April 18, 2014 Weekly Update

Here's hoping you are all enjoying a beautiful, long spring weekend!  I want to keep you updated on upcoming events.  On Tuesday, April 22nd, West Middleton begins a BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION  and food donation drive (for Middleton Outreach Ministry) which will last until mid-May.  If our entire school collects 12,000 Box Tops and food items, we will get to see our Mr. Macklem walk through our halls with PINK hair!  There will be containers for Box Tops and nonperishable food in the school entry way, so send everything you can with your students in the coming weeks.  Thank you!   We are also looking forward to a delicious fundraiser through our PTO, thanks to Novanta, located on Old Sauk Road.  On two Sundays (April 27th and May 4th) from 11am to 8pm, they will donate a portion of sales to West Middleton!  I will forward a flier to you all.

Also beginning on April 22 and during the following 2 to 3 weeks, all of our classes will be scheduled for the third round of MAPS testing in the computer lab  - one session for reading skills, and one session for math skills.  Our own class will do one session on April 23rd, and the second session on April 29th.  I highly recommend a good night's sleep and good breakfast for those days!  On the morning of May 2nd, our 4th graders get their tour of the new 5th grade wing of Glacier Creek - that will be so exciting!  On May 14th, our 4th and 5th graders will take part in the annual elementary track meet at the high school.  Mrs. Odgren will be sending you more info about that day very soon.

I would like to remind everyone that our biggest field trip of the school year will be on Tuesday, May 27th, when we go to the Cave of the Mounds.  Our PTO is covering the cost for every student. If you would like to chaperone (and we can take every parent who volunteers!), the cost for the day is $15 (cash, or checks made out to the Cave of the Mounds - thank you!).  We do need your commitment and check or cash by May 9th because they require us to send everything in two weeks earlier than our visit date.  I do hope you can come spend the day with us - it is so much fun!  In addition to a 45 minute tour of the caves below ground, we get a guided tour above ground for signs of the caverns below, we 'pan' for precious rocks and minerals, there is a 'class' in a big old barn, and we picnic on a large, tree covered lawn.  You can carpool and follow the buses - we will leave by 8:30 and be back around 2:30 that day.  So let me know soon if you can join us!

In class, we are still being held spellbound by the drama and suspense of our class read aloud book, Number the Stars.  This is the mentor text to our Historical Fiction reading unit, and our 4th graders have been reading dozens of their own books as well - everyone is keeping a growing list!   History has come alive for our kids, and our reading discussions and journaling reflect some very bright and deep thinking!  We are all learning together, and I am very proud of our students!   In May, we will transition to Book Clubs using books that center on a variety of social issues, and write some literary essays in Writer's Workshop, which will pair together very nicely.

Many of you have probably noticed increased interest in creating Google Presentations on the part of your student.  This was introduced in Technology class when I told Mrs. Tofte of my plan to give everyone a chance to focus on one United States Region in Social Studies and teach the rest of us through a presentation.  Thank you for your willingness to share your home computers, because so many of our kids have just taken off with this method of presentation, and after even one Tech class, they have been motivated to create special reports for the rest of us on all variety of topics!  It has been so wonderful to have fellow 'teachers' in class, and they all get extra credit, with their names on our 'Gold Star Researchers' wall. 

Thank you for sending an extra pair of shoes to school now that we are truly in 'mud' season.  I will keep you up to date on information and reminders as we get to each event that is filling our calendars during these last two busy months of 4th grade!  Sincerely, Melanie Hannam  

April 4, 2014 Weekly Update

Hello, families!  We are all back to our regular schedules and routines by now after a week off, and in Room 117, it was a very satisfying week of reading, writing, math, social studies, and science lessons.  Our students have shown they are ready to get involved in our discussions, and I am so impressed by the deep thinking revealed this week.  We have been reading "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, as the mentor text for our Readers' Workshop Historical Fiction unit. It is a suspenseful story centered on a 10 year old girl and her family in Copenhagen during World War II.  This has opened up a whole section of history most of our kids have not yet studied, so there have been many good questions.  Everyone in our room is also expected to read several of their own choices in the historical fiction genre over this next month, and all have found books they are identifying with.  This is one of the main teaching point of this study - to be able to lose ourselves in a different time and place and experience how people were affected and changed by the events of their world then.  We are adding an important writing component as well, with journaling about our new thoughts and questions as we read.  Our fourth graders are also practicing the essential skill of note taking while they are listening to our Read Aloud book.  Good stuff!

In 4th grade math, we are close to the end of Unit 9, which involves changing between fractions, decimals, and percents.  This unit is giving us some hard work to do, but I must say I am very proud of our group for hanging in there and not giving up until they can say, "Oh, I get it now!"  (music to my ears).  Our unit test will take place later this next week after we review all the content one more time.  We jumped into a whole new focus in Social Studies this week!  We have moved from our studies of Wisconsin history to exploring our whole country!  The way we will make it 'do-able' is to divide the states into 5 main regions, explore geography, resources, special attractions, and notable people unique to each region, and compare what is similar as well.  We will be able to create some maps and at least one group project to help each other learn more about our breathtaking country.  Don't be surprised if your child comes home some day pleading to take a family trip to a national park or a coastline or mountainside somewhere in the United States!  In Science with Mrs. Bertz, our kids are deep into experiments with electricity!

Some extra notes to be aware of:  Take Home folders came home this weekend stuffed with past papers that needed to get cleaned out and now kept at home.  (Folder inspection will take place Monday morning!)  April Scholastic Book Order forms have been given out and our due date for orders (both online or turned in to me) is next week Friday, April 11th.  Also, I have been asking our fourth graders if they could all make a search around home (under car seats, etc....) for any stray and forgotten reading books that should find their way back to our libraries in school.  Thank you for helping out with this!   An event that is coming up: The 3rd grade classes are once again holding their annual Market Day, and our class will be able to 'shop' the week of April 14th.  I will forward a short flier about all the details.  Also, keep in mind that Friday, April 18th, there is no school, and on Monday, April 21st, students do not come to school again, due to our final district professional development day for teachers.

Trips coming up:  On the morning of May 2nd, all three of our 4th grade classrooms will get the exciting opportunity to go to Glacier Creek for one hour to tour the new 5th grade wing being built for them for next year!  We can't wait to see this!  On May 14th (rain date May 21st) there will a 4th/5th grade track meet at the MHS track all day - more details will be coming.  On May 27th, the day after Memorial Day, our 4th graders will all spend a full school day at Cave of the Mounds!  The PTO will fund our students' costs for this day.  We teachers are hoping many of you can join us for this highlight to the 4th grade school year, so let me know if you want to chaperone.  I must add that all of us adults will need to pay the cost of our participation that day which is $15 each, and we will need to know if you can come, and receive your admission fee, a full two weeks before May 27th.  We are signed up for three different guided tours throughout the day both above ground and below, as well as the chance to 'sluice' for precious rocks and minerals that students may keep.  We will have time built into our day to have a picnic lunch together at their park as well.  More specific details will come later, but I wanted to give you all plenty of time to look at your schedules and think about whether you are able to come along. 

As always, do let me know if you have questions about any of our activities, and I will be sure to keep you posted on details as each event comes closer.  I feel us slowly revving up into a higher gear as we approach the end of 4th grade in just two months.  In the meantime, we will take it one week at a time, and focus each day on getting in as much learning as we can! 

Sincerely, Melanie Hannam