News From the First Two Days

McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

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Our First Two Days

"A two-day week?!  What’s the point?"  This was a first for us, and I must say I have loved it!  We have enjoyed the first two days of school all together for both days, just the 21 of us.  We’ve spent almost all of that time doing various kinds of activities to begin to establish who were are, individually and as a group.  This afternoon, we had a productive discussion about how we want our classroom to run, how we want to be treated, and how we will treat others and things around us.  This morning, we worked on placing our names along continuums to answer what kind of learners we are.  I will post a photo as soon as I have the OK from everyone to publish things from our classroom.  I think you’ll find it pretty interesting to see how your child sees her-/himself.

Notices, notices, notices!

I think the reason we have a four-day weekend is so you have time to fill out the back-to-school paperwork!  In the gray GMS 4-5 Handbook folder coming home in your child’s planner today, there are a bunch of items that will help us start off the year, keep organized, help your child, help me…  Please send back all that stuff -- or the items you choose to fill out -- early next week, and I’ll sort it all out and make sure it gets to where it needs to go.  Say, by Wednesday?  I’ll use that as the due date on the kids’ homework planner sheets.

Homework?

Your child is to bring home the purple homework planner every day, and s/he should bring it back to school every day.  We will use a weekly planner sheet that we’ll keep in the plastic sleeve to mark homework assignments and goings-on.  You will need to sign the planner sheet every day there is homework.  We will start this routine Tuesday of next week.  Our regular homework routine will start the week of Open House (which is September 15).  Until then, kids will have just a few homework assignments...But hopefully most of their after-school time will be spent enjoying the last afternoons and evenings of summer!

Soon, your child will start establishing a routine of reading at home, if s/he hasn’t already done so.  More info on that to come at Open House.  For now, everyone will start off with a reading log to help us with that routine, to reflect on our reading lives, and to help set goals for the fall.  The reading log situation may change for some students as the year marches on and as students’ needs change.  Please take note of the Parents’ Reading Survey in the handbook folder; that info can also help me individualize our reading program.

Allied Arts

Our AA schedule is as follows:

Monday: P.E. (Take note that we will have P.E. next week on Wednesday.  All students need sneakers every P.E. day.)

Tuesday: Music

Wednesday: Art

Thursday: Computer

Friday: Library

Next week

Students will begin our regular daily schedule, seeing all three teachers!  The routine is well-structured, and most students appreciate the additional movement and variety.  

I will usually post newsletter updates from our team to this blog each Friday...or Saturday or Sunday.  Stay tuned for more information about your child’s 4th grade year!

Have a great weekend!

Dena