Blogging Break

Where did May go?  It seems like May lasted forever and yet was over in the blink of an eye!

Testing, testing, and more testing really took over for the month of May and I completely hopped off the blogging bus lately.  I apologize for those of you who have been checking in - things have just been bonkers around here.

And to top things off, as many of you have heard, I have recently accepted a new position for next year.  While I have had an amazing three years at North Beach, I am so excited for my new challenge as a math intervention specialist at Broadview-Thomson K-8 and share my passion for math with some 7th and 8th graders!  Making this transition is so exciting and I appreciate all of the support that the teachers and families at North Beach have given me over the years and through this time of transition - I will miss you all!

Camp Write Along Thursday!

Make sure you are ready for our writing camp on Thursday by bringing in supplies for the camp tomorrow!  Students are welcome to bring any or all of the following:

• A flashlight
• A sleeping bag or blanket
• A pillow

We have PLENTY of tents, so no more of those are needed.  The supplies can be kept at school over night so they are ready to go for our full day camp on Thursday.  I can't wait to greet you all for camp!  Write CAMP on your planner for Wednesday for bonus table points!

WOW!

What an AMAZING performance by the Soweto Gospel Choir today!  It was so amazing to see such enthusiasm and such a colorful performance!  I loved seeing the kids get up and dance and really enjoying the performance!

Students are coming home with a writing packet that is homework for over break.  There is a writing prompt in preparation for the MSP that talks about what they did over spring break so I am hoping to see some great writing!  The MSP is only 2 weeks away and we can use all the practice we can get - please keep an eye out for it and make sure that your student is budgeting time for it!

Enjoy spring break and I will see you all April 21st!

The Final 8 Are In!

The votes have been tallied and our "sweet 16" books have been whittled down to a top 8 choices for the year!

Holes, Frindle, The Junkyard Wonders, and Sarah, Plain and Tall are in the top 8....

And rounding out the top 8 are Alvin Ho, Clementine, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and Stone Fox.  The class is SO into voting so I can't wait to see how the voting breaks down now that the competition in getting tougher!  

Our first "Final 8" vote is between Alvin Ho and Clementine - I really don't know how the votes are going to break down!  They are both GREAT read alouds from this year and I can't even choose a favorite - stay tuned to find out how the voting comes together later this week!  Write VOTE on your planner for Wednesday to get bonus table points (we are so close to our rewards!).

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow we have our field trip to Carkeek Park to release our salmon - dress for the weather.  If you're able to go on the trip, PLEASE email me ASAP as we still need more chaperones.  There is no cost for chaperones so I hope you can make it!  Friday we also have another field trip to Meany Hall on UW campus to see the Soweto Gospel Choir which is sure to be an AMAZING performance!  

Donations Needed in P4

Spring is officially here (and talk about GORGEOUS weather we are having today!) and so our classroom wishlist has a few items on it I wanted to bring to your attention.

P4 would greatly love some new whiteboard markers - we use the markers daily and we are running really low.  They are a great way to conserve paper and get multiple practices done in a small space - they are life savers in math!  Costco has great deals on the dry erase markers in bulk if you're a member - we would love any and all donations of white board markers.

We also are gearing up for a couple of spring projects and need some empty egg cartons.  If you have extras lying around, we would love to take them off of your hands.

Thank you in advance for your support of our classroom.  Any materials brought in are worth bonus table points, so let's see what we can do together!

Paragraph Revisions

Writing is a HUGE focus for us now as we are gearing up for the MSP (which is only 4 short weeks away!) so today we revisited the process of revising!  Students have really been slacking on their writing and really creating no revisions of any meaning in their writing - what a shame!  So today I took an actual paragraph that was submitted in our last final draft and we are completely remodeling it!

We started with the paragraph a the top of the page - BORING!  Together we came up with a real character description of the looks AND actions this character could have.  Tomorrow students will turn in their revised paragraphs and I can't wait to see what they came up with!

March Reading Madness

March Madness has entered the classroom and we are voting our hearts out for our favorite books of the year!  The idea was inspired by this wonderful classroom post and I just HAD to get things started in our classroom!  The rules are simple, I created and laminated (for future use!) a bracket system like we see in the NCAA tournament.  Then, I assigned books to each of the bracket positions - a mixture of books we have read together this year and some of my favorites that are quick reads.  Then, we let the voting begin!  As you can see below, I have each child's picture laminated and that is their voting ticket - I give students a few days to vote for their favorites by placing their picture in the coordinating pockets and we see where the voting falls at the end of the voting period (I usually give students two days, but depending on the excitement for a particular book, we don't need that long!)

 Here are our "Sweet 16" books - Holes, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Frindle, Knuffle Bunny, The Junkyard Wonders, Strega Nona, Sarah, Plain and Tall, A Light in the Attic, Alvin Ho, Paul Bunyan, Clementine, Treasure Island (Graphic Novel), Owl Moon, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, Stone Fox, and The Talking Eggs.

Students are given two choices to vote between and we see where the voting falls!

Below, in baskets, are set of books that we haven't already read together - it gets kids reading and sometimes even reading books they normally wouldn't have chosen on their own which makes any teacher very happy!  

Write MM on your planner for MONDAY for bonus points!  I will be out tomorrow so show the sub what great students P4 has!  :)

Class Dojo - Our New Management System

Last week I was lucky enough to be able to go to the annual technology conference.  At the conference they talked about a digital app that teachers can use to monitor student behavior throughout the class.  Too often the kids who are demonstrating excellence in the classroom don't get the recognition that they deserve!  And too often teachers become white noise of redirections when students aren't listening!  Enter: ClassDojo.  ClassDojo is a mobile app that I have on my laptop and my mobile phone where I can track student behaviors all day - both the good and the bad.  The best part is that YOU (as parents) are able to track their classroom behaviors from home and get daily or weekly updates on your student.  Today students got their passwords to login for both students and parents.  Please check homework folders tonight to get the information.  Students can also login and change and customize their own avatars!  So far it's been working great for our classroom and really helps the students reflect on their actions in a more immediate way.  We check in on student points at the end of the periods and during quiet working times (reading and writing) we often project the points so students can see a live feed of points!   To learn more, or to login as a student or parent, visit the CLASSDOJO site!  Be on the lookout for an invitation via email to view student progress as well.

Write DOJO on your planner for Tuesday for bonus points for your table!

MSP Monday

The MSP is right around the corner already! Where has the year gone?

As you may know we have 4 days of testing as 4th graders and our first test (writing) will be April 29th. The second day of writing will be May 1st. The reading and writing tests will be computer based and will happen 2 weeks after the writing tests.

We are under way with test prep for writing and have started dabbling in test taking strategies to demystify the test as much as possible before the big days.  I know we will all do our best which is all I can ask for!

Reminder that the COMPLETED science fair project and poster board is due Wednesday for in class grading and actual science fair judging will be Thursday.

Sorry for the Delay!

Things have been absolutely CRAZY around here in P4 and blogging has, unfortunately, gotten the back burner!  Thank you to those of you who continue to check it and there are TONS of back-logged blog posts coming soon so thanks for being patient!

Write a STAR on your planner for bonus table points and keep an eye out for new posts soon!

Book Project Due in 2 Weeks

Just a quick reminder that students have their February book project due in exactly 2 weeks from today!  If you aren't sure what that project is, please click HERE for a full description with the project sheet.  Students will have paper tomorrow to bring home and will have the full week of break to work on it as well.  Please help to make sure that your student is working on reading their book throughout the rest of the week and break to get it done, as it's a big portion of their reading grade at this point.  Thank you!

Science-filled Monday!

Today was a day filled with science [and rain, but it's winter in Washington so that's no shocker!].

Today we continued our exploration of food chemistry by looking at how our food actually moves through our body - the digestive system!  We watched a quick video that talks about the parts of the digestive system and the job that each part has.  You can view it at home HERE.  We looked at what inputs go into our body as well as what comes out - and yes, there is more than just poop (though the kids found it much funnier to think poop was the only thing!).  On your planner for tonight, write the two types of energy that come out of our system for bonus points!

This afternoon we took at look at different nutrients we haven't studied yet.  So far today we looked at fat, protein, and carbohydrates (starch and glucose).  Today we broke into small groups and became "experts" on a vitamin or mineral that is important to our body.  Students made posters that explain how the nutrient is helpful to our bodies and what foods contain the vitamins or minerals.  Unfinished posters are coming home tonight to get finished and ready to present tomorrow - be on the lookout for those!

Tomorrow is also our first "walking" trip to the North Beach ravine.  PLEASE make sure that students are dressed for the weather - we are going rain or shine! - with rain boots, an extra pair of socks, and waterproof jackets.  Hats and gloves are encouraged as well!

Have a great evening and stay dry out there!

Quick Reminder: Class Pictures Tomorrow!

Just wanted to make sure everyone knows that class picture day is tomorrow so come looking your best!

We had SO many absences because of the Seahawks parade so I am hoping to see everyone back at school tomorrow to we have a full class photo!  :)

Write PHOTO on your planner for Thursday to get bonus points!

February Book Project: Newbery Award Winners!

This month we are focusing on Newbery Award winning books for our monthly book project!  It is a fantastic book selection - it did win an award for outstanding writing after all - but it is a category that is rarely ever explored by many students in our class!  What a tragedy!  Click the medal below for a list of all past and present Newbery Award winners.

The project worksheet is listed below and explains all of the requirements for the book project.  Students have 3 weeks to read the book and fulfill the requirements.  The project will be due the day we come back from mid-winter break so that students have time over break to finish their project.  They will be given time both inside and outside of class to finish the project, but students should expect to spend time at home finishing the project, especially if computer use is desired.

February Book Project

          Have you ever been to Barnes and Noble bookstores and looked at the book jackets with an illustrated scene or picture of a main character?  On the back there is also a summary of the book’s plot (with a few important details left out).  Well, for this project you are going to select a Newbery Award winning book, read it, and then design a front and back cover to advertise it.

          Your cover should be the actual size of the book.  It should have a fully colored picture of a scene from the book with the title and author clearly written across the top in really snazzy lettering.  Remember, the idea is to get others interested in the book! For this project you are an advertising specialist AND a graphic artist.

          The back of the book cover should have a full summary of the book’s contents to allow others to get an idea of what the book is about.  Hint: think of your work with the book trailers and how we left with a question to get people hooked!  The spine of the cover should have the title and the author’s name on it as well.

          The cover should be colorful, informative, and attractive in order to sell the book.

Hints:

·         Computer use is, of course, allowed but not required.  Different fonts might give you some ideas for lettering types to use in your design

·         Consider the tone, or feeling, of your book when deciding on a color.  A scary book might be colored with reds, blues and blacks.  A funny, light-hearted book might use yellows or light blues.  Really spend some time on your color scheme.

·         If it’s an adventure, you might want to select the most important or exciting scene in the book and illustrate that on your cover to attract attention.

Good luck and have fun!!  Your project is due February 24^th, 2014

Caught Ya!

WOW!  Today was our first "Caught Ya" ticket party of the year and our WHOLE class got the ice cream reward!  I was a VERY proud teacher to say the least that we all were caught going above and beyond for others - nice work P4!

What a busy Thursday it was for us, but we are all happy to have an extra day off with our day between semesters tomorrow - enjoy that extra time!

Enjoy the SuperBowl this Sunday and root for those Seahawks to bring one home for Seattle.  For bonus, bonus points, write down the score of Sunday's game on the Monday section of your planner.  See you next month (ha, ha!).

Concert Tonight! AND Writing

Tonight is the big night of our concert at Whitman Middle School!  Please be there by 6:45 pm looking your best so that we can be ready to go right away!  There will be a small art show at the beginning of the night and the 4th and 5th grade will do their performances.  They are SO excited and I hope to see everyone there!  :)

Today we watched a fantastic video by two amazing book authors, Dav Pilkey and Jeff Kinney.  These two authors sat down at Scholastic and made a story together right as we watched them!  See the video by clicking HERE.  The story sounds pretty crazy but what I love is that we have to finish the story on our own!  I hope that seeing this video inspires some kids to see how even the craziest ideas can turn into a wonderfully crazy story that we all will be excited to read!  I am hoping we can incorporate these group writing techniques into our classroom more as the year goes on to really see their 4th grade creativity shine!

See you all this evening!

Changes

Sorry for the long absence from the blog - there have been some changes in the works that have been stealing a lot of my time, leaving the blog left out in the cold!

Well today I can finally announce that Miss Nichols (our student teacher) will be leaving North Beach to explore and experience other schools in the area as part of her internship.  She has had a wonderful time with us all and will miss us dearly.  We wish her all the luck and success in the future!

Another quick reminder is that tomorrow (Tuesday) night, we have our winter concert at Whitman Middle School. Students need to arrive by 6:45 pm in the Whitman auditorium.  Students will be sitting with their families until after the art show, and then will be given further instructions. Since this is a performance piece, please do not wear jeans, hats, sweatpants, or sweatshirts.  Coats will be taken off before students come on stage.  Let's all join in and look our best!

Thanks for the patience with the blog absence - I'm hoping to get back on track this week!  Write a smiley face on your planner for bonus points.  :)

Guest Blogger

Han is our guest blogger for the week and he has a riddle for us!

Riddle, There is a man who goes into a house, there is three rooms.  One room is full of angry gorillas, another room is full of lions who haven't eaten in years, another room has a pack of man-eating crocodiles.  Which room is the best room to go into?
    Han :)

Write your answer in your planner for MONDAY to get bonus points.

Just a reminder that Monday is no school because of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Have wonderful weekends and cheer on our Seahawks this Sunday!

Guest Blogger and Quick Announcements!

Just wanted to give a couple of quick announcements and reminders before we get to our guest blogger for the week.

• Book Orders are coming home today and I will be submitting our order on Friday.  Please return them ASAP or order online for an easy way to have a bigger selection of books!  This month has some EXCELLENT choices to take a peek!
• Wednesday is a two-hour early release here at North Beach so students will be out at 1:35pm
• Thursday is our field trip to Garfield High School to see "The Neverending Story" performed by the Garfield Drama group.  It's sure to be a great performance so make sure your student is here on time so we can leave on time for the performance.  If you signed up to be a chaperone, I will be emailing you later this week to let you know about details.

Without further ado, here is our guest blogger, Ashton!

P.E.

By Ashton

                Lately in PE p4 has been doing some more fitness testing. In November we finished our last fitness test, the v sit and reach. One of the fitness tests is called the pacer where you run as fast as you can while still keeping a good pace and not getting warn out. Another one is called curl ups where you lie down and you try to lift your body up without your hands. One we did recently is called the push-up test where you do as much proper form push-ups as you can. We did the v-sit- and- reach test too where you push a metal piece as far as you can while keeping your legs straight. I’m glad everyone tried their personal best and did well. Nice job everyone!

Write PE on your planner to get bonus points!  See you all tomorrow!

It's Been a While!

Well we are back in the full swing of things here in P4!  It almost seems like we never even left!

This week we are focusing on using text-based evidence in our answers to show that we are using the information given in the text to come up with our answers.  As we get closer toward state testing (yes, it's already time to think about that MSP coming up!) it will be important that students are using that text evidence in order to score well on the test.

This week we are also reading a really interesting story called Finding the Titanic which chronicles a group of researchers who are trying to, yes you guessed it, find the Titanic!  It is told from multiple points of view - both from the researcher and also from the point of view of a passenger on the Titanic.  SO interesting!  Write TITANIC on your planner for Wednesday for bonus points for your table.