Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog
Weller Elementary School
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| I don't know about you, but I have a lot of leaves to clean up! I'll take this weather though! |
Last week...
We had an epic trip to Ballaine Lake. The weather was absolutely perfect, the kids loved it, and they were engaged at all five stations: Aquatic Insects, Terrestrial Insects, Six Room Poetry, Marble Printing, and of course, a Nature Scavenger Hunt! I have read through all of the poems, and WOW! I can't wait until you see them. A special thanks to the parents who chaperoned and for sending in a donation to help with the cost of transportation, both made a huge difference.
I also introduced our State Report Projects, so please ask your kiddo which state they have and start thinking about what you guys would like to bring/make for the potluck to conclude our work. I will publish the date and information for that soon.
We started our class novel, Charlotte's Web - a classic - by E.B. White and so far, I think the kids are really enjoying the story but also, the format in which we are exploring it.
For your convenience, below is a copy of our Q1 TDL (To-Do-List). I printed copies for all the kids, and we are plugging away already.
This week...
We have a lot going on, State Report research, Art Specialists will be here on Tuesday, TDL, Charlotte's Web, Topic 1 Unit test in math, Cursive Handbooks, DOL, oh my!
I have been working diligently getting grades put into Power School and keeping up with all the work the kids are doing (I may or may not have a small stack of papers on my desk). If you have not yet, please check them out. Some kiddos are already missing more than a few assignments, and others have risen to the challenge. Admittedly, I give a lot of work, but it is all in the best interest of your student. I have high expectations, and I am confident that each and every student will grow and learn a tremendous amount this year! Thanks for your support at home, it truly makes a big difference.
Here is the link to Power School: https://premier.k12northstar.org/public/
Lastly, for now. If Parent-Teacher Conference (Online) signups aren't published this week by the district, I will have a backup plan to get going on that. I understand that you may need time to plan or get off of work to be here, so I hear you. I am in the same boat myself and it is frustrating. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
The First Quarter Plan:
Monday looks like:
- Non-fiction Narrative Writing - Summer Break Reflections
- State Reports and Poster Board
- States Potluck
- Spelling
- Life Sciences
- The United States - Geography, Mapping, Economy, States Reports
- Red Bird Math
- enVision Math
- Daily Oral Language (DOL)
- Q1 Book Reports
- Reading Logs
- Cursive Handbooks
- Class Novel
- Art
- And much, much, more...
Monday looks like:
8:30 - 9:00
Arrive
Writing Prompt
Morning Announcements
Class Meeting - New jobs and new seats
Student of the Week Presentation - Milly
9:00 - 9:30
Gym
9:30 - 10:00
Music
10:00 - 11:30
Snack/Read Aloud
DOL
TDL
11:30 - 12:00
Lunch
12:00 - 12:30
Recess
12:30 - 1:45
Math Block
1:45 - 2:00
Break/Movement Activity
2:00 - 2:45
Class Novel - Charlotte's Web
2:45 - 3:00
Clean Up
Stack Chairs
Mailboxes
*Please note that math, specials (PE, music, and library), lunch, and recess are part of a fixed schedule 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
--DOL Lesson 3
--Cursive Letter "C" (Finish A and B)
--GeoNotes Lesson 2 (Finish)
--Six Rooms Poetry (Final Draft)
--States and Capitals 1
HOMEWORK
ONGOING
--Reading Logs (ongoing)
MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK
DUE ON
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
--Reteach 1-10
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
--Topic 1 Review
Thursday, September 19, 2019 (Topic 1 Test today)
--Reteach 2-1
Friday, September 20, 2019
--Reteach 2-2
***A brief note about homework. It is my philosophy that homework is an opportunity for students to practice skills that they have learned in school that day/week. The benefits are proven and tremendous. I try to keep things simple: 20 minutes of reading practice (reading logs), 20 minutes of math practice (worksheet), and 5-10 minutes of spelling (1 page per night). If your student is working on homework for more than an hour each night (Monday - Thursday, none on the weekends), please contact me so we can discuss things further. It is not my intention to make life impossible for you at home.
DUE ON
--Reteach 1-10
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
--Topic 1 Review
Thursday, September 19, 2019 (Topic 1 Test today)
--Reteach 2-1
Friday, September 20, 2019
--Reteach 2-2
***A brief note about homework. It is my philosophy that homework is an opportunity for students to practice skills that they have learned in school that day/week. The benefits are proven and tremendous. I try to keep things simple: 20 minutes of reading practice (reading logs), 20 minutes of math practice (worksheet), and 5-10 minutes of spelling (1 page per night). If your student is working on homework for more than an hour each night (Monday - Thursday, none on the weekends), please contact me so we can discuss things further. It is not my intention to make life impossible for you at home.
***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 and check PowerSchool regularly.
ONGOING INFORMATION
READING LOGSReading logs are a regular part of our class. Students will receive "points" 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).
Reading 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.
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. Simply 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. All passwords have been reset and synched to their individual defaults for the start of the school year. Please do not make any changes. 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, September 27, 2019
--Professional Development Teacher Work Day (no school)
Thursday, October 31 and Friday, November 1, 2019
--Parent/Teacher Conferences (please sign up online now)
More to come...
It's a good life!
Mr. Sassman
