Mayberry-McFarland Weekly News

for the week of September 5, 2016

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, September 12 - reading logs due (4 different days [habit], 25 minutes or more in each sitting [stamina])

Tuesday, September 13 - Home Link due

Wednesday, September 14 - early release (12:30), McFarlands have PE (sneakers)

Thursday, September 15 -  math box pages catch-up due

Friday, September 16 - Home Link due

Monday, September 19 - Reading logs due

Thank you for those of you who came to Parent Information Night on Thursday!  We enjoyed our time with you and hope you found it useful.  For those who could not attend, we have sent some paperwork for you to fill out, along with a hard copy of the slides from our presentation.  We look forward to scheduling conferences with you next month!

Reading Workshop

Students learned how to fill out their reading logs and got some book shopping time, and I gave guidelines about what kinds of book choices will contribute to reading progress.  I also talked about different options for at-home reading.  In my perfect “reading teacher world” a child would generally follow this sort of reading path:

• Read books in her/his guided reading level range (at her/his reading level, one level above, one level below) almost all the time
• Read a variety of chapter books and short texts (picture books)
• Read a variety of genres: realistic fiction, fantasy, nonfiction, poetry, magazines…

Since it’s not a perfect world...since some of us like to read things that are NOT (*gasp!*) in our reading level range...since there is SO MUCH high quality literature out there for children that we want children to experience and love, the following formula seems to work well for the majority of 4th grade readers (see photo):

Writing Workshop

This week, we worked on making lists of our writing territories, topics that we know well and feel comfortable writing about (ask your child about the time I hit my friend, Melanie, with a rock -- it was an accident!).  Friday, the kids spent the entire workshop period writing a personal narrative (a small moment story).  I’ll study these pieces to help me see what the children can do independently, what skills from their work at MIW they have internalized and brought with them, and where my work with them will focus for our first unit together.

Math

This week students started working in the first unit of Everyday Math. This unit primarily focuses on numeracy, addition/subtraction and a little geometry thrown in for good measure. During the week we worked on reading and writing large numbers through the hundred-thousands place. Our work also included determining the value of any given digit within a large number. In addition, students worked on rounding large numbers to a given place value. For example, they were asked to round numbers, such as 657,993 to the nearest thousand or the nearest hundred. This was challenging for most of the students, and we will continue to work on this essential skill in the coming weeks.

As mentioned at our Parent Information Night students are being asked to practice basic fact recall at least three times per week for ten minutes each time (total: 30 minutes per week).  Automatic recall means students can come up with the answer quickly without a lot of wait time or having to use their fingers. I am asking each parent to initial planners each time your child practices. Please circle the operation and write down the minutes. At this point in time I am asking that students focus on subtraction facts since these seem to be quite rusty after the long summer break. Putting the practice time in now will serve your child well when it comes to doing more complex problem-solving later in the year.

Theme/Content

This week we have begun our geography unit in social studies. Students are first reviewing and/or learning the continents and oceans of the world. We will be moving into several cartography projects that incorporate learning about various map making skills, landforms, and bodies of water.

Handbook Excerpt

You can find our Team Handbook on our class blog.  We have not yet updated it to reflect changes pertinent to the current school year, but there is some helpful information there.  Below is an excerpt about homework:

Homework:  Please read the Homework Expectations document in the front of your child’s Homework Planner.  If your child leaves her/his homework at school, there are a couple of options.  One option is to drive your child back to GMS to retrieve it, if possible.  The building is open late.  We realize this is an inconvenience, and we hope that you will communicate that to your child.  This will show your child that all of us expect the homework to be complete and on time.  Another option is to have your child come to school without it.  Your child will bring home a Missing Homework Slip and will most likely complete the work while eating at snack time.  This experience teaches your child to accept simple, natural consequences, and to understand and trust that we follow through with expectations.  Please don’t expect that your child will be able to come the classroom unattended before school to complete homework; your child’s teacher may not be available for supervision.  

✳If your child is unable to complete homework due to serious illness or a family crisis, please let us know.  

✳If your child doesn’t understand something on the homework and you have tried but cannot help, please let us know that as well, by writing a note on the Homework Planner Sheet, on the homework, or in a separate note.  We will help at school.  

✳If your child leaves her/his planner, homework, and/or book baggie at home, it might be tempting to deliver it to school, especially if you feel it’s “your fault.”  But, we are trying to guide your child toward increased independence and responsibility.  We are telling the children that they are in charge of making sure their bags are packed each morning before leaving for school.

Parental help with homework: All children work at their own pace.  Please use your judgement as to how much to help.  In general, we would like for you to check the quality of the work.  Please expect your child to hand in work that shows s/he tried and cares about the work.  If your child reaches the point of frustration (or hopefully before then!), stop, and go back to it later if possible.  And send in a note to let us know what the frustrations were, so we can follow up at school.  See resources in the Homework Planner for ways to help.  In addition, check teachers’ web pages for help!  There are also pdf’s of Homework Planner sheets and Reading Logs if your child loses one of those.  

Homework Planner:  Your child has a Homework Planner that s/he brings home every day and returns to school every day.  Students write down assignments in the planner on a daily basis, and they keep their homework in it as well.  Your child should become independent in handling the planner early in the year.  There are resources for parents and students in the planner, as well as IXL log-in information.

Homework with technology:  Sometimes we may assign homework that involves technology.  Please know that we understand that technology doesn’t always work the way we hope it will!  Your child should do the parts of the assignment s/he can, and simply send in a note the following day explaining any issues.  That can help us troubleshoot and hopefully avoid similar issues in the future.

Missing Homework Slips:  When your child doesn’t bring in homework on the day it is due, s/he will bring home a Missing Homework Slip.  Please sign it, and have your child return this slip the following school day.  This is one form of communication between you and us to make sure you know that your child didn’t bring in homework on the day it is due.  It also helps us to track homework completion and responsibility.  The Missing Homework Slip, though not a punishment, is one form of accountability for your child.