Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

          

 Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

Weller Elementary School



This week...
At the beginning of the week (Monday - Wednesday), we started diving into Persuasive essay outlines and State Reports a little more. Here is a link to the outline and an example!

Thank you for signing up for PT Conferences Thursday and Friday...I have had several questions about how we will meet. I can teleconference or we can Zoom. I will open our classroom up during our scheduled time. Just follow the link below to get in:
Meeting ID: 624 084 6454
Password: ROOM23
 
We are just about finished with Topic 5 and the Topic 5 Online Test is now open for kids to take. I would love it if they could do that before the end of next week.


In case you missed it! I hope to see you there!

Next week...
We will have a full week. On the agenda is Ms. Nuss. She will be implementing a Social Studies unit on Russian migration and cultural integration in Alaska as part of her university requirements. She has spent a good amount of time planning and preparing, so it should be good. Here is a little note from her about the matter:

Dear Parents and Guardians:

I am writing this note to say that I am going to be teaching a social studies unit on human migration next week during our Zoom sessions. This will most likely be taking place in the mornings, and it is part of my student teaching requirements for UAF. My unit will be focusing specifically on Alaskan history with migration, and it will highlight Russian culture as it has integrated into some of our landscapes and cultures. For the conclusion, the students will be asked to interview an adult in your family and/or household (or outside, if no one is available) about the topics we will explore. Please talk to your child ahead of time in case you will need to make arrangements. I have enjoyed and appreciated working with your children, and I look forward to more collaborations in the future. 


-Ms. Nuss

The kids will be also working on the following:
-GeoNotes 5  
-Spelling Packet 4
-DOL 3 (Daily Oral Language - sentence editing)
-Daily Writing Prompts
-Finished with Math Art yet? (Parabolic Curves and Repeating Patterns)
-Cursive Handbooks
-Mystery Science
-Shiloh
-Out of My Mind
-State Reports
-Persuasive Essays

The Second Quarter Plan:
New Additions
  • Persuasive Essays
  • State Reports and Posterboards
  • Q2 Book Reports - Biography Book Reports and Google Slides Presentations
  • Poetry - Winter Haikus, Diamantes, What I love about Winter, and more...
  • Figurative Language - Similes, Metaphors, Personification, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, and such... 
  • Class Novel - Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  • Read Aloud - Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
  • Art - Warm and Clod Trees
  • Instructables - STEM stuff
The Staples
  • Spelling Packets
  • Cursive Handbooks
  • Reading Logs - SSR
  • EnVision Math
  • Daily Oral Language (DOL)
  • Weekly Geography

Monday looks like:
8:30 - 9:15 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Class Meeting
Ms. Nuss Migration Lesson 1
9:15 - 10:15 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Complete Writing Prompt
Snack
Break from a screen
10:15 - 11:00 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Math Topic 5 Review
11:00 - 12:00 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Math Topic 5 Review
Lunch
Break from a screen
12:00 - 12:30 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Persuasive Essays
State Reports
Read Aloud/Art - Out of My Mind
12:30 - 1:30 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Finish up the day's tasks
Check the Google Classroom Stream to make sure kiddos are on track
1:30 - till' tomorrow
Go outside
Play
Be a kid
Read for 20 minutes and record it in your reading log
Finish up any work from the Google Classroom Stream for the day

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
-I have posted on our Google Classroom Stream our list of items that needed to be completed for the day and things we are working on over the week. Kids may have additional work to finish up from the day, and therefore would essentially become "Homework," for the evening.

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK
-I have sent home worksheets for the topics that we are working on. Please complete those and save them to turn in when we do pick up and drop off days.

*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:

HOMEWORK?
Our Google Classroom "Stream" is a thing! I will post on our Stream at the end of our last session (12:00 - 12:30), a list of tasks that the kids need to finish up with for the day, and the things we have been working on. It has proven to be helpful, so I will keep on doing it. Some work may spill over into the evening and becoming essentially, homework...I promise, no tears!

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.

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. I am currently making adjustments and enhancements on some pages, but the site is full and live.

READING LOGS (In-Person)
Reading logs are a regular part of our class and the students' overall reading grade. Students will receive 5 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). I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs or they can submit through our GC. If a student reads for 5 days or more, they will receive a ticket for the "Prize Box" drawing. We draw prizes weekly, on Fridays at the end of the day.

READING LOGS (Remote Learning)
Reading Logs are required and will count towards the students' overall reading grade. Kiddos will receive 5 points for each day that they read during the school week. They can be turned in either digitally in our GC or by paper during our drop off and pick up days.

ClassLink/GOOGLE CLASSROOM
ClassLink is the portal in which students can access their Google Classroom. Once they log into their Chromebook, kids can access the bookmarks folder on their Chrome browser and click on ClassLink. That will bring them to the apps page where they will find Google Classroom. 

DATES TO REMEMBER
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
-Our next materials/assignments drop off/pick up day

Thursday, November 26, 2020
Friday, November 27, 2020
-Thanksgiving Break (no school)

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman
Posted by at

Friday, October 23, 2020

Friday, October 23, 2020

         

 Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

Weller Elementary School


This week...
Thank you for making it to the school for "Materials drop off and pick up day!" I was able to collect, assess, and update the grade book just in time to finish report cards. Those should be available through your PowerSchool accounts.


We finished Charlotte's Web and all of our packets just in time to start our next class novel, Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. In fact, we read Chapter 1 today. We also finished the book Wonder by R.J Palacio, completing our second Read Aloud of the year. We are currently on chapter 6 of Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper and the kids seem to really like it so far.
 
We finished Topic 4 and most kids have taken the Topic 4 Online Test. I am really liking how quickly I can get data that tells me what the kids are learning and understanding. I think that this may be the norm for math tests. From here on out, we are going to be pretty heavy into multiplication, learning four different methods - Breaking Apart (Topic 5), Expanded Algorithm (Topic 6), Standard Algorithm (Topic 6 and 7), and the Box Method (Topic 8). Hold on...this is always a pivotal point in fourth-grade math. It will be especially important for the kids to get these topics because long division and fractions will be coming after!

The kids picked their state for state reports. We discussed this briefly a few times, but we will really start to get into things next week. I will be candid, I am kind of nervous about state reports...This is usually a major project that I can oversee each step in class so I am going to need some help from you (parents) on this one! I am swinging for the fences here! 

I also introduced Persuasive Essays, again briefly, and hopefully, the kids have picked a topic. We will talk more about this next week, and several times thereafter (kind of like our Summer Reflections). This is our second, formal, major writing piece of the year. We will be brainstorming, researching, drafting, editing, revising, and final drafting...

Next week...
Is a short week. Parent-Teacher Conferences are all day Thursday and Friday. I sent out a little tutorial I made last year to help you with sign-ups. I hope it was helpful. Below is the link again, in case you missed it. We will be meeting over Zoom but I can do a teleconference if you prefer or need it!


The kids will be working on the following:
-Complete GeoNotes 5  
-Complete Spelling Packet 4
-Start DOL 3 (Daily Oral Language - sentence editing)
-Continue with our Daily Writing Prompts
-Finished with Math Art yet? (Parabolic Curves and Repeating Patterns)
-Continue with Cursive Handbooks
-Continue with Mystery Science Lessons
-Shiloh
-Out of My Mind
-State Reports
-Persuasive Essays

The Second Quarter Plan:
New Additions
  • Persuasive Essays
  • State Reports and Posterboards
  • Q2 Book Reports - Biography Book Reports and Google Slides Presentations
  • Poetry - Winter Haikus, Diamantes, What I love about Winter, and more...
  • Figurative Language - Similes, Metaphors, Personification, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, and such... 
  • Class Novel - Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  • Read Aloud - Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
  • Art - Warm and Clod Trees
  • Instructables - STEM stuff
The Staples
  • Spelling Packets
  • Cursive Handbooks
  • Reading Logs - SSR
  • EnVision Math
  • Daily Oral Language (DOL)
  • Weekly Geography

Monday looks like:
8:30 - 9:15 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Class Meeting
Persuasive Essays - Conversation
State Reports - Instructions
Class Novel - Shiloh
9:15 - 10:15 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Complete Writing Prompt
Brainstorming Persuasive Essay Topics
Snack
Break from a screen
10:15 - 11:00 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Math Topic 5-3/5-4
11:00 - 12:00 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Math Topic 5-4 Reteach ***EVENS ONLY***
Lunch
Break from a screen
12:00 - 12:30 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
GeoNotes 5
Spelling Packet 4
DOL 3
Read Aloud/Art - Out of My Mind
12:30 - 1:30 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Finish up the day's tasks
Check the Google Classroom Stream to make sure kiddos are on track
1:30 - till' tomorrow
Go outside
Play
Be a kid
Read for 20 minutes and record it in your reading log
Finish up any work from the Google Classroom Stream for the day

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
-I have posted on our Google Classroom Stream our list of items that needed to be completed for the day and things we are working on over the week. Kids may have additional work to finish up from the day, and therefore would essentially become "Homework," for the evening.

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK
-I have sent home worksheets for the topics that we are working on. Please complete those and save them to turn in when we do pick up and drop off days.

*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:

HOMEWORK?
Our Google Classroom "Stream" is a thing! I will post on our Stream at the end of our last session (12:00 - 12:30), a list of tasks that the kids need to finish up with for the day, and the things we have been working on. It has proven to be helpful, so I will keep on doing it. Some work may spill over into the evening and becoming essentially, homework...I promise, no tears!

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.

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. I am currently making adjustments and enhancements on some pages, but the site is full and live.

READING LOGS (In-Person)
Reading logs are a regular part of our class and the students' overall reading grade. Students will receive 5 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). I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs or they can submit through our GC. If a student reads for 5 days or more, they will receive a ticket for the "Prize Box" drawing. We draw prizes weekly, on Fridays at the end of the day.

READING LOGS (Remote Learning)
Reading Logs are required and will count towards the students' overall reading grade. Kiddos will receive 5 points for each day that they read during the school week. They can be turned in either digitally in our GC or by paper during our drop off and pick up days.

ClassLink/GOOGLE CLASSROOM
ClassLink is the portal in which students can access their Google Classroom. Once they log into their Chromebook, kids can access the bookmarks folder on their Chrome browser and click on ClassLink. That will bring them to the apps page where they will find Google Classroom. 

DATES TO REMEMBER
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Friday, October 30, 2020
-Both of these days are dedicated to Parent-Teacher Conferences. I sent out instructions and links to sign up for a time slot. We will be meeting over Zoom but I can do a teleconference if you prefer or need it!

Wednesday, November 4th, 2020
-Our next materials/assignments drop off/pick up day

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman
Posted by at

Friday, October 16, 2020

Friday, October 16, 2020

        


 Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

Weller Elementary School


This week...
Was the end of the first quarter. WOW! That was fast. I have updated PowerSchool and grades this morning (again), and I imagine more work will come in before grades finalized next week. Feel free to check grades and comments on the link below.


We are almost done with Charlotte's Web. In fact, we have one more chapter! We will finish our packets next week as well as the final chapter on Monday. We are almost done with Wonder. I anticipate the conclusion next week as well. It has been an amazing book so far!

We have sailed through Topic 4 in math, and are almost ready for the Topic 4 online test. We finished CW Packet Chapters 15-18, and are halfway through Packet 17-19. We completed Weekly Geo Number 4 and I anticipate finishing Number 5 next week.

We finished DOL Session 2, and we will be starting Session 3 next week.

We finished Spelling Packet 3, and we will be starting Packet 4 next week.

Speaking of next week...and next quarter...I have updated some stuff down below to reflect our Q2 Plan!
  
Next week...
Our next drop off and pick up day is coming. Wednesday, October 21st, 2020. I will send out a separate email about what I am looking to collect and what will be ready for pick up. I realize that this is a task for some folks, but it really is necessary and meaningful. I hope every other week is not too burdensome. I would love to plan for once a month, but pacing and content that far out is too difficult to predict. I am sorry.

Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-ups are opening up on October 21st! We will be meeting online if possible, but we can have a teleconference if necessary. We will not have "school" those days. I will have meetings all throughout the day with parents and kiddos. I will send a reminder and a link for those sign-ups as soon as I get them. 

Report Cards will be available, I am just not sure when. You can access them through PowerSchool.

The kids will be working on the following:
-Finish Wonder (Read Aloud)
-Finish Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (read together, worksheets together, and discourse)
-Finally start Charlotte's Web Google Slides
-Finish Charlotte's Web Worksheets (Chapters 17-19 and Chapters 20-22)
-Complete GeoNotes 5  
-Complete Spelling Packet 4
-Complete Math Topic 4 Test (This one will be online)
-Start DOL 3 (Daily Oral Language - sentence editing)
-Continue with our Daily Writing Prompts
-Finished with Math Art yet? (Parabolic Curves and Repeating Patterns)
-Continue with Cursive Handbooks (Letters K and L)
-Continue with Mystery Science Lessons: What do people who are blind see? And How can animals see in the dark? (I have not had a lot of kiddos doing these, and I would love to see more here). 

Homework
Our Google Classroom Stream has now become a thing! 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. I believe it is helpful, so I will keep on doing it. Some work may spill over into the evening and becoming essentially, homework...more to come on that, but I promise, no tears!

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.

The Second Quarter Plan:
New Additions
  • Persuasive Essays
  • State Reports and Posterboards
  • Q2 Book Reports - Biography Book Reports and Google Slides Presentations
  • Poetry - Winter Haikus, Diamantes, What I love about Winter, and more...
  • Figurative Language - Similes, Metaphors, Personification, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, and such... 
  • Class Novel - Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  • Read Aloud - Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
  • Art - Warm and Clod Trees
  • Instructables - STEM stuff
The Staples
  • Spelling Packets
  • Cursive Handbooks
  • Reading Logs - SSR
  • EnVision Math
  • Daily Oral Language (DOL)
  • Weekly Geography

Monday looks like:
8:30 - 9:15 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Class Meeting
Class Novel - Charlotte's Web
CW Packet (Chapters 17-19 and Chapters 20-22)
9:15 - 10:15 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Complete Writing Prompt
Writing - Work on any missing or late assignments
Snack
Break from a screen
10:15 - 11:00 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Math Topic 4-5 and 4-6
11:00 - 12:00 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Math Topic 4-6 Reteach
Lunch
Break from a screen
12:00 - 12:30 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Social Studies - Weekly Geography 5/Spelling Packet 4
Read Aloud/Art - Wonder
12:30 - 1:30 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Finish up the day's tasks
Check the Google Classroom Stream to make sure kiddos are on track
1:30 - till' tomorrow
Go outside
Play
Be a kid
Read for 20 minutes and record it in reading log
Finish up any work from the Google Classroom Stream for the day

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
-I have posted on our Google Classroom Stream our list of items that needed to be completed for the day and things we are working on over the week. Kids may have additional work to finish up from the day, and therefore would essentially become "Homework," for the evening.

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK
-I have sent home worksheets for the topics that we are working on. Please complete those and save them to turn in when we do pick up and drop off days.

*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:

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. I am currently making adjustments and enhancements on some pages, but the site is full and live.

READING LOGS (In-Person)
Reading logs are a regular part of our class and the students' overall reading grade. Students will receive 5 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). I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs or they can submit through our GC. If a student reads for 5 days or more, they will receive a ticket for the "Prize Box" drawing. We draw prizes weekly, on Fridays at the end of the day.

READING LOGS (Remote Learning)
Reading Logs are required and will count towards the students' overall reading grade. Kiddos will receive 5 points for each day that they read during the school week. They can be turned in either digitally in our GC or by paper during our drop off and pick up days.

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
Friday, October 16, 2020
-Last day of the first quarter

Wednesday, October 21, 2020
-Our next materials/assignments drop off/pick up day

Thursday, October 29, 2020
Friday, October 30, 2020
-Both of these days are dedicated to Parent-Teacher Conferences. I will be sending out instructions and links to sign up for a time slot. We will be meeting over Zoom!

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman
Posted by at

Friday, October 9, 2020

Friday, October 9, 2020

       


 Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

Weller Elementary School

This week...
Was a productive one. But I also realized Thursday, that I was seeing a little fatigue out of the kids and I wanted to break the streak we were on. So...We listened to Zanzibar by Bill Harley and got some great laughs. There are two parts to the story. Feel free to check it out. We kept going with math Topic 3 for our second session and finished out the day with a nice long read-aloud of Wonder. It was a much-needed, well-deserved, brain break for the day.

On Friday (today), we had a show your favorite pet or stuffie day and it was great to see all the cute animals that the students care for/about. I think the kids really enjoyed it.

I have added a few dates to our Important Dates section below. Parent-Teacher Conferences are quickly approaching and sign-ups will be through PowerSchool again like they were last year. I know this may take a little getting used to, but it really is a great system for signing up. 

Thank you for dropping off and picking up materials this week (I know, there are a lot of new things in there!). It is almost impossible to think that we are one week away from the conclusion of the first quarter!

The kids turned in a lot of assignments via Google Classroom and through paper packets that went home a few weeks ago. I was able to get through grading them and have since updated PowerSchool. If you want to keep up with how your child is doing with their grades and turning in assignments, please check out PowerSchool (PS). If you have not yet experienced PS, the link is right below here. You can log in and check your kids' schoolwork, including missing or late assignments. 


With that said, I mentioned to the kids that I am going to start grading a little "tougher." When I say tougher, I mean holding kids more accountable for missing assignments. It also means that I will be assessing specific skills related to the lesson objectives that match local, state, and national learning standards. I also take into account - effort and responsibility, which are the pillars in which this classroom is built! 

This is always a tricky transition, so hold on! I cannot stress this enough: Please, please, please keep up with your kids' PS grades. Now is the time to learn and get acquainted with it. It only gets more pertinent as your child progresses through their schooling (middle school and high school especially).

Lastly, as we approach the end of the 1st quarter, I will most likely slow down (only a bit) on any new projects or initiatives to allow all of the students some time to catch up and focus on the quality, and not so much quantity. In addition, I am going to try and launch a pretty big project for the kids to work on during the entire second quarter. It will be in addition to some of the things we are working on now, but I am optimistic and eager to get going. We will take it step-by-step. Much more information to come on that!
  
Next week...
-Continue Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (read together, worksheets together, and discourse)
-Finally start Charlotte's Web Google Slides
-Start Charlotte's Web Worksheets (Chapters 13-16)
-Complete GeoNotes 4  
-Finish Spelling Packet 3
-Complete Math Topic 3 Test (This one will be online)
-Finish DOL 2 (Daily Oral Language - sentence editing)
-Continue with our Daily Writing Prompts
-Finish Math Art (Parabolic Curves and Repeating Patterns)
-Continue with Cursive Handbooks (Letters I and J)
-Continue with Mystery Science Lessons: What do people who are blind see?

Homework
Our Google Classroom Stream has now become a thing! 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. I believe it is helpful, so I will keep on doing it. Some work may spill over into the evening and becoming essentially, homework...more to come on that, but I promise, no tears!

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.

The First Quarter Plan:
  • 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
  • Read Aloud
  • Art
  • And much, much, more...
Monday looks like:
8:30 - 9:15 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Class Meeting
Check-ins and feedback about turned in assignments
Class Novel - Charlotte's Web
CW Packet (Chapters 13-16)
9:15 - 10:15 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Complete Writing Prompt
Writing - Work on any missing or late assignments
Snack
Break from a screen
10:15 - 11:00 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Math Topic 3 Review Part 2
11:00 - 12:00 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Math Topic 3 Test (Start)
Lunch
Break from a screen
12:00 - 12:30 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Social Studies - Weekly Geography 4/Spelling Packet 3
Read Aloud/Art - Wonder
12:30 - 1:30 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Finish up the day's tasks
Check the Google Classroom Stream to make sure kiddos are on track
1:30 - till' tomorrow
Go outside
Play
Be a kid
Read for 20 minutes and record it in reading log
Finish up any work from the Google Classroom Stream for the day

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
-I have posted on our Google Classroom Stream our list of items that needed to be completed for the day and things we are working on over the week. Kids may have additional work to finish up from the day, and therefore would essentially become "Homework," for the evening.

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK
-I have sent home worksheets for the topics that we are working on. Please complete those and save them to turn in when we do pick up and drop off days.

*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:

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. I am currently making adjustments and enhancements on some pages, but the site is full and live still.

READING LOGS (In-Person)
Reading logs are a regular part of our class and the students' overall reading grade. Students will receive 5 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). I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs or they can submit through our GC. If a student reads for 5 days or more, they will receive a ticket for the "Prize Box" drawing. We draw prizes weekly, on Fridays at the end of the day.

READING LOGS (Remote Learning)
Reading Logs are required and will count towards the students' overall reading grade. Kiddos will receive 5 points for each day that they read during the school week. They can be turned in either digitally in our GC or by paper during our drop off and pick up days.

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
-Friday, October 16, 2020
Last day of the first quarter

-Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Our next materials/assignments drop off/pick up day

-Thursday, October 29, 2020
-Friday, October 30, 2020
Both of these days are dedicated to Parent-Teacher Conferences. I will be sending out instructions and links to sign up for a time slot. We will be meeting over Zoom!

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman
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Friday, October 2, 2020

Friday, October 2, 2020

      


 Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog

Weller Elementary School

This week...
We made a great push to complete a lot of "Ongoing" assignments and to get them turned in. The end of the first quarter is in two weeks...yes, two weeks, October 16th! WOW! Time flies. If you want to keep up with how your child is doing with their grades and turning in assignments, please check out PowerSchool (PS). If you have not yet experienced PS, the link is right below here. You can log in and check your kids' schoolwork, including missing or late assignments. 


With that said, I mentioned to the kids that I am going to start grading a little "tougher" (I have been blown away with some of your kiddos' work either way). When I say tougher, I mean holding kids more accountable for missing assignments. It also means that I will be assessing specific skills related to the lesson objectives that match local, state, and national learning standards. I also take into account - effort and responsibility, which are the pillars in which this classroom is built! 

This is always a tricky transition, so hold on! I cannot stress this enough: Please, please, please keep up with your kids' PS grades. Now is the time to learn and get acquainted with it. It only gets more pertinent as your child progresses through their schooling (middle school and high school especially).

Lastly, as we approach the end of the 1st quarter, I will most likely slow down (only a bit) on any new projects or initiatives to allow all of the students some time to catch up and focus on the quality, and not so much quantity. In addition, I am going to try and launch a pretty big project for the kids to work on during the entire second quarter. It will be in addition to some of the things we are working on now, but I am optimistic and eager to get going. We will take it step-by-step. Much more information to come on that!

We started...or finished:

-Started Parabolic Curves/Patterns (Math Art)

-Finished Weekly Geography 2 worksheet

-Finished 6 Rooms Poems (should be)

-Finished Topic 2 Math Test (should be)

-Started Topic 3 Math Packet

-Finished Spelling Packet 2 (should be)

-Finished Charlotte's Web Packets Chapters 5-8 (should be)

-Started Charlotte's Web Packet Chapters 9-12

-Reading Logs (ongoing)

-Started DOL Lesson 2

  
Next week...
As you may have heard, the community and school district are still in the "Red" zone, so kiddos will not be coming back to school next week. The Medical Advisory Committee, however, will meet again next Thursday, and if the ongoing, running average goes down, there will be the possibility of the kids returning to school Tuesday, October 13th. Fingers crossed!

In the meantime, we will continue our online campaigns! I have to say, the kids have been doing amazing things and I am so proud to have each and every student in our class. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, and sit tight, some really awesome stuff is coming!

Lastly, for now, thank you very much for the kind notes, email, and calls I have received over the past few weeks. I am feeling pretty great right now, despite the setback. 

So...we will...
-Continue Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (read together, worksheets together, and discourse)
-Charlotte's Web Google Slides
-GeoNotes 3  
-Spelling Packet 3
-Continue Math Topic 3
-Charlotte's Web Worksheets (Chapters 9-12)
-DOL 2 (Daily Oral Language - sentence editing)
-Continue with our Daily Writing Prompts
-Math Art (Parabolic Curves and Repeating Patterns)
-Continue with Cursive Handbooks (Letters I and J)
-Mystery Science: Why do your biceps bulge?

Homework
Our Google Classroom Stream has now become a thing! 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. I believe it is helpful, so I will keep on doing it. Some work may spill over into the evening and becoming essentially, homework...more to come on that, but I promise, no tears!

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.

The First Quarter Plan:
  • 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
  • Read Aloud
  • Art
  • And much, much, more...
Monday looks like:
8:30 - 9:15 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Class Meeting
Check-ins and feedback about turned in assignments
Class Novel - Charlotte's Web
CW Packet (Chapters 9-12)
9:15 - 10:15 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Complete Writing Prompt
Writing - Work on any missing or late assignments
Snack
Break from a screen
10:15 - 11:00 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Math Topic 3-4
11:00 - 12:00 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Math Topic 3-4 Reteach
Lunch
Break from a screen
12:00 - 12:30 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Social Studies - Weekly Geography 3/Spelling Packet 3
Read Aloud/Art - Wonder
12:30 - 1:30 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Finish up the day's tasks
Check the Google Classroom Stream to make sure kiddos are on track
1:30 - till' tomorrow
Go outside
Play
Be a kid
Read for 20 minutes and record it in reading log
Finish up any work from the Google Classroom Stream for the day

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
-I have posted on our Google Classroom Stream our list of items that needed to be completed for the day and things we are working on over the week. Kids may have additional work to finish up from the day, and therefore would essentially become "Homework," for the evening.

MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK
-I have sent home worksheets for the topics that we are working on. Please complete those and save them to turn in when we do pick up and drop off days.

*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:

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 (In-Person)
Reading logs are a regular part of our class and the students' overall reading grade. Students will receive 5 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). I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs or they can submit through our GC. If a student reads for 5 days or more, they will receive a ticket for the "Prize Box" drawing. We draw prizes weekly, on Fridays at the end of the day.

READING LOGS (Remote Learning)
Reading Logs are required and will count towards the students' overall reading grade. Kiddos will receive 5 points for each day that they read during the school week. They can be turned in either digitally in our GC or by paper during our drop off and pick up days.

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
-Wednesday, October 7, 2020 (If we are not back in school)
Assignments/Materials drop off and pick up day

-Friday, October 16, 2020
Last day of the first quarter

It's a good life!

Mr. Sassman
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