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Friday, September 29, 2017

Mayberry-McFarland Weekly News
for the week of September 25, 2017

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:
Monday, October 2: reading logs due
Tuesday, October 3: Home Link due / McFarlands have P.E. (wear sneakers) / Picture Day: send in form on or before that day (forms went home with students Thursday) / first Adventure-Based Learning session!
Wednesday, October 4: full day
Thursday, October 5: be caught up on math journal pages
Friday, October 6: Teacher Inservice Day: no school for students
Monday, October 9: Columbus Day: no school
Tuesday, October 10: reading logs due

General News and Announcements
Adventure-Based Learning (ABL)
This coming Tuesday is our first ABL session!  It’s an active, challenging program that will guide your child to make growth in leadership, listening, compromising, and persevering through frustrations.
  • designed to support students in creating a sense of community and teamwork in order to meet physical, social, emotional challenges
  • develop skills such as compromise, listening, risk-taking, sharing, leadership
  • twelve sessions, including a winter Iditarod simulation and an outside culminating event in May
  • Teachers work to embed concepts into the classroom experience.
  • 21st Century Learning: Teachers integrate essential skills (communication, creativity & innovation, critical thinking/problem solving, citizenship)

Tardiness
If you drop off your child at school after 8:35, s/he is considered tardy.  Please come into school with your child and sign her/him in.  Otherwise, it’s considered an “unexcused” tardy.  I’ve had a few students coming to the classroom with passes that say “unexcused.”

Looking for: yarn!
If you have yarn just taking up space and would like donate some to our classroom we will gladly take it off your hands.

SpellingCity
We have received one donation to help us fund SpellingCity for both classes -- thank you!  If you’d care to donate, we’d be happy to put your money toward the cause.  https://www.spellingcity.com/

Academic Updates:
Writing Workshop
This week, students determined the messages for several stories (Owl Moon, Come On, Rain!, and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day).  We differentiated between a “lesson” and the author’s message.  The message is what the author is really trying to show us.  So instead of giving us advice to improve our lives (a lesson), the author of Come On, Rain! is trying to show us that Tessie really wanted it to rain and that she was so happy when it finally did.  That’s it.  Then, we studied the text in Come On, Rain! and underlined specific words and phrases that showed the message.  The point is that writers use words deliberately to share a message.  
    The kids also chose a small moment idea about which to focus their narrative, which we will plan, draft, revise, and edit over the next few weeks.  This is a piece that I’ll score.  I’ll share the scoring rubric with the class to help them understand the goals of the unit, and I’ll design lessons to help them meet those goals.

Reading Workshop
We are paying very close attention to characters’ actions to determine their traits.  We are also paying close attention to how characters react to obstacles and then pushing ourselves to think, “What does this tell me about the character?”  A major understanding I want students to realize and to own is that reading is much, much more than following the plot.  There are so many opportunities to learn and grow when we read.  I want to make sure that each child is no longer satisfied with simply letting the plot wash over them, clap the dust off the hands, and that’s the end of the experience.  As we practice these strategies to deepen our thinking, your child will likely also deepen her/his joy of reading.
    
Math
This week our mathematicians learned how to draw, label and correctly name geometric figures. They also learned to differentiate between parallel, perpendicular and intersecting lines. In addition students continue to work on skills related to place value and problem solving.

Theme
This week students explored and discovered the two different types of volcanoes, shield and cone. Below are a few photos of students working with two types of simulated lava as they work to discover which type of lava produces which type of volcano.


Friday, September 22, 2017

Mayberry-McFarland Weekly News
for the week of September 18, 2017

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:
Monday, September 25: reading logs due
Tuesday, September 26: Home Link due / McFarlands have P.E. (wear sneakers) Wednesday, September 27: early release
Thursday, September 28: be caught up on math journal pages
Friday, September 29: Home Link due
Monday, October (what?!) 2: reading logs due

General News and Announcements
*reminders for reading logs:
  • The majority of kids are meeting those minimum expectations of reading and logging at least 4 days and for 25 minutes at a time.
  • Please make sure that your kids are coming to you to have you sign the log before coming to school on Monday.  My message to the kids is, “It’s not your parents’ job to remember to sign the log; it’s your job to bring it to them with a pen or pencil and ask them to sign it.”  To help make this a habit, a parent might ask, “Is there something you need to ask me to sign before school tomorrow/Monday/today?”  After a few weeks, that should become more the child’s task to do the remembering and asking.

Looking for: yarn!
If you have yarn just taking up space and would like donate some to our classroom we will gladly take it off your hands.

Digital maker community celebrates
skill building and creativity for kids.
Does your child love to create, invent and innovate? Check out this awesome site!
https://diy.org/ This site is for the inventors, artists and creators of the future and is highly rated on Common Sense Media.https://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/diy

Academic Updates:
Writing Workshop
This past week, we have been doing more practice planning with timelines.  The kids also wrote a short silly scene based on an illustration.  Together we studied the picture, and then we created a very brief timeline.  From there, the kids were to use storytelling language to write the scene, focusing on setting details, small actions, and TFR (thoughts, feelings, and reactions).  Then, they color-coded their writing by underlining in certain colors each kind of detail.  They used this visual to determine what kinds of details need to be added and where.  We used Post-it notes and a number system to revise, in order to help create a balance of kinds of details.  
    Soon, they’ll apply all of this learning to a narrative of their own.  Next week, we’ll get deep with determining a message for a narrative (“What are you really trying to show?  What’s your point?”).

Reading Workshop
In Reading Workshop this week, we started reading a novel, Journey by Patricia MacLachlan.  I’m reading it aloud to students and am using it to teach strategies about reading deeply.  This book is a level S, and I’m showing them what the author of a higher level text expects them to do as readers, besides understand what’s going on (“Don’t worry, Mrs. McFarland, this book is a level X, but I understand everything that’s going on…”  :).
    The book starts with two quotes, plus a scene that is written before the start of chapter one.  So, we just skip those, right?, so we can get into the story?  No, silly!  The author put those there for us to think about, to come back to as we read the book, to connect to parts of the story or to the story as a whole!  Here are Layla’s notes from our discussion:
     In the handful of pages we’ve read so far, we’ve come across symbolism and alliteration, and the author is showing us the characters’ feelings through their actions.  Readers are expected to infer characters’ feelings by paying close attention to those actions.  We are also beginning to get picky about the differences between a character’s feelings and her/his personality traits.  Feelings are like the weather; they can and do change, often.  Traits are like the climate; they change slowly, if at all, over a long time or if something major happens.  I’ll teach them that if you can explain to your child the difference between weather and climate.  Deal?

Math
In math this week students started working with the traditional algorithms for both addition and subtraction of large numbers. This is the way you and I most likely learned when we were in elementary school! We also spent time playing several math games and one that really seems to have helped to solidify the concept of rounding large numbers is called Spin and Round. Below are some pictures of students engaged in this great skill building game.
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Theme
Our North America maps are done and they look great. The cartographers worked hard to produce a map that showed quality work throughout.
    This week we started our first Mystery Science unit called The Birth of Rocks. In the first lesson students were asked to consider this question: Could a volcano pop up in your backyard?  The lesson had students plot the location of volcanoes on maps.  They discovered that volcanoes are typically located near the Pacific coast and when plotted on a map the volcanoes form a linear pattern known as The Ring of Fire.

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Sunday, September 17, 2017

Mayberry-McFarland Weekly News
for the week of September 11, 2017

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:
Monday, September 18: reading logs* due for those who participate in the regular classroom
Tuesday, September 19: Home Link due / McFarlands have P.E. (wear sneakers) Wednesday, September 20: early release
Thursday, September 21: be caught up on math journal pages
Friday, September 22: Home Link due
Monday, September 25: reading logs due

General News and Announcements
*reminders for reading logs:
  • check out the feedback on last week’s log
  • regular pencil only, please
  • correct capitalization
    • a chart for capitalization rules is in your child’s reading notebook, which is in the book bag
  • 4th grader’s work only; parents should not be filling anything out on the log.
    • There are several students who write large in order for their handwriting to stay neat.  If this is the case for your child, I can adjust the lines to make the title spaces bigger.  Let me know if you’d like me to make that accommodation for your child.  Or, your child can ask me about it.
  • minimum expectations: 4 different days per week of reading at home (outside of school), for at least 25 minutes per session; additional logging is welcome and gives me a fuller picture of reading habits but is not required
  • Before handing in logs Monday morning, please help your child add minutes; there’s a space for parents’ signatures at the bottom.

Newspaper Club Informational Meeting

Academic Updates:
Writing Workshop
This week we have been identifying different kinds of details writers use: setting details, small action, and TFR (thoughts, feelings, and reaction).  We color-coded those details in Salt Hands, a lovely small moment book.  Then, we studied a timeline and practiced using it by answering comprehension questions about it.  Students examined a timeline that I created about a time when I hit my poor friend, Melanie, with a rock (it was an accident!).  Today, our writers started their own timelines of “a time when…”  Next week, we’ll use the timelines to plan their own details for a small moment story.

Reading Workshop
Reading workshop has taken a backseat to some of our i-Ready testing.  However, we were able to get in a reading survey, so I can get to know the kids’ feelings about reading; favorite books, series, and authors; and past experiences and goals around their reading.  The kids also took a pre-assessment for our first reading unit, Interpreting Characters: The Heart of the Story.  Teachers are examining those to determine students’ strengths and needs for this first unit.  I am also making a small dent in one-on-one reading assessments to confirm or adjust end-of-third grade reading levels.  I really appreciate how much I learn about each reader during this one-on-one time!

Math
This week we continued to work on reading/writing large numbers and rounding numbers to the hundred thousands place. Students also worked in both their IXL and ConnectEd accounts. All students can now log into both sites and should also be able to access these sites at home. Login and passwords have been taped into each student’s planner for easy access.

Each time a homelink is assigned as homework I will post a tutorial on my site to help support students at home. Below is a picture of where that link is located on my site. I encourage students who may be having trouble with their homework to watch the tutorial as they will hear my voice which will serve as a reminder of how concepts have been taught in class.
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In addition to assigned math homework students should be practicing their subtraction and/or multiplication facts three times a week for a minimum of 10 minutes each time. Students have been introduced to a great site they can use for this exact purpose. Below you will find the steps to accessing the site. I recommend students set the length to open and the timer to ten minutes. Of course, there are other ways to practice basic math facts, this is one option your child may like to use at home.
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Theme
Our 4th grade cartographers continued to work on their North America maps this week. The maps are looking wonderful and will be completed soon. Below are pictures of some of our many talented cartographers at work.
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Did you know that your 4th grader can get a free pass to our national parks? The pass is good for all the children in your family and up to three adults. Check it out!

https://goo.gl/Pxdi5B

Friday, September 8, 2017

Mayberry-McFarland Weekly News
for the week of September 3, 2017

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:
Monday, September 11: reading logs due for those who participate in the regular classroom / writing notebook covers are due / Parent Information Night (details below)
Tuesday, September 12: Home Link due / McFarlands have P.E. (wear sneakers) / iReady reading testing in the afternoon
Wednesday, September 13: early release
Thursday, September 14: be caught up on math journal pages / iReady math testing in the afternoon
Friday, September 15: Home Link due
Monday, September 18: reading logs due

General News and Announcements
Parent Information Night at GMS ⅘: Monday, September 11, 5:30-7:00
Please meet Mrs. MacArthur in the gym at 5:30, and then make your way to Mrs. Mayberry’s room upstairs for our presentation about your child’s 4th grade year.  If you cannot be there, we will send home some paperwork with your child by the end of next week.  This event is for adults only; please make plans accordingly.  We look forward to seeing you!

Reading Logs
I’ll discuss this more in detail on Monday night, but for now, please make sure your child has read and logged outside of the school day on four different days (to establish a habit), for at least 25 minutes per session (for stamina).  If s/he hasn’t done this yet, there’s still time: tonight (Friday), Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning before school!  *Please note that if your child has her/his reading instruction in the resource room, their expectations may be different.

Volunteer needs
Mrs. McFarland is looking for a handful of parent volunteers to attach those fabulous writing notebook covers to the kids’ notebooks.  This is typically done overnight at volunteers’ homes, but it can be done here at school as well.  Volunteers can pick up notebooks and covers at the end of a school day (preferably Tuesday) and then drop off the notebooks the following day before school (Wednesday?).  I’ll supply the materials.  I also need a volunteer to laminate these, probably on Tuesday, before they are attached to the notebooks.  Please let me know if you are able to help out with either of these jobs.  dmcfarland@msad51.org

Snack time
We offer a choice of either the Mayberry or the McFarland classroom for a morning snack time for all of our team’s 4th-graders.  We alternate each week, one class being a quiet snack room and the other a regular snack room (notice we don’t call it “loud snack”! :).  Kids can usually choose which room they go to for that time each day.  In both rooms, kids can sit where they want, with whom they want, and enjoy snacks they bring from home.  In the quiet snack room, kids can draw, read, just sit and relax, listen to an audiobook, finish a project, or do homework they didn’t bring in from the night before.  (If it’s a missing-homework situation or a behind-in-classwork situation, that’s when a child may not get to choose; we often require that they do that work as they munch during quiet snack.)  Here are some of the happenings at quiet snack this week:

Academic Updates:
Writing Workshop
Our first writing unit is Personal Narrative (small moment stories).  We will refine skills and strategies from previous years and up the ante in terms of a variety of kinds of details, word choice, and story structure.  So far, we have determined writing territories (topics we are comfortable writing about), and all writers have completed an on-demand narrative prompt that shows what each child can do independently.  I’ll adjust writing mini-lessons and one-on-one conferring accordingly.  I do love this unit, because I get to know the kids in terms of their past experiences, relationships, and things they like to do!

Reading Workshop
I hope your child is as excited about her/his book bag as I am!  Mrs. Mayberry made most of them, and last year’s parent volunteers made the rest.  Inside the book bag -- which should come home and back to school every day -- we store about a week’s worth of books, the reading log, the reading notebook, and a pencil.  We are reviewing how our best reading progress happens and how to choose books that lend themselves to that reading progress and to our enjoyment of reading, both of which are very important.  Check out this chart to see what we’ve been talking about.


Math
This week we kicked off the first unit in the Everyday Math program. This unit focuses primarily on place value, understanding of large numbers, rounding numbers, adding/subtracting large numbers, and number stories. This week we worked on reading and writing large numbers and started to work on rounding.
    Students also had their first Home Link for homework on Thursday. You can expect students to have a Home Link every Monday and Thursday night. In another week some students may also have some journal pages to catch up on for homework on Wednesday. I will cover more of this on Monday at Parent Information Night.

Theme

We started the first project in our geography unit this week. Each student is creating a large map of North America, and in doing so we are focusing on neat handwriting, quality work, paying attention to details, and following directions. The end product will reflect all of these, and most students will be proud of their developing cartography skills.