We had an awesome first day of fourth grade! It was a ton of fun getting to know our classmates and building community. First, we acted as journalists by interviewing our classmates. After students interviewed a partner, they introduced him or her to the rest of the class!
We also practiced Habit 6: Synergize by working in small groups to take on the Marshmallow Challenge, our first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) activity! Students could only use 20 pieces of spaghetti, 1 yard of tape, 1 yard of string, and a large marshmallow in constructing the tallest tower in 18 minutes. Check out the group below with the tallest tower at 45.5 cm! All students did a fantastic job with this challenge!
In the afternoon, we had our first Responsibility Recess. Normally this extra recess will be held at the end of the day (2:50-3:10) on Wednesdays and Fridays for students who have turned in all homework and had great behavior!
Finally, we set up our binders. The binder contains the assignment book, classwork and homework by subject, the take home folder, and a data section for record keeping. Starting Monday, assignment books should be signed by a parent on a nightly basis in order to verify your child's reading minutes, check for any homework or upcoming tests, and view behavior. The take home folder is organized with a leave at home (left) and a come back to school (right) side. Notes to go home and graded work will be sent with students on a daily basis so it is also important to check the take home folder nightly. Students took some notes home on Friday and will be taking more home next week.
Friday, August 21st
We had a wonderful second day of fourth grade! We continued to build community and practice classroom routines and expectations. First, we practiced sitting in a circle for our first class meeting. We reviewed the 7 Habits, applied for classroom leadership positions, and learned more about the clip chart. Students will start their classroom leadership positions on Monday!
Other Important Info.
Finally, I want to let you know that we eat lunch at 12:40, so it is recommended that students bring a healthy snack to school. We eat snack around 11:00 during our reading time. Students are also welcome to bring a water bottle and a jacket to our classroom. Friday, August 21st
We had a wonderful second day of fourth grade! We continued to build community and practice classroom routines and expectations. First, we practiced sitting in a circle for our first class meeting. We reviewed the 7 Habits, applied for classroom leadership positions, and learned more about the clip chart. Students will start their classroom leadership positions on Monday!
Above is our leaders clip chart. This is used as a type of student recognition system. Students will "clip up" whenever they are caught doing something great. We made an ongoing list of ideas together, including helping our classmates or a teacher, being on task, keeping a clean desk, meeting a personal goal, etc. Students will be rewarded for landing in pink at the top of the chart. You will know where your child landed at the end of the day by looking at the colored circle in the assignment book. The colored circles correspond with the colors on the clip chart. More information can be found in our class handbook, which will be available on Curriculum Night this Wednesday, August 26th. We will start using the clip chart on Monday.
Next, we participated in our second STEM activity, the Tiny Cups Challenge. Students used 48 tiny cups to see which group could build the tallest tower in 20 minutes. The winning group's tower with a height of 75.5 cm is shown below. Great job, Sarah, Elliot, Tyler, Logan and Jonathan!
In the afternoon, we started our first read aloud, "Gaby, Lost and Found!" This is a Mark Twain Nominee. The purpose of the Mark Twain Award is to provide Missouri students in grades 4-6 with a recommended reading list. After reading the nominees, students can vote to choose the Mark Twain Award winning book!
For homework this weekend, students are to bring back any forms that need to be signed and returned in the manila envelope and the $10 classroom money. Also, students should bring in magazines and/or pictures they are interested in to decorate their writer's notebooks on Monday. Reading logs, practicing math facts, and other subject assignments will begin on Monday.
Other Important Info.
- Weekly Updates will continue next week and throughout the school year. That means that I will hold most blog posts and updates until Friday or sometime over the weekend to recap the week.
- Curriculum Night is this Wednesday night from 6:30-7:00 in our classroom (Room 34). You will find out more about our classroom and the fourth grade curriculum. I hope to see you there!
- If at any time you have a question or concern or need to contact me, you can do so by emailing me at kleighton@lindberghschools.ws. Email is the best way to reach me.
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