Sparks' Notes
12-08-15
Holiday Party - Please sign up for an item to bring on Class Messenger (texting service).
What We Are Learning This Week
Great Expectation Life Principle: Giving
Math: Measurement
Science: Soil, Weathering, & Erosion
Social Studies: Colonization of Texas
Writing: Research Essays
Reading: Poetry
Language: Parts of Speech, Prepositional Phrases, Opening Clauses
Don't forget your books for library on Tuesday.
Academic Fair
The Chavez Elementary Academic Fair showcases what we’ve learned and will take place on Tuesday, January 26th, at 6:00 p.m.
In class,, students will be researching and writing an essay about a Texas-related topic. They will prepare an a second portion at home that will be orally presented in class January 25th.
The students in our class will have a choice of the following projects:
Dress in character - Student will present a historical figure from Texas history.
Model - Student will create and present a model of their topic (for example, Battle of San Jacinto, Spindletop, a dogtrot cabin, etc.)
The costumes and models based on this research will be completed at home.
Due Dates: These due dates are all part of the final grade
12/15 - Topic (completed at school) and project choice due
1/07 - A plan or sketch of the project; include a list of materials or supplies (submitted through Edmodo)
1/19 - A summary or photographic evidence of the project in progress (submitted through Edmodo)
1/25 - The completed project is due at school
Congratulations to Nick, who we selected as our classroom Student of the Week, for showing the life principle of courage!
Morning Tutorials Are Open - 7:10-7:40 am
In our class, students who attend will receive a healthy snack when they bring their attendance ticket to me.
Important!!! Be Sure to Join Us On:
Edmodo - Our Communication System & Protected Learning System
Go to www.edmodo.com.
Have your student sign in. (Username and password are inside front agenda cover.)
Scroll down the left side of the page until you see Parent Code. Write this code down.
Logout (upper right corner, click on “Me” and select Logout).
Go to www.edmodo.com and select “I’m a Parent” (under blue box that reads “I’m a Teacher”).
Enter your student’s code and set up your account.
Make sure to go Account (upper right corner, click on “Me”) and select "Settings". You can select to have email or text alerts for specific items.
On our Edmodo site, you can see:
Daily agenda (planner/calendar)
Homework links (Folder->Classroom Information)
Student progress
Assignments
Subject area links
Classroom pictures
Chromebook Care
- Determine a fixed spot to plug in your Chromebook EVERY night so that it is charged and ready to go the next day. We have found that this step is crucial to keeping your Chromebook working properly. Keep your charger in your laptop bag when not charging.
- Please be sure to keep case free and clean. Stickers and moisture can damage devices.
- Make sure you bring your Chromebook every day in the computer bag/sleeve. This is an essential school supply, not an extra.
- Monitor your child's computer usage in a common area.
- If students are not taking care of their computer responsibly, computers will stay at school. If you would prefer that it stays at school, please just let me know.
1. Read a minimum of 20 minutes nightly and complete reading log.
2. Play math games for 20 minutes nightly and complete log using thinking stems (inside cover).
3. Practice vocabulary words. Test on Friday.
Please check your child's math and reading log nightly to ensure it has been completed.
You've Won the Homework Lottery!
Cristian, Michelle, Clay, Lucas, Addison, Isabelle, Nicholas, Emily, Amina, Doris, Ashlyn, & Mikaela
If your child is not showing you the completed reading and math log night, ask to see it. If it is forgotten at school, feel free to bring him/her back to get it. I am here until 5 on most days. I've also included links to the homework above. Thank you so much for doing your part as a parent to help your child develop successful, lifelong habits!
This Week's Vocabulary Words
Each child will be tested on Friday. Students are expected to be able to use these words in sentences. These are words we use day-to-day, so a functional use is critical to learning and understanding.
- slow change - when something become different over a long period of time
- weathering - breakdown of rocks by atmospheric conditions
- erosion - process of wearing away Earth's surface
- deposition - process of adding material to land
- wind - natural movement of air
- complete sentence - a complete thought with a subject and predicate
- combine - to bring two sentences together that make sense without repeating ideas
- prediction - a statement made about the future
- prefix - a syllable in front of a root word
- suffix - letters put at end of word to change meaning
- fact - something that is true
- opinion - a belief or judgement held without proof
- effects - results brought about by a cause or agent
- summary - brief account of the main points of something
- narrative poetry - a type of poetry that tells a story
- free verse - a type of poetry without a rhyme scheme and reminds one of talking
- lyrical poetry - type of poetry with a rhyme scheme and musical rhythm
- Tejanos - Texas settlers who came from Mexico
- Texicans - Texas settlers who came from the United States
- giving - generous, freely sharing
You can practice these words on Edmodo using the Vocabulary Spelling City app.
(Click on the 2x2 array of on the far right. When the apps window opens, select Vocabulary Spelling City, and go to Vocabulary Week 7 in the yellow section. There are lots of games to help you learn your words!)
Parent Homework
Please do the following with your child:
Check and sign agenda nightly.
Check that reading homework and log are completed nightly.
Check that math homework and log are completed nightly.
Look through Tuesday folder and sign and return the next day (keep the work).
Dates to Remember
Tuesday, December 8th
Book Orders Due (Class code: GRH8G)
Thursday, Dec. 10th
Taco Talk at 6:30 am
Tuesday, Dec. 15th
Chavez PTA Family Reading Night
Weeks of December 21st - January 4th
Christmas Holiday
Tuesday, Jan. 5th
Students resume school
Friday, Jan. 8th
Awards Assembly (Fourth Grades at 8:00 in the gym)
Monday, Jan. 18th
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - No School
WANTED: Used Dryer Sheets
WANTED: Playing Cards
WANTED: Old Scrabble Tiles
Michelle Sparks
Lunch: 11:20-11:50
Recess: 11:50-12:20
Email: msparks@littleelmisd.net
Website: www.edmodo.com/mbsparks
Location: 2600 Hart Rd, Little Elm, TX, United States
Phone: (972) 947-9452 41502
Twitter: @mrssparks502