9-23-16

New Information and Reminders

4th Grade Water Safety is coming soon!  I'll be sending home a sheet with information next week in Wednesday folders, but wanted to let you know that our class will be attending the Water Safety sessions October 10 - 13.  We will leave East around 9:30am and return just in time for lunch at 11:30.

Students will need to bring a swimsuit, towel and plastic bag for wet things.  If you have any questions, please email me!  This is one of my favorite activities to attend with the 4th graders.  It's so amazing to see students who are nervous around water grow so much in their confidence!  The teachers are outstanding, patient and encouraging :)

Conferences:

October 17 and October 20 are the dates for conferences.  They will only take place in the evenings this year, so our conference times will be 10 minutes rather than 15.  Sheets for conference sign ups will be coming home soon.  Looking forward to meeting with you and sharing your child's progress this year! 

Reminder:

School pictures are happening next week Friday!  Don't forget to send in your order forms :)

Thanks!

1st Week of 4th Grade

Hello Students and Families,

The heat has been suffocating, but the students have been rocking it anyway! These past few days have been filled with partner activities, team challenges, practicing the classroom rules and procedures, getting excited about books, and making friends! My students are amazing human beings and I am very much looking forward to spending the school year learning and growing with these kiddos.

Just wanted to post some information regarding our daily schedule, including specials, to keep you informed about our everyday happenings!

Schedule:

8:15-8:30 - Morning Meeting. During this time, we share Good Things, tell jokes, talk about hopes, fears, and things we are grateful for. This is also the time where I share information about upcoming events with students and let them ask me all the questions they may have about school. We are also learning sign language during this time! Ask your child to teach you some signs :)
8:30 - 9:30 - Math Workshop
9:30-9:55 - Writing Mini-Lesson
9:55- 10:55 - Specials*
10:55 - 11:28: Continue Writer's Workshop
11:28 - 12:15 - Recess/Lunch
12:15 - 1:40 - Reader's Workshop and Word Study
1:40 - 1:55 - Recess
1:55 - 2:15 - Planner and Read Aloud
2:15 - 3:00 - Science/Social Studies
3:05-3:15 - Jobs and pack up backpacks.

*Special Schedule:
Monday: PE and Music
Tuesday: Library and PE
Wednesday: Music and Library
Thursday: Art
Friday: Choristers - PE and ART for those who are not in choristers.

Ways to help your child be successful:
*Help your child get used to the routine of showing his/her planner to you nightly :)
*Encourage your child to read nightly and talk about the books they are reading with them.
*If you have one, send in a water bottle during this hot and steamy start to the year

Reading Logs will be coming home on Friday. Students should begin studying multiplication facts nightly for 10 minutes. If you would like for me to send home more homework, please e-mail me and let me know :)

Thanks for sharing your child with me!!

Nichole Martin-Kragt

End of the Year Information

May 9 - May 27, M-Step Testing: We will be testing on Thursdays for these 3 weeks.  We have been practicing the testing format and have been preparing for the M-Step all year.  

May 20, 4th Grade Track and Field Day: The 4th graders will be participating in a Track and Field day during the afternoon on May 20.  Mr. Wallin has put together many different activities for the kids to do and prizes to go with them.  If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Wallin. 

May 27, East Oakview Field Day: Our annual Field Day will be on Friday, May 27 here at school!  More information from the PTC will be coming next month in Wednesday Folders.  

May 31, Highlands Visit: We will going over to Highlands during the morning to see what it is all about and visit classrooms!  A letter will be coming with more information on parent night and open houses soon!! 

June 7, Northville Park Day: The 4th graders will be spending the day at Northville Park on Tuesday, June 7.  We will walk over to the park around 10:30am to enjoy swimming, games, lunch, entertainment, and much more!  We will return to school around 3:00pm.  Please let me know if you are available to help out on this day and/or donate any picnic food items.

June 8, 4th Grade Graduation: It is that time of year for our 4th graders to celebrate their lives in elementary school before moving onto to Highlands.  We will arrive at the PAC around 9:00am for the ceremony and return to school around 11:00am for cake and punch.  More information to come on graduation soon!  **Students are still required to attend school until June 10** :) 

June 10, Last Day of School: This is the last day of 4th grade!  It is a half day of school, with dismissal at 11:25am (please note that June 8, June 9, and June 10 are ALL half days).  

10-23-15

Hello Parents,

It's been another fantastic week in room 206! 

In Language Arts, we are studying Characters in our Read to Self book as well as in our read aloud book titled, "The Tiger Rising".  Students also just finished their final drafts of their Personal Narratives.  I will have these graded before conferences, so you'll be able to see it!  The ones I've read so far are quite entertaining and show a lot of growth from their first writing pieces from September.

In Math, we are working on Addition/Subtraction, and hope to take the assessment next week Thursday before report cards.  I will send a test review sheet home on Monday which will have problems similar to the problems that will be on the assessment.  We are also working hard to memorize our Multiplication facts. You can  help your child work on their skills by encouraging them to study at home.  Flash cards work very well, but students can also play math games on the computer to improve their skills.

In Social Studies, we are learning about Absolute and Relative Location.  We've learned about the Equator, Prime Meridian, and the hemispheres.  Ask your son or daughter about these terms!  They should hopefully be able to explain them to you :)

Conferences are coming up quickly.  If you haven't already, please turn in the blue conference schedule sheet so that I can schedule your conference.  Time slots are filling up :)

Lastly, our Halloween party will be happening next Friday. It's a half day for East Oakview, so students will be dismissed at 11:25.  The parade will begin at 10:15, and the actual party will begin around 10:30.  Please feel free to join us that day if you'd like!  Students should bring their costume in a bag instead of wearing them to school.  We will change into our costumes around 10:00.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me!

Fall Party and Walk-a-thon

On October 30, we will have our Fall Celebration here at East Oakview.  Because it is a half day for students, the party will begin at 10:15.  At this time, I am looking for 2 more parents who would be willing to come in and help with an activity.  If you are interested and available to help, please e-mail me soon so that I can send your email address to the parent who is in charge of this party! :)  (Thanks Angela!)

Next week, we have two exciting events for students.  Thursday, October 15, we will be heading over to the high school to watch the Crossroads Middle School actors perform Alice in Wonderland.  On Friday, October 16, we will be heading over to the high school track for our Walk-A-Thon. This takes place from 9 - 1:30.  Feel free to join us on the 16th!

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you are willing to help out on the 30th.

Thank you!!

Nichole

New Website!

Hello 4th Grade Families!

In addition to monthly newsletters, I will be periodically posting classroom information to this blog.

First order of business:  Specials


Monday:  Music and PE
Tuesday:  Library and PE
Wednesday:  Music and Library
Thursday:  Art
Friday:  On Fridays, all students who are in Choristers will attend Choristers.  The other students will be split between Art and PE for the first 9 weeks.  If your child is doing Art for these first weeks, he/she will switch to PE for the second 9 weeks and vice versa.  Please ask your child which Special he/she is attending on Fridays.

Second order of business:  Homework

We will start homework this week!  I will send home a reading log, spelling list and math sheet on Monday, September 21.  This is due back to me no later than Friday of the same week.  Students who finish their math earlier may turn it in before Friday.

Snacks

We have snack time at 9:30 every morning.  Please help your child choose a healthy snack to bring during this time.