Friday, September 29, 2017

Denim Drive Time

Dear Parents,

We've enjoyed another week of learning! We spent time in the library with Ms. Bamford refining our iPad skills to support our learning of nonfiction text features.  A huge thank you to the 5th grade parents for providing lunch for all the staff at our Friday Feast.  It was delicious as always and such a treat!  

DENIM DRIVE: Fourth grade kicks off Denim Drive on Monday!  All items collected will go to the RRISD Clothes Closet. We are hoping to collect a least 300 items this year. A  BIG thank you to Julie May for her presentation of how the Clothes Closet provides clothing for the less fortunate.  At CCE, we care deeply, give generously, and help willingly.  I am so proud of my students for all the work they have done to promote the Denim Drive.  Many students made posters or created slide shows to show on the morning broadcast.  Others have written little pep talks and are going to different classrooms to get other students excited about the Denim Drive.  I'm excited to see how involved they are with this service project.

LIBRARY ENRICHMENT PROGRAM: The fall library enrichment program has begun!  Again this week, students will show their progress toward reading all the required books.  Just like last week, students must show me their library form on Friday.

LOOK FOR IT:  Thank you to Ms. Zhao for volunteering to be our HR Parent this year. She will ensure  a fun-filled, rich, and educational experience for your child.  A letter came home in the Tuesday folder regarding our 4th grade events and activities.  Please remember that your donations help provide supplies for our special events.  We appreciate your support!

Units of Study
Reading - Nonfiction Text Features; Cause and Effect
Spelling - Week 3  Worksheet, both sides, due Wednesday and the test on Thursday
Writing - Personal Narrative: A time when you succeeded at something that was hard for you to do.

Grammar - There / They're / Their
Math - Connect Multiplication to Division and 2-Digit Division with Remainders
Science - Forms of Energy

Upcoming Dates

October 2:  Denim Drive begins
October 9 and 10:  Student Holidays

Education is truly a partnership between parents and teachers.  Our goal is to produce lifelong learners.  Thank you for reading my newsletter.

Have a great weekend!
Kelly

Friday, September 22, 2017

Autumn is Here!



Dear Parents,

We have had another delightful week of learning.  Students finished Wonder.  I am impressed with the caring hearts the children have.  Meaningful discussions and examples of reaching out to others have solidified the purpose of this novel.  I hope you have a chance to read this book.

Denim Drive
In a few days, fourth grade will begin our service project -- the Denim Drive.  The students are eager to help others in need.   Creative juices have generated flyers, skits, power points, posters, and many more advertisement opportunities.  The collection begins October 2nd.

Saddle Up and Read
We will suspend our regular Reading Log for the next few weeks.  We will be supporting the library incentive, Saddle Up and Read.  Students will receive the form on Monday in their homework folder.  Each student is required ​to read level appropriate books from different genres.  Parents are to initial the form when a book is completed.  The form will be checked by me each Friday for progress.

Multiplication Facts
Facts 0-10 should be mastered.  We will begin multiplication of 1 digit by 4 digit numbers next week.  Please have your child practice nightly until instant recall is obtained.

Conferences
Please be considerate of time at conferences.  If you have a 7:00am conference, I will meet you at the door by the office at 6:55am.

Wipes and Hand Sanitizers
We are in need of hand sanitizer for the classroom.  Clorox wipes are also needed to aid in the fight against germs.  Any help would be appreciated.

Units of Study
Reading- Nonfiction Text Features
Spelling- Week 2  Worksheet, both sides, due Wednesday and the test on Thursday
Writing- Personal Narrative: A time when you succeeded at something that was hard for you to do.
Math- 1 Digit by 4 Digit Multiplication
Texas History- Map Skills
Science- Forms of Energy

Upcoming Dates
September 26 - Family Create Night 6-7:30
October 2:  Denim Drive begins
October 9 and 10:  Student Holidays

Enjoy the Texas autumn weather,
Kelly

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Ready for Conferences?

I enjoyed meeting with you on Tuesday for Open House.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.


Please be sure to return the 4th Grade Fall Conference form that was in your child's Tuesday folder this week. Please check 4 areas of strength and 4 areas of growth for you child.  This will provide an opportunity for you and I to work collaboratively to set goals for this school year.  It is a team effort!

​Thank you for setting aside some time to come in and meet one on one about your child.  It does take us all working together for sure!  Please know I have many conferences to complete each day.  I will have to respect all parents' time and will not be able to go past the 20 mins.  If your conference is scheduled for in the morning at 7:00am, I will meet you at the front doors by the office at 6:55 to let you in.  If you don't remember the time you reserved or if you have not reserved a time, please contact me.
    
All fourth graders will be participating in the Denim Drive this year which will start on October 2.  Please start collecting new and gently used denim.  We are hoping to collect at least 200 items this year.


Units of Study:
Math:  Addition and Subtraction; Multiplication Review
Reading:  Character Traits and Changes; Elements of Plot
Spelling:  Week 1: Blends.  Spelling sheet due on Wednesday, Test Thursday
Writing:  Writing a Personal Narrative
Social Studies: Map Skills


Upcoming dates:
September 21 - School Pictures
September 26 - Family Create Night 6-7:30
October 2:  Denim Drive launch
October 9:  Parent Conferences


Have a great weekend.  Spend quality time with those you love!

Kelly

Friday, September 8, 2017

Autumn is in the Air

Dear Families,
​The fourth week of school has been busy and full of learning!  Our class is working hard to build a trusting, positive class environment so all students can flourish.  In creating a caring classroom community, we continue to deepen our connections to each other.  My hope is that all students will feel nurtured, respected, and have a sense of belonging so they will be able to grow and learn to their full potential. 


BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
Back to School Night is Tuesday, Sept. 12. The meeting will start promptly at 7 pm. Thank you for setting up childcare arrangements for this evening.  There will be a sign up sheet for parent conferences at this time. 

ABSENCES
If your child is going to be absent, please send an email to me and copy Cynthia Quesnel, our CCE registrar, to let us know. Please be sure to state your child’s first and last name, as well as the reason for the absence. Another option is to go to the CCE website. There’s a quick link on the parent page to report an absence. If possible, I greatly prefer that you pick up your child's work that they missed for the day.  I try to have all work to the office by noon. 

PEACH JAR
In an attempt to save paper, many Tuesday folder papers are now being sent electronically. If you have not subscribed to Peach Jar, please do so as soon as possible through this link. Without a subscription, you may miss something important!

Upcoming Events for September:
12 PTA Meeting at 6:30 pm/Open House @ 7:00 pm in my classroom.
21 - School Pictures
26 - Family Create Night 6-7:30


​Learning Activities for the Week:
Math: Estimating and Adding Larger Numbers
Reading: Fiction-using textual evidence, inferencing 
Writing: Personal Narrative- It Was a Short, Short Summer;  Spelling Test-List 3 on Thursday
Science:  Texas Regions

Have a wonderful weekend.  Spend quality time with those you love!
Kelly

Friday, September 1, 2017

Thinking of Others

Dear Parents,


The children have adjusted to 4th grade life.  The curriculum is more in depth and the pace is faster.  Students need to keep on top of schoolwork and organization.  Please check planners and Homework folders nightly.  Students will begin Reading Logs next week.  I have spoken with the children about the expectations for these logs.  These papers are in the Homework folder.  If your child has a packed evening one school night, he/she may begin the log over the weekend.  We do encourage your child to read nightly though.

A big thank you to Renee Zhao for stepping up to be our homeroom mom!  Homeroom parents play such a huge part in creating memorable and enriching moments for your kiddo. 

Multiplication Facts:
It is pivotal for facts to be mastered.  Students should know 0-10 facts.  If your child does not know these, please work them nightly.  This practice can be flashcards, computer, you calling out numbers, etc.  Not knowing these well impedes two digit by two digit multiplication and division units.

Back to School Night:
Back to School Night will be Tuesday, September 12 at 7:00 pm. This is a very important informational meeting for parents, and for that reason we ask you to make arrangements for childcare. We look forward to seeing you there.

Geography Bee Club:
Registration has started and will continue through 9/13.  Students can join the club without participating in the actual Bee. Practices will be Fridays from 3-4 in the portables beginning September 15th

Breakfast:
If your child is eating breakfast at school, please have your child at the cafeteria promptly at 7:20.  Your child will need to get their food, sit down to eat, clean up, and be in the classroom at 7:40.

Canyon Creek Elementary is a caring community that takes action to support others in need! We will be having a Toiletry Drive from September 5-8, 2017 for families impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Please join us in collecting new toiletries (shampoo, face wash, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand sanitizer, etc.). These items can be placed in the boxes at the main entrance of the school. We will be delivering these items to the Austin Disaster Relief Network who will deliver the supplies as needed to families. Thank you so much for your support!

From the Library:
We are so excited to start this year off with our new library renovation! I hope you've a chance to stop by and see it. A few things to note as we begin the year:
*Parents are always welcome to create a parent account to check out up to 5 books. Come see us, and we'll set you up!
*Our MackinVia eBook login format has changed. Whether your an expert or new to the system, all of our students have accounts set up with MackinVia. The user ID and password are BOTH the student's ID number (they no longer need the "s" in front). You can get instructions on the library webpage at http://ccereads.weebly.com/ebooks.html
*One more thing - keep up to date with what is going on in the library by following us on Twitter @CCEreads and by checking our website at  http://ccereads.weebly.com/  

Upcoming Events for September:
 4 Labor Day, no school 
12 PTA Meeting at 6:30 pm/Open House @ 7:00 pm in my classroom (room 201)
21 - School Pictures
26 - Family Create Night 6-7:30

​Learning Activities for the Week:
Math: Place Value and Rounding
Reading: Fiction-using textual evidence- inference 
Writing: Personal Narrative- It Was a Short, Short Summer;  Spelling Test-List 2 on Thursday
Science:  Mixtures



 Lauren was initiated into the Osage Tribe at Camp Ozark in Arkansas.
 Theo looking into Canada from Hurricane Ridge in Washington State.


Have a wonderful weekend,
Kelly