October 18, 2013 Weekly Update

Greetings to all of our 4H families.  We were so fortunate on Thursday afternoon - just in time for us, the drizzle ended, the clouds parted, and all 66 fourth graders from WM enjoyed a beautiful, mostly sunny fall afternoon trekking all across Pope Farm Park with gardeners, naturalists, and archaeologists.  Our sessions focused on how the native people who lived right in this area 13,000 years ago were able to thrive and survive.  Our kids were highly engaged in their simulated hunt for necessary supplies, tools, food, and shelter.  It was a memorable afternoon!  Thank you again for coming with us:  Cindy M., Hana A., Betty S., Jamie F., Wendy A. - it was fun sharing this experience together.

 

Back in the classroom, we are wrapping up another writing project, focusing on strong beginnings and significant endings.  In reading we have been delving into tips and strategies for knowing the characters in our books more deeply, and therefore, our understanding and our engagement in our reading also becomes deeper.  Math class has all groups beginning Unit 3 this week.  For the 4th grade students, the unit focuses on all aspects of multiplication - not only becoming more accurate with the facts, but also understanding factors, multiples, prime and composite numbers, division, and number sentences.  Social studies continues to give us opportunities to become familiar with our state's rivers, lakes, boundaries, neighbors, major cities, and landmarks.  We are leading up to a big study of the glacial age and how it has affected Wisconsin.  Science with Mrs. Bertz has been full of experiments with rocks and minerals.

 

Right along with all of our studies comes the development of good work habits and the goal of increasing the ability of each of our students to become organized and meet deadlines for completed assignments. Some of our students are not taking advantage of good strategies for keeping track of papers and due dates, such as using their planner and keeping their Take Home Folder organized.  I would like our 4th graders to be in charge of their folders, and their 'to do' lists in their planners, supported by you.  Sitting together for 5 minutes each day/evening after school and allowing your child to take you through their papers (what needs to stay home, what needs your attention, what needs to remain in the folder, what needs to go back to school) is to be their responsibility - please allow them to be in charge.  Let them tell you what is due and when, so that it remains their job, and not yours - thank you!  :)  It is the same with their reading log and their math books - you can support them best by asking them to show you what they are doing.

 

You have probably heard about the "Pride Paws" being handed out all through West Middleton.  Students earn these slips of paper whenever a staff member observes them demonstrating safe, responsible, and respectful behavior anywhere in and around school. All classes are focusing on hallway performance now through November.  Starting this week, Willy's Warehouse will be open for business!  Pride Paws are saved and 'spent' every two weeks at our new school store - Willy's Warehouse!  Orders will be submitted every other Friday, and within the next week, students will receive their purchased 'merchandise' which will usually go right into backpacks to be taken home.  The kids are pretty excited about it.

 

I am just about ready to send home the entire list of our Parent/Student/Teacher Conference schedule for November 19th and 21st.  This will confirm everyone's time, and if you encounter a problem with your time, you might be able to switch with another family if necessary.  Do let me know if you have any changing circumstances or questions.  Please remember that next week is a short week of school, with no classes on Thursday and Friday.  In addition, I have been invited to be a member of a team from our school who will attend seminars on 5 different days throughout the school year on 'The Culturally Responsive Classroom' - and the first day will be Tuesday, October 22nd.  Therefore, Mrs. Connie Johnston will be our guest teacher that day.

 

The following week - and the last week of the month already! - includes Halloween.  I will be looking for any parents who might like to plan a little celebration for the last 40 minutes of the day on Thursday, October 31st - some goodies to eat, an activity like a craft or a game or two...  whatever you might dream up!  Keep it in mind, and if I hear from you, I will put you in touch with others who have responded, and you may plan away!  Thank you, thank you!

 

Sincerely, Melanie Hannam

October 11, 2013 Weekly Update

Hello, 4H families!  This past week has been another full and busy one in Room 117.  In Writer's Workshop, we have organized our Writing Binders by inserting our first section with a cover sheet entitled "My Personal Narratives".  Now we have launched into analyzing what makes for a 'grabbing' story lead, and using dozens of books from our library, our class brainstormed a wonderful list of different techniques for story beginnings.  We are also identifying story endings that have meaning and relate back to the idea of the story (so there will be no more "and then we drove home and went to bed. The End.")  Our students created at least six original ways to begin a story, picked out their favorite one, and are now writing the rest of the story - so those will be fun to share next week.

 

We came to a good point in Reader's Workshop this week to stop and closely examine those Reading Logs that everyone has been filling out daily both at home and at school.  There is much to discover about each of our 'reading lives' as we look at the data we are collecting on these sheets.  Ask your 4th grader what they are noticing about their reading habits so far this year!  During conferences, we will take another look together at these logs.  We began our new Class Read Aloud book, "Out of My Mind" by Sharon Draper - and it has pulled us in from the first page.  It is such an enlightening story - parents, if you get a chance to read a copy, you will certainly enjoy this book as well!  The new thoughts and realizations about what it must be like to be 'Melody', the main character, are just tumbling out of our kids, and our class discussions get deeper by the day.  Ask your 4th grader to explain a bit about this story so far - it will be fun to hear their impressions!

 

In Social Studies, we have been traveling all over Wisconsin, using state road maps.  Along with brushing up on map skills, we are becoming familiar with locations of major cities, highways, rivers and lakes, boundaries, and attractions all over our state.  This is leading us into our deeper study of Wisconsin landforms, the history of the glaciers, and then how this land became settled.  Our field trip to Pope Farm Park next week on Thursday afternoon will be perfectly timed to enhance our study.  There are 3 parents who have let me know they would like to join us - please do email me if you also can come and spend from 12:30 to 2:30 at the Park with us.  It will be a fun activity to share with your child and the naturalists and historians who will lead us in our 'adventures'.  We will not change our normal school lunch plans for this trip - your child may still bring their own lunch or order the hot lunch like any other day.  We will just go down to the lunchroom 5 to 10 minutes earlier than usual that day, so we may board our buses by 12:20.  I am told we can all meet at the LOWER parking lot of the Park, not the higher lot.  

 

All of our math students are wrapping up Unit 2 with final tests (4th graders - this Friday / 5th graders - next Monday).  Everyone is being encouraged to keep practicing those basic facts!  Many are showing some steady improvement, but we need to see even more.  Students in my 4th grade group are keeping track of their results each week on the back pages of their Studylink books, so ask them to show you how those numbers are looking - are they climbing, or plateauing?  Thank you for supporting practice time at home  - it makes all the difference.

 

We had an exciting surprise this week - we have welcomed a new girl to our 4H family!  Cecelia D. has joined us from a Madison elementary school, and everyone has been so welcoming and helpful in making her feel comfortable and at home with us.  I am so proud of our friendly and thoughtful classmates!

 

On Friday this week, you will find a Parent Conference Sign-Up Sheet in your student's Take Home Folder.  Please give it some thought, check calendars, and mark your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choices for time slots, and then I will confirm one of those times with you once I hear back from everyone.  Thanks so much.  This weekend I will place any final orders for our October Scholastic Book Orders online.  If you still want to order online, feel free - I can wait till Sunday to do my part.  Just a heads up - early in November I will be sending home the usual order forms for that month and there will also be an extra catalog form for Gift Books for the holidays. 

 

I look forward to seeing some of you at Pope Farm Park next week - hope we still have some of the gorgeous weather we had this week!  As always, feel free to email me anything you wonder about or need to inform me.  Our kids are having some awesome days in 4th grade - it's been so much fun!  Melanie Hannam   

October 4, 2013 Weekly Update

Hello to our 4th grade families!  Today some of our students remarked, "It's Thursday already?!"  This week did seem to go by especially quickly, partly due to our beautiful Tuesday afternoon touring the grounds of the World Dairy Expo in Madison.  We couldn't have ordered a more comfortable day to wander through immaculate cow barns, milking parlors, and dairy tents.  It was so much fun to watch our kids look around in awe at sights quite new to most of them.  They especially couldn't get enough of watching and identifying the different breeds of perfectly groomed cows at every turn, and all of us were exclaiming at their SIZE - when we get within arm's reach of these gentle but powerful animals, we realize just how massive they are!  I want to again thank our terrific chaperones for coming along and keeping us together:  Mary O., Patty S., Lisa B., Kim P., Jamie F., and Rufino A.  Our students did a most wonderful job with listening to the many guides who were full of information, and I heard many intelligent questions being asked, as well.  Way to go, fourth graders!   We all said we wished we could take a field trip for every unit we cover in social studies and science this year!

 

On October 17th, we do have another opportunity for a couple of hours away from the classroom again - thanks to our school district.  From 12:30 to 2:30 that day, all 3 of our classrooms are invited to Pope Farm Park on Old Sauk Road for a hands-on program with guides, naturalists, and historians.  Three parents have volunteered so far to join our class there that day - please let me know if you would like to come, too.  We can have as many parents with us as we'd like - you are most welcome!  See the info half of your permission slip for a refresher on all the details (all parent signatures have already been turned in - thank you!)

 

Coming home this Friday, October 4th:  The October Scholastic Book Order forms - remember that you may order through me and send me a check made to Scholastic Book Club with your order form, or you may order directly online (which has proven to be very easy and convenient!).  We are setting a deadline for our order this month of Friday, October 11th.  Also coming home this Friday is a small laminated login card attached to an information sheet about how you and your student can access "Everyday Math Online".  Your 4th grader can find games and other activities on this site which will help them practice basic facts, and other math concepts.  Take a look and give it a try!  Almost all of our math students, whether they attend the 4th grade or the 5th grade class in math, need more practice with accuracy and recall of their basic facts - this is another fun way to get that practice.

 

Friday, October 4th, is also the date for the PTO-sponsored West Middleton Fall Dance in the gym from 6 to 8 pm!  This event also includes a Pumpkin Sale.  These pumpkins got delivered to our school entryway this afternoon, and what a collection of huge, perfect pumpkins they are!  It creates an atmosphere of instant Autumn at school.

 

Very soon I will send you a sheet with a list of time slots for our two parent/student/teacher conference evenings on November 19th and 21st.  You will have the chance to mark your first, second, and third choice for times, and I will confirm those with you after hearing from everyone.  It is so valuable for our students to be present as we discuss their goals and progress, so hopefully there will be time slots that work for everyone's schedules.

 

This week we are over the halfway point in Unit 2 for math already and it is going so well!  We are polishing off our first three personal narrative writing projects and organizing them into those binders which will collect all of our 4th grade writing this year (a real keepsake).  In reading class we have been using both our personal reading books and our class read-aloud book, "Stone Fox" to practice reading "Stronger, Faster, Longer", "reading ourselves awake" and to read "like the words are GOLD!"   Next week we shift our social studies emphasis to Wisconsin's Ice Age history and the resulting landforms, along with adding to our mapping skills, and in science, Mrs. Bertz has our students deep into experiments with Rocks.

 

One last thing - and not the least thing!  Our class has been very motivated to demonstrate orderly and respectful behavior in ALL of their classes throughout the building.  We have been collecting 'compliments' from teachers and other staff members and keeping track!  We set ourselves a target of 25 positive remarks and today we reached our goal!  Therefore, we have voted that the way we most want to celebrate our achievement is to enjoy a 'read-in' day, which will take place next week on Friday, October 11.  On this day, we may each bring in a small blanket or pillow, wear 'comfy' clothing and/or slippers in the classroom, and read our way through our book collections.  We will also munch (Mr.!) Hannam's special carmel corn, and watch the movie version of the book we will have completed by then, "Stone Fox" (produced for NBC back in 1987!).  We just wanted to let you know about this special day ahead of time!  They have earned it - and I love their idea for 'all day stamina' with their books, of course!

 

We'll let you know how everything goes next week!  Until then, Melanie Hannam   

September 27, 2013 Weekly Update

Greetings to our 4H families! It has been such a satisfying week! Our kids have been writing and reading up a storm this week. Our Writer's Workshop hour is first thing in the morning, and maybe this is proving to be well timed. We have had three classes in particular this week where it was close to pin drop quiet for as long as 45 minutes while everyone worked on their 3 personal narrative pieces. The only sounds were pencils scratching on paper and my editing conferences with individuals. Our 4th graders are making beautiful progress with their writing stamina just like they have with their reading. I think you will really enjoy reading what your child has chosen to write about concerning important people, moments shared, places, and objects they value in their lives.

In our Reader's Workshop, the discussions about our books and favorite authors and what makes for 'wide-awake' reading have been extremely stimulating for all of us! We have so many in our class that practically eat books for dinner, and they are recommending good books to me as much as I am guiding them! Almost everyone in our class allows themselves to get excited about analyzing characters and events during our discussions, and it is so much fun to listen to everyone share their thoughts and opinions. We finished our first class read-aloud book, The Lemonade War, last Friday, and this week we started Stone Fox together. This is prized time in our classroom along with 'stamina' time when we all dig into our current favorite book. We will soon also begin reading Out Of My Mind, by Sharon Draper, which is this year's Global Read Aloud book. We will be reading through this special story at the same pace and time frame as thousands of other upper elementary students from all over the world!

Both of our 4th and 5th grade math students are past that first unit test, and have begun the first assignments for Unit 2. Thank you for returning the 4th grade tests with your signature. This is the second year we are using the grading system using the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 - so hopefully you are familiar with it. We assign these numbers to each of the goal concepts in Everyday Math, which are aligned with the Common Core Standards. I award a '3' whenever proficiency is demonstrated, meaning they are meeting all expectations. A '2' is given where they show they are well on their way to proficiency, with some need for some extra practice or improved accuracy. A '1' is given when beginning skills are still developing. I tend to reserve that '4' for report cards when our students have been able to show consistently over time a high level of mastery and are able to apply a concept to another situation. If you ever want to discuss this system, or see a written summary of each level in more detail, just let me know. Conference time will also give us a chance to talk about it as well.

Somehow we also managed this past week to fit in some reading assessments, our first spelling assignments, and our schoolwide tie dye shirt project. I hope you were all able to finish the process at home without too much hassle! The entire fourth grade is encouraged to wear their new shirts next Tuesday when we go on our first field trip. All plans are in place to attend the World Dairy Expo. We have 5 moms who volunteered to come along on Tuesday - many thanks! Our social studies classes have been full of talk about each of the main cow breeds we hope to identify at the Expo. We are also learning about the bigger picture of Wisconsin agriculture, and we opened some eyes in our discussions about cranberries, soybeans, corn silage, Christmas trees, ginseng, mink pelts, baitfish, cucumbers for pickles, carrots, green peas, potatoes, maple sugar, tart cherries....and much more... who knew?!

Thank you for all your support as your student brings home assignments and notices about events and projects. We'll let you know all about our trip next week, and maybe share some pictures as well! Sincerely, Melanie Hannam

September 20, 2013 Weekly Update

Hello again to our 4H families!  I have been collecting a list all week with news to share with you.  I must tell you how much I have enjoyed reading your answers to the questionnaire I asked you to fill out for your 4th graders.  It has helped me greatly in understanding how your child learns and what works best for each one of them in the classroom.  Each day that we spend together on our lessons, projects, and most of all, our classroom discussions, we all become better acquainted, and the respect and the community in our room develops more strongly. It is so much fun to be a part of this group.

 

We have had a full and satisfying week as we work to make every minute count.  Our first writing projects are being edited now in Writer's Workshop - we have been writing personal narratives about sharing a memorable experience with someone important in our lives. We have also been describing a special place in which we love to spend time and describing why it is so special.  Our students are building up their writing stamina daily, just as they are happily building up their reading stamina.  Many identify our 'pin drop quiet' reading sessions as a highlight of their days (music to this teacher's ears!).  I am asking them to keep a more detailed record of their reading time and progress this year in their reading logs, so that they can learn to analyze what kinds of books are just right for them, and what is working to make their 'reading life' the best that it can be.  While they get lost in their books during these sessions, I am able to meet with individuals and small groups to listen to them read and conference about how to improve their comprehension skills.  Everyone is pushing for a whole day of reading sometime - we just may try that soon!

 

We have sent out our first Scholastic Book Club orders, and I just heard today that our box has shipped already!  My first attempt to handle our entire order online worked beautifully, so now I am a fan - thanks to all the parents who placed your own orders online and got me started!  Of course, families may always send me the usual paper order forms and checks to school, and I can still place those orders online and just send the checks through the mail.  We will have the opportunity to order through Scholastic each month of the school year.  We can't wait to get our own brand new books, and also add new books from our bonus points to our classroom library.  Thank you!

 

In math class, the 5th grade students have their first unit test on Monday, and our 4th grade (along with our six 3rd graders) math test will be next Tuesday.  The first unit was actually a lot of fun, increasing knowledge of geometry.  Hopefully you are seeing both the Journal and the Studylinks coming home every day, even if the assignment was able to be completed in class that day.  I love hearing that your student is able to explain the new concepts to you.  When they bring home each of their unit tests to show you, there will be a cover sheet summarizing their results.  This cover sheet will have a place for your signature to show that you have seen it, and then I request that these test pages and cover sheet all come back to school as promptly as possible.  We save all of our tests in a math folder, and it is excellent documentation of your child's progress as well as a great record of areas that need more practice.  You will end up with that entire folder at year's end, and it provides a perfect summary of 4th grade skills to perhaps keep brushed up on for the next year.  Thank you for your signature and return.

 

We began doing our 3 minute drills this week on basic math facts.  The goal is to correctly answer all 100 basic facts for each of the 4 operations within 3 minutes.  This exercise has revealed that most of our students do need to put in some extra time almost every single evening to practice facts!  Even 10 minutes extra each day can result in sharply increasing scores - you can use the sheets in plastic that came home, flashcards, dice, computer games...  Thank you for making this a priority along with your student.  The Everyday Math program in 4th and 5th grade assumes that students at this level have mastery of their basic facts - it is essential to success in handling the new concepts we cover every day.

 

The first spelling list came home this week.  Most of our weekly lists will be composed of words that our 4th graders and I find in our reading and want to use in our writing - words that they actually want to use and read at this stage in their lives.  There will be a variety of ways to practice their lists, and test dates will generally happen about a week after first getting the new list.  Each student is to keep their 'master copy' in their Take Home Folders - this way, their word list is always with them at home and at school!

 

We finally have our dates and times set for TWO field trips in October!  This week Friday, permission slips for both trips are coming home.  The information you need to know is described on each of the slips.  Please keep the top half of these papers for yourself, and return the bottom half with your signature.  We will attend the World Dairy Expo at the Alliant Energy grounds on October 1st from 12:00 noon to about 2:15 pm.  On October 17th, we will be bused to nearby Pope Farm Park to attend a special hands-on program provided by MCPASD to every 4th grade class in our district.  We will be there from 12:30 to 2:30 that day.  See the permission slips about how we will handle lunch - we will eat earlier in our classroom with sack lunches either ordered through Lunch Express, or sack lunches brought from home.  Take note that we do have three students in our room this year who have nut allergies.

 

If you are interested in chaperoning one or both of these trips, just send me an email!  ALL interested parents are welcome on both trips - the more the merrier!  You will be driving yourselves to these destinations (usually carpooling to the World Dairy Expo).  I hope many of you can join us - these are fun trips.  Once I have my list of parent chaperones, I will contact you with more details.

 

There is so much to tell you, but I'd better stop here for now.  Keep in mind that we are in the midst of MAPS testing (Measures of Academic Progress) - computerized assessments for math and reading done 3 times in the school year, as well as other Reading Assessments individually.  We tie dye our school t-shirts on Monday, September 23rd - watch for them to come home with special washing instructions.  On Friday, October 4th, from 6 to 8 pm, the Back To School Fall Dance and Pumpkin Sale will be held at West Middleton.  I will keep you posted on all news and details and activities each week, and remember to check our classroom blog for calendar items, daily schedule, and the HOMEWORK PAGE, updated daily!  Write me anytime!  Till next note, we are very happy in 4th grade!  Sincerely, Melanie Hannam

September 11, 2013 Weekly Update

Hello to all of our "4H" families!  I have finally been able to enter in the classroom email addresses for our new group for this year.  If you find that you would prefer receiving my updates and notes to any additional email addresses for your family (or if you would like me to delete any addresses included on this list), please do let me know!  I am happy to adjust this list so it is most convenient for you.  I will also put this note on the main page of our classroom blog (see the address below my name), in case you might not get this email but are able to see the blog page.  All of my newsletters will be emailed to you as well as copied onto the blog page (apologies for getting my notes twice, in many cases - just trying to cover all bases!). 

 

I have much news to share with you, and I have been anxious to begin communicating with you.  I promise not to bombard you with everything all at once.  I will start with the most immediate items.  First of all, I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be getting to know your 4th graders.  We are off to just an excellent start - this is a wonderful group!  Everyone agrees that our days are flying by so far, and it appears all are enjoying our activities and lessons.  I am very conscious of making optimum use of every minute we have together each day - there is so much to learn and experience this year!  As we go through these first weeks, I will fill you in on how we handle the content for each subject of the day.  I welcome any questions from you - anytime!

 

As you saw from the order forms that came home last Friday, we have the opportunity to order our first books from Scholastic Book Clubs (new name this year).  I will send home forms each month.  This year I want to begin doing our orders online - and parents have the chance to order online as well, instead of ordering through me.  You will need a "class activation code" if you place your own order - and our class will still be able to earn bonus points from your orders to get more books for our classroom library.  The website is:  https://orders.scholastic.com/MFRC8

(the last 5 digits are the activation code for our class).  Let me know if you have any problems doing this - I am learning, too.  You can still send in to me at school your check to Scholastic Book Clubs with your order form, if you prefer.

 

In 4th grade we actually have TWO field trips in October already!  We like to attend the World Dairy Expo each year at the Alliant Energy Center grounds, because it ties in so well with our study of Wisconsin and a major industry in our state.  This event is always during the first week of October, and we haven't been informed yet if our tour this year will be on October 1st or 2nd.  I will let you know as soon as I know!  I will be looking for any number of chaperones who would like to join us, so think about coming - we go for 2.5 hours in the early afternoon.  I've told our students that they will never see such clean and pampered cows anywhere else - ever!   Our school district also provides all 4th grade classes the opportunity to take a trip to nearby Pope Farm Park for two hours during the week of October 14th - again, I will let you know the date and time assigned to us as soon as I find out.  Naturalists, historians, archeologists, and geologists all meet us there to lead us in classes and hands-on activities about Wisconsin history, native people, landforms, rocks, etc.  I will let you know when I am ready to collect chaperone names, but I wanted to give you a heads up about the possibilities coming up.

 

I will stop here, and please stay tuned for more information very soon.  If you'd like to send me a quick reply that you received this email okay, or if I need to know any changes, feel free to email me.  I look forward to communicating closely with you throughout the year so your student has the best 4th grade year possible.  Sincerely, Melanie Hannam

WELCOME TO FOURTH GRADE - 2013 - 2014!

Hello to all our new 4th grade families! 

I am very much looking forward to getting acquainted with all of my new students, and to meet you, their families! 

All students should bring their backpacks with their supplies into our classroom on Tuesday morning when they get to Room 117.  We will be organizing off and on all day!  Don't forget to bring your current or favorite reading book for the first day of school.

On Thursday evening, September 5th, all families are invited to come visit the classrooms from 4:30 to 6:30 pm.  It will be another chance to get better acquainted, and I will have some information to give parents.

This blog site is one good way to stay connected!  Each day I will be updating the homework list on the Homework Page, there is a page to view our Daily Schedule, and there is also a Google Calendar I will update with upcoming events.  The Home Page will provide you with my weekly newsletter, where you will be kept up to date on all our hard work - and fun together!

See you all very soon!  Melanie Hannam