Friday, March 18, 2016

News for the week of March 14, 2016

Bailly Elementary! 

As the weather gets warmer, I will try to take the kids outside to do our lessons when we can. If you have or would like to donate a waterproof blanket for all of the high ability classes to share, we would really appreciate it! 

Word of the week : Energy!  Having the intensity and great stamina to accomplish something.

Quote of the week: "Well done is better than well said." -Ben Franklin. Picked by David, 4th grade.



Kindergarten and 2nd grade cogAT Testing:
Hooray! All of the cogAT testing for Bailly Elementary School is complete!
 Kindergarten permission slips went home this week. If you got a pink permission slip, please fill out that form and return so that your student may begin services on Mon. 3/28! 

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

Mrs. Jarka and Holly Koedyker from LES are attending a workshop on High Ability Identification in April, along with a representatives from each building in Duneland. (LIS, WIS, CMS and CHS) They look to gain a lot more valuable information for narrowing in our high ability identification.  Students will now be monitored at the end of each school year which is new.  Next year there will be new students added, many will remain and some will be removed.  It's pretty common, at this age, to have the flow "in and out" of a gifted program.  I'm excited about the continuing progress of our high ability services.  Not only is Duneland's High Ability identification becoming more spot on, but the new curriculum is geared towards meeting the needs of gifted children.  We've also just purchased a new math curriculum that we'll be using at each grade level next year.  I'm so very excited about the future of our program!

3rd graders Natalie, Aubrey and Amadeo 
3.14.16 Rounding up to Infinity! 

This week we talked about Pi day! Each student filled out a coloring sheet about their favorite circle candy, sports or games which a circle or sphere is used to play and how many flavors of pie can you name, etc! It was a fun topic to talk about. 
Oh, and Happy Birthday Albert Einstein! 


Kindergarten LA:

Welcome kindergarten parents! I will begin services with your kids on Monday's and Tuesday's each week from 10-10:30 am! I look forward to meeting each of them and keeping them challenged! I send out a weekly email that links you to this blog so you can see all the things we are learning about in my classroom. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me! 

Kindergarten Math: 

Welcome kindergarten parents! I will begin services with your kids on Wednesday's and Thursday's each week from 10-10:30 am! I look forward to meeting each of them and keeping them challenged! I send out a weekly email that links you to this blog so you can see all the things we are learning about in my classroom. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me! 


First Grade Math:

This week we colored a worksheet and talked about Pi day. We also started a new project  doing measurement. We had a lot of fun tracing and measuring how tall we are, how long are arms and legs are... we'll finish these up next week! 



First Grade LA:

This week Emmersynn continued to work on the lesson Linking Letters. She decoded a Semaphore Ciper which was really hard! She read a few chapters in a book called Top Secret by J.R. Gardiner which is a 4.0 level book! We talked about different types of typeface which we'll begin a project about when we get back from spring break!


Second Grade Math:

This week we did a Pi day worksheet and talked about what Pi meant. We had a lot of interruptions with a 2nd grade library research project so we took some extra time to finish up our Sudoku packets and used the iPod's to practice math. Next week we will begin the Queen's Puzzle packets!



Second Grade LA:

This was a fun week! We had a wonky schedule Tuesday with the iRead testing and a 2nd grade research project but we still made it work! We took time to read our books and when we get back from spring break we will work on some mini book reports. Soon we'll pick a class book and have some guest readers come in! Any guesses who might stop by?!


Third Grade Math:
We have a few kids that are REALLY close to passing the 12's multiplication! Mr. Zeck said it was OK for us to have an ICE CREAM PARTY when the whole class finishes so really practice those math facts at home! For those who have already passed, we are beginning division! We finished up our % packets together and had a little time to do some math on our iPod's, a real treat!




Third Grade LA:

This week we watched the Pied Piper on Pi day! We also finished up writing our own fairy tales in our journals. I had so much fun reading them all, we have great creative writers! They've also been doing their best to write in cursive and their practice is paying off! They were all a little tired from the time change and all the testing so we took it a little easy this week. I handed back their Edmund Fitzgerald pictures to take home, we had many compliments on their art work! Next week we will begin a lesson about fairy tale grammar. 




Fourth Grade Math:

First we worked on our Pi worksheet. Then we finished our role reversal presentations.

Olivia C. did a lesson on fractions by making Harry Potter's butter beer! 

Olivia V. taught kids how to tell time with little clocks!
David taught kids how to do fractions using a slide show!
Gage taught measurement using Star Wars light sabers!
Jacob taught a Minecraft Math worksheet using the doc cam! Creepers!
Nick made up a cool multiplication and division puzzle worksheet!
Please see below for all the pictures, there are just too many! 

Thank you so much to the parents who helped their kids complete this assignment from home by sending in packs of Hershey bars, butter beer, etc. The kids really knocked it out of the park, I'm so proud of them!

Fourth Grade LA

This week we worked out our lesson called Men and Women Who Changed the World. We dove into our books and began writing out our research and preparing for the presentations after spring break.  We had a really wonky schedule on Tuesday so some of the kids were with me for more than an hour working away! I appreciate their hard work and love how they try to squeeze in as much HA time as possible! 



#ALLSTARS
Thank you to this weeks #AllStars! Kids get a star if I catch them doing something Extraordinary! 

Michael
Bailey
Jessica 
Becca

Who's the LEADER of the club
That's made for you and me?

Hey 3rd grade!
Meet the this weeks Mouse-kateers!

Isabelle & Rowyn
Each week I'll be picking two kids who
show leadership in class. They get wear the lucky
Mickey Mouse Club lanyards all day and come down to my class for
a special lunch and fun in the classroom!
Great work kids! 

The Mickey Mouse Club title screen.jpg


Last but not least...
4th Grade Math Presentations!
Nick using the doc cam to show us his worksheet lesson on multiplication and division!
Olivia V. doing her time/clock lesson using the doc cam!
Olivia C. doing a Harry Potter inspired lesson on fractions!
Everyone enjoying Olivia's delicious Butter Beer!


Jacob doing a Minecraft Math inspired lesson worksheet using the doc cam!


David doing a slide show lesson about fractions!


Gage doing a lesson Star Wars inspired  lesson on measurement with light sabers!

Friday, March 11, 2016

News for the week of March 7, 2016

Bailly Elementary! 

As the weather gets warmer, I will try to take the kids outside while we do our lessons on occasion. If you have or would like to donate a waterproof blanket for all of the high ability classes to share, we would really appreciate it! 

Word of the week Courage:  The ability to face uncertainty or danger without being overcome by fear that keeps you from taking action.

Quote of the week: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" -Nelson Mandela. Picked by Sam, 3rd grade.



CogAT Testing for High Ability

This week I gave the full test to all 2nd grade students for High Ability Services for the 2016-2017 school year. Next week, I will be giving the make up test to anyone who missed it. I should not miss any of my HA classes next week! 

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

Mrs. Jarka and Holly Koedyker from LES are attending a workshop on High Ability Identification in April, along with a representatives from each building in Duneland. (LIS, WIS, CMS and CHS) They look to gain a lot more valuable information for narrowing in our high ability identification.  Students will now be monitored at the end of each school year which is new.  Next year there will be new students added, many will remain and some will be removed.  It's pretty common, at this age, to have the flow "in and out" of a gifted program.  I'm excited about the continuing progress of our high ability services.  Not only is Duneland's High Ability identification becoming more spot on, but the new curriculum is geared towards meeting the needs of gifted children.  We've also just purchased a new math curriculum that we'll be using at each grade level next year.  I'm so very excited about the future of our program!

First Grade Math:

This week we began a new lesson on measurement! We watched a movie by Bill Nye Science Guy that talked about standard vs. non-standard measurement. Kylee also read the book Measuring Penny to the class about all the different ways to measure. We will continue with measurement again next week!





First Grade LA:

This week Emmersynn started our Linking Letters lesson and we decoded a Phone Ciper. She read a poem called A Rhyme is a Jump Rope and we made a riddle together with all the words that rhyme with hair homework sheet she did last week! Next week we will begin a lesson called Lovely Letters! Please send her worksheet back on Monday! 

Second Grade Math:

This week we started the magic a Sudoku packet. It was a lot of fun, we paired up and worked with our math buddies to solve the fun puzzles! Next week we will try a new packet called a Queen's Puzzle!



  

Second Grade LA:

This week we started our own mini book club!
I laid out a table full of books to choose from. We took our books outside and read, it was really nice! Next week we will begin sharing our books with the class! 








Third Grade Math:

Wow did these kids miss math! We did our timed math test and for those who've already passed the multiplication have moved onto division! We began a new packet on percents, it was hard but we're learning! Next week we will finish that packet up together and do a little Sumdog too!  


Congrats Emma & DJ for passing your timed math test!
  
Third Grade LA:

This week Amadeo read the The Fisherman and his Wife to the class. We talked more about fairy tales and took some time to write our own fairy tale in our journals. We're also trying to write cursive when we can, the kids are getting good at it! Next week we'll finish up writing our fairy tale and talk about the Pied Piper. 






Fourth Grade Math:

This week we started role reversal presentations. Brayden did a presentation with legos on graphing, Ira did a lesson on fractions using a slide show, Riona and Michael did a lesson on fractions using Hershey chocolate bars. (yum!) We'll keep going on these next week!






Fourth Grade LA

This week we started a new lesson called Men and Women Who Changed the World. We took a trip down to the library to pick out books to do a mini biography presentation. We started reading the book and began filling out a biography organizer. Next week we'll dig deeper into these projects! 




#ALLSTARS
Thank you to this weeks #AllStars! Kids get a star if I catch them doing something Extraordinary! 

Kylee
Ira


Jacob
Rowyn


Who's the LEADER of the club
That's made for you and me?

Hey 3rd grade!
Meet the this weeks Mouse-kateers!

Ella & Aubrey

Each week I'll be picking two kids who
show leadership in class. They get wear the lucky
Mickey Mouse Club lanyards down to my class for
a special lunch and fun in the classroom!
Great work kids! 

The Mickey Mouse Club title screen.jpg