Santa Tracker

If you are eager to know where Santa is along his journey on Christmas Eve, check out NORAD's site by clicking HERE! 

I hope everyone enjoyed today's party.  Thank you so much to all of the parents who came by!  Please remember the extra credit reading to earn a Six Flags ticket over your vacation.  Have a great vacation.  I hope you all get everything you wanted, like:

• Adam's Predator season tickets (next year)
• Roshveen's kitchen kitten
• Annabelle's remainder Hermione Barbie
• Zatiyah's German Shepherd
• Jake's female Briard
• Julia's teeth to fall out (not all of them--just three)
• Nora's fake nails
• Adam's video game--All Star Supreme (?)
• Savannah's iPod Touch
• Drew's Kindle Fire
• John's Wii U
• Tania's tablet
• Jea's iPad
• Tre's waterproof walkie talkies (I won't even mention the other item!)
• Emilia's purple camera
• Samuel's chinchilla
• Skyler's German Shepherd and
• Eli's chocolate Lab

How'd I do?

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year!

I'll see everyone back here on January 7th~

Happy Holidays

Technically your holiday doesn't begin until 11:31 tomorrow, but I know how hectic that will all be, so I wanted to take a moment and say thank you for a successful first semester.  I am looking forward to the huge strides we will be able to make when we return in 2013.  Thank you all for sharing your children and yourselves to help our school family be a great one!

I am having trouble getting blogspot to load our mythology videos and our rewritten songs.  I'll keep trying, but until then here are a couple of shots from today's pajama day!

WHAT A CREW!

Happy Holidays everyone!  Blessed travels and safe returns.  See you in 2013!



We've Got a Party to Plan!

**I have been confused about that last week of school before break.  Despite what I have written in newsletters and on earlier versions of this post, the last full day is in fact Tuesday, December 18, and the half day is Wednesday, December 19.  Sorry for the confusion.  I am pretty excited though--I just got a day off that I didn't know about!  

We are down to a couple of weeks to plan our party celebrating the end of our first semester and our winter break.  I am aiming for the afternoon of our last full day, Tuesday, December 18, or the morning of the half day, December 19.  Do any of you have any ideas or suggestions for activities?  Please feel free to use the comments section of this post to share ideas.  I would love for each student to donate an item for the celebration so no one person has to spend a lot.  I am open to any ideas!

The students' last day, the 20th, is a half day.  I am looking at having a read-in that day.  Students can bring in blankets and pillows and plan on hanging out and reading.  It is a fun way to send everyone off into break. 

Finally, this will be in tomorrow's newsletter too, but I am offering a quick, one-week book order this week.  That way, I know we will get them shipped to us in time.  Any orders you have will need to be sent in or placed online by the end of the day Friday.  If you would like to browse or order online, visit https://orders.scholastic.com/HWFT6  There are many more books available online if you would like to check it out.  If you would like to make any purchases for gifts and need them kept a secret, please drop me a note to let me know.  When the books arrive, I'll contact you to arrange a pick-up.

Have a great week everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope that everyone has a great week and a wonderful Thanksgiving.  If you are traveling, please be safe and get home in one piece.  If you are staying in town, have fun cooking and shopping!  May everyone enjoy some down time with friends and family.  Happy Thanksgiving!  I'll see everyone bright and early next Monday! 

Enjoy the turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, marshmallow stuff, and all the other favorites you mentioned in class!

TIMES LINE

It has been a bit since I've posted the latest TIMES LINE results.  We will have another timed test later this week, but don't tell anyone.  It's going to be a surprise!  Enjoy these results while they last~~

TIMES LINE

(85% or higher accuracy)

1

3

5

6

9

10

12

14

16

18

21

22

100s Club

3

10

12

14

22

MIMers

(15% or more improvement)

2

7

8

9

16

17

21

22

Well done.  I love seeing each list get longer and longer.  That means we are headed in the right direction!  Keep it up!

Election Day

Tomorrow is election day 2012!  I hope you have all early voted or have plans to vote tomorrow.  The students at Shayne participated in a school-wide election today.  Our class even took turns working the polls.  They did a great job.  I hope they tell you about it tonight.

I did want to share a resource that we used in class last week.  In order to track the electoral votes tomorrow night, students can check out the site http://www.270towin.com/ and fill in the map as states are called for one candidate or the other.  It is a cool site, and I hope you enjoy watching the returns.  When our class next meets, we'll know the results!

For those of you coming in for a conference tomorrow, I'll see you then!

Guess Who!

The Hogwarts crew

Artemis

A vampire

 

Dread Pirate Roberts 

 Bat Girl

A snowwoman

Happy Halloween!

I apologize for the length of time between posts.  Things have been very busy lately and the blog is one thing that has been placed on the back burner.  No longer!  I will have a TIMES LINE update posted within a few days, as well as posts of students in their costumes from tomorrow night.  If you want your child to be included in that photo spread, please email me a photo and I'll get those up ASAP.

I was out of school yesterday for the first time.  The guest teacher had nothing but nice things to say about the class.  I am very proud of how well they represented themselves.  I know how capable they are, and now others are seeing it, too!  I hope to use the next few days to catch up on the grading from yesterday and will open up Gradespeed for this new nine weeks by Saturday. 

Thank you to 1 and 6's moms for donating extra water for us for the Fun Run on Friday, and also to 3's mom for letting us borrow a cooler.  Remember that pizza will be provided for lunch Friday, but students will need to bring in a drink and any other snacks.  If you would like to send in any other items for a Fall celebration, Friday is the time for that as well!

Look for notes to come home confirming conference times.  Hopefully you already received an e-mail.  Have a wonderful evening and be sure to check back in here very soon for updates!

Help Requested

Parents,

As I stated in my email, I need your help.  I would like to do a quick integrated unit using pumpkins following Fall Break.  If any of you are willing and able to donate a pumpkin, I would greatly appreciate it. We could use at least five. Any size will do.  We could also use any old newspapers to help keep things relatively clean.

If you will be able to send in a pumpkin or some newspaper following break, please leave a note in the comments sections of this post.  Thank you so much for your help.

Have a wonderful break.  I can't wait to hear about all that you do next week!  Take care, travel safely, and I'll see you on the 15th.

Water Cycle

We are learning about the water cycle in science.  After learning this song, the class will never forget about evaporation, condensation, and precipitation!  It's a fun way to learn some important information.  Hope you enjoy, too.

Open House -- See You There?

I hope you are planning on attending the 4th grade Open House Wednesday!  We will start out meeting in the classroom at 5:30.  You'll be able to see the room and your child's work.  We will then move inside to the library to meet as a grade level.  Hopefully we will be able to answer any questions you may have.  You will be free no later than 6:30.

As your newsletter today stated, I hope to send home an updated report of your child's beginning of the year assessments very soon.  This will include running records, DIBELS, DEA, word study, and our weekly fluency checks.  When those reports come home, please be sure to ask for any clarification on things that don't make sense.  Just like with the students, I want you to feel free to ask any questions you may have.  Until then, look for more student work to come home Thursday with the behavior cards.

Have a great week!

Good News -- Bad News

The bad news/good news you may have heard is that because of the large class sizes in our 4th grade, we will have another class starting tomorrow. That is good in that each class will have fewer students.  It is really bad in that we will give up four members of our family to the new classroom. I know the new class, taught by Miss Head, will have a great year.  The students will love her and have a lot of fun. It is just not going to be the same in our room without them. We told them that even though they are in a new class, they are still secretly part of ours!

 So, as you and your family enjoy this Labor Day holiday, I hope you get energized and come back tomorrow ready to pick up where we left off. It does mean our schedule will be changed. I will send home that information as soon as I get it. Enjoy today and I'll see you bright and early tomorrow. To the four of you headed inside to Miss Head's class, I know you'll do a great job and be the top four students in her room!  We'll miss seeing you and working with you every day.  

Times Line -- for REAL

Sorry for the slight delay in the posting of these results.  Now on to the big news.  We took our first official timed times test yesterday.  While the use of calculators may make memorizing the multiplication facts seem silly, there is something to be said for working knowledge.  The easier a student can recall basic facts, the less time and mindpower is spent solving a math question.  Knowing the facts is a key indicator in math successes.  That said, if you don't see your name here, it isn't too late to get those facts down!

How to make the Times Line?  It's simple--score 85% or higher on a timed test.  Making the 100s Club is exactly what it sounds like--score a perfect 100%!  Next week we will introduce a third category, but for now let's see the standings. . . .

1st TIMES LINE

1. Adam

4. Annabelle

11. Adam

12. Savannah

14. Drew

16. John

17. Faith

22. Emilia

23. Samuel

24. Skyler

and congrats to 100s Club member:

Drew

Times Line --almost

I told the students I would post the first edition of the Time Line this evening, but I'm not going to be able to get that posted until tomorrow.  Check back then for the full list.  Sorry for the delay.

Skyler's Arm -- the REAL Story

Our friend Skyler hurt her arm over the weekend.  She had surgery this morning and we hope all is well.  We have heard that she made it through just fine and is on the road to recovery with some new hardware helping the bones to heal properly.  That brings us to what really happened to Skyler's arm. We're not sure if it was as simple as what she said actually happened.  Maybe we just wanted it to be an elaborate tale full of adventure and mayhem. Check out the comments section for some of the students' theories as to the real story behind Skyler's accident.

All joking aside, we miss you Skyler and hope you feel better and get back to school soon!

Shared App

On Friday, the class talked about the Curiosity rover that landed on Mars last week.  There is a free app available on iPad and possibly other tablet formats that allows users to take a close-up look at the vehicle.  The name of the app is Spacecraft 3D. You will be prompted to print out a source page in order to see the 3D images. This app is developed by NASA and allows you a 360 degree view of the rover.  It is fascinating.  Check it out!

First Day of School!

I hope everyone had a phenomenal first day of school.  Although August 1 sure is early, I am very excited to be back and working with a great group of students!  I want to wish my former students all the best as they enter middle school (and some of you are in high school now!  How old does that make me?!).  Do your best, work hard, and be proud of what you accomplish!  For my new group, get ready!  We're going to have a great year!

Calvin

Here's what we'll remember most about you:
 

• He made most of the class laugh.
• He is very polite.
• He’s funny.
• He likes football and school.
• We got to be great friends.
• He has style.
• He’s a nice friend.
• He can break it down rapping.
• He sat by me.
• He is funny.
• He is a good friend.
• He did the moonwalk.
• He is my best friend.
• He sang once in a high, squeaky voice.
• He used to steal my pencils.
• He is a rapper.
• He loves to dance.
• He was honest and kind.
• He can dance.

Linh

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• • She lets me borrow her stuff.
  • She is a nice friend.
  • She’s a friend.
  • She is smart and likes math.
  • She is pretty.
  • She’s from another country.
  • She gave me some mechanical pencils.
  • She made optical art in class.
  • She is very nice.
  • She makes a perfect paper crane.
  • She is smart.
  • She has a great laugh.
  • She sat beside me.
  • She is nice and my friend.
  • She is cool.
  • She had a birthday party.
  • She likes cupcakes.
  • She gave me pencils.
  • She was a good helper.

Takhyri

Here's what we'll remember most about you:
 

• He is funny.
• We played Roll 10.
• He is my friend.
• He was nice to me.
• He likes football.
• He is competitive.
• He has a good life.
• He’s always laughing.
• He is very nice.
• He called someone “cheap!”
• He is a nice friend.
• He is a good sport.
• He is smart.
• He used to fight about whether Macey had a dog.
• He asks me if I’m okay when I’m crying.
• One time he got sweet candy.
• He did a jump one day in class.
• He is my friend.
• He is funny.

Ivan

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• • He never talks.
  • He is a chipmunk.
  • We did the jellybean project together.
  • One time he laughed and then sneezed.
  • He is nice and funny.
  • He has spiky hair.
  • He has a great laugh.
  • He is not from the USA.
  • He is always calling my name.
  • He likes soccer.
  • He is funny.
  • He is a funny friend.
  • He kissed himself.
  • He loves to play with his friends.
  • He is a funny dude.
  • He blows me kisses.
  • He wouldn’t talk to Ms. K.
  • He is quiet.
  • He brought a gift for the class.

Mike

Here's what we'll remember most about you:
 

• He always knows what to do.
• He doesn’t talk much.
• He makes art for you.
• He is from Vietnam.
• He is a good drawer.
• He likes puzzles.
• He is an artist.
• He is a good friend.
• He’s good at soccer.
• He is a good reader.
• He is very clever.
• He dressed funny on Wacky Wednesday.
• He said the Twaddle Tuck poem as fast as he could.
• He helped me.
• He drew a picture for Ms. K.
• He is nice.
• He is smart.
• He is a nice friend.
• He likes to draw.

Riley

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• • She is great at math.
  • She said, “Take my liberty.”
  • She wouldn’t stop singing the Preamble.
  • She had a fun sleepover.
  • She is always laughing.
  • She loves to sing.
  • She had a party.
  • She has my last name.
  • She is smart.
  • She is behind me in line.
  • She is funny.
  • She is always welcoming.
  • She said we were fighting to give up our freedom.
  • She had fun in our music program.
  • She sang the Constitution song over and over.
  • She likes to sing.
  • She has a messy bomb.
  • She is nice and cool.
  • She was funny.

LaDarius

Here's what we'll remember most about you:
 

• He is funny.
• He used his head as a tether ball.
• He loves to play.
• He jokes around.
• He plays a lot.
• He is funny.
• He is a friend.
• He always joked, “My momma’s gonna beat me.”
• He is a nice friend.
• He chased me around the playground.
• He speaks with his Elmo voice.
• He is funny.
• He is crazy funny.
• He was funny at the Halloween birthday party.
• He did his Elmo voice in music.
• He was bold.
• He is funny.
• He liked challenging Ms. K to a learning activity.
• He is hilarious.

Sydney

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• • She wore a cheese hat.
  • She is hyper.
  • She does cartwheels.
  • She likes cows.
  • She wore her cheese hat.
  • She has been in my class for three years.
  • She loves cows.
  • Her cheeks feel like a cow’s nose.
  • She is funny.
  • She let me stay after school with her and play.
  • She is nice.
  • She ate too much sugar once and became crazy.
  • She did crafts at the Frist.
  • She flew off the swing once.
  • She likes gymnastics.
  • You are my friend.
  • She told me she liked me.

Rachel

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• She is funny.
• She is my BFF.
• She is so quiet.
• She is very nice.
• She likes the color pink.
• She is quiet.
• She is always on your side.
• She is quiet and shy.
• She has all kinds of friends.
• She laughed really hard once.
• She is funny.
• She is very smart.
• She sang an awesome song about cheese puffs.
• She is a good friend.
• She made up the game “tut.”
• She is calm.
• She yelled at me once.
• She likes to play.
• She goes to Encore.

Ahmeda

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• • She sat by me.
  • She loves to learn.
  • She dyed her hair like her mom.
  • She laughs.
  • She plays a lot.
  • She has cool hair.
  • She is nice.
  • She loves to sing, and is good, too.
  • She danced in PE.
  • She is always cool.
  • I got to sit by you at lunch.
  • She is cool.
  • She is a friend that cares.
  • She is crazy.
  • She is a hugger.
  • She laughed and cried at the same time.
  • She is a tall friend.
  • She writes fast.
  • She was nice.

Seth

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• He sat on people that were in their chairs.
• He likes chicken.
• He is a funny boy.
• He is a good friend.
• He is amazingly fast.
• He is crazy.
• He is always smiling.
• He has Justin Bieber hair.
• He kicked the soccer ball over the gate.
• He was sad when he got his hair cut.
• He burped the ABCs.
• He makes me laugh with his dancing.
• He is silly.
• He is hilarious.
• He has a great sense of humor.
• He is crazy and odd.
• He is cute.
• He gets chased by girls.
• He is a good artist.

Jacob

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• • He spilled the book bucket when he put it on the counter.
  • He is a nice friend.
  • He likes skulls.
  • He is constantly reading.
  • He made a goal in soccer and helped us win.
  • He is quiet.
  • He loves to read.
  • He is a math expert.
  • He is fast.
  • He is funny.
  • He is fast.
  • He played Beat It on your iPod.
  • He always gets his work done.
  • He always sits by Brandon.
  • He is cute.
  • He goes to Encore.
  • He was on the news.
  • He made friends with me.
  • I saw him on tv.

Zoe

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• She likes ice cream.
• She owed me chips.
• She is nice.
• She used oranges for teeth.
• She loves to play outside.
• She always got chased by boys.
• She sits at my table doing centers.
• She likes to play with me.
• She is cool.
• She wore weird clothes on Wacky Wednesday.
• She is my best friend.
• She colors good.
• She told me I was pretty.
• She gave me some of her jellybeans.
• She brought cupcakes to our Halloween party.
• She holds the door for me.
• She almost gave LaDarius her glasses.
• She is a nice friend.
• She has a good laugh.

Anesa

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• • She was silly funny.
  • She talks to herself.
  • She sings all day long.
  • She acts weird in class.
  • She is beautiful and smart.
  • She is sassy and likes to write.
  • She likes her bike.
  • She is hilarious.
  • She is a good friend.
  • She dumped sparkly glitter on the floor.
  • She has a pretty voice.
  • She says funny things in class.
  • She was funny at the Valentine party.
  • Nobody can understand her.
  • She would talk loud and then get soft.
  • She asked if we had to wear pants on pj day.
  • She is so funny.
  • She sits beside me.
  • She is funny.

Jessica

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• She was my good friend.
• She is an amazing artist.
• She is beautiful.
• She is a good friend.
• I like to watch her braid.
• She is funny and everybody’s friend.
• She likes pink.
• She is smart, nice, and pretty.
• She got embarrassed and turned red.
• She is neat.
• She always works hard.
• She got mad at Ms. K once.
• She’s funny.
• She’s fun to pick on.
• She did the announcements on the tv.
• She is pretty.
• She is smart.
• She always sings.
• She had a fun birthday party.

Paul

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• • He is a great dancer.
  • He is my friend.
  • He can dance like me.
  • He is a friendly artist.
  • He has good jokes.
  • He can dance.
  • He likes chicken.
  • He loves to draw like an artist.
  • He is good at basketball.
  • He shared his lead.
  • He has an awesome birthmark.
  • I sat by you in music.
  • He is a good friend.
  • He plays tag with me.
  • He made up the word veriberate.
  • He danced at our party.
  • He taught me how to draw stuff.
  • He is nice.
  • He’s a good artist

Brandon

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• He gave me a math work-out.
• He likes to sit at the girls’ table.
• He has a funny personality.
• He likes to play with others.
• He is my friend.
• He is so smart.
• He is hilarious.
• He read a story in 15.7 seconds.
• He’s been in my class for three years.
• He loves swings and tennis.
• He likes to eat.
• He is a very nice little gentleman.
• He helped me with division.
• He is nice.
• One time he was going higher and higher in his voice.
• He fell off his chair.
• He is funny and a good artist.
• He was crazy funny.
• He is athletic.

Macey

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• • She is funny.
  • She had her birthday at school.
  • She wears toe shoes.
  • She is kind.
  • She loves cupcakes.
  • She is always thinking.
  • She is very smart.
  • She loves to write.
  • She has a crazy things for wolves.
  • We guess what is in her thermos.
  • She is kind and nice.
  • She always helps me with my problems.
  • She is nice.
  • She likes to write in a journal.
  • She likes science.
  • She has a high voice.
  • She does her popular voice.
  • She is nice.
  • She invited me to her sleepover.

Avesta

Here's what we'll remember most about you:

• She is crazy in a good way.
• She is a good friend.
• She is nice.
• She has beautiful hair.
• She likes tag.
• She cracks me up.
• She brought her Christmas hat.
• She was a good friend.
• She sat by me on the bus and covered me up when I went to sleep.
• She is very kind.
• She is quiet.
• She keeps trying and never gives up.
• She is nice.
• Anything she aims for, she does it.
• You are someone I can always talk to.
• She doesn’t want to leave anyone out.
• She runs through Wal-mart.
• She showed us her baby pictures.
• She wore a dancing Christmas hat.

Marcus

Here's what we'll remember most about you: 

• • He’s my best friend.
  • He is honest about everything.
  • He is one of my best friends.
  • He did a backflip on accident.
  • He loves Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.
  • He screams high.
  • He corrects things.
  • He’s always laughing.
  • He plays on his mom’s phone.
  • He is really athletic.
  • He let me come over to his house.
  • He loves football.
  • He had a great birthday Halloween party.
  • He has a happy dance when he gets multiplication right.
  • His mom gave us red oranges.
  • He can help me with sports.
  • We are best friends.
  • He was family.
  • He is very athletic.

Katie

Here's what we will remember most about you:

• She is very friendly.
• She likes to play with me.
• She is nice.
• She loves football.
• She has a kitten.
• She has a beat up cat hat.
• She has braces and is funny.
• She held my hand once.
• She likes cats.
• She loves to make friends with others.
• Her mom works here.
• She wanted to do a cartwheel and it turned out to be a jump cartwheel splits.
• She knows how to party.
• She goes crazy sometimes.
• She made funny jokes.
• She let us pick her braces colors.
• She was my friend.
• We danced during the 4^th grade program.

A Month of Memories

With our summer a bit shorter than usual, we will be back in school in one month.  Unbelievable.  But to help the students prepare for the new year, I wanted to remind them how special each and everyone of them are.  Their classmates are actually going to remind them.  So, starting tomorrow each student will have one day as the center of attention.  Check in frequently to see who is being remembered each day and to leave your memories. 

Summer Happenings

So now that you are a good week into your summer break, what are you up to? Leave comments so we know what everyone is doing. I am working at a reading camp and then will start my vacation. Look here in July for a daily tribute to each of your classmates. Something to look forward to… Hope everyone is having fun!

Middle School March Off

It is time.  All of the hard work you have put in over the last five years has paid off, and this is the week when you get to leave elementary school behind.  In less than four days, you will all be middle schoolers!  It's hard to believe the end is near, but I am so proud of each and every one of you!  I wish you all the very best as you leave Shayne and head off to middle school and everything that lies beyond.  I hope you happily remember your times here and think fondly of the little family you had for the year we spent together.  Keep in touch here on the blog or however you can!

If you know what you are bringing in for the end-of-year party on Wednesday, leave a comment so others can plan accordingly!  Have a wonderful last week!

It's been a Busy Week!

I know I am going to sleep well this weekend after all of the excitement of the last few days!  I just wanted to share a few photos from our field trip and field day.  (Thanks to Seth for the pics from Huntsville!)  If you have photos from either event and would like to share, please email them to me or send me copies.  Thanks!  One week left. . . .

And away we go. . .

  


Huntsville, here we come!



Full sized shuttle model

Saturn V rocket

Actual Apollo 16 capsule

  

Let the Games begin

Our team banner (Thanks Mrs. C!)

Carrying the torch

Victorious!

What a great group!

What a tired group!!