MATH GROUPS BEGIN!

Beginning on Monday, October 10^th, students will be placed in math groups. Each day they will have 4 different stations that they will work in during math.  These are the stations:

• ·     Working with me on current concepts and concepts that need further review.
• ·     Computers for FasttMath and other math games.
• ·     Independent practice using math journals
• ·     Everyday Math Games

This allows me to meet the needs of the students and support them at their learning levels.  It also provides opportunities for students to work with each other, mentor each other, and talk math. 

Speaking of talking math:  Ask your child how we “talk” math during class.  We did this with the first math assessment on Monday.  Students looked over their assessment, worked on what their errors were and why they made their errors, and helped other students with discovering various ways of approaching problems.  My goal is to establish a safe environment for students to talk math.  When we talk math we begin realize that there may be other ways to approach a challenging problem.  We also learn that mistakes are what help us move to the next step of our learning.

MEAP Testing will begin next week. Please make sure that your child is in school, gets a great night's sleep, and eats a fabulous breakfast.  Also, please be sure that they are on time!

Tuesday, October 11^th :  Reading Day 1

Wednesday, October 12^th : Reading Day 2

Thursday, October 13^{th :} Writing Day 1

Tuesday, October 18^th : Mathematics

Wednesday, October 19^th : Writing Day 2

Tutoring will start Tuesday, October 11th for students have received a letter.  Please be sure to sign the letter and return it ASAP!  Their spot will be given to another student if the letter is not returned.  I will be tutoring 4th Grade Reading.  

Thank you to all who have returned their letter already.

READING GROUPS HAVE STARTED!

Last week we started reading groups. Some students are going to other fourth-grade teachers for reading (Mrs. Wagner, Mrs. Tiggs, or Mr. Wetherbee). The school is trying something different to determine if students will show more academic growth this way. We know that the students are not used to having more than one main teacher. With that in mind, all of the fourth-grade teachers are in constant communication and will be aware of any pertinent information. If you would like an academic update based on your child's reading you will need to make an appointment with your child's reading teacher. Below is a list of the reading class your child is in:

Mr. Wetherbee:                                   

Moses

Jaiden

Emetrionna

Dylan

Mrs. Tiggs:

K’myiah

Kayla

Khalila

Morgan

Camron

Micah

Brianna

Mrs. Drain:

Joshua

Mrs. Wagner:

Darnishia

Devin

Lauryn

Kiera

Madison

MILESTONE 1 REMINDER

Milestone 1:

Due Thursday, October 20^th  

·       ALL RESOURCES for the interest project: at least 3 books AND 3 websites on the correct form with a parent signature.

·       PLEASE NOTE: Each student is required to bring printed copies of the information they will be using from the websites and all three of the books that they will be using for their research. Actual websites used for their research must be listed, not “Wikepedia.com”.

**Please see below for the actual form and dates for all milestones if you have not received one from your child.

Milestone Due Dates 2010-11

SNACKS

A big "THANK YOU" to K'miyah for providing snacks for several weeks for our class!  
We have snack everyday and I've encouraged the students to bring in their own healthy snacks, with an occasional treat from others!  As a reminder - only dry, healthy snacks, as snacks such as yogurt, fruit cups, and jello can get messy.


**We do have a student who has an allergy to oranges, so please do not send oranges.**

FRIDAY FOLDERS

Please be on the lookout for the Friday Folders and Friday Forms.  These will be coming home every Friday with the week's homework and any important forms or additional information.
One side is for papers that need to stay home, and the other side is for papers/forms that need to be returned.  


You will need to initial at the bottom of the form where it states "Parent's Initials", so that I know you have read over the checks and the comments.  This form allows communication between myself and home to show your child's behavior and homework/classroom participation is for the week.


We have a very chatty class and it is getting in the way of our learning. The students and I have discussed how the constant talking takes away the rights of our classmates from learning.  Please discuss this with your child and encourage them to use strategies that will help them respect others, and advance their own learning.

IMPORTANT DATES

Milestone 1: Thursday, October 20th

Milestone 2: Thursday, November 17th

Milestone 3: Thursday, December 8th

*Detail information for each Milestone will be in your child’s Friday folder on next Monday, October 3rd!

STATE PROJECT

For our first exhibition this year, your child will be teaching the class about a state.  I will be discussing this on Monday with the students so they will understand the expectations for their exhibitions.  You will have the option of completing the paper form that will be sent home on Monday, or completing the form on the blog, which will be under "Permission Forms" at the top of the page.  Your and your child will need to list three top choices of states.  Choices will be made on a first come basis.  

Forms are due on Thursday, September 29th.  I will have all the requirements, and your child's choice, returned by Monday, October 3rd.  Once the state is chosen, it is FINAL, so make a fun and wise choice!

Chris Cakes


Please join us for ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT Pancakes!

PANCAKE BREAKFAST is BACK!!
Served with SAUSAGE, ORANGE DRINK & COFFEE 
BY: CHRIS CAKES

LOCATION: Ellen Thompson (front parking lot if weather permits)
DATE: Thursday September 29, 2011
TIME:  5:00-7:00 p.m.                                                               
COST: $6.00 per person at the front desk
            $7.00 per person at the door
            (Children under 2 free) 

***NEWS FLASH***

There's a new tab at the top of this page - "WEBSITES FOR STUDENTS".  I've put links there for math, writing, and reading games.  There are also links for looking at the phases of the moon, which the students are learning about in science.  The games are all related to what we have been learning in these subjects.  Enjoy!

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

Thank you to all spent the evening with me:

K'miyah and her mom

Micah and her mom

khalila and her dad

brianna and her mom

Mrs. reynolds

Kierra and her mom

Our week in review....

Writing:  We've been working on making recommendations to papers written by other students.  This is in preparation for writing on the MEAP.  We are looking at what makes a strong paper - punctuation, grammar, spelling, specific details, and staying on topic.  The students read a paper, found errors, corrected errors, and then wrote recommendations.  **A NOTE OF HOMEWORK FOR THIS: I told the students I would post the writing prompt on the blog on Friday for those that weren't able to get it before dismissal.  I apologize.  Something came up for me this weekend & I was not able to do that.  We will continue to work on these, and I will give students time in class.**


Math:  Students reviewed double bar graphs, entering data, addition and subtraction of whole numbers, and place value to  1 million. Please write numbers and have your students read them, tell you what place value a certain number is in, and write them out in expanded form:  123,456 = 100,000 + 20,000 + 3,000 + 400 + 50 + 6.


Map:  We completed all three MAP tests this week (Language Arts, Math, & Reading).  Students who are new to UPA will be taking the test sometime this week with Mrs. Johnson.


Reading:  Our focus this week was on making connections with the text we are reading to our own experiences (text-to-self) and to other texts (text-to-text).  This next week we will be completing this with text-to-world connections, and moving into understanding how to summarize what we read without actually retelling the story.  


Science: Mrs. Tiggs read The Giving Tree and the classes discuss what each student will give to each other during science and social studies.  The students wrote these on green leaves and they will be hung on a tree in the cubbies.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Our Travelers have had a fabulous first week of school!  We have been busy learning about each other, the routines of our classroom and the 3rd floor, and revisiting math skills.  We have also begun thinking as readers and writing as writers. Travelers have picked out several "just right" books and begun to "jot' in their writer's journals.  Please ask them about all of these travels they have experienced so far. We have an awesome group and I am so excited about our growth and learning for the year.
HOMEWORK
You should be seeing a homework planner with the work that is due for the next day, or projects that are being worked on at home.  Please take time to read this and initial so that your Traveler and I know that you are learning along with us.
They will be getting a special folder for their homework planner that will have enough pages for the year.


MAP TESTING
MAP testing will begin next week on the 12th.  However, I do not have the days or times that our class will be taking the test.  As soon as I do I will pass that on to you.  Students will be tested on language usage, reading, and mathematics.  Their fall scores will dictate their end of the year score targets for each subject.


AMPT
AMPT scheduling is a little confusing.  Due to schedule conflicts, our class is split with the other the grade classes.  It's best to have the students leave their gym shoes at school, at least until we all work out which days, which students, have gym!  I will be working on a chart to clarify this for the students (and me!)


THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
To all who brought in and donated supplies to our classroom!  We all appreciate the extra paper, pencils, highlighters, etc.

WOW! And a few notes...

I was excited to meet with so many of you these past 2 weeks.  We are going to have a fabulous 4th grade year in Room 310!  This is a new room for me so I am learning the ways of the air conditioning!  I would suggest that all bring some type of sweater/long sleeve shirt to put on in case we get an arctic air flow.  Actually, the building has been cold this past week.  Remember, though, the sweater or shirt needs to be uniform, so no hoodies or designs.


On that note, I do follow the specifics of the uniform code.  Students must wear belts, shirts must be tucked in, and only the colors specified in the uniform code, that includes socks and shoes.  


Looking forward to next week!
Mrs. Wagner

2011 Parent Questionnaire

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

This is a list of supplies that will be helpful for your child to have available both at home and at school.

·           Backpack                                                                                

·         Colored Pencils

·         Pencils

·         Pencil Sharpener-with a cover

·         Markers (Washable

·         Soft, zippered pencil case

·         Stretchable, large book cover for math book                          

·         Sticky notes

·         2 packages of dividers with 8 in a pack

·         1 inch white vinyl binder        

·         1 USB flashdrive

·         Internet access at home

Classroom Donations

We do many projects throughout the year that require various supplies.  I will be requesting those at the time of the project.  To begin the year, any of the following supplies that you are able to donate will be greatly appreciate.

·         Ziploc bags of all sizes-any brand

·         Sticky notes-all sizes

·         Hand sanitizer

·         Kleenex

·         Clorox wipes (any brand)

·         Loose leaf paper

·         A ream of white copy paper

·         Index cards – blank and lined

·         Erasers

·         Pencils

·         Red, Blue, Green, Purple pens

·         Scotch tape

·         Glue Sticks

WELCOME TO FOURTH GRADE IN ROOM 310

Dear Students and Families:

 I am really excited to start our new year in 4^th grade together, to get to know each other, learn with each other, and to grow together.  To start off, let me tell you about myself.  This will be my third year at UPA and I could not ask for a better or more fantastic place to learn and to teach.  I have a Bachelor’s Degree from Eastern Michigan University in three different concentrations:  music, communications, and literature.  I completed a Master’s of Elementary Education three years ago from the University of Michigan.  Prior to teaching at UPA, I was a piano teacher for over 25 years.  Music is one of my greatest passions, along with my three sons, reading, and eating ice cream.  I am a lifelong learner and as a resident of room 310 – you will be too!!

This letter will provide some important information that you need prior to the start of school, including a class supply list, dates, and communication information.  Please read this carefully and email me with any questions or concerns.

COMMUNICATION:

I believe very strongly in 100% communication between student, parent, and teacher. I am available for you and your child before, during, and after school hours.  You can set up an appointment by email at swagner@uprep.com or calling me at (313) 874-9800, ext. 2310.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.  With all of us working together, this will be an exciting and successful school year.

I also have a class blog.  The blog site is mrswagner310.blogspot.com.  I update the blog every week so please be sure to follow that for information on the learning that takes place, assignments, special acknowledgements, pictures, the calendar, and many other pieces of important information.  I try to use as little paper as possible! One of my goals for the students this year will be to have their own individual blogs.  But, more about that later.

class wish list

We are constantly trying new projects, experiments, and assignments, so I do not know everything that we will need at this point.  This will be a short list to get us started, and during the year, when specific supplies are needed, I will send home a note asking for those materials.

These items will be useful in the classroom.  You do not need to purchase all of the items, but if you could provide some, it will be greatly appreciated.

·         Hand Sanitizer

·         Large and small Ziploc bags (any brand is fine)

·         Boxes of Kleenex

·         Thick and thin dry erase markers

·         Bottles of White-Out

·         1 package of blue pens                                                              

·         1 package of green pens

·         1 package of red pens

·         A ream of copy/printer paper                                                   

·         Clorox disinfecting wipes (any brand)

·         Band-aids

snacks

We will be having snacks in our classroom.  PLEASE NO BEVERAGES other than water.  Also, only healthy snacks will be allowed.  Here are some suggestions:  raw vegetables, pretzels, popcorn, raisins, crackers, nuts, granola bars, and animal crackers.  Please do not send fruit, fruit cups, or yogurt as those tend to get messy.

IMPORTANT DATES

Tuesday, August 16^th                                    Learning Team Meetings and Reading Benchmarks

Wednesday, August 17^th                        Learning Team Meetings and Reading Benchmarks

Thursday, August 25^th                                    Meet the Teacher, 9:00 – 3:00 and

                                                            Learning Team Meetings and Reading Benchmarks

This year students and parents/family members will be coming in prior to the start of school for Learning Team Meetings, and working with teachers to determine reading level.  Please plan for 30 minutes. The following shows my schedule for these meetings.  This will also be posted on my blog, mrswagner310.blogspot.com.  On the blog you will be able to sign up for a day and time.  You may also email me your preference.  I will do my best to accommodate. 

Learning team meeting days and times:

You will be able to sign up on the blog using the form in the "PERMISSION AND FORMS" tab at the top of the page.
*If I have spoken with you on the phone, you do not need to sign up.

 The learning Team meeting will be with you (the student), your parent, parents, or a family member (this is required), and myself.  We will meet first, and then you and I will be doing some reading together so that you will be all set to go when school starts!

During the first week of school I will be sending home additional information regarding homework, homework planners, Friday Folders, schedules, and other necessary information to make our classroom run successfully.

I am looking forward meeting and learning with all of you during our two years together!

Mrs. Wagner.

****Please remember to sign up on the blog or email me with your day and time, as soon as possible. 

SCIENCE OLYMPIAD - SUPPLIES NEEDED!

We are still in need of supplies for our annual SCIENCE OLYMPIAD 
on Tuesday, June 14th.  Please help out so that we may enjoy, experiment, and explore!  


Thank you to Jalib Davis & Family, and Alexus Roberts & Family 
their donations!


life saver candy
straws
balloons
masking tape (a lot)
pipe cleaners
bamboo skewers
aluminum foil

WHO SCREAMS FOR ICE CREAM??

                                         

And Pizza??  Room 303 - that's who!!  We are gearing up for the final days of school and decided that we need an ice cream celebration!  I've sent home a list with the students of the items that are needed and who signed up for what.  It is posted below.  Please be sure to sign it to confirm your child will be bringing that item.

Last Day Celebration

SCIENCE OLYMPIAD, FIELD DAY, AND PROMOTION

We have a busy last week of school!  Here is what is happening:

Science Olympiad will be Tuesday, June 14th.  We are in desperate need of supplies in order for this to be held.  If you scroll down through the blog you will see the list of supplies that are required to have a fun and successful Science Olympiad experience.

Field Day is all day on Wednesday, June 15th.  We will be walking over to the Wayne State Athletic field in the morning, play a variety of field games, including a Teachers vs. Students kick ball game!  Please be sure to send sunscreen and appropriate clothing for your child.

Promotion - Thursday, June 16th.  Please see the note below this post regarding important information about attire.

5th Grade Breakfast -   Friday, June 17th.  Students will need to leave with parents immediately following the breakfast if they are not going to the picnic.

Promotion Attire

There seems to be some confusion about what students have been told to wear to the promotion ceremony. We have told students that they do not need to be too dressy. They can wear clothing LIKE what they'd wear to school (eg. collared shirt and slacks/skirt). Students DO NOT need to wear uniform colors. No jeans or gym shoes, please. We hope this clarifies any questions you may have.

Thank you! We look forward to seeing you that night.

EXHIBITION RUBRICS

These are the rubrics that I will be using for the students' exhibitions.  The Academic Checklist is only for those students who did not do the "Do Something" Project.  Students who did the project will be scored using the "Do Something" Project Rubric.  


Please review to be sure your child is prepared.