Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog
Weller Elementary School
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| I hope you and yours had a nice long weekend! |
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| How about that snow over the break... |
Last week...
As you know, Thanksgiving was Thursday, and that means three weeks left in the second quarter. WOW, that went fast. Next up, Biography Book Report Presentations. The calendar is below and kids are set to start presentations this week. We started our "Place in the Universe" unit and learned about our solar system, the Milky Way, and our Universe. We honed in on the Sun and Mercury. This week we will explore Venus, our Moon, Earth, Mars and some of the gassy giants! Our unit will conclude with some pretty righteous SPACE ART!!! It is out of the world...sorry I had to! Did someone say 6-point snowflakes? I hope your child showed you the way! They made some beautiful creations that are beautifully displayed on our classroom walls and windows.
A few students started creating Current Events Presentations, but that is an enrichment project for this quarter. Next quarter, all the students will be required to do a project!
Lastly for now...I have graded Poster Boards and Fictional Narratives. I am still working through the research reports as they are a bit more cumbersome. Mrs. Young and I should be done with them this week. Feel free to check Power School for grade updates.
This week and next...
It's not my favorite time of the quarter but MAP testing is Monday and Tuesday this week. Math will be on Monday, and ELA will be on Tuesday. Please make sure your kiddos get plenty of rest and a hearty breakfast. Send them in with an extra snack if you are able. I will have some goodies, but brain food always helps on testing days.
Biography Book Reports, Space Unit, Athabascan Spirit Masks, Where the Red Fern Grows, My Side of the Mountain, Cursive Handbooks (some students have finished the book already!), GeoNotes, and a little poetry sprinkled in!
This Friday, December 6th, we have another field trip! I simply love seeing the Nutcracker and taking my class every year is a tradition. It also supports local actors, kids, and businesses, so why not if we can? The cost is $5 for the show and transportation (heck of a deal) so if you wouldn't mind? I also reserved some extra seats this time. We have a total of 32, so that means we can take an addition 6 chaperones (since the last two filled up quickly). Please send in $5 for yourself as well, if you plan on going. We plan to leave Weller no later than 9:30, so please make sure your kiddo is on time to school. We should be back around 11:30ish. I will send home a paper notification tomorrow. It is at Herring Auditorium (Lathrop HS) by the way.
On your radar...Tuesday, December 10th, Art Specialists will be in the house! Their lesson will feature grade-level artist: Hokusai, and is called, "Head in the Clouds."
Here is the description: Have
you ever found yourself daydreaming? Students learn about a grade-level artist
Hokusai’s “Ukiyo-e” themed art that translates to “pictures of the floating
world.” With cut paper, markers and colored pencils, students learn to
illustrate their daydreams with a variety of stick figures contained within
their “head in the clouds.”
Friday, December 13th, we have a field trip to Anne Wien to visit the Alaska Room! I am happy to report that this trip is FREE. It is grant-funded and is a wonderful experience if you have ever...
Speaking of Book Reports and TDLs...below is the calendar!
FYI...
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| Please make sure your kiddo has the proper gear. |
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| How about that pickup line! |
8:30 - 9:00
Arrive
Writing Prompt
Morning Announcements
Student of the Week Presentation - Jade
9:00 - 9:30
Gym
9:30 - 10:00
Music
10:00 - 11:30
Snack/Read Aloud - Where the Red Fern Grows
MAP Testing Day 1 - Math
11:30 - 12:00
Lunch
12:00 - 12:30
Recess
12:30 - 1:45
MAP Testing Day 1 Finish - Math
Biography Book Report Presentations - Knox and Izzie!
1:45 - 2:00
Break/Movement Activity
2:00 - 2:45
Class Novel - My Side of the Mountain
Our Place in the Universe - Venus!
2:45 - 3:00
Clean Up
Pack Up
Stack Up
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
See Q2 TDL Above
HOMEWORK
ONGOING
--Reading Logs (ongoing)
MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK
DUE ON
None as of now due to MAP testing: Math is canceled Monday and Tuesday so we are able to complete the Math and ELA sections of our progress monitoring. I will determine if it is appropriate to send home any work on Wednesday during math class. If so, it will be 6-5 and/or a take-home Topic 6 Test for Thursday and Friday.
***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
None as of now due to MAP testing: Math is canceled Monday and Tuesday so we are able to complete the Math and ELA sections of our progress monitoring. I will determine if it is appropriate to send home any work on Wednesday during math class. If so, it will be 6-5 and/or a take-home Topic 6 Test for Thursday and Friday.
***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 grades 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
Password: s#g
User Name for example: s123456@student.k12northstar.org
User Pswd for example: s123456g
User Name for example: s123456@student.k12northstar.org
User Pswd for example: s123456g
DATES TO REMEMBER AND FIELD TRIPS
Friday, December 6, 2019
--Field Trip to Herring Auditorium at Lathrop HS to see "The Nutcracker."
Friday, December 13, 2019
--Field Trip to the Alaska Room at Anne Wien Elementary School. We will depart at 11:30 AM and return at 2:30 PM.
Tuesday, December 20, 2019
--Marble Jar Field Trip to the Big Dipper. We will leave Weller at 9:15 and return around 11:30. It will be a total of $10 per student and that includes transportation and ice time (1 hr.). Skate rental is an additional $3 per kiddo and I will cover the cost of that, however, if your student has skates, please have them bring them to school that day. Thanks.
Friday, January 31, 2020
--Field Trip to UAF's Davis Concert Hall to see "Bach to the Future." More details to follow.
Friday, March 20, 2020
--Field Trip to Herring Auditorium at Lathrop HS to see "Eileen Ivers." More details to follow.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - Friday, May 15, 2020
--Angel Rocks Hike and Twin Bears Educational Excursion. We will have several meetings throughout the year about this as it is a 3-day overnight camping trip, and yes we will need volunteers!
It's a good life!
Mr. Sassman
