Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog
I am so proud and privileged to have your kids this year. Fourth grade usually proves to be a challenge academically and socially for kids, and this class has delivered thus far! This week we will continue with our insects (science) unit, spelling packets, and cursive handbooks. We will also add GeoNotes and Daily Oral Language (DOL) practice to our agenda. Our summer essays are coming along and I hope that most students will finish their first writing piece of the year by Friday. Math is cruising along through topic one and multiplication facts are always a challenge!
Last Week:
We had a great second week and are almost in full swing! Several grades have been entered in PowerSchool and I am still working on finishing up grading soon. We had a scavenger hunt in the garden and helped our first grade buddies make water color pictures. The students all had a chance to log into the school laptops and sign their technology agreements, so we will utilize the computers this coming week. We capped our week with a nice pancake breakfast Friday morning!
Thank you so much for making Back-to-school Night a priority and it was nice seeing you all. I hope I covered any or all questions you had at the time. As I mentioned, we will be hiking to Ballaine Lake on Thursday, September 1, 2016 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. There, we will examine "Water Bugs" and have several stations for students to learn and connect with our beautiful surroundings. I am so happy to have five parents joining us, please come with your walking shoes and be ready to get a bit mucky!
The First Quarter Plan:
- Narrative Writing - Summer Break Reflections
- Spelling
- Insects
- The United States - Geography, Mapping, Economy
- STEM Kits
- Kahn Academy
- Daily Oral Language (DOL)
- StoryTown
- Reading Logs
- Cursive Handbooks
- Literacy Groups
9:00 - 9:10
Classroom Jobs
Planners
9:10 - 10:25
Daily Oral Language (DOL)
Spelling Lesson 2
10:25 - 11:00
Library
11:00 - 11:40
Read Aloud - Where the Red Fern Grows
Cursive Handbooks letter "B"
11:40 - 12:10
Lunch
12:10 - 12:40
Recess
12:40 - 2:00
Math Block
2:00 - 3:30
The United States - GeoNotes
Summer Reflections
*Please note that Math, Specials, Lunch, and Recess are Intermediate schedules and stay in blocks. At times, curriculum instruction will be shuffled to accommodate different initiatives.
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.
IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS - QUIZZES - TESTS
ON Friday, September 2, 2016:
-- Spelling quiz Lesson 2 (in-class) words are listed below and in planners
-- GeoNotes 1
-- Cursive letter "B"
-- DOL week 1
-- Summer reflections final draft
-- Math Quiz 2 Lessons 1-8 through 1-11
HOMEWORK (homeroom)
DUE Friday, Friday 2, 2016:
-- Spelling Lesson 2 (homework)
-- Planners signed by parents/guardians
MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if your child is in my math class)
Homework due Tuesday, August 29, 2016
-- Practice 1-8
Homework due Wednesday, August 30, 2016
Homework due Tuesday, August 29, 2016
-- Practice 1-8
Homework due Wednesday, August 30, 2016
-- Practice 1-9
Homework due Thursday, September 1, 2016
-- Practice 1-10
Homework due Friday, September 2, 2016
-- Practice 1-11
Homework due Thursday, September 1, 2016
-- Practice 1-10
Homework due Friday, September 2, 2016
-- Practice 1-11
*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
READING LOGSReading logs are a regular part of our class. 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, September 1, 2016
Field Trip - Ballaine Lake Science and Art Excursion (parent volunteers requested please)
We will be walking there - please have you kids come to school with good walking shoes.
Friday, September 9, 2016
Harvest Festival 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm @ Pearl Creek Garden
Field Trip - Ballaine Lake Science and Art Excursion (parent volunteers requested please)
We will be walking there - please have you kids come to school with good walking shoes.
Friday, September 9, 2016
Harvest Festival 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm @ Pearl Creek Garden
It's a good life!
Mr. Sassman
SPELLING LESSON 2:
1. cheese
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6. gape
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11. eagle
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16. woke
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2. heel
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7. aim
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12. throw
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17. ripen
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3. season
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8. brain
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13. rose
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18. cube
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4. boast
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9. fluke
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14. student
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19. rainbow
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5. chief
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10. crayon
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15. goal
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20. scrape
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