Pages

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Europe Project Presentations

Hello Families! 

We are only two weeks away from the Europe presentations! I hope you and your child have been enjoying the time working on this project and learning about a new culture. I want to go over everything one more to hopefully make sure you are able to help your child prepare everything as the day draws near.  

Due November 12 for all students: Three paragraph essay on the country, one paragraph reflection essay, & research packet. 
  • Three paragraph essay on the country- This essay should be typed. I'm not going to be super picky on things like organization and grammar, though spelling and conventions are important. The main thing I want to see is that the child learned important information about the country. 
  • One paragraph reflection essay- This essay is very subjective. In it, the student should talk about what he or she did not like about the project. He/she should also include things he/she would have done differently or the same. The goal is for the child to reflect on the project experience itself to learn fro successes and struggles. 
  • Research Packet- The student should be using this packet to collect the information he or she is gaining. Not every line needs to be completed. I'm looking for around 4+ facts for each section. However, more is always better, as it shows the student is learning more. 
Due November 12 or 13, depending on presentation date: Poster, Visual Aid, & Presentation
  • Poster- Each student should be creating a poster with pictures and information to support their speech. The board should be tri-fold. Images should be displayed neatly and all writing should be neat- typed is preferred. The nation's flag should also be presented, whether incorporated into the poster or separate. Do not allow your child to glue their essay to the poster. 
  • Visual Aid- Clothing, Food, or Architecture- Along with the poster, students should have an additional visual aid to help students better experience their country Students may dress as individuals traditionally dressed in that nation, cook a portion of food that is culturally connected to that nation, or build a model of a piece of architecture or land form, such as an important mountain or coastal area. Please remember, if you are bringing food to include a complete list of ingredients. We have students with allergies and we want to keep everyone safe.
  • Presentation- Students are expected to give a 3-5 minute presentation on thier counry. The two main things I'm looking for are eye contact with the audience and volume level. Students may not read their reports or be turned around reading their posters during the whole presentation. Students may use index cards or notes to support them, but they should not be something the student just plans to read. I highly recommend that the student practice their speech many times prior to presenting in class both alone and with being watched. When it comes time to present, most of the speech aspect of the presentation should be memorized. 
Presentation Schedule
Presentations will be given on Tuesday, November 12 and Wednesday, November 13. Presentations will go by 30 minute block, with 3 students per block. Parents are welcome to come to class during presentations. Please plan on arriving before the start time and staying through the end time. Out of respect for students presenting, please do not enter or exit the classroom during a presentation. 
You can access the presentation schedule here: Presentation Schedule

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Scholastic Book Fair

Scholastic Book Fair





The Scholastic Book Fair will be held on October 30th - November 1st in the Arete Library with a preview day for students on October 29th. This is a great opportunity to stock up on some reading selections before the holidays and to celebrate Read-a-thon! Visit our school's Scholastic homepage for hours of operation and other important details regarding our fair. Sign-Up to Volunteer here ! Please reach out to Shannon Dawson with any questions.  We hope to see you there!  

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Week 3

Hello families! 

Thank you all for coming to meet with us this week! I love parent conferences, and getting to chat with each of you about your amazing kids is such a gift. THANK YOU for sharing your kiddos with us. 

What's happening in 4A:
  • There will be NO SCHOOL Monday, October 28. There will also be a half-day on Friday, November 1 for teacher professional development. 
  • The Read-A-Thon is this Thursday! Students may wear their approved costume to school this day. We will be having an assembly and reading with our first grade buddy class in the morning. In the afternoon we will be celebrating by building forts to read in and having some yummy snacks. You can sign up to help here. Students will be allowed to bring in one pillow, blanket, OR stuffed animal. 
  • We will celebrate all of our October birthday's on Birthday Friday- November 1. It is a half-day, so we will celebrate just before pack up. If you have a child with an October birthday and would like to send in treats for the class, please send them in with your child that Friday. 
Lessons

Roots: We will have a roots check over the roots learned last week.  We will also be learning three new roots: corpus corporis, unus, & duo.

Literature: We will be continuing Robin Hood. Students should be writing 3-5 sentence summaries at the end of each chapter. 

Math: We will start the week with a test on Tuesday over adding and subtracting fractions. Students will continue working with fractions as we move into mixed numbers. 

Spalding: Monday, students will learn 1o words: physical, praise, properly, searched, smooth, thirteen, throat, touch, towel, & umbrella. 

Science:  Students will be learning about how about habitat populations and what factors limit population growth. 

History: Students will learn about Eleanor of Aquitaine and begin work on the study guide for an upcoming test. 

Important Dates
Monday: NO SCHOOL
Tuesday: Math Test

Friday: Spalding Test  

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Move Night Date Change

Congratulations to the Prep football team for making the playoffs! Due to AIA regulations and the scheduled playoff game this Friday, Movie Night is moved to Friday, November 22nd. Details can be found in the school newsletter. 

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Week 2- Conference Week

Hello families! 

We've had a great first week back to school! The second quarter has started off really strong, and I can already see ways the students have grown and matured from the last quarter. 

What's happening in 4A:

  • Parents, thank you for partnering with us in your child's learning.  We believe that homework, while important, needs to be carefully balanced with a child's full family and extra-curricular life.  With that in mind, please reflect on your child's experience with homework in the first quarter by responding to a short survey. 
  • Conference week is finally here! I am looking forward to meeting each family and talking about your kiddos this week. Conference times are up to 25 minutes long. If you haven't already, you can still sign up for a time to meet here
  • We will have half-days of school all week. Dismissal times are as follows: K-2 11:45, 3-5 12:05, study hall/prep siblings 12:25. There will be no lunch, tutoring, or clubs this week. 
  • Our schedule will look a little different for the half-days. There will be no spalding or grammar. Here's how our days will go:
    • 7:55-8:05 Morning Routine
    • 8:05-8:35 Lyceum
    • 8:35-8:45 Roots/Poem
    • 8:45-9:25 Special
    • 9:25-10:05 Literature
    • 10:05-10:20 Recess
    • 10:20-10:30 Snack
    • 10:30-11:30 Math
    • 11:30-12:00 History/Science
Lessons: 

Roots: We will have a roots check on the three roots learned last week. We will learn three new roots: pes pedis, bracchium, & dens dentis. I have added a new page for Roots Quarter 2 where I will list the roots learned this quarter, numbers 26-50. 

Literature: We will continue reading Robin Hood. Students will be responsible for writing a 3-5 sentence chapter summary. Please have students bring in their own copy of Robin Hood if they have not already. 

Math: We will continue working with equivalent fractions and comparing fractions. There will be a Test over this material on Tuesday. Then we will move into adding and subtracting fractions. 

Science: We will be moving out of plant life, and in to animal life! We will be talking about animal habitats and population density. There will be a cumulative quiz over this unit on Thursday. Students will receive a study guide to fill in Monday, and should use that to study throughout the week. 

History: Students will learn about Henry II and Thomas Beckett this week. There will be a quiz on Friday. 

Important Dates: 
Tuesday: Math Test
Thursday: Science Quiz
Friday: History Quiz

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Quarter 2!

Hello families!

I hope that you have enjoyed the time off! I can't wait to get back and hear from the kids about how they spent their break. I spent the break packing up our house and spending time with my family. We didn't go anywhere or do anything big, but I savored the chance to slow down and relax a little. Now that everyone is refreshed from the break we are ready to dive into quarter two!

What's happening in 4A:

  • Parent conferences are coming up, October 21-23. If you haven't done so, sign up for a conference time here. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss your child's progress! 
  • Please note that the week of conferences will be half-days of school. Dismissal will be at 12:05. There will be no lunch, clubs, or tutoring this week. Since there will be no lunch, please send your child to school with a bigger snack to tide them over until they have lunch. 
  • There is a great deal going on this quarter! Here are some important dates over the next couple months to note:
    • October 28: No School (Academic Break)
    • October 29-November 1: Scholastic Book Fair
    • October 31: Read-A-Thon
    • November 1: Half day of school for teacher professional development
    • November 5: Picture Retakes
    • November 11: No School (Veteran's Day)
    • November 12: Europe Project presentations
    • November 20: Winter Concert
    • November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break
Lessons:

Spalding: We will learn 10 words on Monday: grammar, Indian, journey, journal, courage, laid, paid, said, package, & pack. Students will continue setting up their Spalding notebooks with pages 7 and 8 this week. 

Roots: Students will learn the next three Latin roots this week: digitus, caput capitis, & manus.

Math: We will begin this quarter with a cumulative review of everything we have covered so far. We will review in class Monday and have the cumulative review test on Tuesday. On Wednesday we will begin fractions. This week we will cover equivalent fractions and comparing fractions. 

Poetry: Students will begin memorizing their next poem "Clouds" by Christine Georgina Rossetti. 

Science: We will continue in our life science unit learning about plants. This week we learn the parts of a flower, the life cycle of a flower, and about seed dispersal and why it is important. We will also be dissecting a flower to identify the various parts. There will be a quiz on Thursday.

History: This week we will be discussing what city life and the lives of women were like in Medieval times. We will also learn about William the Conqueror and Henry II.  

Literature:  We will begin our next book Robin Hood. Please have students bring in their copy of Robin Hood this week. 

Important Dates: 
Tuesday: Math Test 
Thursday- Science Quiz
Friday- Spalding Test 

Friday, October 4, 2019

Parent Conference Sign Ups

Hello families!

The sign-up for 4A parent conferences is now live! I look forward to meeting with you all in week 2 of quarter 2 (October 21-23). To sign up for your slot, click here.

Please note that this week is all half days of school. There will be no lunch, clubs, or tutoring during conference week.

You are also able to sign up for conferences with specialist here if you wish. This is optional, but available to you if there is a particular question or concern for the specialists.


Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Read-A-Thon

Hello Families!

Students will be bringing home the costume proposal forms so that students can let me know what they will be wearing on October 31 to celebrate the Read-A-Thon.

The form reads:

"Our sixth annual Read-A-Thon will take place on Thursday, October 31st. Students have the option to come to school dressed as their favorite classical literary character, scientist, or historical figure. Costumes need not come directly from the grade level curriculum, though they must be classically aligned. We kindly ask that you send in costume ideas to your classroom teacher for approval by Friday, October 25th. Be sure that costumes allow students to engage in regular school day activities such as recess, lunch, and P.E., as well as curricular instruction. (No violent symbols or weapons of any kind will be permitted on campus.)

Dressing up is optional, and students may wear their uniforms should they not desire to dress up.

As a school committed to the western classical tradition, we want the Read-A-Thon to be a celebration of that historical tradition. Thus, all costumes must be based on characters from classical great books, or important scientists and historical figures who have made significant contributions. Historical figures may also include religious figures such as Grecko-Roman and Norse gods and other important religious figures. However, out of respect for religious students, please do not have your child dress up as Jesus, Mohammad, or other prominent religious figures that some students may find insulting.
Pop-culture costumes are not allowed. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Quarter 4, At-Home Learning Week 6

Hello Families!  I hope this week of online learning has gone well for you and your child! I feel like in our house, we are finally sta...