What We're Doing....

First night of Hanukkah.  Christmas next week.  This month is flying by!

Thanks so much for making sure the December project got done.  I hope your child had some fun creating this picture ornament that represents all the great things your family does during the month.  I'm sure they couldn't do it without you, so again, I thank you!  I know the picture doesn't do the work justice however, our tree adds a festive touch to the room and reminds us of what this month is truly about - family, giving and sharing.

Remember also that gifts for our annual Gift Exchange are due by this Friday, December 19.  Two gifts are needed: a new book and something gently used from home that is gender neutral and can be given as gift.  No food is allowed and both gifts need to be wrapped.

These gifts will be exchanged on our last day together, Tuesday, December 23, before the holiday break.  Please remember that lunch will be served and students will have a recess period as well.  Mr. Peterson will be doing his annual Holiday Sing-a-Long and we will have our own class celebration starting at 12:30 where students will be working on a craft and get to eat some treats provided by Mrs. Alderman and Mrs. Schwartz.  Permission slips did go home today for those treats.  Please make sure to sign and return by Friday, December 19.

Now for academics!!  As I said at conferences, learning math facts is a must!  Please make sure that your child takes time each day to practice all facts - addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  Today, we started working on a pretest/study guide which we will complete tomorrow in class.  They will take this home to study for the mid-module assessment on Unit 3: Multi Digit Multiplication and Division which will be given on Thursday and Friday, December 18 and 19.

In reading, students have been looking for books in both our classroom library and school library to research a topic of interest.  Students have been taking notes and will use the information for our next unit of writing - Information Writing.  Students got to read a "how to" book on showing cows written by a sixth grader.  Students have been given a brief overview of the unit and what will be expected but I wanted to give them time to research a topic of interest so that they will be better prepared once we start the lessons in the new year.

I hope that you are enjoying these last few days of 2014 and wish you all the best in the coming new year.  All the best this holiday season - to you and your family.

What We're Doing....

Always busy around here!!  Students have been working hard and continue to do so.

In these past few weeks we have ended some units and started some new ones.  Students were also asked to research a President and have some fun transforming a pumpkin into its likeness.  We celebrated Halloween, ran at Masuk, honored veterans and had "Dinner with the Smileys."  

In math, we started our new unit on unit conversions and problem solving using metric measurement.  Students will be assessed this Friday on their knowledge of the concepts.  Students will also be tested again on their fluency of facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  The results will be shared with you at our upcoming conferences at the beginning of December.

In writing, we completed our Realistic Fiction unit and have moved on to how to write a personal and persuasive essay.  A trainer from Teacher's College came and worked with students one morning in October and students have been working on taking their opinion and backing it up with supporting details. 

In reading, we are currently focused on informational texts and text structure.  This study should have helped your child when researching their President.  The projects were wonderful to listen to and many interesting facts were shared.  I have two bulletin boards filled with pictures and information of the Presidents that were researched.

Yesterday, we had a wonderful visit from Bridget's grandfather who talked to us about his years of service in the Air Force during the Korean War.  He also shared his father's decorated shirt which included many ribbons and even a purple heart for his work and bravery.  It was a wonderful culminating activity to the work done in class.  Students came away having a better appreciation of our veterans and the work done to protect our country and freedoms.

Today, we had a visit from the Smiley family.  Mrs. Sarah Smiley is the author of Dinner with the Smileys, the uplifting true story of a wife and mother's yearlong experience inviting one new guest (from senators to school teachers, artists to professional athletes) to dinner for each week that her husband was deployed overseas.

I hope your child is sharing with you all of the great things they learn and we talk about daily.  Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to discussing your child's progress at our upcoming conferences. 

Halloween Info....

Halloween at Fawn Hollow:

Costumes

Students participating in the Halloween parade should carry their costumes to school in a bag. Costumes are not to be worn to school. Students need to be able to put their costumes on by themselves. They will also need to take their costume off prior to boarding their bus home. We kindly ask that students refrain from wearing hair paint, face paint, and/or scary costumes or masks. Also note that anything construed as a weapon will not be allowed.

Parade

Our Halloween parade will begin at approximately 2:45. Parents are asked to remain outside where they may find a viewing spot on the back field or along the parade route. The parade lines will exit the building’s front doors where students will march around the building and across the back field before reentering through the front doors. Please keep the front sidewalks clear for our marchers.

Dismissal

Please send a note to school if you plan to pick up your child after the Halloween parade. Once the parade begins, we ask that parents not reenter the building to sign out their children out in the office. Our dismissal procedures will begin immediately following the conclusion of the parade. All students being picked up will be dismissed from the gym. Parents are asked to wait outside the gym doors at the conclusion of the parade, and staff members will call students to the gym for dismissal.

Please know that there is an alternate activity for students who would prefer not to participate in the Halloween activities. Contact the office if you would like your child to participate in this alternate activity.

Math - Module 2

Today we started our next math module - Module 2/Unit Conversions and Problem Solving with Metric Measurement.  Today, we also received some information you at home may find helpful.  Common Core, Inc., the creators of the NY math modules (which they market under the name Eureka Math) have started posting documents that support parents with the some of the new instructional strategies in each grade level. You can find them here: http://commoncore.org/parents

If you click on the above link and scroll down to Grade 4, you will find PDF files which you can open for Modules 1-5.  Hope you can find these helpful!

What We're Doing....

It's October already!!  I love the fall temperatures, the vibrant colors on trees as I drive to and from work and anything pumpkin.

We've been working hard in Room 10.  Now that students have learned the routines and understand what is expected, we continue to chug along while having some laughs and fun along the way.

In Grammar, we've been discussing types of sentences, run-on sentences, subject/predicate, and we continue to learn about parts of speech and how to punctuate sentences correctly.

In Writing, we are nearing the end of our first unit on writing
Realistic Fiction.  Students are currently taking the parts of their story they have been working so hard on and piecing them together.  It will be nice to see just how much they have grown since their first On-Demand writing assignment back in August.

In Spelling, we continue to work on our weekly spelling lists.  Students know to use spellingcity.com/fariasatfawnhollow to practice words assigned for the week as well as past words.  Since I test students using dictated sentences, this truly shows whether or not students have acquired the spelling of these words.

In Reading, students are reading their leveled books as well as assigned stories and thinking about theme - the message, lesson or moral of the story.  Students are also being asked to answer questions about what they have read and support their answers with information from the story.  I have taught them the three magic words: the text says.....  This forces students to go back into the text and write what the text says to support their answer or claim.

In Math, we continue with Module 1: Place Value, Rounding, and the algorithms for Addition and Subtraction.  Students just took the Mid Module Assessment, which will be corrected and sent home soon.  Please have your child continue to practice their facts.

In Social Studies, we have started reviewing the parts of a map and discussing the Northeast Region of the United States.  While studying the US regions, we will also learn about the Native Americans native to the region.

In Science, your child continues to work with Mrs. Herman.  They love the lizards!!  Ask them what they have worked on to date!

Students are also loving the new Book Club selection - Wonder by R. J. Palacio.  Ask your child what it means to Choose Kind and about the exercise we did in the room with the crumpled piece of paper that is now hanging on our classroom timeline.

As you can see, your child is kept busy while here at Fawn Hollow.  My hope is that you see your child becoming more independent and excited when talking about our daily happenings.

Enjoy your weekend!

Spelling City

Spelling City, an online website designed to help students practice and learn their weekly spelling words is a great resource!  However, I've heard that some students have been having a difficult time getting to my class page.  Below you will find the complete web address.  Please bookmark it so your child can have easy access to it whenever they choose to practice and have some fun practicing spelling.

www.spellingcity.com/fariasatfawnhollow

Enjoy!

Reminders...

Monday,   September 15              Back to School Night (Grades K-2)  7:00pm

Thursday, September 18               Back to School Night (Grades 3-5)   7:00pm

Back to School Night provides parents with the opportunity to learn about their child’s school day.  Following a brief presentation in the All-Purpose Room, parents will proceed to their child’s classroom where the teacher will give additional information. 

Monday, September  22               PTO Fall Fundraiser Orders Due (New Date!)

The deadline for Genevieve’s fundraising orders has been extended to September 22.  Items from the catalog will be on display Fawn Hollow’s foyer during our Back to School Nights.  Please contact Heather Simoulidis- hasim0401@gmail.com or Jen Nivison- supermomshorty@sbcglobal.net  if you should have any questions.  Thank you to all the families who have placed orders!

Attendance policy reminder:

In keeping with the district’s attendance policy, all students need to bring a signed note from home following an absence from school.   If a valid note is not received within ten days of the absence, the missed day will be entered as Unexcused.  A copy of the student attendance policy letter  is available on the Fawn Hollow webpage.  http://www.edline.net/pages/FawnHollow/Parents_Citizens