Tax Deductions! Sign Me UP!

Seriously though, did you know you can support our classroom and get a tax deduction at the same time? I've used Donors Choose to get some great materials in my class!  Click here to help us get Scholastic Weekly Reader and Science Spin magazines!
And... Click here to help us get a binding machine and supplies to make our own books!

Dia De Los Muertos Art

Families - please check out our class Shutterfly to see our class creating works of art! Here's a tease...

Division Help

We've done some challenge problems, we are touching on it daily and the kids are excited to learn more about division. Here's a poster for the Big 7 method...
And check out this video for the box method...

And finally - partial quotients.  This clicks with some so check out this video...

Magic is happening...

Trying something new! Fourth grade is responsible for the school bulletin board in October so we're all doing fall art! I love trying new things and I've never done resist with glue! Until now, y'all! 

The kids sketched their trio of pumpkins, then - with steady hands - traced the outlines in glue.  Tomorrow, we'll have a great time using watercolors to really make these beauties pop!  In the meantime, take a peek at Day 1 of 2...

Harry Potter Picasso Portraits

Today we were lucky to have art and OMG - you won't believe my students' amazing masterpieces! Check out our class Shutterfly - families only - to see our artists in action!

Science Observations

OMG! It was great to be back after 3 days away at training! And it was super great to observe snails and crayfish today! Check out our class Shutterfly (sorry, families only!) to see our beautiful scientists in action! Here's just a snippet... 

We LOVE Book Orders!

Our October book order is due 9/30 so we're sure to get those fun fall and Halloween books in our hot, little hands and enjoy them during most of October!  If you'd like to get in on our Scholastic book ordering, our code is...  NCHK8
Click here to start ordering!

Dropping the Mic - Lattice Multiplication

We kept practicing Lattice Multiplication and OMG - my students rocked it!!! They each chose their own problem and level of challenge. Honestly, guys - I am impressed! I'm impressed not only with the 24/30 who tried it and nailed it - but I'm proud of those 6 who kept going back and DID.NOT.GIVE.UP! We are all rockstars! Seriously - great job today!

Accelerated Reader

We will begin using the Accelerated Reader Program as part of our comprehensive literacy program.  The only way to become really good at understanding what we read is through practice. 

Accelerated Reader, or AR, is a program used to motivate students to increase their reading and vocabulary comprehension.  There is a proven link between strong reading skills and academic success. 

What is it?

The Accelerated Reader database offers quizzes to test reading comprehension on books your child may be reading.  Each book is assigned a reading level based on the book’s level of difficulty (vocabulary, sentence structure, and other elements) and a point value (based on the length of the book).  Students are encouraged to read independently and then take quizzes to check their reading comprehension. 

How does it work?

1.  To find out whether Accelerated Reader has a quiz available for a specific book or to find books at a certain level, visit www.arbookfind.com.  At the website you can search the catalog of more than 150,000 books.

2.  Students then choose a book based on their interest and reading level.  Please make sure your child chooses books at or above 4th grade level (4.0 and above) for quality and complexity of material.

3.  After they’ve read a book, students take quizzes in the classroom or in the media lab while a teacher is present.

Note:  Students cannot take tests from home.  The tests can only be taken while on campus.

4.  The student earns points for mastering material on the test.  They earn full points by answering ALL test questions correctly.  (Students who average at least 80% on tests taken are considered to understand what they read on an average level.)

**Please make sure your child chooses books at or above 4^th grade level (4.0 and above) for quality and complexity of material.

5.  Accelerated Reader will be counted as a portion of their EFFORT in Language Arts grades for each reporting period.

We will need to collect $5.00 from each student to use this program.  Please send in the money in an envelope with your child’s name by 9/22.

Area Model Multiplication

A fun and easy way to do multiplication! Check out this basic explanation for 2 digit X 1 digit...

 And - for 2 digit X 2 digit explanation, watch this!

Book Fair

Because our Book Fair time is Friday and the Book Fair ends Friday our grade level does not have the chance to make wish lists, take them home, plead discuss with our families, and then bring a check the next day to purchase these wonderful books.  So... If you would like your child to be able to purchase books, please send them to school on Friday with cash or a blank check made payable to "PFC" with notation of the LIMIT in the menu line ("not to exceed $10". A check will enable the PFC to limit the change circulating around campus! You may also want to include "only for books" or "books+tchotchkes") If you would like to shop with your child, please stop by the Book Fair before or after school. Credit cards are accepted ;) Please note that our class also has a wish list if you'd like to purchase a book for Room 17. Thank you!

Lattice Multiplication

Multiplication is coming, y'all! Just like division had been featured as the challenge problems in the homework, the next couple weeks we'll have multiplication.  Here's a super fun way to do multiplication - the Lattice Method! 

Um, Can I Just Say...

My students are awesome!  I love the effort they're showing and how eager they are to learn. It's fun reading their writing and getting to know their wit. They're witty, y'all! Today we did a mindfulness activity where the students thought about alternatives to negative self talk and then collaborated with their group to submit a group response. OMG. #impressed!

That's a Wrap - Day 1

Holy moly - what a whirlwind! We constructed name tag towers in table groups, completed all kinds of get-to-know-you activities, even took a spelling pre-test.  We started on heart maps and made vocabulary flip books - y'all - we were Busy! Capital B.  How do I manage to always get the most amazing class - Every.Single.Year!? #magic  I love these kids! What a great day!

#exhausted