OCTOBER NEWSLETTER:

Dear Families,

        It was so nice to meet so many of you at Curriculum Night this week!  If you were not able to come to Curriculum Night, please feel free to contact me with questions, check on your child’s progress, or share good news.  Email is probably best as I can get back to you late in the evening or even on the weekend, if necessary.  My email is Karri.Allen@evergreenps.org.

 Lifeskill/Handbook: In October, we are featuring the lifeskill of work ethic.  We will compliment classmates on lifeskills we notice that the students are using at school.  We notice lifeskills in other situations too.  We use them to solve problems and we will reflect upon the different lifeskills characters have in our literature studies.  Learning about lifeskills and practicing them adds to our positive learning environment at school.  I hope that you will find them useful at home.  Please make sure to read the school’s student handbook online and fill out the form that documents that you and your student have read it.  To access the student handbook, you can go to the Fisher’s Landing Elementary website and click on the “For Parents” tab.  Then scroll down to “Student Handbook.”  Click on “Student Handbook.”  Make sure to read through the handbook and discuss its contents with your child.  Then please print the “Handbook Signature Form” and have your child sign it and then sign it yourself to verify that your child has read the handbook.  You can also send in the last page of the printed version of the handbook coming home this week.  All students are required to knowledgeable about the handbook and our school’s rules.  Please send these forms in by parent conferences.

 Reader’s Workshop: The end of this month we’ll be learning about the thinking strategy of accessing background knowledge/using schema.  Schema is any knowledge you already have about a topic and you gain that knowledge through your experiences.  Schema/background knowledge allows us to connect to what we are reading and better understand the emotions/needs/etc. of the characters in the story or people involved.  We will be exploring how schema helps us as a reader as we move into October.  Then we will move into the thinking strategy of determining importance.  Students will learn to identify what’s most important and filter out those details that, while interesting, are not the main focus in the text.  With our strategy work with determining importance, students will learn about theme, summarizing, main idea and supporting details, as well as story elements such as main characters, plot, problem, and solution. To encourage reading of chapter books from day to day, I have designed the High Five Book Club for our class.  The goal is for each student to read at least 500 pages by report card time.  Once a student finishes a book, they write a summary of the book read on a piece of loose leaf paper to demonstrate that they read the book and understood the story.  The students earn a star punch in their High Five Book Club bookmark for each 100 pages read.  I will send reminders throughout the trimester and will put the student’s progress toward this goal in the comments section of the report card. 

 Writer’s Workshop: This month we are exploring the writing trait of ideas.  Students will learn to narrow their topic down to a “seed” idea- a single moment to blow up big with details.  Students will learn to anticipate what questions the reader may have in order to add more detail and make their writing “crystal clear.”  Students will learn to use the technique of “so what about” to link details together as they write.  During the month of October, we will map out an experience we would like to share with others, then narrow that experience down to just a portion of the actual event/the most important moment.  We will take that piece through the writing process to publication.

 Math:  Now that my beginning of the year math assessments are completed, we will spend the next few weeks working with developing/practicing concepts for multiplication and building our problem solving skills.  You should have received information about accessing our math textbook from home-the web address is: www.pearsonsuccessnet.com.  The username for each child is the first and last name they go by in our class (all in lowercase). For example, my username would be karriallen.  Everyone’s password is math4u.  Students who do not finish in class activities should visit this web address to access the page from class work and finish that work for homework.  I can print textbook pages for those that do not have internet access at home.  This website also offers access to additional practice and games.

 Math Facts: Your child will be working with a parent to quiz and improve their fluency with their math facts this year. The timings consist of a page of mixed fact practice focusing on one operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division).  The “Math Moms/Dads” will work with your child on progressively more difficult/higher facts within the operation that your child is focusing on and then test them with a paper test consisting of 90 problems.  Your child must get 80 out of the 90 problems correct and skipped problems are considered incorrect.  The “Math Moms/Dads” will let you know via the planner exactly which facts your child should be working on.  It is expected that your child be working on their facts each day for about 10 minutes to be working toward their next math timing.  This is the MOST important thing we can do to help each student be successful in math this year.  Please check with your child to find out which ones they are working on and work on them at home.  I ask that when the math fact flashcards come home in the plastic pouch and that you keep track of them please.  The plastic pouch with the math facts should stay in the child’s backpack.  Take them out and practice at home but return them to the backpack so your child can use them for fact practice at school when we have math stations. Knowing your multiplication math facts by heart is vital to math success with more advanced math concepts.  I am still looking for more parents that might want to help.  I still need to find three more parent helpers this year for this program.  If you are available Wednesdays from 9:05-10:30 please email me as soon as possible.  I need four volunteers to make it work.  I need three more parents or this successful program may not happen for these kids this year.

 

I wanted to share some websites that offer opportunities for kids to practice their math facts.

www.monstermathfacts.com

www.freerice.com

www.funbrain.com

www.coolmath.com

www.mathfactcafe.com

www.aplusmath.com/Games/games.html

www.geocities.com/multiplicationfacts/index.html

www.mathcats.com/explore/multiplicationtable.html    

 Book Reports:  Students should choose a quality literature chapter book (100-200 pages unless otherwise approved) at their level to read from start to finish during the month of October and complete a book report.  One way to help your student identify a book at their level is by using the 5 Finger Rule.  This is how it works.  Find a book that your student is interested in.  Then turn to a random page full of text.  Have your child read the page aloud and each time the student stumbles on a word put one finger down.  If the student stumbles on more than 5 words, the book is too challenging at this time and the difficult words will break down the students’ ability to comprehend the text.  If the student doesn’t put any fingers down as they read, the book is too easy and not quite at their level.  I have talked with the students about this technique.  Try it out and see how it works for your student.  Directions have been provided for the book report and can be found in your child’s homework folder.  Students need to let me know their selected book by this Friday so that I can approve it before they get started with their book report.  Poster paper for the project will be coming home in the next few weeks.  This book report will be due Tuesday, November 13^th.  On this day, we will begin our book talks on the book report books.  This will be a formal presentation for a communication grade.    Please keep checking in with your child about their progress toward completing their book and their book report.

 Science:  We are using the scientific process to investigate rocks and minerals and their properties.  The class will learn about the rock cycle and about the types of rocks.

 Social Studies: We are learning about Washington State this year.  During the month of October, we will be learning about how our state was formed and the major landforms and features that make up our state.  As part of this learning, students will create a salt and flour map of our state.

 Last thoughts:  My class has some amazing thinking.  However, we are still struggling as a class to make sure our work is HIGH quality, is complete, and meets expectations.  Please encourage your child to do their personal best in all their work for our class.  PLEASE encourage your child to use correct spelling and punctuation in all subject areas.  I also appreciate your efforts to help your child complete all his/her homework on time.  The children who complete their work have a clearer understanding of the next day’s lessons and are more confident.  This is a very special class and they are so sweet.  We are beginning to really hit our stride!  I hope you all have a wonderful week!

 Kindly, 

Karri Allen

Resources for Multiplication Practice! Check it Out!

Multiplication Help

Here are some resources that may help your child practice multiplication skills. Some of these are supported by advertisements.

IXL - Individualized on-line math practice.  I have signed up for a free 30-day trial. Send me an email and I'll send you your childs username and password.

 

Khan Academy -You Tube Videos (ad supported)

Basic Multiplication

Multiplication Tables

10's, 11's, and 12's

2-digit X 1-digit

2-digit X 2-digit

Multiple Digit Multiplication

AAA Math (ad supported)

Multiflyer - (ad supported)

Mathdrill-  (ad supported)

Mr. Nussbaum Math -ad supported

Timez Attack- videogame

As always it is best for a parent to preview websites before allowing children to use them. These are merely suggestions and are not required.

Welcome to a New School Year!

Dear Parents,

Welcome!  I hope you had a relaxing summer and you are looking forward to starting another school year.  I was pleased to meet so many of you at our Open House.  I am excited to be teaching fourth grade and I’m looking forward to a great year with your child.

Enclosed are the beginning of the year documents, letters, and forms for your information.  Please complete the forms as indicated and return them to me by next week.  I would appreciate it if you would read and discuss the enclosed Parent/Student Information Handbook with your child and sign and return the appropriate pink page to indicate that you have gone over the information.  That page is on the last page in the Handbook.  We will also review this information in class.  This will help us all to have a clear understanding of our school's expectations.

Our fourth grade team has ordered a few items that we believe will help your child organize work coming to and from school.  We also ordered two magazines.  One is Washington Weekly which highlights some current Washington events, as well as historical and geographical information.  It is a valuable supplement to our Social Studies text.  The other is National Geographic magazine for students.  It has wonderful, short, nonfiction stories about nature and our world. 

Tutoring: I would appreciate your permission to allow your child to be tutored by parent and adult volunteers.  Tutoring will take place in my room and inside the main building.  Some students need additional challenges while others need review.  Many will be sharpening their math facts skills.  This will generally take place once per week for about 20 minutes per student during class time. 

Snacks:  If your child wants a have a morning snack, he/she can bring a fresh fruit or vegetable, Pepperidge Farm Fish Crackers: all flavors, Cheez-its: all flavors including Gripz and Right Bites, Teddy Grahams, or Nutrigrain Bars.  All of these snacks are considered safe snacks and provide a safe snacking environment for the student with a severe nut allergy in our class.  Please do not send any other kind of snack or brands to be eaten during class time as we cannot be certain of how safe they are.  I do not encourage water bottles unless there are special reasons for them.  We have plenty of filtered water available in the classroom and many opportunities to get a drink.

Homework: Your child will have homework each evening of the week (Mon.-Thurs.).  All homework assignments are directly related to activities and lessons at school, either that day or in preparation for the next day.  It is essential that your child complete each daily assignment.  This will ensure continued progress and preparedness for lessons to come.  Your child will list homework each day in a Student Planner.  Please read each day’s entry, respond if you would like, and then sign your name on that page. Your signature will indicate to me that you have checked your child’s homework.

Student Papers:  It sometimes happens that students do not take their papers home and parents are concerned about their child’s work.  Since this can occur, papers will be sent home at the end of each week.  I will also email and share my classroom blog with a periodic newsletter keeping you up to date on what is happening in the classroom.  Please sign the Friday Envelope indicating you have received and reviewed this important information.  Your child will then return this envelope emptied to me Monday morning.

PE:  PE in my class will be on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Please remind your child to wear appropriate shoes. 

Library:  Library in my class will be on Mondays.  Your child will probably need EXTRA reminders about bringing their library books after the weekend.

During the first week of school our class will work together on building community.  Many of us are new and I am sure we will enjoy getting to know one another.  We will also be assessing academic areas in spelling, language, and math.

We will continue to spend time together deciding what is necessary to make our class a good place for learning.  We will review our jobs in class as a teacher and student.  We will review “The Mariner’s Code”.  In this packet there are several forms to fill out.  There is a Tutoring Form, Volunteer Form, and Student Information Sheet as well as other papers that were passed out on Open House if you were not able to be there.  If at all possible, I would like you to have all of these forms turned back in by the end of next week.  It is my understanding that a separate Volunteer Form has to be filled out and approved by the district every two years for each adult who would like to help at school or chaperone on field trips.  It takes a little time for this form to be approved so it is important to do this soon.  Please check with the office to see if your form is still current or ask for a new form to fill out if you want to volunteer and yours has expired.

Each month our school will be focusing on a Life Skill.  This month we are featuring the “Life Skill of Friendship.”  Ask your child what this means and how we can practice being good friends at school.

School Supplies: The supply list for 4^th grade is posted on the school website.

Lunch: I would suggest that you bring a lunch from home the first week of school.  The lunch lines can be longer as students get used to the routine again and new students adapt.

Attendance: Classroom doors are opened and teaching begins at 9:05 am.  There is no campus supervision before school.  For safety sake, please do not have your child arrive on campus before 9:05 am.  The tardy bell is 9:15 am.  School is over at 3:35 pm Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri.  School is over at 1:15 on Wed.

Thank you in advance for returning all forms sent home.  I also appreciate your willingness to help in our classroom.  It is wonderful to have so many supportive parents.

Education is a team process.  Feel free to contact me with any question or concerns.  If your child has a change of transportation plans after school please send a note to school or contact the office.  If you have a concern/question, it is best to email me as I can respond at my earliest convenience.  Often I catch up on emails after I put my daughter to bed at about 8 pm.  Email allows me to get back to you at any time without disturbing your evening.  A phone call is a great way to contact me about concerns that require immediate attention.  I am looking forward to another fabulous year!

Sincerely,

Karri Allen                                Email: Karri.Allen@evergreenps.org                             Phone: 604-6650 x 2569