Gray's Kiddos
The Happenings of Room 18.
Friday, January 13th
Welcome Back!
Thank you so much for completely spoiling me as well. The gifts you gave were very thoughtful!
Melanie
Calendar
Please check the calendar on the website too!
JANUARY
1.16 - NO SCHOOL
1.17 - Mrs. Gray out of building at district training
1.18 - Unit 5 math review comes home
1.19 - Skating Party at Skatin Station
1.19 - NWEA Test - Reading
1.20 - Unit 5 Math Test
1.20 - Form for Music performance DVD Due To Mrs. Mueller
1.25 - Northeast States & Capitals Test
1.25 - Spirit Wear Orders due
1.26 - Half Day
1.27 - Half Day
1.27 - Book Order due
FEBRUARY
2.20 - 2.21 - No School Mid Winter Break
MARCH
3.15 - Half Day
3.16 - Half Day
APRIL
4.3 - 4.7 - Spring Break
4.14 - No School - Good Friday
MAY
5.29 - No School
JUNE
6.15 - Half Day
6.16 - Last Day - Half Day
Odds and Ends
Just a few reminders-
4th graders have been needing some extra reminders about behavior and expectations. We have had a lot of conversations about what a respectful, responsible 4th grader looks like and even sounds like. This group is an incredibly chatty group and we are working on learning how to work without talking!
NWEA Testing - On Thursday of next week (1/19) kids will be taking the NWEA reading assesment. We will do math the following week (not sure of the date yet - I will let you know).
MISTAR - starting next week kids will have access to check their math grades on mistar. Students will be bringing home their log in information on Wednesday as well as a card that has their current math grade and any missing math work. It is their job to ask you to sign the card and return it to school. Missing work will be do by Friday. if they do not have the missing math work in they will loose recess on Friday to take care of it. I will take care of following up with any missing work in other subject areas.
If you do not already have a log in for the parent portal please go here and follow the links. http://www.pccsk12.com/parents/mistar-parentportal
REMIND - If you have not signed up for our remind account please do so. Remind is a great way to get text messages from me about what is going on in our room. I will be using it more and as of right now I only have 15 people signed up.
Here is the link to join our remind - https://www.remind.com/join/d7832k
I will also be sending home a paper copy of how to sign up with all students this week.
Volunteers - Here is the sign up. There are signups for working with kids on math facts/games, reading to our class, and correcting math facts folders. Sign up here --> www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0E48A5AE2DA57-gray
Headphones- If your kiddo doesn't have headphones, please send in a pair as soon as possible. We use the chrome books daily and often need the headphones!
Tech Notes:
Want to know how to sign into your kiddos google account. Check out this video from our tech team!
Have a great week!
Melanie
Technology Reminders
With the start of the new year it is always good to review our Technology expecations. The kids and I have talked about these this week. But please take some time this weekend to talk about technology with your kiddo this week.
1. Children are only allowed to touch the chromebook that is assigned to them.
2. They should never give out their password to anyone but mom/dad.
3. Only search teacher directed websites and/or research topics.
4. Be on the website or app the teacher has directed and stay focused on that task.
4. Use two hands when carrying their computer from cart to desk and back. Chromebooks are kept in cart after school hours.
5. When in doubt, have a problem or anything questionable, ask/tell Mrs. Gray, or any other adult/teacher they are working with immediately.
6. All google accounts and chromebooks are district owned...checking history can occur through the district server.
7. Kids should log out of their google account at the end of each day.
8. No eating and/or drinking around chromebooks.
9. Students are not allowed to delete history.
I also suggest you checking your child's HISTORY in their google account settings. You can check their history by logging into their google account and then typing Control-H. This will bring up everything they have done on the computer (websites visited to even words that were searched.) I will be doing random checks at school as well.
Children need these reminders because they are young still and the internet can be a dangerous place. We want to practice responsible digital citizenship.
If students are not following the above guidelines they will be asked to put their chromebook away for the rest of the day.
Thanks much!
Curriculum Update
Reading -
We are digging in to text/graphic features of informational texts. This week's story is all about Hurricanes and extreme weather. We have discussed headings, charts, diagrams, captions, pictures and how they can help us to better understand the text.
Writing-
We just are wrapping up our top 10 list about our Winter Vacation. Even with reminders about checking for period and capitals kids are not writing with them. Please if you see your kiddo writing with out capitals and punctuation make them fix it! They are loosing points not because they can't do it but because they are not double checking their work carefully.
We have started practicing cursive handwriting as well. They are doing great, but need reminders to slow down and form the letters carefully.
Math -
We are in the midst of Unit 5. This unit had kids working on learning how to multiply using one of three algorithms (traditional, lattice, and partial quotients). They need to have an understanding on how each of these algorithms work. From here on out they an choose any method to solve a multiplication problem. Review will be coming home next Wednesday with the test on Friday.
Science -
Our current science unit is plants. We have looked at a lima been when it was dry and wehen it was soaked overnight in water. Ask your kiddo if there were any differences! HInt - there should be!!
Social Studies -
We have started our studies of US Regions. We are starting with the 11 states in the northeast. I am expecting students to know the states and capitols for each region we study. They have made flash cards already and I have sent home some blank maps that they can use as resources to help them study. These resources can be found in google classroom (students can access from home or school)
In 4th grade kids are learning how to be learners! They will need some help in learning how to study. I have given them some pointers.
- Spend 5 minutes every night using the flashcards.
- Start with 4 flashcards, when you feel you have those down then add a couple more.
- create hints to help you remember the combinations (Maryland - starts with a lady's name - so does its capital Annapolis or Dover, Delaware both starts with D's). Those are just a few.
This week they will be getting a practice test so they can see the format of the test. But they will need to label the states on a map and then write down the capitol that goes with each state. Spelling does count! They can only have capitals at the beginning of the names as well.
Possible time line for studying:
week 1 - know your states and capitals
end of week 1 start of week 2 - be able to label the states on a map.
end of week 2 - start of week 3 - spelling! Practice spelling their names.
week 3 - test!
PTO INFORMATION
PTO WEBSITE - http://workmanpto.weebly.com
PTO also has a facebook page! Check it out! You have to be approved to be a part of the group since it is only for Workman families.
Gray's Kiddos
Email: melanie.gray@pccsk12.com
Website: www.grayskiddos.com
Location: 250 N Denton Rd, Canton, MI, United States
Phone: 734-582-6700
Twitter: @grayskiddos