Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog
Weller Elementary School
This week...
Weeks one and two are in the books! I think it is going pretty well so far. Lemonade, ya know! We have started exploring our Google Classroom and completed math topics 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, and 1-5! We are more than halfway through our first Read Aloud - Frindle, by Andrew Clements - and almost finished our first round of No Excuse Spelling Words. On a roll! I have enjoyed tremendously, reading the responses to our Daily Writing Prompts and between the Who Are You?, Parent Perspective, Zoom time, and those (very important) Writing Prompts, I am getting to know the kids well. Dare I say we are starting to establish a classroom culture? WHAAAAT?
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 :)
Simultaneously, If you have not already, please pick up your child's envelope of materials. It has a copy of Charlotte's Web, a Cursive Handbook, some construction paper, and some Social Studies Materials that I would like to start working on, so if your kiddo does not have those items, they may fall behind. If you cannot get here for some reason, I will make sure they get them (even if I have to drive them to you).
Next week...
I have read all of the "Parent Perspective" forms that have been sent back, and they overwhelmingly emphasized a preference for 'easing' into things, and I feel that we have done so nicely. As we progress, I will introduce more things, tasks, concepts, and initiatives. I do not want your kiddo to get stressed or overwhelmed. Please call or email and we can chat one-on-one if needed. I am not sure yet, how hard I can push these guys, but I strongly believe that having high expectations and rigor helps kids to grow beyond their perceived potential (Pygmalion Effect, see visual below). This is a great group of kids and I can already tell that each and every child has amazing qualities!
So...next week we will talk about The Writing Process:
Step 1 Prewriting/Brainstorming - 30 minutes of thought and bubble maps
Step 2 Drafting - Complete the first draft
Step 3 Revising - Read completed the first draft
Step 4 Proofreading - Re-read the first draft and scan for changes, edits, and improvements, mark it up
Step 5 Final Copy - Re-write the first draft with all the changes, edits, and improvements implemented
We will also talk about the 6 Traits of Writing:
Ideas - Details
Voice - Tone
Organization - Sequence of events
Sentence Fluency - Flow
Word Choice - Descriptive language
Conventions - Spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and presentation
If you couldn't tell yet, my life exists in a series of lists so next week we will:
-Continue with Frindle
-Start Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (read together, worksheets together, and discourse)
-Start the first draft of our Summer Reflections
-Start looking at our atlas' and worksheets
-Start our first spelling assignments
-Math topics 1-6, 1-7, 1-8, 1-9, and 1-10
-Writing Prompts
-Art/Writing (I can't imagine a world without...)
-Cursive Handbooks
-Haikus (maybe)
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 First Quarter Plan:
Monday 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...
Monday 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
Art/Read Aloud
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 1-6 Meanings of Division
11:00 - 12:00 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Math Assignment
Lunch
Break from a screen
12:00 - 12:30 (Synchronous - With the teacher)
Re-cap of the morning lessons
Talk about what is next
This is the time slot that we soon start to introduce Charlotte's Web and Social Studies
12:30 - 1:30 (Asynchronous - Independent Work)
Recess
1:30 - till' tomorrow
Go outside
Play
Be a kid
Help around the house - help with dishes (load, unload, wash, dry, put away, any one of these will do)
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 ASSIGNMENTS - QUIZZES - TESTS
--None for now! But hopefully not for long :)
HOMEWORK
ON Friday, September 4, 2019:
-- Paper Bag Biographaphies (we will talk about this)
MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK
--None for now! But not for long :)
--None for now! But not for long :)
*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
--Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Asynchronous all day - I have an appointment that I cannot break (sorry), and I don't think a Zoom sub would be a good idea!
--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
