Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog
Weller Elementary School
This past week...
Is in the books and I think we have a little routine in place. I can say that I am extremely impressed with the commitment and dedication of the students and the support you have been giving at home (parents/guardians). I am proud to report that we have had outstanding attendance at our Zoom meetings and we have received praise from both teachers and administrators alike! Let's keep it up!
We accomplished most of what we set out for, and will continue our campaigns into next week. We finished Frindle and learned that Mrs. Lorelei Granger was actually rooting for Nick the whole time! What a great ending. We are almost done with our first paragraphs to our Summer Reflections and I love hearing the kids' stories. Paragraph two will start next week. The next art piece I introduced was, "I can't imagine a world without..." and the kids are nailing it. I have integrated a little English/Language Arts into the activity, by asking the kids to type up a list of ten things that they feel are essential to life and happiness. We transferred those using tools like a ruler, colored pencils, and an ultra-fine point Sharpie to make a beautiful visual representation using shading.
Changing speeds, we been working through Topic 1 in our math curriculum, and have focused several days on Topic 1-8 specifically. It is heavy on math vocabulary and introduces some new concepts, so we have taken things a bit slow. I anticipate that we will finish Topic 1 next week and even have our first test!
Brown Bag autobiographies are well underway and we should be finished with those today, Friday, September 4th. If not, we will do so Tuesday (no school Monday, Labor Day). We also started exploring our Social Studies Atlas (pun intended) and we are almost done with our first worksheet. I will ask that you drop them off next week on Wednesday, so I can go through them and give the kids their grades. Speaking of grades and next week. I have started uploading grades to PowerSchool, so if you can, please go online and check things out there. If you need help doing so, just let me know. I would like to have another round of things ready for you to pick up on Wednesday, September 9th. I will make a list and put them in an envelope again for you.
The kids should have started in their Cursive Handbooks, specifically letters "A" and "B." I told them and posted it on our Google Classroom Stream, that I only want them to do the letters practice pages for now and to save the poems for when we finish all of the letters pages. I have recently started posting on our Stream at the end of each day, a list of tasks that the kids need to finish up with for the day, and the things we have been working on. Below is a screenshot of that (a little blurry, sorry). I think and hope it has been helpful.
So far, I have received most questionnaires, diagnostic tests (vocab and math), and the kids' Who Are You? worksheets back, but not all. If you have not done so, please, that stuff is very important :)
We started Charlotte's Web by E.B. White on Friday. We only read Chapter 1 so if your kiddo missed it, please take a few minutes to catch up. It is only a few pages. Thanks!
Lastly, we have taken on a student-teacher this year. Ms. Nuss is studying to be an elementary school teacher at UAF and has just joined us yesterday. She will be with our class all year and I am excited to welcome her. She will be putting together a little note and bio for your information.
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| By the time we get done, Ms. Nuss will be ready to go! |
Next week...
I mentioned that there will not be school on Labor Day, Monday, September 7th, 2020. Tuesday, we will start our next Read Aloud, Wonder by R.J. Palacio. It is an uplifting book about an elementary student attending school for the first time in fifth grade. August Pullman (Auggie) has a facial deformity that has led him to be homeschooled, but now he is willing, ready, and able to give it a go with other children. It is a story about adversity, acceptance, perseverance, kindness, and triumph. I can't wait!
I mentioned earlier, that I would like to have some things prepared for you to pick up next Wednesday. I will have some math worksheets, a math test, some social studies worksheets, reading logs (if you would like the paper ones), some reading comprehension worksheets (Charlotte's Web), DOL worksheets, and finally some materials for our first science lesson and activity. PLEASE if you can, pick these things up on time so we can stay on schedule. Thanks so much!
And yes, another list...so next week we will:
-Continue Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (read together, worksheets together, and discourse)
-Paragraph two of our Summer Reflections
-Finish Paper Bag Autobiographies (several students still need to present)
-Continue our atlas' and worksheets (I will send home more on Wednesday)
-Start our first spelling assignments (we didn't have enough time to get to this last week)
-Review Math Topic 1 and Topic 1 Test
-Continue with our Daily Writing Prompts
-Finish Art/Writing (I can't imagine a world without...)
-Continue with Cursive Handbooks (Letters A, B, C, and D should be done by the end of the week)
-Haikus (I really want to start these, I need more time!)
Homework Already???
Please have your child reading for 20 minutes a night. Then, have them record it on their reading logs. When the log is complete, you may either send it in, take a picture and email it to me, or enter it digitally in our Google Classroom. Math work will also be a part of our day and may spill over into the evening...more to come on that, but I promise, no tears!
The chore of the week: Help clean any appliance in the house! It could be the toaster, microwave, refrigerator, washer, dryer...you name it parents, you choose!
The First Quarter Plan:
Tuesday looks like:
- Non-fiction Narrative Writing - Summer Break Reflections
- Spelling
- The United States - Geography, Mapping, Economy, States Reports
- EnVision Math
- Daily Oral Language (DOL)
- Q1 Book Reports
- Reading Logs - SSR
- Cursive Handbooks
- Poetry
- Figurative Language
- Class Novel
- Art
- And much, much, more...
Tuesday looks like:
8:30 - 9:15 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Class Meeting
Check-ins and feedback about turned in assignments
Writing Lesson - The Writing Process and the 6 Traits of Writing
Summer Reflections - Paragraph two, sentences one and two
Read Aloud/Art - Wonder
9:15 - 10:15 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Work on Writing Prompt
Work on Summer Reflections
Snack
Break from a screen
10:15 - 11:00 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Quick check-in
Math Topic 1 Review
11:00 - 12:00 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Math Assignment
Lunch
Break from a screen
12:00 - 12:30 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Class Novel - Charlotte's Web
Social Studies - Atlas work
Brown Bag Autobiographies
12:30 - 1:30 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Finish up the day's tasks
Catch up if kids are behind
Check the Google Classroom Stream to make sure all work has been completed
1:30 - till' tomorrow
Go outside
Play
Be a kid
Help around the house - help with cleaning an appliance
Read for 20 minutes and record it in reading log
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/PERSON ASSIGNMENTS - QUIZZES - TESTS
--None for now! But hopefully not for long :)
HOMEWORK
-Reading Logs each night and record it online or on paper
-Weekly house chore (helping around the house). This week, ask your parent/guardian which appliance in the house could use a good cleaning. Pick a new one for each night. Maximum of 5 for the week. Minimum of 3 for the week.
MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK
-Topic 1 Test (please complete before Monday, September 14, 2020 and either drop off at the school or send it in via email.
*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
ZOOM
Here is our class' meeting ID and password:
Meeting ID: 624 084 6454
Passcode: ROOM23
CLASS WEBSITE
If you have not yet, please browse our class' website: www.wellerwhales.org. It has a lot of great resources and we will use this from time to time.
Reading 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).
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 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.
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/CLASSLINK
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. 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, September 7, 2020
No School - Labor Day
--Thursday, September 24, 2020
No School - Teacher Professional Development Day
--Friday, September 25, 2020
No School - Teacher Professional Development Day
It's a good life!
Mr. Sassman
