A lot is going on!

I cannot believe two thirds of the year has passed! We have learned so much, but it is important to remember that we still have a lot to learn. The last third of the year brings a fun and exciting time with field trips, field day, exciting units, and spring! This time of year can also bring unfocused and unexpected behavior. I appreciate all of your support to keep learning as the goal for our daily decisions! Below are some things that we are up to:

Testing:

• We have made it through our first week of testing! I have been very proud of our students because it is very apparent that they have been applying themselves and doing their best thinking. We still have one more week to go, and this is when we need the stamina to kick in. The second week can be difficult because our schedule is different and the challenging level of thinking can be strenuous. We greatly appreciate your support in making sure your child gets a good rest at night and a healthy lunch (we test in the afternoon). Thank you again for your support!

Technology:

• Students have been enjoying our technology lately! We have been communicating with our friends in South Africa, and it has been very interesting. We have posted a tour of our classroom for them and are awaiting a similar response. We have also been completing math assignments and activities on Edmodo. These activities are available at all times on Edmodo, so your student can utilize these at home as well. Students have started using the website www.storybird.com. This is an awesome website that students can write books alone or together using illustrations from the website. We were using this to apply writing crafts we have learned. All of these activities can be shared at home, so you are welcome to see what your student has been working on.

Coming up:

• I am in the process of scheduling our next field trip for April and it is going to be fun! Details will be coming soon.
• Information about spring conferences will be coming soon. For spring we will be holding conferences on an as needed basis. Please let me know if you feel a conference is needed. I will be sending home information if letting you know if a conference is needed.

Thank you again for all that you do to support what we do!

Fractions!

We are learning fractions! We have been working on learning the value of common fractions and decimal fractions and it is coming along. Today we worked on ordering fractions based on their value and it was tough. It is hard for us at times to reason the value of a fraction when we compare them with a different fraction. It is also difficult at times to consider their value of a fraction when it is a mixed fraction (1 and 1/2) or improper fraction (6/4).

The great learning that has taken place is that we are becoming more familiar with fractions and their values. We are also getting better and more accurate with comparing fractions to each other.

Is our sort correct???

Parents: take time at home to talk with your student about fractions in every day life. We have all had to double or half a recipe, maybe your 4th grader can help you with that!

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What we think about our goals

We made our learning goals today and now we are going to get to work. Here are some thoughts from students about how we are going to reach our goals, or why we think it is important to set goals:

Patrick: it is important to set goals because so we can get better.

Melissa: a way that I am going to reach my math goal is to notice more abouttables and charts.

Cooper: one of my ways to reach my goal is to stop and think about the operation (multiplication or division) when I am solving a problem.

Megan: it is important to set goals so we can get better in a certain subject.

Olivia: it is important to set goals because if we aren't doing well at something, it encourages us to do better and keep going.

Jacob: it is important to set goals because then we work for it. Instead of staying in your comfort zone you can challenge yourself, and eventually your challenge zone will become your comfort zone.

Caeliegh: when we set goals sometimes we can forget. Writing it on paper will remind us what our goal is so we can reach it some day.

Adra: it is important to set goals so we can become better learners.

Mikayla: it is important to set goals because it will help us to use the standards to improve. Like I always say, practice always makes perfect. As we get better, it starts to get easier.

Vanessa: it is important to set our goals because we can see our growth in our goals.

Roman: when we set our goals we think about what we will do to reach the goals.

Daniel: the things that we aren't doing well at we can set a goal for to be better.

Joseph: it is important to have goals so that we can start getting better.

Isabelle: it is important to set goals so that if we aren't good at something we can get better.

Kim: it is important to set goals because we can keep trying to reach that goal to set more goals when we finish them.

Bryce: it is important to have goals it helps us with our lives.

Judith: it is important to have goals to make ourselves proficient.

Eli: it is important to have goals because if we don't have goals we can't accomplish what we're working on. That is why we need to have goals.

Kyra: it is important to have goals because if you don't there is nothing you can do. We have to set goals to finish.

Kashon: it is important to have goals so we can learn better.  

Chris: it is important to have a goal because it will help us do things.

Michael: it is important to have goals so that we can learn new things and get better at stuff that we aren't really good at.

Niko: it is important to set two goals because you will never be finished working on them.

Jaren: it's important to have goals so if you finish you can be proud of yourself.

Katelynn: it is important to set goals about anything so if you finish one you still have another one.

Connor: it is important to have goals because it gives you an idea for how to work to achieve that goal.

Setting Goals

We are going to be setting goals next week for learning. We will be looking at and analyzing data to set goals for learning in math, reading, and writing. This is important to guide and motivate students. Also, it is differentiated because students will be setting goals individually based on their own strengths and areas to grow. 

This is a great area of conversation with your student. A goal sheet and data will be sent home with students that requires a parent signature. Talk to them about the goal that they set and how they are going to strive to reach that goal. It is amazing how aware students are of their learning and how they can strive to be better.

I am continuously impressed with their learning and growth. I am excited at what they are showing they know already in the year!

Below is a link to a presentation that we will be using to guide our goals. We have high expectations for learning based on the Colorado State Model Content Standards. Take a look at the presentation I put together to see all of the standards we follow.

Again, thank you for all of your support!https://prezi.com/secure/72f2aed950a752cc57bed769aa3f07899ea3a81f/

Changing the Earth's Surface

We are studying the Earth's surface and how it changes over time in science! Students have really dug into this science unit and are learning so much. So far we have studied weathering and how it breaks down the earth's surface. We have done this by making a model with sugar cubes and dropper bottles to re-create rain. Students made great noticings and we clarified that the sugar did not melt, rather it disintegrated. We also talked this week how wind can change the Earth's surface by picking up smaller rocks and moving them, which leads us to erosion. Students are being fantastic scientists and they are keeping amazing notebooks. This is a great opportunity for families to discuss learning that is taking place in the classroom.

We are working hard in our notebooks!

Using our "sand blasters" to break down the sugar cubes

Observing the changes