Class Newsletter

9-24-10

Families,


• Union School Open House is September 30 from 6:30-7:30 pm and is only for parents and guardians this year. There will be time to talk to Mr. Bradley and the Interactive Arts teachers, and time to meet with me in the classroom. Hope to see you there!

• Our class hike is tentatively scheduled for October 8 at Mt Elmore. This is an all day community-building adventure! Be on the lookout for more information, and let me know if you’d like to chaperone on this awesome day.

• We have finished lesson 2 in Spelling and will work on lesson 3 this week. We have a test each Friday. We had our first Vocabulary test this week on lesson 1.

• The Tunbridge Fair was terrific – many thanks to the volunteers who joined us!

• FIT (focused instruction time) Reading began Monday. Each student is with a small group reading and doing fluency and comprehension activities.

• Our Unit 1 Math test was yesterday – it will be corrected and passed back to students on Monday. I keep the assessments in students’ files until conference time so I can look for trends – please ask me if you’d like to see the tests before then. Students will know their scores by Monday and can share them with you.

• We will begin a mapping/geography unit for Social Studies next week.

• Check out our class blog when you get a chance – soon it will include student work. http://mrspiercesfabulousfourthgradeclass.blogspot.com. Students will also get their own school email addresses soon – to be able to communicate with other classes and to practice online etiquette with Mr. Jarrad.

• NECAP standardized tests will occur the week of October 11-15.

• Upcoming field trips and events –

October 1 – 4 Winds
October 5 – school pictures
October 8 – Tentative Class Hike
October 11-15 NECAPs
October 29 – 4 Winds
November 2 – State House tour
November 9 – Supreme Court tour
November 16 – Vermont History Museum
November 19 – 4 Winds
November 22/23 – parent/teacher/student conferences
November 24 to 28 – Thanksgiving break



• Students have been working hard in Writing Workshop. Autobiographies are due Monday, September 27. Kids may need to work at home over the weekend to complete final drafts.

• The UES Welcoming Committee is holding a “Quiet Start” in the mornings from 8-8:20. Kids may go to the library if they wish to read, draw or play quiet games instead of being on the playground.

• I have emailed this newsletter to everybody who requested electronic copies. PLEASE get me an email address if I don’t have yours already. I’d like to completely do away with paper copies starting next week, if possible.

• Thanks so much for all of the wish list items – we are all set with yoga balls, but could still use hand soaps, disinfectant wipes and cough drops (with flu season coming…), and any extra craft supplies you may have lying around. Gum is also very useful for math class!


As always, contact me with any questions or concerns.

Melissa
225-8243
melissap@mpsvt.org