Jen Duggan, 4th Grade Teacher
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Week of October 3rd...
Dear Families,
I know it is Friday, but I am out of the building Monday so I thought I'd send this early. We have a BIG week next week. Also, thank you so much for all the kind words, thoughts and prayers for my family this week. Jim's surgery went well. He is slowly feeling more like himself and we have quickly learned that it is not a good idea to push yourself at this point. He will be home healing for the month of October. I am a terrible nurse so send happy thoughts to Jim who has to put up with me! LOL!
· Monday Sub: I will be out of the building all day Monday. I will spend the morning with Michael at the Pumpkin Patch and the afternoon taking care of Jim because his parents are leaving then!
· Tuesday: Tuesday is our trip to PSMS. We will be seeing their Fall Play: The Odyssey. Such fun! The bus will leave around 9 and we will return at 10:30.
· Movie Party: We have set goals in our classroom each week to work on to become better humans and students. Once they have achieved 3 goals we celebrate. They earned a Movie Party by: being active listeners, putting their names on their papers and waiting their turn to talk. We will watch our movie after we get back from PSMS on Tuesday. Students can bring snacks to enjoy as well as a blanket!
· Wildwood: We will go to Wildwood on Wednesday. Remember…students need to be here at 8:00am! They can't be late because our bus is leaving! Students should be prepared to hike through the woods all day. They also need to bring a sack lunch. If you are interested in going to help we could still use you. Let me know!
· All School Read Along : This is starting this week at SPE! Get excited!
o The purpose it to encourage families to enjoy literature together. Research states, " The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children." And "It is a practice that should continue throughout the grades ." Jim Trelease
o We are asking for families to spend time together reading. This is a time for your family to gather on the couch and share reading. Jim Trelease says that by reading aloud we do 5 things for our kids:
§ Build vocabulary
§ Condition the child's brain to associate reading with pleasure
§ Create background knowledge
§ Provide a reading role model
§ Plant the desire to read
o Your child will bring home a baggie that has a book in it. This is the book to share with your family. Included with the baggie book will be a sheet with directions about an activity for your family to share. After you have finished reading, discussing the story and doing the activity return it all in the baggie back to school. We are asking you to complete this activity in one or two days and return it to school. This way we can share with everyone.
- Battle of the Books: Battle of the Books is a very fun reading competition. We are starting on Monday! WHAOO! Students are expected to read 30-45 minutes a day between school and home. They are required to journal in a "Directors Notebook!" Students should complete a book at least every 2 weeks. It is intense! They must be reading!!!
- Twitter: If you have a Twitter account please follow us at @MrsDugganSPE. I post almost daily the fun things we are up to in the classroom!
- Grade Updates: I know a lot of you have been on Parent Vue checking grades. That is great way to keep up with what we have been working on. Please know that grades are updated each week by Tuesday at 10am. If you check on Monday they won't be updated and there might be missing assignments that aren't really missing. Same thing for a Friday. If you ever have questions about grades please let me know.
- Specials Schedule: (Monday is a Day 1)
o Day 1: PE/Music
o Day 2: Computer
o Day 3: Art
o Day 4: Spanish/Music
o Day 5: PE/Spanish
Important Dates: (New dates bolded)
October 3rd: Start of Battle of the Books
October 3rd: Mrs. Duggan Absent
October 4th: Field Trip to PSMS to see Odyssey
October 5th: Wildwood Field Trip
October 12th: Picture Day
October 14th: No School: End of 1st Quarter
October 25th: Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 26th: Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 27th: No School/Conferences
October 28th: No School
Math: Topic 3-Multiplication
Reading: Narrative Text/Battle of the Books!
Writing: Intro to Memoir
Word Work: -able/-ible and synonym/antonym
Social Studies: none
Science: Energy in a Food Chain
Intervention: Reading Groups/problem solving