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