Your children will be getting a small IXL homework assignment today. This assignment is due Sunday, October 11.
Please remember that IXL is not optional. This homework directly aligns with the concepts we are learning in the classroom. If your child is frustrated or struggling with their IXL, please remind them to write a note in their planner, and I, or Ms. Kari, will help them with additional lessons.
On Friday, your sixth grade child should have brought home a copy of the intent to attend the 6th grade field trip to Alliance Redwoods. This information was initially provided to 6th grade students and their families on Thursday, September 3rd during our first meeting. The date on the paper stated it needed to be returned September 25th. Because of my own oversight, I sent it home on the day it needed to be returned.
If you intend for your child to attend the field trip, please return this form at your earliest convenience. Please note, the individual contribution, which includes transportation to and from California, meals and accommodations, is $200. This payment is due November 20th.
If you are personally interested in attending the trip as a chaperone, please email your interest to Stephanie Speicher no later than October 1st. All details included in the information your child is bringing home can be found at this link:
The transition from lower to upper elementary is an exciting, yet daunting one, for our 4th grade students. Your child might often feel as though he can’t possibly fulfill the requirements in the upper elementary classroom, yet I see it time and again, as soon as he understands the expectations and has time to normalize, he finds he can do hard things.
Fourth grade is a big step. Not only are students leaving the comfort of their classroom, they are leaving beloved friends, and teachers, behind as well.
As our sixth week of school comes to an end, our 4th grade students have grown so much. Unsure what to do when she enters the classroom, she now begins her day by making a plan. Nervous about making new friends, she confidently explores new games on the playground. Excited to learn new things, she now shows her progress by helping those who may need an extra lesson.
My third year of teaching brings insight, experience and joy as I see how far my students, your children, have come in three years. The growth between 4th and 6th grade is phenomenal. Once timid and unsure, sixth grade students are confident and ready to lead.
The “end of normalization”, by no means, draws a definitive line between not-knowing and knowing, but it is a time when we can stop, take a deep breath, and celebrate how far we have already come.
Please make an appointment to hear your child’s progress, see personal goals, and discuss any questions you might have October 12-14. You can sign up for a 25 minute conference at the following link.
Happy Autumn Equinox!
Knowing math facts is a supremely important skill in order to advance in the upper elementary classroom. Until students are fluent in math facts, they are “stuck” in terms of abstract (paper-pencil) math progress. It is my goal to work with all students in order for them to become fluent in all multiplication facts before they leave for Christmas Break. As such, we are using a variety of methods for practicing these skills.
If you have an unused deck of cards, or one missing one or more bits, that you would be willing to donate to our classroom, it would be greatly appreciated. We are building skills and having fun at the same time.
Please take this opportunity to practice the facts that they may not know yet. As a group, we identified the facts that they know (ones and tens) and facts they may not know (6,7,8,9). Your children will be coming home with 2 to 3 flash cards daily of facts they are currently working on. We will call these facts their “meanies”. Multiplication facts that, for one reason or another, are difficult to your child. Throughout the day we will practice “meanies” until all students in our room are fluent with their times tables.
As always, don’t hesitate to contact me with questions regarding what your child is doing in the classroom. I am happy to share our triumphs as well as struggles with you.
Good Evening! I hope you all had a fantastic three day weekend!
We have a lot of things happening in our classroom this week, the first of which is your child’s first IXL homework assignment.
Each week your child will be given an assignment in IXL. The assignments have several purposes: to review previously learned material (from 3rd or perhaps even 2nd grade), to practice newly taught material in a format different from that they see in the classroom, and to practice skills using language that they will see on end of year testing. This homework is by no means “teaching to the test” nor is it meant to drill your children to death.
IXL homework should take, on average, 20 minutes each night. If your student is not able to earn the “badge” at the end of each session, or score a minimum of 80, within that amount of time, I have asked them write a note in their planners letting me know that they may need more help with a particular concept.
IXL logins are in the back of your child’s planner (along with Utah Compose and SAGE which we have not accessed yet). The link to login can be found here as well as at the top of the page under IXL. Please do not allow your child to reset or change their passwords. If they are unable to login, please let me know and we will troubleshoot from school.
In addition to being written in your child’s planner, the IXL homework will be posted at the IXL page weekly. This week, because of the holiday, students will have until next Monday evening to complete their homework. Typically homework will be given Monday and is due Sunday evening. As discussed in class, this homework is not optional. The school has purchased a license for each student to be able to practice and it is an expectation that they are following through. As will all homework and home projects, any that are not completed on time, will receive a pink slip notifying you they are not complete and asking your child to create a plan for completion.
If you do not have internet access at home, please let me know either with a note in your child’s planner or an email and we will make arrangements for your child to practice IXL during class time.
Tomorrow, Gary Hogge, a local children’s author, will be visiting our school to do an assembly. Each grade level will then have their own break-out session either tomorrow or Thursday for further writing instruction. He has come to our school several times in the past, is a fantastic educator, and the students learn so much from him.
Stay tuned for more updates coming later this week.