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Thank You!

Feb12

I wanted to thank all of they parents who were able to make it to parent student teacher conference (whew, a mouthful).  It was so nice meeting some of you for the first time and seeing those of you again whom I’ve met with in the past.

I also wanted to thank everyone for the thoughtful Valentine gifts.  Ms. Kari and I are always appreciative of the kindness.

Important reminder: Science fair is next week.  4/5 grade science fair is on Wednesday, February 18 and middle school (6-8 grade) science fair is on Thursday, February 19.  If students bring in their posters on Tuesday, they will have time to rehearse with their friends and we can also check to make sure they have everything they need on the board.

We will have weekly IXL assignments and Utah Compose assignments beginning next week.

Thanks again for all you do to support your child’s education.

Have a wonderful long weekend.

 

Update Week of January 26

Jan26

January and February are very busy months at MMA, as such, I wanted to give some reminders as to upcoming deadlines and due dates.

January 28th: Level 6 – David Holladay Lecture (During class)

January 29th: JA Biztown (Level 5 and some Level 6)

January 30th: Biography Book Report (Timeline) – All Grade Levels

February 2: SAGE Writing Assessment – All Grade Levels

February 18th: Elementary Science Fair (Level 4 and 5)

February 19th: Middle School Science Fair (Level 6-8)

In order to prepare for the SAGE writing test, we have been working on our essays for several weeks.  Your students have another essay rough draft due tomorrow evening.  In order to be prepared for the in class peer edit and to take advantage of the time we have left, please ensure your child completes this assignment on time.  If you are experiencing any trouble with Utah Compose, have your student first write their essay using Word or Pages, saving a copy to your computer.  At that point, your student can copy and paste their essay into Utah Compose and then submit it.  If by chance the website errors, your child will still have a digital copy and can resubmit on Utah Compose without losing all their work.  Most children did not experience any trouble, but a handful had repeated problems and this is the only work around I could think of so that they could still have the benefit of the score report.

In addition to Utah Compose, level 4 and 6 students have had math homework recently. This will continue on a relatively regular basis throughout the remainder of the school year.  Please check in with your students each night regarding homework assignments they may have.  I know that everyone is busy with after school activities, but it is imperative that your children are completing the required practice in order to continue progressing.

 

Class Business Week of October 27

Oct27

I want to apologize in advance for the amount of information I’m about to deliver in this blog post.

Firstly, our class will be joining Ms. Holly’s lower elementary class on a field trip to the Ben Lomond Cemetery this Thursday, October 30.  This walking field trip will allow students to explore our local history by participating in grave rubbings as well as an historical scavenger hunt.  We took this field trip last year and the children really enjoyed it.  If you are interested in joining us on this field trip, even though it is short notice, please let me know by Wednesday,October 29.  We will be leaving the school at 9:00 am,  and returning by lunch at 12:00.  This is a great trip for parents who can’t take an entire day off work (been there, done that).  Because the field trip will take place in the morning on Thursday, we will be holding reading groups on Friday.   If you are a Thursday reading group volunteer, we will plan on seeing you again on Thursday, November 6.

Our October book reports are due this Thursday.  As previously stated, these book reports are student choice.  From the genre to the presentation method, these reports are in the hands of your children.  They can turn in a simple written report, they can do a power point, they can create a display board or even a diorama.   If your student is planning on doing a power point presentation, they will need to turn in a print copy of their power point on Thursday October 30.  We will do the actual presentations on Wednesday, November 5.

This week is Red Ribbon Week.  We have several different activities happening this week.  Our class is participating in a door decorating contest in which the winning class will receive a pizza party.  Our class has a great concept that we will be working on tomorrow.  Tomorrow we also have an assembly featuring Dorian Willes.  Dorian is a recovering drug addict from Idaho who has dedicated his life to educating others about the dangers of addiction.   Please take time this week to speak to your children about making healthy choices.  We have spoken a bit about what it means to be healthy and why it is important to be drug free.  The theme for Red Ribbon week is “Love Yourself.  Be Drug Free”.

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Thank you to those who are helping their children with homework!   Whether it is science fair, book reports or weekly IXL assignments, your support is vitally important to your child’s success.   I like to think of your child’s education as a team effort.  I am with your children for such a small percentage of time during the day that I count on your support when it comes to your child’s academic, social and emotional progress.  If you ever have a concern about your child’s development, whether academic, social or emotional, I am happy to schedule a time to meet with you.   If you are curious about how our classroom runs, you are welcome to schedule a time to come and observe in our classroom.   We welcome observations in 30 minute blocks.  Please contact the front office to schedule observation times.

Lastly, we have a 6th grade student and parent meeting on Thursday, October 30 at 4:30 pm.   Upper elementary teachers will be discussing the 6th grade student council, committees, expectations and fundraisers.  We will also be discussing the 6th grade Alliance Redwoods field trip.  We are so proud of the 6th grade students and who they are becoming.  We want you to be well informed about what is going on this year.  Please plan on attending, we hope to see you there.

Science Fair – Research Plan Date Change

Oct23

With all of the activity we have had in our class, I have not been able to have an adequate discussion regarding the science fair research plan.  As such, I am bumping the due date for the research plan to Monday, October 27th.   We will be discussing this portion of the project in class tomorrow.

An advance thank you to the students who have already turned this portion of the project in.  You are all on track!

Remember, science fair is mandatory and if your student has not chosen their topic or posed a question they plan on investigating, they are behind.  Please see the science fair page at the top of the blog for information about due dates and expectations.

October Book Report and Next Science Fair Deadline

Oct5

Our September book reports turned out great!  I was so impressed with the creativity of the students!

This month’s book report is student choice.  They can choose their genre as well as the format they would like to report in.  I would ask that if they are planning on doing a power point that they let me know a week in advance so I can reserve the projector.

Please remind your children to bring their book of choice to school.  We have silent reading after recess on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.  This is a great time for your students to read the book they are planning to use for their book report.

Our next science fair deadline is October 24.  Students need to have their background research plan submitted on or before this date in order to stay on track with their project. We will be discussing this plan in detail in class this coming week.  The research plan form was sent home with your student at the same time the proposal form came home.  If you need to print another copy of this for your child, you can find the link on the PDF page at the top of the blog.

A research paper is required for 6th grade students (recommended for 4th and 5th grade students).  As such, we will be doing a teacher guided mini-research paper in the months prior to Science Fair.

Just a reminder that science fair is a mandatory home project and all upper elementary students are expected to participate.