August 28

Quick Curriculum Notes

Evaluate How Authors Create Meaning and Create Meaning Strategically in Reading & Writing

• This week, we are focusing on the reading strategy of visualizing. Good readers are able to picture in their heads what is happening in the story. As your child reads at home this week, ask your child to tell you what he/she visualized while reading. 

• In writing, we are learning how to write complex and compound sentences with correct punctuation. Students will also learn a new plan that will help them to write better paragraphs. 

Create a Process to Solve a Problem and Demonstrate the Process of Inquiry

• In health, students will learn more about how exercise keeps their bodies healthy, dental health, and hearing. 

• In math, students will finish up chapter one (place value concepts) and apply these concepts to real-world situations as they try to solve problems though inquiry. 

DLT

For thirty minutes every day, we have differentiated learning time. Based on assessments, I've identified areas in which your child needs further challenge or extra practice. Each day, your child's learning is personalized to your child's needs. This week, our DLT gets into full swing. Students will be working in groups with me, Mrs. Surritte, Mr. Martin, Mrs. Maslanik, Mrs. Messana, and/or a parent volunteer based on this personalized learning plan. (These groups are focused on reading, writing, and math.) If students are not working in a group that day, they will be working on a computer program that helps them to improve their language and vocabulary skills (which is based on their individual level). 

Field Trip
To kick off our next big unit, we will be headed to the Denver Zoo on Friday, September 11th. If you would like to chaperone, please email me. To register your child for this field trip, please follow these directions:
FIELD TRIP LINK:
https://dcsdk12.revtrak.net/tek9.asp?pg=prairiecrossES

1) Click on "Registration"

2) Click on "Field Trips"

3) Find "PCE - Denver Zoo Registration" - underneath that, you'll see all 4th grade teacher names...click on correct teacher 

4) Then in the right box click "Register for this class" and then you either login or set up a new account.

If you have questions/problems with the online registration/payment, please contact: RegWorks directly at 1-888-848-2194 or Kathy in our office at 303-387-8200.

Homework Corner

• By now, your child should have completed at least one book at home as part of the 20 Book Challenge.
• This week's spelling words are harder than the last two weeks, so your child may need to practice a little bit each night at home.
• Keep practicing those math facts. Xtra Math, Moby Max, and Front Row (Fact Practice) are all websites your child can use to improve their fact fluency. 1s, 2s, 5s, and 9s should be mastered by Labor Day. 
• When your child passes all of his/her math facts, I reward them with their own bag of popcorn right then. They get to brag, and stink up our classroom to make us all jealous, that they've "popped through their multiplication facts". I've already used my current popcorn supply (This is a good problem to have!); so if you can donate some individual-sized bags of microwave popcorn, we'd greatly appreciate it! 
• Your child can also login to his/her Ten Marks account at home (same username and password that your child uses to login to their email) to do some Jam Sessions or complete work that was not finished in class. 

Book Orders

This month's Scholastic Reading Club flyer is ready for you to explore with your child and was in this week's Thursday Folders, which were sent home on Friday this week. This month's book orders will be due Friday, September 11th. Children read more when they choose their own books, so I encourage you to look at the flyer together. Each flyer is filled with grade-specific, affordable titles.  Books make wonderful gifts! Please let me know if your order includes a gift, and I will contact you when it arrives. Remember, for every book you order, our class earns FREE Books and supplies.
Ordering online is fast and easy and provides more choices beyond what you see in the flyer. 

•  VISIT scholastic.com/readingclub
•  ENTER the one-time Class Activation Code MHWJW
•  SHOP from a carefully curated selection of the best books and value packs
•  SUBMIT your order and earn FREE Books for our classroom
•  All book orders will be shipped to our classroom so we can celebrate the joy of reading together!

August 22

Back to School Night
BTSN is Wednesday, August 26 from 5-7pm. The classrooms will be open for you to visit with your child from 5-6pm. From 6-7pm there will be information from administration and the PCEA, along with treats, at the front of the school.

Free National Park Pass
Want to get into national parks for free? Check out this article for details. Wish I still had a fourth grader; I love Rocky Mountain National Park.

Volunteers
We will be starting classroom volunteers shortly. If you are able to help out, please click here to see this year's opportunities.

Classroom Jobs
Students applied for their job the first week of school and were hired and trained on Monday. They've started earning money. Each student's job will not cover the rent of their desk ($1000/month), so students are awarded bonuses to help them cover rent. (Payday and rent are on the first of each month.) When you visit us at Back to School Night, check in with your child to see how much money they've earned so far.

What are we learning?
Last week we spent some time discussing what World Class Outcomes are and figuring out what they mean. If you'd like to read more about the WCOs, you can visit the district's website.

To start the year, we are focusing on the following WCOs:

• Create meaning strategically in reading, writing, speaking, and listening and Evaluate how authors are strategic in creating meaning with more complex elements and complex text
• As we focus on this WCO, students are practicing strategies that good readers use and learning how to write quality sentences and paragraphs.
• Last week, students focused on making connections as readers and determining a text's theme as ways that readers can evaluate how authors strategically create meaning. 
• They also learned: the elements of a sentence, run-on and sentence fragments, capitalization rules, types of adjectives, and how to write more detailed sentences. These are all ways to create meaning strategically in writing. 
• Demonstrate the process of inquiry and Create a process to solve a problem
• Students are using the scientific method as one process to solve a problem and will be using the inquiry process through health content. 
• To practice the scientific method as an inquiry process, students did a paper airplane lab. 
• On Monday, we start a health unit, which will include exercise, hearing, the digestive system, and dental health. Students will choose a topic that they want to learn more about to practice the inquiry process. 
• In math, we are focusing on the WCO- Look for and express reasoning in repeated reasoning. 
• Last week, we focused on strategies to memorize our multiplication facts by looking at number patterns to help us with memorization tricks. This week, we begin chapter one in the math book, which focuses on place value concepts such as expanded/word/standard form and using place value knowledge to recognize patterns in numbers. 
• Your child may have a different teacher for math. We determined math classes by looking at math pretest scores and the math assessments your child took at the GTKY meetings. Math class placements were based on where your child will learn best based on the pacing of instruction. All classes are learning the same content; classes are paced differently to best match the learners in the classroom. 

Homework Reminders

• While most students did well on their spelling tests this week, there were a handful who didn't do so well and admitted they did not practice at home. Here's a link to this week's words. 
• The kids have been doing really well with their multiplication facts. They're working toward having their 1s, 2s, 5s, and 9s memorized by Labor Day and their 3s, 4s, 6s, 7s, and 8s memorized by conferences. Two kids in our room have already passed all of their multiplication facts. Congratulations Spencer and Natalie!

Here's a Quick Look at What We've Been Doing

- Playing "There are Rules"

- Making our PRIDE Posters

- "I've Been in  Your Shoes" to Learn More About Each Other

- Deconstructing the World Class Outcomes

- Sharing our Literacy Journals

- Marshmallow Tower Challenge

- Making Connections by Reading Kevin Henkes Books

- Paper Airplane Inquiry Lab

August 13

Pictures
Individual pictures are tomorrow. Your child should have brought home the picture order form after his/her GTKYM. Our pictures are scheduled for the afternoon. A little reminder slip will be in today's Thursday Folder.

Volunteers
We are in need of volunteers. If you are able to help out, please see our needs and sign up using this form. Thank you!

Headphones
All students need headphones. Many kids did not have their headphones at the GTKYM. Please check with your child that his/her headphones are at school.

Specials
Students will have art next week and will be making their duct tape wallets to hold their classroom money.

Choir
Choir forms are in the office for all interested students.

Cell Phone Numbers
If you texted me your cell phone number this summer, I texted you a picture of your child on the first day of school. If you did not get the text from me, and you gave me your number, will you please text me that so I can make sure to add you to my texting list. If you would like me to text you quick updates or pics of your child randomly throughout the year, you can still text me your phone number at 303-720-2130.

Orange Leaf Fundraiser
Head to Orange Leaf from 4-8pm tomorrow and put your receipt in the bucket. 15% of every receipt will go toward PCE. Hope to see you there.

Homework FAQs
Q: Does fourth grade have homework?
A: Yes. There is a label inside of your child's Homework Folder that states homework expectations. We went over these expectations at Get To Know You Meetings. Your child should be reading, doing math, and practicing spelling as needed.

Q: What's with the Frindle book that was sent home today?
A: We have several required books for your child to read at home over the course of the year. Having a common book that we've all read helps us to have more meaningful discussions about reading strategies in class. Frindle is the first book that is required this year. It was chosen for it's easy readability, high interest, and character development.

Q: Is there a required activity to do with Frindle?
A: Yes. Students were shown a quick sheet to summarize each chapter of Frindle as they read. We did chapter one today in class. They'll submit this doc in Google Classroom when they complete the book.

Q: What if my child already read Frindle and does not want to re-read the book?
A: If your child already read the book (not that your child listened to someone else read the book), and remembers the plot well, then I can provide an alternative novel to read.

Q: When is Frindle due?
A: Simply put- when your child finishes the book. That may be this weekend, or it may be the end of the month. When the book is completed, your child should submit the summary document and return the book to school. Be sure to have your child add Frindle to his/her 20 Book Challenge sheet.

Q: How will my child know what spelling list to study?
A: Links will be posted on Google Classroom each Monday to that week's list of words. We will not have spelling on short weeks.

Q: Where can I find detailed information on this year's homework?
A: See the Homework page of our website.

Book Orders
Book orders are being sent home in today's Thursday Folders. If you'd like to order books, you can send in the order form with cash or a check. You can also pay by credit card by ordering online. There's a link to order online on the home page of our website. Orders are due next Friday. Scholastic Book Orders are a great way to get new books in your kids' hands, get them excited about reading, and they're tax-free. I'll be sending home book orders about once a month.

Donations
If you have a few extra dollars to spend at the store, here are some of our classroom's current needs.