally benefitting in fluency and accuracy. If they do not, they will not be given a "0" on the assignment, they simply will not receive any points.
Please look for these to come home this week. I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs. Email me with any questions or concerns please.

Report Cards will be sent home this Friday

This week
  • Reading Logs
  • Literacy Groups
  • DOL
  • Hand Washing (Hygiene and Health)
  • Class Spelling Bee
In January
  • Biography Google Slides Presentations
  • Current Events - Social Studies Class Presentations
  • Tableaux
  • STEM LESSON: Force and Motion (Exploding Canisters)
Tuesday looks like:
9:00 - 9:10
Planners
Class Meeting
New Seats
New Jobs
9:10 - 11:00
DOL
Commas
Spelling Lesson 10
New Year Resolutions
11:00 - 11:40
PE
11:40 - 12:10
Lunch
12:10 - 12:40
Recess
12:40 - 2:00
Math Block 
2:00 - 3:30
Fast Write to Music
TFK - 2015 The Year In Pictures
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, January 8, 2015
-- Spelling Lesson 10
-- TFK: 2015 The Year In Pictures

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if you are in my math class)
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 9-1
Thursday, January 7, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 9-2
Friday, January 8, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 9-3

*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 will send home (TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016) the new calendar for presentations in January:
  • Part one was 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
  • 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:

Monday, January 18, 2016
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Holiday (no school)

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman

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