As hard as it is to believe, tomorrow is the final day of school! We will be having our "Flip For Kids" Pancake feed tomorrow, and the report cards go home tomorrow. Do not forget that dismissal is at 11 am! Hopefully you all received the Father's Day gifts, I told the kids that Father's Day is Sunday but you may need to remind them. The kids wrapped their own gifts and some look pretty interesting! Thanks to all of you for being so supportive and making this a great year. Words cannot express how much I enjoyed this school year. Thanks and HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!
-Mr. C
PS-If you need to contact me, email jcollyer53@msn.com. My school address will be unavailable during the summer.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO CAME TO OUR POETRY CELEBRATION!
It was great to see such a super turn out. Another incredible event in an incredible school year. I hope you have a fantastic day.
I hope I get to see you tomorrow for our Poetry Celebration! It begins at 2 right here in room 19. See you there!!
Mr. C
PS-If you have any extra 8X10 frames lying around, we would love to give them a home :)
6/8/09
Parents,
Well, it is hard to believe but this is my final newsletter of the 2008/09 school year (I think I may need a tissue). I would like to start out by telling all of you what a great year I had this year. It has been a true honor to work with these amazing young people, I am lucky to have a job that gives me so much joy. It has also been great getting to know you, the parents of these incredible 4th graders. I hope you and your child have enjoyed this year as much as I have!
However, the year is not over yet, and there are some important events coming up on the horizon. The first is our “Poetry Celebration” tomorrow (I hope you received your invitation on Friday, if not look below this newsletter) at 2 pm right here in room 19. I hope you can attend, it is a chance for you to see the hard work the kids put into their exciting poetry unit. Speaking of poetry, the grade sheet will go home today. The poetry books will go home tomorrow after our celebration. Remember, your child is allowed to leave with you upon the conclusion of our event.
Our Social Studies “WA Zig-Zag” report is due tomorrow! Any student who is not finished with their report at the end of the day today will take the report home to finish. If the report is not done tomorrow it will be considered late and points will be deducted from the overall score. I will have these returned and scored by the end of the week!
The Variety Show is this week. The dates are the afternoon of Thursday the 11th, and morning of Friday the 12th. The 4th graders will perform during the Friday morning session. If you would like to attend, that session will begin at 9:30 am. I look forward to seeing the Sunrise Superstars show off their many skills and talents!
I would like to just say “THANKS” to all of you wonderful parent volunteers who helped out throughout the school year! Marie, Sharlene, Stacey H, Stacey E, Trina, Natalie and Denise you all did a super job and I cannot say thank-you enough. It has been a super year and I hope you all have a great summer!
Mr. C
(Important Dates are under the Poetry Invitation)
4th Grade “Potpourri of Poetry Celebration”
You are cordially invited to our Poetry Reading on Tuesday, June 9th @ 2 pm in Room 19. The fourth graders will be reading selections from their poetry books to friends and family, and it would be an honor if you could attend. Feel free to invite other relatives to enjoy this occasion. An RSVP would be appreciated at jcollyer@cvsd.org. Thanks and have a wonderful day, we hope you can make it!
-Mr. Collyer and his Poets
PS-Poets may leave with their parents after the Celebration.
Other Dates to Remember
June 9th-Fourth Grade Poetry Celebration (2 pm)
June 11th-PM Variety Show
June 12th-AM Variety Show (4th Grade on this date, starts @ 9:30)
June 15th-Play Day
June 16th-Awards Assembly
June 17th-Flip for Kids Pancake Breakfast (Half-Day and Last Day of School)
Happy Friday!! I hope you have a great weekend! Thanks to a super parent who is on the ball (thanks Marie), I was told of an error in my schedule. There was a change made earlier in the week with some of the dates. I placed them below. I also sent home a schedule and an invite to our Poetry Celebration on the 9th, which is a Tuesday, at 2 pm. Enjoy your weekend!!
June 9th-Fourth Grade Poetry Celebration (2 pm)
June 11th-PM Variety Show
June 12th-AM Variety Show (4th Grade on this date, starts @ 9:30)
June 15th-Play Day
June 16th-Awards Assembly
June 17th-Flip for Kids Pancake Breakfast (Half-Day and Last Day of School)
Hello parents, I hope you are gearing up for a great weekend! Be sure your fourth grader studies for the spelling test tomorrow. Get those May Reading Logs turned in if you have not done so already. Please try to get an 8X10 inch frame in ASAP for our Father's Day projects. If you have any extra we could use them, they do not have to be new! Have a super day.
Mr. C
PS-As the end of the year approaches, keep these dates in mind:
June 5th-Fourth Grade Human Growth and Development
June 9th-Fourth Grade Poetry Celebration (2 pm)
June 11th-Awards Assembly
June 12th-PM Talent Show
June 15th-AM Talent Show
June 16th-Play Day
June 17th-Flip for Kids Pancake Breakfast (Half-Day and Last Day of School)
6/1/09
Parents,
Can you believe it is June already!? This school year has absolutely flown by!! You know what they say, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” I hope you had a great weekend, it was gorgeous and I enjoyed being outside.
This week is a very busy week! We are beginning a Father’s Day project, and parents you have some homework. PLEASE SEND IN AN 8 X 10 INCH FRAME WITH YOUR CHILD! These frames are going to be used for our Father’s Day gift. If you have any extra frames, please send them in. These frames DO NOT have to be new.
I hope you all have a great week! Be sure and get those May reading logs turned in, those are the final logs of the year.
Mr. C
June 2nd-Fourth Grade Talent Show Try-Outs
June 5th-Fourth Grade Human Growth and Development
June 9th-Fourth Grade Poetry Celebration (2 pm)
June 11th-Awards Assembly
June 12th-PM Talent Show
June 15th-AM Talent Show
June 16th-Play Day
June 17th-Flip for Kids Pancake Breakfast (Half-Day and Last Day of School)
SPELLING WORDS
bottom
picture
other
attend
capture
common
danger
afraid
borrow
office
arrow
suppose
escape
whether
pillow
dinner
thirty
degree
allow
corner
method
concert
narrate
abrupt
challenge
5/26/09
Parents,
I hope that you all had a fantastic Memorial Day, I certainly did! The weather was gorgeous and I did not have to do TOO much yard work (although there is some that needs to get done). I hope you all had a chance to take some time and remember the true meaning of Memorial Day. Thanks to all who have served and sacrificed for us.
This week is a short week, but that does not mean we do not have a busy schedule! A look at our week is below:
MATH-We have our math test tomorrow over Unit 11. PLEASE review the study guide with your child tonight. There will be a study session after school today for those students who are interested, it runs from 3:15-3:45. The next unit is Unit 12 and it covers rates. The parent letter will go home tomorrow.
READING-This week will be taking a quiz over our story the “The Last Dragon”. Be sure your child is keeping up with their reading calendar! Those are due next Monday and will be our final calendar of the school year. Congratulations to those students who earned a Silverwood ticket! Those tickets went home today.
WRITING-The kids are really taking off with their poetry projects! The work they have done has been great, I am very proud of their efforts. I cannot wait to have you come in and enjoy their work. Our poetry celebration is on the 9th of June and it begins at 2 pm. I hope you can make it! There is NO spelling test this week, we will have words next week.
SOCIAL STUDIES-The kids continue to work on their “Zig-Zag” reports on WA. The first draft of this project is due on Friday! Some students will be taking this home to work on them.
HEALTH-We are continuing to use our “Too Good for Drugs” curriculum. Students ask some very good questions, I encourage you to discuss some the topics from class at home. We also have Human Growth and Development next Friday. Let me know if you have questions and/or comments.
That about takes care of this week, told you it was busy. One last item, we will be having an excellent party tomorrow. I will be providing floats for the kiddos. The kids can wear “comfy” clothes (pajama pants, sweat pants, etc), it should be a great time! Have a super week!
Mr. C
DATES TO REMEMBER
May 27th-Excellent Party
June 2nd-Fourth Grade Talent Show Try-Outs
June 5th-Fourth Grade Human Growth and Development
June 9th-Fourth Grade Poetry Celebration
June 11th-Awards Assembly
June 12th-PM Talent Show
June 15th-AM Talent Show
June 16th-Play Day
June 17th-Flip for Kids Pancake Breakfast (Half-Day and Last Day of School)
5/21
Hello everyone, it is good to be back after missing yesterday for a district mtg. What a gorgeous day, I hope you all can get out and enjoy it sometime today. Just wanted to let you know that the study guide for our math test went home today and is due on Tuesday the 26th. Our test is going to be on Wednesday the 27th. I will be having a study group next Tuesday after school, let me know if you would like your child to attend. Have a great day and an even better Memorial Day Weekend!!!
Mr. C
PS-Make sure your child studies for their spelling test that is tomorrow!
5/18
I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful weekend, I sure did! So much in fact that I received my first sunburn of 09. Just a quick reminder, be sure to send in the signature portion of the progress report so I know you received it. Also, today was the first day of our Pet Drive! We are looking for donations of dry pet food, treats, pet toys, and non-clumping cat litter. Please help if you can!
SPELLING
sure
here
knew
might
pretty
really
very
where
little
until
into
off
said
our
letter
finally
different
excite
truly
suppose
5/15
Happy Friday everyone, I hope you all are able to enjoy this gorgeous weekend we have coming up! There are just a few quick items I wanted to address:
-Progress Reports went home today. Please look them over and return the signature portion on Monday. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.
-We have begun a Pet Food Drive here at Sunrise to help the local animal sheters. We are looking for donations of dry pet food, treats, pet toys, and non-clumping cat litter. Please help if you can!
Have a great weekend!
5/11/09
Parents,
Hello, and a belated Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful moms who do such a great job with the fantastic fourth graders from room 19! I hope you all enjoyed your day yesterday, and your families treated you wonderfully.
After school on Friday I received some terrific news! Six of our very own fourth graders are becoming published poets!! We entered the Young Writers of America poetry contest in April as a class. The contest incorporated the entire state of Washington, in grades 3-5. The kids had to write a poem of 20 lines or fewer writing about their family or the world as they saw it. The class did a marvelous job with their writing (you will see these pieces in their poetry book they complete and take home) and all of the students should be very proud. The six students who were selected for the book are:
• Gabrielle
• Alexis
• Travis
• Anna
• Courtney
• Emma
Be sure your fourth grader is ready for their math test tomorrow! I am having a
tutoring session today after school from 3:10-3:40, let me know if your child is coming! This week our puppet shows are due, that date is 5/14! If there are any unexpected delays, please let me know so I can make accommodations. Spelling words are on the web, and went home today. Progress Reports will go home on Friday! Please
That about covers this week, just one quick reminder: MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD REHEARSES THEIR PUPPET SHOW! Have a great week.
Mr. C
PS-There are many important dates on the horizon. A list is below.
June 2nd-Fourth Grade Talent Show Try-Outs
June 5th-Fourth Grade Human Growth and Development*
June 9th-Fourth Grade Poetry Celebration*
June 11th-Awards Assembly
June 12th-PM Talent Show
June 15th-AM Talent Show
June 16th-Play Day
June 17th-Flip for Kids Pancake Breakfast (Half-Day and Last Day of School)
*More information about these items to come.
THE LAST DRAGON
village
cottage
bridge
fence
strange
chance
twice
cage
change
carriage
glance
ridge
manage
damage
since
marriage
edge
lodge
cabbage
dodge
fleece
fragrance
homage
fringe
excellence
5/7/09
Parents, please be sure your child is ready for tomorrow's field trip. Make certain they are dressed for the weather, have a sack lunch, are wearing comfortable shoes, and have their token of appreciation for their pen pal.
Also, due to the field trip we will NOT be having our spelling test tomorrow OR our quiz over "Marven of the Great North Wood". There is an alternative assessment for spelling (see below) and we will have our quiz for "Marven" on Monday. Study guides for Math Unit 9 went home today and are due on Monday!
Have a great Thursday and an even better weekend!
Mr. C
Spelling Assessment for the week of 5/4-5/8
Your spelling test this week will not be able to be accomplished in class due to the field trip. Therefore, you have an alternative assessment. The task is below:
• USING YOUR WORDS FOR THIS WEEK, TELL A SHORT (NO MORE THAN A PAGE) STORY. THE STORY CAN BE ANY FICTION GENRE YOU LIKE (REALISTIC, FANTASY, HISTORICAL, ETC.) BUT YOU MUST INCLUDE ALL 25 WORDS. THE ASSESSMENT IS DUE TOMORROW, 5/8!
5/4/09
Parents,
Hello to everyone, I hope you had a great weekend, I know I enjoyed mine! After last year’s defeat at the hands (or guess it is more like feet) of my wife, I beat her at Bloomsday! She ran it 60 min 33 sec, I ran it in 59 min 57 sec. I still have a ways to go to beat Mr. Kramer (he is fast), but at least I do not have to listen to my wife brag this year . It was great to see all of the kids here at school with their Bloomsday shirts on, and the weather was not too bad. All in all, a great weekend!
We have quite a week lined up this week! Lots of things going on, a look at our week is below:
• READING: We have a new story beginning this week, “Marven of the Great North Woods”. There will be a quiz over the story on Friday. Be sure your student gets their April Reading Calendar turned in. Also, make sure your 4th grader is working on their puppet show! We perform in 10 days.
• WRITING: Our super students are continuing with their Poetry Unit, and it is going very well. We have covered Acrostics, Cinquains, and Who-What-When-Where-Why Poems. This week we have Alliteration, Haiku, and 5 Senses Poetry. It should be a lot of fun. Spelling words went home and are available on the web.
• SOCIAL STUDIES/SCIENCE: We are observing our Grass as it continues to grow in science. In Social Studies we are continuing with Chapter 3, and we will also be starting our Zig-Zag books about Washington. Information about these books will go home tomorrow.
• MATH: Unit 9 is quickly coming to an end. We will be having our test over Unit 9 next Tuesday. A study guide will go home later this week, and I will be having an after school study session next Monday from 3:10-3:40. Let me know if you would like your 4th grader to attend.
• FIELD TRIP: Do not forget, our field trip to Fort Wright Institute is on Friday! Be sure to get those permission slips in. If you need another, or would like another copy of the information letter that went home on Friday let me know.
That is what we have happening this week! I hope that you all have a great week!
-Mr. C
PS-Missing work slips will be going out to those students who are missing work this Wednesday! Progress Reports will be going home next week.
Marven of the Great North Woods
beauty
ugly
lazy
marry
ready
sorry
empty
honey
valley
movie
duty
hungry
lonely
alley
body
twenty
turkey
hockey
fifty
monkey
fiery
envy
mercy
chimney
imaginary
5/1/09
Hello there everyone, I hope you have a nice Friday and a great weekend. Be sure your 4th grader is practicing for their Puppet Show, they are performed in less than 2 weeks!! Below is a copy of a letter that went home about next week's field trip. I will see some of you hopefully at Bloomsday!
Parents,
Greetings to all of you wonderful 4th grade parents! The annual Sunrise 4th Grade Field Trip to the Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute to visit our pen pals occurs on Friday. We are all very excited to go, but in order to ensure a great visit the 4th teachers have a few reminders.
• Students are asked to give a small, inexpensive gift, or “token of friendship”. This can be as simple as a card, a hand drawn picture, candy, or souvenir for their pen-pal to remember them by.
• Students need to dress appropriately. Be sure to check the weather for next Friday. Kids should be dressed in layers; if it is sunny they should have sunscreen, and bring a light jacket. Dress for the weather!
• Lunches for our field trip need to be sack lunches. All items need to be disposable, nothing will be brought back! Also, do not place any glass items that my break in their lunch.
• NO ELECTRONICS! Do not allow your child to bring their I-pod, Nintendo DS, or any other electronic items. We do not want your child to lose them, and we also do not want them to be using them when they are supposed to be involved in our field trip activities.
Thanks so much for all of your assistance as we prepare for our field trip. I hope all of you have a great week! Please let your child’s teacher know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
The Sunrise 4th Grade Team
4/30
Happy ALMOST May everyone! Be sure your 4th Grader does the following:
-Studies for their Spelling Test & Reading Quiz
-Has the appropriate attire for our Walk-a-thon tomorrow
-Brings in their April Reading Calendar
Thanks and GO CANUCKS GO! I apologize to anyone who is not a hockey fan and does not know what that means :) Have a great night!
4/27/09
Parents,
What a great weekend! I was able to sneak in golf and yard work without getting rained on Saturday and Sunday. I hope that my good luck holds out! I also hope you had a great weekend as well. Well, it is back to our regular routine this week, and I for one am glad. It is going to be a busy week. A look at our week is below.
• FIELD TRIP: Permission slips for our visit with our Mukogawa pen-pals went home today. Please sign and return as soon as possible. The field trip is on Friday, May 8th. We will be heading to the Fort Wright Institute (near Spokane Falls CC) at 9:15, so try not to be late!
• READING: We are back into our reading anthology this week. We are reading “Maria Isabel” this week, there will be a quiz on Friday. Students are encouraged to read the story at home, they can count that time on their Reading Calendars. Speaking of Reading Calendars, those are due on Friday! Be sure your student is working on their “Puppet Show”.
• MATH: Today we started on the second lesson of Unit 9. This unit covers percents, fractions, and decimals. We will also be getting back on track with our timings in multiplication and division. Be sure your child is practicing their facts!
• WRITING: I am very excited about writing for the up-coming weeks! We are beginning a poetry unit. The students will be receiving a packet tomorrow that will outline this unit. This unit will also entail a culminating event with all of you wonderful parents! More information about this entire project will be sent home soon. Spelling words went home and are available on my website.
• SCIENCE: The kiddos are taking their Organisms Test today. Those tests will be graded and returned on Tuesday. We are also conducting a scientific investigation involving plants and light.
• SOCIAL STUDIES: We are starting “Chapter 3: Fur Traders and Explorers” this week. Very soon the students will be starting a report on Washington. The information for this project will be sent home soon.
That is a look at our week, and some upcoming projects, told you we would be busy! I hope you all have a great week, and I hope to see you at Bloomsday on Sunday. Take care.
-Mr. C
PS-Be sure to send in those “Pennies for Patients”! We are accepting change to help out with kids suffering Leukemia.
Happy Thursday everyone! Just wanted to send a note home today with some reminders. Have a great night and an even better weekend!
· Tomorrow is our WASL WAFFLE celebration. Please have your items in by tomorrow.
· Tomorrow is also TWIN DAY! Your child is encouraged to dress like a friend or friends, school appropriate of course.
· Science Test on Monday! Be sure your student brings their science book home to study over the weekend.
· Our book project, “Puppet Show”, is coming up fast! Be sure your child is studying their script (they created) and making their puppets.
I would just like to say once again how proud I am of each and every student for working so hard on the WASL!
Mr. C
4/22/09
Well the WASL is almost over this year (and for good, although there will be another state test next yr with a different acronym). I am very proud of the effort our fantastic fourth graders put forth over the six sessions, and they deserve many accolades. Kudos to you fourth graders!
Tomorrow the kiddos have a quiz in science (got to jump right back into our regular routine) so they need to study. The quiz is over parts of a plant. Pages 25-28 and the drawing on page 47 are great study tools. For those looking for more homework (which I am sure all of my students are) work on those puppets!
Happy Earth Day! Some of my future environmentalists want us to remember to turn off our lights for one minute tonight to celebrate Earth Day at 9 pm.
Mr. C
PS-Get those WASL WAFFLE treats turned in ASAP!
4/20/09
Parents,
We are nearing the end of our WASL journey! Wednesday the 22nd will be our final test for the 2009 WASL, it is a writing prompt. Tomorrow we will be doing the final reading test on the WASL. To celebrate our completion of the WASL, and the kids’ hard work, on Friday we will be having WASL Waffles! Be sure to get your items in before Friday, let me know if you have any questions. Our homework this week is “Puppet Show” project. Make sure your fantastic fourth grader is working on their puppets. Have a great week!
Mr. C
4/17/09
Happy Friday Everyone!! The kids got a day off of the WASL today, they earned it. I am so proud of how hard they are working and the time they devote to this test. We have four sessions completed, with two left. Math is on Tuesday, and the final test is writing on Wednesday.
To celebrate the completion of the WASL, next Friday (4/24) the entire fourth grade here at Sunrise is having "WASL WAFFLES"! A letter is going home today with your child explaining more. On the letter is also an item your child volunteered to bring in next week. There is also a portion on the bottom asking for volunteers. If you could, please send back that portion ASAP. If your child volunteers to bring in something you do not wish to provide, let me know and I will change it, no problem.
On a final note, our librarians, Mrs. Connell and Mrs. Weisbeck, have gained access for our students to a great website. It is www.tumblebooks.com, and it is great! The username is sun, and the password is books. The site is free and your child can use the time on the site as minutes for their reading calendars. I have linked this site above.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the sun!
Mr. C
4/13/09
Parents,
Hello to all of you, I truly hope you had a great Easter Weekend. I certainly enjoyed watching my niece and nephew go hunting for eggs in the rain. I also had a marvelous time at the Shock game as I was in the front row! Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Enloe for the great seats! I felt like I was in the game. Our schedule over the next two weeks is going to be a bit different than usual. There will be no spelling, also no homework will be issued in class besides the reading calendars and book project. We will not be having volunteers until after the WASL as well. On April 27th we will resume with our “regular” class and volunteer schedule.
Thanks for getting those WASL bags in, it really meant a lot to the kids. I would like to give a special thanks to those of you who donated extra materials, they will truly come in handy over the next two weeks. As we get into the WASL, I encourage you to talk with the kids about how they feel they did. Be sure and ask if they need extra snacks, or supplies to bring to school. If they feel discouraged, let them know it is okay and that the WASL is not used to determine their grade. Let them know that as long as they are trying their best, and checking their work, then they have nothing to feel bad about. I feel the kids are going to great!
I hope you all have a tremendous week. Be sure to root for the Chiefs tomorrow night as they play Vancouver in Game 7 of their playoff series!!
Mr. C
Happy Easter Weekend Everyone! I hope you all have a pleasant and joyful holiday. Just a quick reminder to be sure your fantastic fourth grader gets a good night sleep on Sunday, and then eats a good healthy breakfast on Monday. Parents, if you have not dropped off your "homework" at the school PLEASE get it here first thing Monday! Take care.
Mr. C
Just a quick heads up. If for some reason, you did not receive the note that accompanies this week's homework, I would like to fill you in. The packet that went home (it consists of 3 pages) is due on Friday. Your child should work on a portion of it each night. The packet will be reviewed, so if there are any problems that your child is struggling with, know they will get help in class. Have a great week!
4/6/09
Parents,
Welcome to April! It is hard to believe, but we only have three months of school left. The year is just going by so quickly! I hope you all had a fantastic (and restful) spring break. We have a busy week this week, a look at our week is below.
READING: Our book projects came in and they are looking good! We will begin a new project tomorrow called “Puppet Show”. The information goes home tomorrow, and it should be a ton of fun! We are continuing with our Reading Packets, and we also start a new unit in our Anthology entitled “Focus on Plays”. The April Reading Calendars went home before Spring Break, but let me know if you need another.
MATH: We have begun Unit 10 in our math series. The unit focuses on Reflections and Symmetry. We will also be working in our Math Packets this week.
WRITING: The class has started a new expository writing piece. The piece focuses on their favorite season, and why it is their favorite. This week we will be studying the “No Excuse” words as we gear up for the WASL next week. There will not be a spelling test this week. Spelling tests will resume upon completion of the WASL.
SCIENCE: We are working in our “Organisms” science curriculum this week. The class will have the opportunity to “grow” some more species of organisms.
Remember, next week is the beginning of the WASL. I hope you all have a great week!
-Mr. C
Happy Sunday everybody! I hope you have enjoyed your time off, tomorrow it is back to school. I just wanted to remind those of you out there that procrastinate (not that anyone in room 19 does that) book projects are due tomorrow!! DO NOT hole punch and string them, that will be done tomorrow. Enjoy your Sunday, and I look forward to seeing all of you.
Mr. C
3/27/09
HAPPY SPRING BREAK EVERYONE!
I hope you all enjoy your time with your kids, and get to relax and have some fun. Maybe the fun will begin tonight with a Zag win. I just wanted to give you a few reminders before we head home for the break.
-Reading Projects are due on the 6th of April! It is the Monday we return from school. If there are any questions please email my msn account. I will check it over the break.
-April Reading Calendars went home today. Be sure to look over the goal with your child, and have them reading in between all the fun they will have during their time off.
-If your child gets bored, all of my links above are educational. We all know how kids love those educational games!
Have a great break, and see you in April!
-Mr. C
PS-If any parents out there, need another "bag" let me know and I will get you one.
3/24/09
Parents/Guardians,
With Spring Break coming I have posted two new sites for the students to practice their grammar skills. The first is freerice.com which is a great site to build vocabulary skills. In addition to helping build vocabulary, the site donates rice to third world countries with every attempt during your student's session (or every adult's, give it a try, the upper levels are difficult). The second link is to the 101 No Excuse 4th Grade Words (thanks Mrs. Stumbough). These words are frequently used, but are misspelled and/or used incorrectly. Over the break, if time permits, quiz your child on these words. Thanks for taking the time to assist in your child's education!
Mr. C
3/23/09
Parents/Guardians,
I think I am finally recovering my breath from that exciting Zag finish on Saturday, what a game! I guess that officially put me on the GU bandwagon for this year’s tournament (especially since my Cougs are not playing any more). I hope you all had a great weekend. Just a few quick items as we head into our final week before Spring Break:
• Cookie Dough Sale is on, and we have challenged Mr. Kramer’s third grade class! Whichever class sells the most cookie dough will receive doughnuts for the entire class!
• There are NO spelling words this week, we will return to our spelling words after spring break.
• There will be an “Area/Perimeter Quiz” this week on Friday. Due to conferences, I will be unable to have a study session after school. Please review area and perimeter with your child.
• BOOK PROJECTS ARE DUE 4/6! This is the first day back from break. Make sure your child is ready and has the supplies to create their project.
• If you are leaving town before Friday, please let me know so I can get your child some of the items they will need to be caught up when they return!
I hope you all have a fantastic week, and you and your family have an outstanding (and relaxing) Spring Break!
-Mr.C
3-16-09
Parents/Guardians,
Happy St. Patrick’s Week! I hope you all had a great weekend, I know I did. The excitement of the NCAA tourney (and this year, I am more excited for the NIT) is upon us, which is why this is one of my favorite times of year. The Zags play on Thursday, but the real game is on Tuesday night when the Cougs play St. Mary’s! But enough about basketball, we have plenty going on with us this week!
• MATH: We have our Unit 7 Math Test on Wednesday the 18th! I will be having an after school study group tomorrow from 3:15-3:45. If you would like your child to attend, please email me or send me a note.
• WRITING: Tomorrow is our “WASL Writing Warm-Up”. The students will go through an entire writing session. Be sure your student is rested, has a healthy snack, and is ready to do their best! Our final “No Excuse” spelling list went home today and is available on the web.\
• SCIENCE: We are continuing with our Organisms Science Kit. Today we started a delicious experiment involving bread. We are growing mold! It should be very interesting to see the results. Look for your student to be bringing home their workbooks this week to prepare for our plant quiz!
• READING: “Heat Wave” is the story we are continuing to work with from our reading text. The class also will be working out of our reading packet. The paper is ready to go home for child to begin their book project. The students need to finish their book before they can start the project! Also, “Silverwood Reading Logs” are due the 25th.
• CONFERENCES: Early dismissals begin on Friday. Dismissal times from Friday the 20th through Friday the 27th will be 12:35. Conferences will once again be held in my room. If you cannot make it for some reason, please let me know ASAP so we can reschedule. A reminder will go home one day prior to your conference. I look forward to meeting with you and your child!
That about wraps it up! I hope you all have a fantastic week and will see you soon at your child’s conference. GO COUGS!!!
-Mr. C
PS-I would like to send heart-felt thanks out to the PTO! Due to their generosity we were able to obtain a Smart Board over the weekend!! Hopefully it will be operational in the near future so we can see it in action at conferences.
No Excuse Words List 4
through
to
you're
witch
where
two
pitcher
quite
right
then
they're
though
us
usual
weather
we're
who
your
whole
whether
3/10/09
Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great week (be sure to stay warm). Tomorrow is a busy day, we leave for our field trip at 9:15 sharp, so be sure you get your child here on time if you drop them off. Also, tomorrow I am having a study group for those kiddos who want some help with fractions. Have a great night!
3/9/09
Parents/Guardians,
We are going to have an exciting week this week! We have two very special events happening this week, on Wednesday we have our field trip and on Friday we have a Celebrity Reader stopping by. Wednesday we go to North Idaho College to watch their symphony (be sure your child’s permission slip is in). It should be fantastic! Friday a player on the Spokane Shock will be stopping by to read to the kids, answer questions, and maybe sign a few autographs. A look into our week is below:
• WRITING: We are working on a narrative piece this week, as well as conferencing. Your student has received some feedback and suggestions on their piece about friendship. We are also working on our writing stamina. Next Tuesday the 17th will be a WASL “Dress Rehearsal” for writing. On that Tuesday, we will complete a pre-write, rough draft, and final copy all in one session, just like the WASL. Be sure your child is well rested that night, and they have a healthy snack. Spelling words for the week went home and are available on the web.
• READING: Our next story is “Heat Wave” that we will be reading. We are also working in our reading packets. Be sure your child has selected their award winning novel and they are reading it. The supplies for the book project will be available Wednesday to take home. Students will not be allowed to take the supplies home until they finish the book.
• MATH: Unit 7 will be concluded this week, so you know what that means-TEST NEXT WEEK! Our test will be on Wednesday, the 18th. Study guides will go home this Friday and be due on Tuesday the 17th. I will be having two study groups to assist those students who may need some extra math help. The first will be this Wednesday the 11th, the second will be on Tuesday the 17th. Please email or send me a note if you would like your child to participate.
• SCIENCE: We have started our unit on Organisms. The children have really enjoyed the topics that are presented within this subject. There will be a couple of quizzes this week in science, so be sure your 4th grader studies!
That is about it, be sure and let me know if you have any questions or comments. Have a great week, and okay, I give up, GO ZAGS!!
-Mr. C
PS-Conference slips went home today, be sure to fill it out and return it to school ASAP. Thanks!
Fourth Grade No Excuse Words List 3
around
breath
choose
country
enough
hear
here
hole
its
loose
no
of
lose
one
our
picture
piece
quilt
really
than
unusual
3/5/09
Parents/Guardians,
Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great week. I just wanted to pass on a few announcements about Friday.
• Mukagowa Pen Pals will be stopping by tomorrow. If your child has a few photos or mementos they would like to bring in to share, that would be great! Also, your child needs to be sure their letter is finished to give them tomorrow, if your kiddo has to finish that up tonight, be sure they do!
• This is “Read Across America” week! Tomorrow we will have a “Read-In” after lunch recess for 45 minutes. Be sure your student has a book, preferably their award winning novel for their book project.
• BE SURE THE FOURTH GRADER’S STUDY FOR THEIR SPELLING TEST!
Have a great Thursday, and a great weekend. GO COUGS, BEAT UW!!!!
-Mr. C
Hello to everyone! We have begun our next book project (the information went home on Monday). We will be creating windsocks, but before we can do that the kiddos need to select a book. The book MUST be an award winner. It can be any award, but the book needs to be a chapter book. Students have until tomorrow to find their book or they will be assigned one. Be sure you ask your student about their book tonight! Have a great day.
3/2/09
Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to March! This is the month that is home to St. Patrick’s Day, Conferences, and my personal favorite, the NCAA Basketball Tournaments. It is hard to believe, but we only have 4 months of school left. This is going to be a busy week, lots of items are going home, be sure to look over each carefully.
• CONFERENCES: Conferences begin Friday the 27th of March. I have sent home a form requesting the dates you would like to have your conference. Please look it over carefully, be sure to let me know if you have other children attending Sunrise and which class they’re in, and return the form tomorrow. This round of conferences will include your 4th grader this time around!
• READING: The information for our next book project, the Windsock, went home today. The project is making a windsock (the actual forming of the windsock will be done at school, the preparation is done at home). The students will read a book that is an award winner (Caldecott, Newberry, etc) for this most recent project. Any award winning CHAPTER book will be fine in any genre. After looking over the project information, be sure to let me know if you have any questions. Those students who need more time to earn their Silverwood ticket have until March 25th to reach their reading goal. Due to the Silverwood calendar, and our book project, there will not be a reading calendar for March.
• MATH: We are continuing with Unit 7. Some students are having some difficulties with fractions, particularly common denominators. Be sure to review fractions at home whenever possible. I will be having some study groups beginning next week (I am thinking it will be next Wednesday the 11th). We are also taking our second common assessment of the school year today. I look forward to sharing the results with you at conference time.
• SOCIAL STUDIES: The students have their Chapter 2 Social Studies test tomorrow over the Native American tribes of Washington. The students received their study guide on Friday and we reviewed today. Be sure they study tonight!
• SCIENCE: We begin our new science kit on Wednesday! It is entitled “Organisms” and will be very exciting. I would like thank and congratulate the participants in our Science Fair here at Sunrise. Way to go Jackson, Elise, Emma, Courtney, and Sidney!
• WRITING: We wrapped up our essay about “Friendship” which was an expository prompt. This piece will be scored and presented at conferences with you. We are beginning a new piece this week, which is narrative, about something exciting happening! I do not want to give it away, but here is a clue, it involves wings. Students also need to be sure to complete the Mukogawa pen-pal letters to give to their pen-pals on Friday. They will be joining us on Friday, and it should be a great time. The spelling words this week went up on the website and went home today.
• FIELD TRIP: A permission slip went home today for the 4th grade’s annual field trip to North Idaho College. We leave on Wednesday morning at 9:15, and we return at lunch. We get to enjoy the collegiate student symphony. It is going to be great!
That is all for this week (I got tired just typing all of it). Be sure to have the conference sheet and the permission slip in ASAP. Have a great week!
-Mr.C
PS-How about that shot by Taylor Rochestie!!! Did you really think I would not mention it in my weekly newsletter?
Spelling Words the Week of 3/2-3/6
once
receive
girl
brought
again
answer
quiet
probably
people
write
finally
now
know
said
their
too
were
off
caught
believe
could
excite
chose
between
doesn’t
different
goes
cannot
does
all right
2/23/09
Parents,
Hello everyone, hope you had a great weekend. I am still excited from Saturday’s thrilling win by the Cougs! What a great game. Our last week of February will be a busy one. A look at our week is below.
READING: February Reading Logs are due on Monday. Students need to accumulate 600 minutes of reading this month in order to obtain their Silverwood ticket. Let me know if you have any questions. We are continuing with our WASL preparatory reading packet in class this week. In addition, we will be reading and working with our story “Cendrillon” in our reading text.
WRITING: The students are working on a piece about “Friendship” this week. It is expository writing, and we are really focusing on revising and editing our work. It would be helpful if you could remind them that writing is not a race, the important thing is to put forth our best work. Spelling words this week come from our 4th Grade No Excuse List. They are available on the schoolnotes website and they were sent home today.
MATH: Today is the first day of our new unit in our math text. We are on Unit 7 “Fractions and Their Uses; Chance and Probability”. Fractions are difficult for some students to comprehend. Reviewing them and reviewing the number line with your 4th grader will help them immensely. A ruler makes a great number line, and it is also great to demonstrate fractions.
SOCIAL STUDIES: We are continuing with Chapter 2 “Native Americans”. We should conclude the chapter this week. There will be a test over Chapter 2 next week, I am penciling it in for Tuesday (although that could be moved). A study guide will be provided and will be reviewed in class.
SCIENCE: A LAST CALL FOR THE SCIENCE FAIR!!! The deadline has passed, but if your student gets a project ready to go over the next two days they can enter it IF they let me know by tomorrow. This a great way to get some “hands on” science experience and to earn 20 extra credit points. We are also receiving our next science kit soon. It is called “Organisms” and it will be fantastic!
That is just about it. I hope you all have a great week!
-Mr. C
PS-Book orders are due by Friday if you are sending the order back to school instead of using the web. Progress Reports will be sent home on Thursday!
4th Grade No-Excuse Words
List 1
1. sincerely
2. use
3. first
4. thought
5. a lot
6. being
7. there
8. from
9. for
10. already
11. about
12. are
13. usually
14. they
15. it’s
16. family
17. breathe
18. always
19. after
20. another
21. across
22. above
23. very
24. mountain
25. how
26. let’s
27. because
28. won
29. which
30. four
2/20/09
Happy Friday to everyone out there! The Unit 6 test went home today, and most everyone did an exceptional job. Be sure to sign and return the test Monday with your kiddo. Also, a few fantastic fourth graders have to complete some Social Studies over the weekend. If yours happens to be one, give them a reminder. Have a super weekend!!!
Mr. C
PS-I do not know about you, but I am sure excited to have my favorite baseball player of all time back on the Mariners!!!!!
2/18/09
We have a big Unit 6 math test tomorrow!! Be sure your kiddos study up tonight. Also, I have added a link to a great website (thanks Mrs. Hays) so kids can practice using a protractor. Using a protractor will part of the test tomorrow! Have a good night.
Mr. C
2/17/09
Parents,
Lots going on during this four day week! A look at what is going on is below.
• PICTURE DAY: We have our class photo tomorrow! Be sure to get your picture money in tomorrow, an envelope went home today with your child.
• WRITING: We will be focusing on expository writing this week. Our two prompts will be “How to Give an Effective Wax Museum Presentation” and “What Makes a Good Friend”. Our spelling words went home today and are available on the web at schoolnotes.com.
• READING: We are continuing to work in our Reading Packet and have started a new story in class entitled “Cendrillon”. Remember to keep reading for the Silverwood ticket! Your child needs 600 minutes this month, and it is a short month.
• MATH: There is a math test this Thursday! A study guide went home today and is due Wednesday. I am having a study session tomorrow after school from 3:10-3:40. If your child would like to attend be sure to let me know.
• SOCIAL STUDIES: We are beginning chapter 2 in our Washington Social Studies Text. The chapter focuses on the Native Americans of our state.
• SCIENCE: Please consider having your child enter the Science Fair! There are fewer entrants this year than last, and it is a great experience. The student will also receive 20 extra credit points for their science grade. This is almost like a free quiz!
Have a great week!
-Mr. C
SPELLING WORDS FOR "CENDRILLON"
harbor
final
middle
weather
labor
model
chapter
special
sugar
bottle
medal
collar
proper
towel
beggar
battle
trouble
shower
uncle
doctor
shoulder
decimal
trifle
solar
cancel
2/11/09
Hello to all of you out there! We have a big Social Studies test tomorrow, so please be sure your child studies tonight for their test. There will be extra credit for correct spelling (since we have no spelling test this week) and there will also be a bonus question for extra credit.
This Friday is our luncheon, so please be sure you know what your child signed up to bring! Let me know if you have any questions.
Mr. C
2/9/09
Parents/Guardians,
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend, I enjoyed mine. This week is going to be a great week. We have lots of special things going on this week. Below is a look into our “goings on”.
• READING: We continue with our story “The Stranger”. We are also working in our Reading Packets. Be sure your child is logging their minutes for February to earn their free Silverwood ticket! They must reach 600 min.
• SOCIAL STUDIES: A study guide is being filled out in class and our test is on Thursday the 12th. Be sure your fourth grader studies!
• WRITING: We have wrapped up our “Mystery Bag” piece and are moving forward with another. This next piece is going to be an expository essay on friends. There is no spelling test this week
• ART: Be sure your child has a box to decorate for their Valentine Box on Tuesday! If you have any extra boxes, I would be glad to take them off your hands.
• MATH: We are continuing with Unit 6. This Thursday, from 3:10-3:40 I am having a tutoring session for those students who are struggling with division. If you would like your child to attend, please let me know.
• EXCELLENT PARTY: We have earned our second Excellent Party of the school year! This Friday we will have a board game party before lunch. Your child is allowed to bring in a board game to play. If your child does bring a game be sure they have their name on it.
That is it! Have a great week.
Mr. C
PS-Be sure you have those food items here by Friday for our Valentine’s Luncheon! I look forward to seeing many of you here.
Okay, by popular demand by the fantastic fourth graders, I have sent home the list of students so kids can make Valentines this weekend if they choose. I have also placed it at the bottom of this update. Students can either bring in Valentines for everyone, or choose not to bring in any. Let me know if you any questions or concerns.
I also sent home the students' Wax Museum grades. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Have a great weekend.
Mr. C's Class List
Alexis
Courtney
Arye
Kayleigh
Jackson
Anna
Gabrielle
Aliyah
Sarah
Jarett
Travis
Jacey
Sidney
Nate
Jonah
Jake
Aarika
Elise
Derek
Emma
Calan
Ryan
Olga
Mr. C’s
Valentine Box Bonanza!
On Tuesday, Feb. 10th, you will be creating a valentine container! Please bring in a small box, bag, envelope, etc. to decorate. You may bring in items for your project or use items I have available to you in the classroom,.
You may use anything you wish.
*The catch...*
You will only have 1 hour to create your masterpiece! The objective is to have fun,
so start planning your creation now.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Mr. C
PS-A class roster for Valentines will go home on Monday.
2/5/09
WOW!! Way to go 4th Graders, I am so proud of how well you did today on your Wax Museum. Your hard work and practice really paid off. Thanks to you for putting on such a great show, it was a joy to be a part of such a success.
Thanks to all of you who were able to attend, I am sure you enjoyed yourselves.
REMEMBER WE HAVE A SPELLING TEST TOMORROW!
HELLO TO EVERYONE ON THIS NIGHT BEFORE OUR WAX MUSEUM!! Be sure your kids practice, but let them know to relax. "It is okay to make a mistake, do not let it rattle you," is what I have been telling the kids. Parents and friends, please try to be at the school at 2:30 sharp. If you are early I am going to ask you to please wait in the hall outside the class. The kids are going to need to prepare. The closer we can start to 2:30 the better, we should have a full house. Remember, once your child's group has completed their presentation you may take your child home. Have a great night and I am looking forward to tomorrow!
2/3/09
Parents/Guardians,
I hope you all had a great weekend. Unfortunately, I was ill this weekend, and no it was from watching the Steelers win their 6th Super Bowl (although it did not help)! It was one of the more enjoyable Super Bowls I can remember, even better than last year (more big plays). Anyway, we have a very busy week, below is a look.
-WAX MUSEUM: Come one, come all, if you can, to our Wax Museum presentations on Thursday at 2:30 sharp. After your child has presented a couple of times, you are more than welcome to take them home. It should be very exciting!
-SOCIAL STUDIES: We are beginning to wrap up Chapter 1 in our Social Studies text. A study guide will go home Thursday. Our test is going to be on Tuesday, February 10th. Our maps are looking fantastic!
-WRITING: Students are concluding “Mystery Bag”. It is my hope that we have all the final copies concluded very shortly. I want to give the students feedback on their writing and conference with them on how they can improve. As stated last week, we will be focusing more and more on writing in the coming weeks. Spelling words are a little different this week. The Steeler list is 15 words, the Cardinal list is 25. The Steeler list went home today. The test is on Friday.
-MATH: Unit 6 is our unit we are continuing to work with. Story problems and angle measures are the focus this week. However, division will continue to be practiced. In the near future (I am thinking next Wednesday) I would like to have a tutoring session with some students so they can get a better grasp on division. This session will also be open to parents if they would like to see the “partial quotient” method. Truly the biggest problem for the students struggling with division is that they have not yet mastered the basic facts. Be sure your child is practicing their division/multiplication flash cards.
-READING LOG: The form for the February Reading Log went home today. It is different than our previous logs because this is our Silverwood Log! If you return the permission slip, and your child reads 600 minutes, they will receive a free ticket to Silverwood. Please return the permission slip signature portion ASAP.
That is it, I hope you have a great week. Thanks.
-Mr. C
Happy Monday! I am typing this from my home, as I was under the weather this weekend. Not the way I would have chosen to spend my weekend, but I am feeling better today than Sat & Sun. Anyway, there will be a newsletter going home today about the luncheon next Friday. Let me know if there are any questions or concerns. Also, I hope to see everyone Thursday at 2:30 for our Wax Museum. Have a good day.
Hello out there everyone! Just wanted to give everyone a few quick notes here in the middle of the week.
-Be sure your student is practicing their "Wax Museum" presentation. Just 8 more days to go until we present! I hope you parents can make it next Thursday (the 5th) at 2:30.
-Reading Calendars are due next Monday. February is our "Silverwood" reading month. Students must read 600 minutes in February to earn a free ticket to Silverwood. More info will go home on this soon!
-Science Presenters Night is tomorrow from 6-8 pm right here at Sunrise! Please attend. This is a great place to find ideas and get inspired for Science Fair (there is no book project in Feb). Plus your student can earn 20 bounus points for their science grade if they turn in a project!
-Division (just like multiplication) is being covered right now in unit 6. I just want to emphasize YOUR CHILD CAN USE ANY METHOD THAT WORKS FOR THEM TO SOLVE DIVISION PROBLEMS. They have been taught the traditional method (the way most of us were taught) and partial-quoutient. Let me know if you want a handout explaining partial-quotient.
-The last thing I would like to discuss are snacks. Students are routinely eating many snacks throughout the day and/or consuming snacks that have way too much sugar! To help alleviate this, students are allowed one snack before lunch and one snack after lunch. If your student is on a health plan this does not apply. Students are also not allowed to eat candy as their snack. Just reminder: Nuts are not allowed to be eaten as a snack due to allergies.
Thanks to everyone and have a great rest of the week!
Mr. C
1/26/09
Parents/Guardians,
Hello to all of you wonderful Sunrise parents and students, I hope you had a great weekend! I know I certainly did, but it would have been just a bit better with a Cougar victory on Saturday. This is a full week this week, especially with our “Wax Museum” presentations occurring next Thursday! A look at our week is below:
SOCIAL STUDIES: Students will continue to work on their Washington Maps and working in chapter 1. Chapter 1 will be concluded by the end of the week. A study guide for the Chapter 1 test will go home next week before our test.
SCIENCE: Our “Sunrise Science Presenters Night” is on Thursday evening from 6-8. This is a super night to get ideas for the “Science Fair”. I encourage all students to participate in the “Science Fair”. It is a great way to independently apply the principles they have learned in science. They also receive 20 extra credit points if they turn in a project. Information on the “Science Fair” has already gone home, but let me know if you need a replacement packet.
MATH: We began Unit 6 “Division, Map Reference Frames, and Measure of Angles” today. As with Unit 5 multiplication, the students are taught a few different ways to divide. ALL STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO USE THE METHOD THAT WORKS BEST FOR THEM. If you would like directions on how to use the methods let me know.
WRITING: We have begun a new writing topic. It is entitled “Mystery Bag”. The students have completed a pre-write and some have begun their rough draft. Over the next few weeks our “stamina” in writing will be something that we are going to spend time on. Spelling words are available on the schoolnotes website and were sent home today. Be sure your kids continue to study!
READING: We are continuing with our story “A Very Important Day”. There will be a test over this story on Friday. Students can read the story at home and count the minutes on their January Reading Calendars. The January calendars are due next Monday! Remember, without a January calendar, the students will not receive a February calendar, so be sure to get those in.
COMMUNICATION: “Wax Museum” presentations are fast approaching! They will be on Thursday, February 5th at 2:30. PLEASE have your student practice their presentations at home as much as possible. Let them know they do not need to memorize their speech word for word. They need to focus on the key points they are trying to emphasize about their subject. Let me know if there are any questions or concerns as we prepare for the presentations.
That is what we have going on here this week. I hope you have a great week and get ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday!
-Mr. C
PS-Information about our Valentine’s Day lunch will be going home next Monday.
"Spelling Review"
howl
false
sauce
put
roof
hardly
dairy
charge
dirty
world
bounce
couch
wood
push
pull
year
alarm
horse
curl
return
jaw
dawn
tool
full
gear
spare
cheer
chore
heard
search
Math Tests went home today! Most students did very well. Please sign and return tomorrow so we can review them together! Let me know if you have any questions.
Also, an information sheet about our "Wax Museum" presentations went home today. It states that our presentations for parents will be on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5th AT 2:30 right here in room 19. Please come if you can. You can take your child with you afterwards.
Have a great night and have those 4th graders STUDY FOR THEIR SPELLING TEST!
Mr. C
1/20/09
Parents/Guardians,
I hope that everyone enjoyed their Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Although this is a four day week, we are going to be busy. A glance at our week is below:
• MATH: We have our Unit 5 Math Test on Thursday. There will be a review of the Study Guide over the next two days. If there are any questions about the test, please let me know! Unit 6 will begin next week, and it is going to be on division, map reference frames, and measures of angles.
• READING: We are beginning a new story entitled, “A Very Important Day”. This is a story we will be covering for the next two weeks. “Happy Birthday, Dr. King!” tests went home today. Please sign and return the test.
• WRITING: We are beginning a new series of writing prompts this week. We are building up the students writing “stamina”. We are also writing out our speeches for “Wax Museum”. The students will not read their speech, but it is important for them to prepare by writing it out first.
• SOCIAL STUDIES: We are beginning work on class maps of Washington. These maps will be on display in our classroom when completed. We are also continuing on with Chapter 1 in our Social Studies text. We also viewed and discussed the inauguration of our 44th president.
That is a look at our week. I hope you all have a great week, and congrats to the Steelers and Cardinals (who would have ever guessed we would see the Cardinals in the Super Bowl)!
Just wanted to pass a few notes on this Thursday (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's 80th birthday).
-Lots of tests tomorrow, be sure your child has studied up for their spelling test, reading test, and Entry Task quiz.
-Study Guides for the chapter 5 math test went home today. Kids do not have to complete questions they do not understand! We will review in class. They are due on Wednesday the 21st.
-Progress Reports went home today. Please sign and return, and be sure to let me know if you have any questions/comments.
-Enjoy Skate Night if you can!
Mr. C
Hi there everyone, I hope you are off to a great week. I just wanted to let everyone know what we are up to here in room 19 and some of the observations I have made. First off, we are currently working with multi-digit by multi-digit multiplication and some of our fourth graders are struggling. A few hints for those of you who have one of these students at home with you:
1-Tell them to relax, we will continue to practice, and practice is the key to improvement.
2-Be sure they are working with their basic facts (1-9). Without mastery of the basic facts, they will struggle with the double digit facts.
3-They need to pick the strategy they are comfortable with. I have demonstrated two methods for double digit multiplication. Traditional, which is the way we were almost all taught, and partial-products. The kids have been told to bring their notes home so they can look back to remember how to do these operations. If your child has selected partial-products as their method of choice and you would like directions for this procedure, let me know and I can get some to you.
Another reminder, this week's spelling words are quite a bit longer than the kids are used to. They need to be practicing at home for our test Friday! I have a link on this page to our "spellingcity.com" website for spelling games. It has been awhile since their last spelling test.
Have a great night, and take care.
Mr. C
1-12-09
Parents/Guardians,
I sure am looking forward to this full week so we can get back to our regular schedule! The break was nice, but I am ready to get back to “normal” and I think the kids are too (even though they may say differently). This week is going to be a busy week, but that’s okay because we get a three day weekend to rest up (these 5 day school week’s are becoming a rare occurrence). A look at our week is below:
READING-Our story this week, fittingly enough, is “Happy Birthday, Dr. King!” The story is a perfect segue into class discussions about the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to American History. I will also be reading aloud a book entitled, Who Was Martin Luther King Jr.? There will be a quiz on Friday over our story this week.
MATH-We are continuing with Unit 5 dealing with multi-digit multiplication. It would be beneficial for you to go over with your child their work this week. The test for Chapter 5 will be coming up next week! The study guide will go home this week so students can study over the weekend. Be sure your student is continuing to practice those flash cards!
SOCIAL STUDIES-We are currently working on Chapter 1 in our social studies text. Students are mastering their map skills by using longitude and latitude and identifying symbols. We are also working on our “Wax Museum” projects.
WRITING-Students have concluded their “Winter Memory” pieces (after a lengthy delay due to the cancellation of school). We have begun two pieces this week. One is “A Time to Reflect” and the other is the “Wax Museum” speech. The spelling words for “Happy Birthday, Dr. King!” went home and are available at schoolnotes.com.
That is what we have planned this week. I hope you all have a great week and take care!
Mr. C
PS-This Thursday I will be sending home progress reports! Missing work reports will go home Tuesday. Any student who does not make up work they are missing by Thursday will receive a “0” in the gradebook!
Happy Friday everyone, this week seemed to just whiz by :) It was sensational to get back to school, it will be even better next week when we truly get back to "normal". I just wanted to let you all know that the kids are bringing (or should be) a sheet home today that pertains to their "Wax Museum" project. This sheet is a "speech starter" that helps them to put their information down in a way that will help them present. THIS IS NOT THEIR FINAL SPEECH! We will be working on polishing and refining their presentations to make them unique. Over the weekend I asked them to be sure and identify the events and accomplishments that made their "person" special. Feel free to help them out and listen to their work so far.
Be sure to get those December Reading Calendars turned in! Have a great weekend.
Mr. C
It certainly is nice to be back!!! I am amazed to see the school with all of the snow, our maintenance crews all over Central Valley did an awesome job clearing the mounds of snow. This is obviously a week that is not normal, since it is only two days. That being said there are still some announcements for the "week".
-The due date for Wax Museum has been moved to the 5th of February. I hope that everyone found a person to read about!
-Our class Christmas Buffet, unfortunately, will not be made-up. There are just too many things going on and there just is not a day in the schedule for the fourth grade team to have it. Hopefully we will get to have a 4th Grade Buffet in the future.
-The "Math is Cool" assessments are tomorrow! I know a lot of kids are excited to try out for the team.
Next week (hopefully) we will be back to normal! Have a good week.
Mr. C
Well the snow is definitely falling! Be sure and watch for any delays or closures. The district website has a delays and closures link, as do all of the local newstations. I sent home our last assignment tonight that is due in 08, crazy to think the year has gone that fast.
Some students asked about the Fellers' website, it is included in the post from 12/16/08.
It was great to see all of the Pioneer Projects! They are great. I encourage you to come into our library and see them sometime. The information for our next project went home today, and I posted it below. The most important part to this project is to HAVE YOUR CHILD SELECT A PERSON AND READ A BIOGRAPHY ABOUT THEM ASAP! Let me know if there are any questions, and see you soon (hopefully before 09).
December/January Project: Wax Museum
Genre: Biography
The Fourth Grade classes at Sunrise Elementary will begin their next project, “Wax Museum”, during Winter Break (or tonight if they are ambitious). This is a great way for the kids to learn about someone and present about them.
This project will include multiple steps, but the first step is one they will have the entire break to work on (be sure to count the minutes they read their biography for their reading calendar). The steps to the project are below:
Step 1:
Choose a biography (a book written about an actual person, it can also be an auto-biography). Choose a person you are interested in. There are plenty of biographies available in our library. There are also other avenues of information available on your person. You may use the Internet, public library or other books to find information. Examples of possible persons are: athletes, singers, actors, actresses, presidents, inventors, the list is endless!
Step 2:
Gather your information. Fill in the blank on the handout given in class. The form is only an example of how to present your information. Feel free to jot down information at home, but we will be working on this in class after the break. The only way to earn the highest possible score is to take the information and present it in your own unique way. In other words, simply reading your form filled out in class leads to a very boring presentation.
Step 3:
Choose your costume and props. Wear a costume or clothes that resemble the person you are presenting about. This is a wax museum so you will “become” that person during presentation times. Now, you do not have to go out and buy brand new clothes but dress “the part”. That means try your best to look like that person. Props are items significant to the person you are presenting on. For example: Hershey chocolate bars can be displayed (not handed out) if you are presenting on Milton Hershey.
Step 4:
Practice your presentation. We will practice in class, but be sure and do so at home as well. Our audiences will include the other 4th grade classes, our 1st grade buddies, and parents.
Step 5:
Present your wax museum on Thursday, January 29th.
If you have any questions, PLEASE let me know. This is a great way for students to begin learning how to present information. We will be doing other projects in class using your student’s “person” as the topic. There will be more information and handouts sent home in January. The best thing to do at home is to assist your student in reading their biography and organizing the information they find important while at home. Thanks and have fun!
-Sunrise Elementary Fourth Grade Team
12/16/08
Tomorrow is the day, Pioneer Projects are due! If there are any unforseen events that lead to a delay just let me know via email or a note. I cannot wait to see the projects!
Science Tests went home and need to be signed and returned. If there are any questions, let me know.
Please let me know if your child needs an ornament for the ornament exchange! All ornaments and supplies for our class luncheon must be here by Friday. Also, if you would like to help, are cleared to volunteer, and are available from 11:30-12:30 (or any time in between) let me know. The more the merrier!
Lastly, the kids got to make some amazing masks with the Fellers! The masks went home and I know you will be impressed. If you are interested in getting the templates to make masks at home, I inclueded the link below. Have a warm Tuesday night!
http://www.fellersartsfactory.com/
12/15/08
Parents/Guardians,
BRRR!! It is cold outside (as if you did not already know that) so be sure your child has a very warm winter coat to wear to school. Our upcoming week is little different than previous weeks, but it is the last week of the 2008 school year (as hard as that is to believe). Our weekly outline is below:
WRITING: We will publish our final copies of our “Winter Memory” pieces. We also will be doing a Christmas Poem (this is top secret to you parents until Christmas morning). NO SPELLING THIS WEEK!
READING: We will begin a story this week entitled “Boss of the Plains”. There will be no test on Friday, but we will be answering the questions. Students will also receive “Wax Museum” information on Wednesday. This is the next project the students will be working on. Students need to be thinking of a person they would like to report on. I highly encourage you and your child discussion possible people and then finding a biography (or biographies) to read over the break!
MATH: We are continuing with Unit 5. This introduces the concept of double digit by double digit multiplication! For those students still struggling with their basic facts they really need to practice their flashcards.
SOCIAL STUDIES: We have begun our social studies curriculum “The Washington Adventure”. We will continue with Chapter 1 this week. More importantly, PIONEER PROJECTS ARE DUE ON WEDNESDAY! Please let me know if there is a problem or if you have any questions.
CLASS PARTY: Our Christmas Class party is scheduled for Friday the 19th. I am still looking for parent volunteers for the set-up, distribution, and clean-up for our luncheon from 11:30-12:30. If you are available and have been cleared to volunteer by the district, we would love to have you! Also, be sure your child gets their ornament in for our exchange on Friday.
That is it! I hope you all have a great week and be sure to stay warm.
Mr. C
PS-I now have a web page on the school site at: http://www.cvsd.org/sunrise/classes/4th/justin_collyer/default.asp
This is just another way to get info and have a direct link to my schoolnotes page.
I sent home to form below this note about our class party on the 19th. If you are interested in volunteering, please let me know. Our 4th grade volunteers are needed during lunch time (11:30-12:45ish). Just a heads up:
Science Test Tomorrow! Study those study guides.
"Tanya's Reunion" Test Friday! Kids can read the story for minutes on their reading calendar.
Spelling Test Friday! These words are more difficult than last week, but there are fewer.
Check out the Math Night/Book Fair/Dance tomorrow night beginning at 6 pm and ending at 8 pm.
Please let me know if you have any questions about the Ornament Exchange or the item your child volunteered to bring in for the party (if you cannot provide the item, let me know and we will obtain it some other way). Thanks and have a great Wednesday. GO COUGS, BEAT THE ZAGS!!
Dear 4th Grade Families,
Holiday party planning is upon us. As a 4th grade team, we will celebrate on December 19th with a luncheon buffet. Below is a list of items we will need for that day. Please only send enough for your child’s classroom.
Your child has signed up to bring the following item(s):
Bread
1 lb. Sliced Turkey
1 lb. Sliced Ham
1 lb. Sliced Roast Beef
Cheese (Kraft Singles)
String Cheese
Mayonnaise
Yogurt/Go Gurt
Pudding
Jell-O
Juice
Pretzels
Crock Pot of Melted Cheese
Tortilla Chips
Vegetables ___________
Fruit ________________
Olives
Sliced Dill Pickles
25 Rolls Life Saver Candies
25 Packs - 5 Piece Double Mint Gum
25 Chocolate Rolo Candies
25 Hershey Kisses
25 Mini Hershey Chocolate Bars
25 Andes Chocolate Mint Bars
100 Round Peppermint Candies
Forks/Knives (plastic x 30)
Other __________________
Due to severe nut allergies at Sunrise, we request that nothing with nuts be brought into the classroom for treats at party time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are willing to help out, please check the box(es) below that apply:
I am willing to help with set up and serving - 11:30-12:00
I am willing to help with serving and clean up - 12:00-12:30
Happy Holidays and thank you, in advance, for all of your help and support,
Mr. Collyer, Mrs. Froehle, Mr. Kennedy and Mrs. Stumbough
This information went home today with all of our fourth graders. Let me know if you have any questions.
HOLIDAY ORNAMENT EXCHANGE
Please have your child bring a wrapped tree ornament, $5.00 or less, for our holiday gift exchange. It should be something that either a boy or girl would equally enjoy.
The gift exchange will take place on Friday, December 19th.
Thank you, in advance,
Mr. Collyer
Mrs. Froehle
Mr. Kennedy
Mrs. Stumbough
(If you have any questions or would prefer your child not participate, please notify his/her teacher)
12/8/08
Parents/Guardians,
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend, I enjoyed mine. I now have my house 100% “Christmasfied”. The tree is up, the lights are done, and Mrs. Collyer is blaring the carols. I hope you and your family are all amped up for the season. Speaking of Christmas, I will be sending home some information about our upcoming Christmas celebration on 12/19. That information should be ready to go home tomorrow.
This week will be another busy week! Our schedule for the week is below.
• MATH: Unit 4 was concluded today with our Math Test. The tests will be graded and returned tomorrow. They need to be signed and brought back to school on Wednesday. The Unit 5 Math Letter went home today.
• READING: We are continuing on with our story “Tanya’s Reunion”. The story is lengthy but students can read the story and count it on their reading logs. There will be a test over story on Friday. Also, this week the information for our next reading project will go home.
• WRITING: Our “Winter Memory” pieces are coming out quite nicely. This week we will publish them. I also want to remind parents that students have had conferences with me about their Alien Stories. They have been told what corrections need to be made in order to raise their grade. They have until Wednesday to make those corrections, after that they cannot raise their grade. Spelling words went home today and are on the web on my schoolnotes page.
• SCIENCE: We are wrapping up our unit on Forces and Motion. The students have a study guide they need to complete before the test on Thursday.
That is all for now. I hope you have a great week.
Mr. C
SPELLING WORDS FOR THE WEEK OF 12/8
billion
estimate
lattice
magnitude
partial
reunion
kinetic
potential
friction
pressure
momentum
push
pull
inclined
plane
pulley
Newton
Happy Friday! I really like our stockings, they look great outside the classroom. Thanks to Mrs. Ford for making our "chimney" and to Mrs. Economou for hanging them with care. The Unit 4 Study Guides were reviewed today in Math. They have been checked and sent home for studying over the weekend. Next week is really full, especially with tests! On Monday we have the math test. Thursday will be our Science Test. Friday will be our Entry Task Quiz, Spelling Test, and a test over "Tanya's Reunion". WHEW! I get exhausted just typing it. Anyway, have a great weekend and GO COUGS, BEAT BAYLOR (and I guess I will throw a go Zags, beat Indiana in there too)!
The stockings that have been turned in look great so far! Be sure to get them in tomorrow with the kiddos. Also, do not forget about the Study Guide that is due and the Spelling Test. Have a great Thursday.
PS-Ask your child about my morning, they got a kick out of it :)
I hope you are all having a great Wednesday. I simply cannot believe how quickly the year is going. Just a few reminders for the rest of the week.
TONIGHT: The kids have science homework that is due tomorrow. They need to read pages 36 & 37 in their workbooks and answer the questions on p. 38.
TOMORROW: There will be no homework sent home tomorrow BUT they do have assignments due on Friday. They need to finish their stocking and bring it in. They also need to complete their study guide in math (if they reach a question they do not understand, they can ask me). There is also a spelling test on Friday they need to study for.
WEEKEND: Please be working on those Pioneer Projects that are due on the 17th!
Thanks to all of you for working so hard with your kids.
Mr. C
PS-The science test for Forces and Motion will be next Thursday!
PLEASE PARENTS DO NOT FORGET TO SEND IN THE FITNESS LOGS FOR MRS. DALTON FROM NOVEMBER! Have a great night.
12/1/08
Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to December everyone! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, I certainly did. As I am sure you are aware of, Christmas Break is coming very soon, 18 days to be precise (not that anyone is counting). Over the next three weeks of school we will be very busy. A look at our week is below.
• MATH: The Unit 4 Study Guide went home today and is due on Friday. Our test will be next Monday. I encourage you to review decimal place value and decimal/fraction conversion with your student. This concept will be assessed on Monday! Keep practicing those flashcards too.
• READING: We have begun a new story “Tanya’s Reunion”. This story is quite a bit longer than our previous one and we will be taking two weeks in class with it. There will be a test over the story next week. Be sure to turn in those Reading Calendars for November. The students will not receive a December Calendar until they turn in a November calendar. If the calendar is misplaced, please sit down with your child and write a note with an estimate.
• WRITING: I hope that you enjoyed going over the alien stories with your 4th grader! As I stated last week, students can improve their grade by correcting the grammar errors in their story. We will begin a “Winter Memory” essay this week. The spelling words went home today and are available at my schoolnotes website.
• SCIENCE: We are continuing with our Forces and Motion science unit. Soon we will begin experimenting with levers and pulleys, it should be a lot of fun. There will be a test over this unit before we leave for our break. I will keep you posted!
There you have it, another busy week. I also want to remind everyone that PIONEER PROJECTS ARE DUE ON DECEMBER 17th!! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this project ASAP. Have a great week.
Mr. C
PS-I hope you all can make it on Thursday, December 11th to the PTO Family Math Night and Book Fair from 6-8 pm.
Tanya's Reunion
wood
brook
tool
put
wool
push
full
roof
group
prove
stood
stool
hook
smooth
shoot
bush
fool
pull
soup
move
soot
marooned
pudding
cocoon
superb
11/26
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, I hope you enjoy the time with friends and family. I am very eager to meet our friends from Mukagowa this morning. I also hope you get a good laugh from our "Turkey Tales" tomorrow (thanks for the great idea Mrs. Stumbough)! There are just a couple quick items I would like to pass on before we go on our break.
1-Alien Stories went home today. Please enjoy and go over them with your kids. Feel free to point out errors you find in them, BUT PLEASE DO NOT WRITE IN THE BOOKS! The books need to come back next week on Monday. We will be going over their errors together during our writers' conferences. There is a grade sheet in the book, let me know if you have any questions.
2-This week and weekend I asked the students to work on their Pioneer Projects. If you have any questions/concerns with these please let me know. I want to remind all of you that this is not a contest between the kids. The project is meant to be a way for the students to see how pioneers lived and traveled. If effort was put into the project, they will receive a good grade, regardless of the materials.
3-I hope you all have a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving Break!
Mr. C
11/24/08
Parents/Guardians,
HAPPY THANKSGIVING! It is very hard to believe, but we are already at the Thanksgiving break. I hope you all enjoy the time off, be sure and work on those Pioneer Projects. This week is very short, so we will not be having any Spelling words, and there also will not be any entry task quiz. This week is very exciting because we get to meet our Mukagowa pen pals! They will be stopping by on Wednesday morning. I hope you all have a great week, and enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Mr. C
PS-WAY TO GO COUGS!!!!
11/17/08
Parents/Guardians,
It sure was awesome playing Station Ball on Friday for our Excellent Party. It was great to see all of the kids get into the spirit wearing their sports attire! I hope you all had a great weekend. I had a very busy weekend, I do not know if I have ever raked so many leaves in my life!
This week is the beginning of conference week. We will be dismissing kids at 12:30 starting this Wednesday (the 19th) through the following Wednesday (the 26th). I look forward to meeting with all of you and discussing your child’s progress through the first trimester. If you need a reminder of your conference time let me know.
Here is a rundown of our week ahead:
• MATH: We will continue with Unit 4. Just a reminder to our parents and students, keep practicing those flashcards and work with decimal place value!
• READING: “Tomas and the Library Lady” is our story this week, there will be a quiz over this story on Friday.
• WRITING: Each student will be publishing their “Alien Story” this week. These stories are fantastic! We will also be working on a persuasive essay and writing letters our Mukagowa pen-pals. The spelling words for the week went home today and are available at schoolnotes. There will be no spelling next week.
• SCIENCE: We will continue working with our “Force and Motion” science kits. Be aware that there will be some homework this week in science, please make sure your child brings the workbook back to school!
That is all for now. I hope you all have a great week and I will be seeing you very soon.
Mr. C
PS-Some of our kiddos are running low on school supplies! Please check with your child and see if they need anything (particularly pencils).
Spelling Words
shake
desk
block
fright
neat
roast
prune
spray
plant
bread
speed
drain
fist
pride
truck
flock
cone
crew
blade
dead
proceed
cocoa
imitate
erase
polish
Attention All Parents and Students!!
Mr. Collyer’s fantastic 4th Grade class has earned their first Excellent Party for the school year! To celebrate, the class voted to have a “Sports Party”. At the end of the day we will be going outside to play a couple different team games. To get into the sports theme, kids are encouraged to wear sports attire. Jerseys, sweat pants, athletic shoes (no cleats), and hats (to wear outside) are all great items for tomorrow. I hope you have a great Thursday, and remember to have those kiddos STUDY FOR THEIR SPELLING TEST!
Mr. C
11/10/08
Parents/Guardians,
I hope you all had a great weekend, I certainly enjoyed mine. I was proud of my Cougars on Saturday for putting up 28 points against Arizona! Too bad they allowed 59. Oh well, at least they are improving, and I as tell the kiddos, getting better is the most important thing.
I would like to take a moment and salute all of the Veterans in our community. Thanks for all you have done and continue to do. Our assembly to honor our Veterans today was fantastic. It was even better to see the local Veterans come in to be recognized.
Our week this week is a short one due to the fact that there is NO SCHOOL TOMORROW. Even though our week is only made up of four school days, we still have a crowded schedule. It is below:
• READING: We begin another story in our anthology this week. It is entitled, “Tomas and the Library Lady”. This story will be covered over the next two weeks, and there will be a quiz. Make sure that your child is keeping up with their reading calendar!
• MATH: We continue with Unit 4 which focuses on decimals. To help your child with this area of math a great way to help your child is to work on place value with them using decimals (this can be a confusing area for many students). When working with your child in this area be sure and point out the names of the decimal places (tenths, hundredths, thousandths, etc.) and how to say the numbers. One more thing in the area of math, KEEP PRACTICING THOSE FLASH CARDS!
• SCIENCE: We continue with our fascinating “Forces and Motion” science unit (I really enjoy this one, as do the kids). We are focusing on Newton’s 2nd Law (Acceleration = Force/Mass). There is homework tonight in their science workbook that includes reading about the second law (which we have covered in class), and then answering some questions. This is due on Wednesday.
• WRITING: Our students (and yours truly) are each writing their own “Alien Story”. I hope to have the rough drafts finished up today. These stories are terrific, I cannot wait for the kids to share them with you. Our spelling this week comes from our story. Words went home today and are available at schoolnotes.
That is all for now. I hope you all have a great week and the kids enjoy their day off tomorrow. I encourage you to discuss with them the importance of Veterans Day, and why we honor the brave men and women who serve. Take care.
Mr. C
"Tomas and the Library Lady"
pound
howl
jaw
bounce
cause
always
shout
aloud
south
couple
drawn
scout
false
proud
frown
sauce
gown
couch
dawn
mount
gnaw
prowl
pounce
doubt
scrawny
I hope that the kids all studied for the spelling test today, there are some hard words! I hope you all have a great weekend, I am looking forward to watching WSU shock the world tomorrow with a win over Arizona (at least that is what I am hoping). I just wanted to remind all of you that our Veteran's Day Assembly is at 9:30 a.m. next Monday. The kids are encouraged to wear Red, White, and Blue in honor of our nation's heroes on that day. There is also no school on Tuesday 11/11 in observance of Veteran's Day. Have a Fantastic Friday!
Tonight there is some science homework for the kiddos! You may assist if necessary, they are working to find examples of Newton's First Law. A simple version of this law is an object at rest tends to stay at rest (like a book sitting on a table) unless the object is acted on by an outside force (like someone sweeping their arm across the table and the book falling off). Their assignment will be to define the law in their own words (like I did above, without the examples) and then sketch examples below. Let me know if there are any questions and have a great night.
11/3/08
Parents,
This was another tough football weekend in the state of Washington! The build up for this year’s Apple Cup is going to be “The Battle to See Who is THE WORST!” At least it could be historic, the first time both teams are winless in the Pac-10, history in the making.
This week is going to be a busy one. Below is a look at our week:
-WRITING: The kids are typing up their “Special Place” final copy, and then we are beginning our first narrative prompt. It is going to be really cool, it is about Aliens! Our spelling words this week are taken from our science and social studies curriculum. The words are longer and tougher, therefore we only have 15 words (be sure to study using spellingcity.com).
-SCIENCE: We are beginning our new unit, “Forces and Motion”. The early lessons focus on Newton’s Laws and energy.
-SOCIAL STUDIES: Pioneers continue to be the focus of social studies. We will continue to examine life on the frontier for the early settlers of our state. We also had opportunity to “vote” today. The computer lab turned into voting booths! Students got the chance to see what it is like to vote. They read a little about both candidates and then got to choose.
-MATH: Unit 4 begins today, it is all about Decimals. This unit can be particularly tricky for students who are struggling with place value. Place value is something that you can work on at home to assist them with this concept. Please be sure to return the Unit 3 math test with your signature. Do not forget to keep practicing those multiplication/division facts!
There you have it, our first week in November. Have a great week.
Mr. C
PS-Be sure the October Reading Calendars and the Conference Confirmation are both signed and brought in ASAP!
SPELLING WORDS
WEEK OF 11/3/08
gravity
force
acceleration
force
mass
motion
speed
energy
resistance
pioneer
missionaries
orphanage
possessions
disease
Washington
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!
I hope you enjoy your night, and that everyone has a safe Halloween. It was a great day today in class and the kids had fun too ;) I would just like to take a moment to thank Mrs. Ford for handling our party, she did a super job. I also would like to thank Mr. & Mrs. Economou for bringing in caramel apples, and everyone else who provided treats and their time.
The November Reading Calendars went home today, and kids got to make their own goal. Parents, PLEASE look over this goal! I tried to stress to everyone that as they get older, the responsibility for their learning goes more and more over to them. Their goal ultimately shows you and me how they handle that responsibility. Let me know if you have any concerns or questions about your child's goal (I also let them know that we have the power to veto their goal). Be sure they turn in their October calendar on Monday, the can still read tonight! Have a great weekend and a spectacular Halloween.
Mr. C
PS-Conference dates go home on Monday! Please let me know ASAP if your date will work for you.
I am just emailing to let everyone know (in case you have forgotten) tomorrow is Halloween! Kids can bring their costumes (school appropriate, of course) and change into them at two for our party. Treats are okay to bring in, but there needs to be enough for everyone. If you have been cleared as a volunteer through the office, you can come by for our party if you would like. Have a Happy Halloween, and be sure and stay safe.
Just a quick note about my post this morning. My email option is not allowing me to send more than report via email, so everyone will receive a hard copy of the progress report. Hopefully I will get the email option figured out. Thanks and have a good night.
Hello parents! It is that time of year again, conferences begin November 19th. I am sending home a sheet today for you to provide available times for you to come in for your conference. Please send those back to me ASAP!
Couple more quick items, progress reports go home today. If you receive an email copy, just respond back to let me know you got it. For those of you who receive a paper copy please sign and return the bottom portion. DO NOT FORGET TO HAVE YOUR CHILD STUDY FOR THE MATH TEST TOMORROW!
Be sure to vist spellingcity.com to play great games with our spelling words. Also, check out the multiplication game website.
10-28-08
Parents/Guardians,
Well, it is hard to believe but we have already made it to Halloween! This Friday we will be having some Halloween festivities, hosted by our own Mrs. Ford (thanks for taking this on). It will be from 2-3, and kids can wear their costumes during this time (be sure they’re school appropriate). Kids can also pass out treats they have taken to school, but we do have plenty so there is no need to go buy extra candy if you had not planned on sending any to school. If you plan on coming in for the celebration PLEASE let me know in advance AND be sure you are cleared through the school.
This Friday is also the end of the month. Kids can read that night and have it count for their reading log, however, students can turn in their log early. I will be sending a November reading log home on Friday. Here are a few other notes for the week:
• Unit 3 Math Test on Thursday
• Unit 3 Math Study Guide due Thursday
• Spelling Test Friday
Please discuss the options for pioneer projects with your child. They were shown some examples in class today, and we have begun the Pioneer Unit in our Social Studies textbooks. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks and have a great week!
Mr. C
Hello there all! Study guides went home today for our math test on Thursday. This week there will be a progress report going home, we are going to aim for Wednesday. Tomorrow a letter about our Halloween festivities will go home. Have a great Monday!
SPELLING WORDS FOR THE WEEK
1. a lot
2. other
3. another
4. anyone
5. every
6. someone
7. myself
8. family
9. friend
10. people
11. again
12. anything
13. anyway
14. everyone
15. first
16. beautiful
17. clothes
18. cousin
19. everybody
20. weird
Happy Friday everyone! I hope that you have a great weekend. Just a couple quick items before we head into our weekend. The information for the pioneer project went home today. It will be due on December 17th. We will be discussing and working on a pioneer unit beginning today. The project is meant to be a fun chance for your family to work together. Let me know if there are any questions. We have also begun our "Dimes for Diabetes" fundraiser. Children, and parents if they want to participate, are asked to donate spare change to help with diabetes research. That's all for now, have a super weekend!
Mr. C
PS-This is going to be a weekend where the COUGS are guaranteed not to lose! THEY DON'T PLAY. ;)
Hello all, I hope that things are well. Today your student got their Body Systems science test back. Please go over it with them, sign the top left corner, and return tomorrow. Let me know if you have any questions. Also, PRACTICE THOSE MULTIPLICATION FACTS! A great site is listed below my blog. Have a great Wednesday.
10/21/08
Parents/Guardians,
Hello everyone, I hope you had a great weekend. Today was the big science test, if your student was studied I am sure that they did well. I will have those tests graded ASAP and they will need to be signed and returned. Look below for a glance at our schedule for the week.
READING: “Mysteries” is our theme this week, there will be no test, however there will be assignments so your student will need to be sure and read the stories. The information for our next book project will come home very soon! The due date will be December 17th.
MATH: We are continuing with Unit 3. I encourage you to go over the flash cards with your child! It is valuable for them to have immediate recall of answers. Not only will this help their multiplication skills, it will be a great way for them to do well with division.
SCIENCE: We have concluded our “Body Systems” science unit and we will begin our next unit, “Force and Motion” later this week.
SOCIAL STUDIES: I am very excited to begin our social studies curriculum! Later this week we will begin working on our first units in social studies.
WRITING: This week we have 30 spelling words!! This is a review spelling unit, so the good news for the kiddos is that they have seen these words before. Watch for homophones in the spelling list, kids need to be able to know what the words mean before they spell them. We are also working on a new writing piece, “Special Place”.
That is a look at our week! It is going to be a great one, I hope yours is great too.
Be sure your student is keeping track of their reading minutes so they can earn their pizza at the end of this month. One last item, be on the look out for a progress report coming home on the 29th of this month. Take care.
Mr. C
PS-Thanks to Mrs. Ford for taking on the Halloween Party! The party is going to be next Friday from 2-3. Next week I will send home more information.
Hello, I hope you all had a great weekend! Just a quick word to say we have a test tomorrow in Science so be sure your 4th grader takes some time to STUDY tonight. Have a good night.
Journeys Spelling Review Words
safe
kept
gray
grown
wrote
blind
suit
crumb
wait
creak
steep
gain
still
gold
crime
few
trunk
steal
weight
meat
past
reach
coast
odd
sigh
true
tube
steel
creek
meet
Hope you all had a great week, and are going to have a fantastic weekend!! I just wanted to let all of you know that your student is bringing home their science workbook to study for the test on Tuesday. Be sure to sign the parent signature portion of the study guide and return the workbook on Monday!! Also, students have a set of multiplication fact cards. I encourage you to spend a few minutes with your child going over some of the facts. They can bring their flashcards home at any time, just be sure they bring them back. Have a terrific weekend! GO COUGS (They will need all the help they can get)!
Just a few quick notes for tonight. Be sure and take a look at your child's math test, sign, then return with them tomorrow. Also, all of the items for the book project went home today EXCEPT for those which are being presented tomorrow. Be sure your student has their items on their presentation date. Check your child's planner for their date. Have a great Wednesday night!
BOOK PROJECTS ARE DUE TOMORROW!! Please be sure your student comes to school tomorrow with their objects and their description table. If they are unable to complete their projects please send in a note to let me know that you are aware of the situation. On a side note, a quick thanks to one of our great 4th graders, Jake. He pointed out that I have a typo in my spelling words! You should now see "ring" where you found the word "rign". Thanks Jake! Have a good Tuesday.
10/13/08
Parents/Guardians,
I hope you all had a great weekend, I certainly did! It was great weather to be outside (at least in the afternoon) and get things done. It is going to be a busy week, we have quite a few things going on. Below is a glance at lies ahead.
MATH: We have our Unit 2 Math test tomorrow! Students have a study guide from last week, be sure to go over it with them. Look for the Unit 3 family letter tomorrow.
READING: Book projects are due on the 15th! Students need to be prepared to turn in their projects on that date. We will be signing up for presentations later this week. We also start a new story “By the Shores of Silver Lake” by Laura Ingalls Wilder (of “Little House on the Prairie” fame). Spelling words for the story went home today and are available at schoolnotes.com.
SCIENCE: We are winding down our first science unit, “Body Systems”. The Unit Test will be next week and a study guide will go home. Today we will be using the computer lab to compile some statistics from our experiment on Thursday.
WRITING: The students have completed their assessments, and this week we will begin with a new piece. We will be focusing on adding layers and details to our writing. We will also be doing a dictionary activity with our spelling words this week.
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments in regards to work this week. Take care and have a super week!
Mr. C
By the Shores of Silver Lake
(Watch out for homophone mistakes)
steel
steal
lead
led
wait
weight
wear
ware
creak
creek
beet
beat
meet
meat
peek
deer
dear
ring (not rign)
wring
pour
pore
vain
vein
vane
Just a quick homework note to all of you parents out there! The math homework says that students must do partial sums, and column addition. We worked on those in class, for the homework I am allowing them to use the method of their choice. Also, be sure your child gets p. 36 done in their science workbook. Have a good night!
10-6-08
Parents/Guardians,
Hello to everybody, I hope you had a great weekend! It is going to be a busy week this week, and we only have 4 days of school (well, at least for the kids anyway). Below is a look at our schedule.
• MATH: We will conclude Unit 2 this week, and have our Unit 2 test next Tuesday, the 14th. Some of you may have noticed the new algorithms that your child has been using in math. If you would like a packet with directions on how to use these algorithms let me know and I can get that to you.
• SCIENCE: Today we have our Digestive System Quiz. We begin learning about the Circulatory System today as well, and will continue on that topic throughout the week.
• WRITING: This week we will conclude our District Assessment on the prompt “Something I Enjoy”. This piece will be evaluated by the teachers on Friday when we meet to discuss and analyze Reading and Writing.
• READING: Thursday we will be having our Reading Test on “Finding the Titanic”. Be sure your child reads the story this week. I have also given your child a new Reading Calendar. This month I have set the goal with your child. Let me know if you would like it to be adjusted. Book Projects are due the 15!
• SPELLING: The spelling words went home today and are available on the web on schoolnotes.com website. There will be no more extra credit on spelling tests! Students will have to get all the words correct to earn an A+.
That is a look at our week. Be sure to stop by Papa Murphy’s and say hello, I will be there from 4 to 5 on Wednesday! Picture Envelopes also went home this week for our pictures Wednesday, get those in ASAP. Have a great week.
Mr. C
PS-Be sure to get those progress reports signed and returned. Let me know if you would like to receive them via email.
I hope that yo all received your progress reports from your kiddos today! It was a great week, and next week will be terrific too. Just wanted to let you know to please be sure and return the signature portion of the progress report. Feel free to place any questions, comments, or concerns on the portion to return on Monday. Be sure to let me know in the comments section if you would like to receive your progress reports via email (be sure to place your email address there too). Have a great weekend!
Mr. C
PS-DIGESTIVE SYSTEM QUIZ ON MONDAY!!! Make sure your child uses their study guide on p.33 of their workbook over the weekend. They can count that time on their October Reading Calendar.
HAPPY OCTOBER!!
We have made it into our second month of school, it does not feel like it, time sure flies. Just a couple quick items. Progress Reports will go home on Friday. The initial report will be a paper copy, if you prefer an email version please indicate on the signature portion of the Progress Report that is returned on Monday.
Secondly, our September Reading Calendars were due today, I will take them until Friday before they are marked as late! I will include them in our first progress report! Your child will not receive their October Calender until I get their September Calendar. Have a great Wednesday!
9/29/08
Parents/Guardians,
Well, if you are a football fan, like me, I think that it is official: The Washington schools should be kicked out of the Pac-10! Fortunately, the weather was gorgeous and I was able to get outside and work in my yard. I hope that all of you were able to enjoy the weather. This week should be a great one, weather wise and here in room 19!
This week we will be doing the following:
MATH-We will continue with Unit 2 in our math series. Be looking for study links this week as homework!
READING-We will begin a new story this week, and it will be covered over the next two weeks. It is entitled “Finding the Titanic” (something the kids will know something about from 3rd grade). Our spelling words over this story go home today, make sure your child studies them. Be sure your student is keeping up on their September Reading Calendars, those are due on October 1st! Be sure your student is going to be ready with their book project on October 15th. Please sign and return your child’s “Grandfather’s Journey” test tonight.
WRITING-This week we will publish our first piece entitled “Map of Me”. Those final drafts are due on Tuesday, so your child may need to take this home to finish tonight. We have also received some letters from our pen pals at Mukogawa. We will be writing them letters back this week, I hope to send those off by end of the week.
SCIENCE-Our Body Systems unit continues this week, and be on the lookout for a notice in regards to our science quiz!
That’s a look at our week this week. I hope you all have a fantastic week too! Take care.
Mr. C
PS-I need to get all of those volunteer forms returned that went home on Friday to those parents who expressed an interest in volunteering! I cannot put together the volunteer schedule without those forms. Parents without a volunteer form cannot volunteer in the building or in the classroom. If you need another, or would like to volunteer, the forms are available in the office or I can send one home with your student if you would like one.
FINDING THE TITANIC
brush
juice
fruit
tube
lunch
crumb
few
true
truth
done
suit
pump
due
dull
tune
blew
trunk
sum
glue
threw
CHALLENGE WORDS
newscast
commute
continue
attitude
slumber
Math Tests went home today! Please look them over with your student and return them, with a signature on one of the top corners, tomorrow. Do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. I have sent the second unit math letter home tonight. Have a great Wednesday!
9/23/08
Hello parents, hope all is going well. Just wanted to send you all a quick reminder that tomorrow is our Bone Test in science. The kids have their workbooks (which need to be returned to school tomorrow) and skeletons they can use to study. Good Luck!!
Mr. C
PS-The math tests will be graded and ready to be brought home tomorrow. Please sign and return on Thursday!
9/22/08
Parents,
I hope that you all had a fantastic weekend, I know I did. This is going to be a busy week this week. Below is a rundown of the week. Have a great Monday, and week!
• READING: We begin a new story, “Grandfather’s Journey”. I also am doing an example of our upcoming book project for our students tomorrow.
• SPELLING: This week’s words have gone home. The test is on Friday.
• MATH: Your child’s homework tonight is to study for the math test tomorrow! We begin Unit 2 on Wednesday.
• WRITING: We will complete our “Map of Me” piece this week and will publish a final copy.
• SCIENCE: We are continuing with our Body Systems unit and there will be a test over the bones this Wednesday.
Grandfather's Journey
snow
grind
still
coast
odd
crime
gold
wrote
flight
build
broke
blind
folk
grown
shock
ripe
coal
inch
sigh
built
CHALLENGE WORDS
remind
approach
rigid
recognize
continent
Hello everyone, HAPPY FRIDAY! I hope you all have a great weekend. I am off to Pullman to see the Cougs win their first game of the year (hopefully) this weekend. I just wanted to take a moment to let you know about our upcoming tests and quizzes for next week. In addition to our regular spelling test and entry task quiz, we will be having our bone test and our first math test next week. Our bone test is on Wednesday and the kids are bringing their skeletons home today to study. Our first math test is on Unit 1, and it is on Tuesday. Study guides for the math test are being worked on in class (we began yesterday) and will be due Monday. Students can study those as well. I have really enjoyed our class, this going to be a great year! Have a great weekend.
OUR FIRST SPELLING TEST IS TOMORROW!! Yesterday and today's homework has involved our spelling words. Be sure your child study's their words. If your child has misplaced their words, the list is below. I hope you all have a great day.
Spelling Words from "Akiak"
gain
cream
sweet
safe
past
reach
kept
gray
field
break
east
shape
steep
pray
pain
glass
west
cheap
steak
chief
Challenge Words
graceful
descent
athletic
knead
activity
9-15-08
Parents,
I hope everyone had a great weekend! It was good to get our first “full” week completed last week, and see our routine developing. This week is going to be another fantastic, and busy, week. Below is a quick look at our week:
• SPELLING: Our first spelling list is going home today, our test is on Friday
• READING: There will be a quiz over our first story, “AKIAK” on Wednesday
• WRITING: We have begun our “Writers Workshop”
• SCIENCE: We are continuing with the “Body Systems” unit
• MATH: Unit 1 continues this week, our first test is next week!
• BOOK PROJECT: Be sure your student is reading their fiction book for their project!
Just a quick heads up about planners, we will usually not fill them out on Fridays. Occasionally, the kids will have to jot down a note or two to show you but usually Fridays will be blank. Make sure and keep checking those planners! It is the best way to see what is going on in class.
Speaking of being in the “know” when it comes to the happenings in room 19, be sure to register at schoolnotes.com for email updates. I hope that you have a super week!
Mr. C
Spelling Words from "Akiak"
gain
cream
sweet
safe
past
reach
kept
gray
field
break
east
shape
steep
pray
pain
glass
west
cheap
steak
chief
Challenge Words
graceful
descent
athletic
knead
activity
Thanks to all of the parents and students for getting those bones brought in today, it is a great project! It was fantastic getting to see those of you were at Curriculum Night. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. Those parents who were unable to attend, do not fret! I have sent home the materials from last night with your child. Please be sure your child has a book for our "Memory Bag" book project. Have a great weekend, and I will speak to you soon!
Mr. C
Hello parents, I hope you all are having a great week!! Today your child brought home a bag of bones. Do not worry, they are paper bones. These bones need to be cut out and returned to school by Thursday, they may be returned tomorrow if your student is finished.
I also hope to see all of you tomorrow at our 4th grade curriculum night. It is at 6:15 in the Sunrise Library. Have a great night.
9/8/08
Parents/Guardians,
I hope that you all had a great weekend, or at least better than the Cougars and Seahawks!! I am very excited to begin our first full week of school.
This week we will begin getting into our “routine” and it will be helpful to both the students and me. You can expect some homework this week, beginning tonight with the study link in math. Homework needs to be returned the next day unless otherwise noted. Be sure to check your child’s planner to see the assignments and activities we have done in class. Your student’s planner is the best way to keep track of what is going on in class. Another great way to stay tuned in with the happenings here in room 19 is through schoolnotes.com. Simply go to www.schoolnotes.com and register to receive updates through your email. Then every time I update my website you automatically receive a link in your email. It is very easy, and it is free!!!
This week we begin the following:
MATH: UNIT 1
SCIENCE: BODY SYSTEMS
READING: “AKIAK”
WRITING: AUTHORITY LIST
SPELLING: 101 PRIORITY WORDS
SOCIAL STUDIES: INTRODUCTION
Be sure to take a look at the Fitness Log Ms. Dalton has distributed for PE this month. Speaking of logs, be sure to make a goal with your child for their Reading Log this month. I am very excited to see the “What’s in the Bag?” presentations beginning today and concluding Friday.
I look forward to seeing you all at the Curriculum Night this Thursday at 6:15 p.m. Have a great week!
-Mr. C
4th Grade Curriculum Night
Parents,
The fourth grade team at Sunrise Elementary is inviting all the fourth grade parents to their annual curriculum night. The event will be held in the Sunrise Library this Thursday, September 11th from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. Due to limited space this event is for PARENTS ONLY. We look forward to seeing you there!
Sincerely,
Sunrise 4th Grade Team
Hi there parents!! Hope your students have enjoyed school so far, I know that I have. Below this message is one of our first class projects. This is meant to be a fun project for our class to enjoy as the 4th graders learn more about our classmates. I have also sent home the readin log for September. Since September has already begun, I have given the kids some free minutes. Students will also be responsible, with assistance from you, for coming up with their reading goal. I am asking that the students bring their calendar in so I can see their minutes. Their monthly goal will change from month to month depending on their progress. Thats all for now, I hope you all enjoy your weekend and that everyone is ready for a great week next week. (That is when the fun really starts!)
Mr. C
WHATS IN THE BAG?
Welcome to a fantastic fourth grade year!! I am eager to learn all about you and your interests. Using your imagination and items around the house, you need to find five items that say something about you, and place them in a plastic or paper grocery bag. Be ready to bring those to school next week and share them with the class. We will be signing up for presentation times between Mon the 8th and Fri the 12th. Some items you may want to include are:
• A Favorite Book
• An item you collect
• Something to represent your favorite sport
• A picture of your family/friends
• A vacation souvenir
Some items might be too big to fit in your bag! For example, do not bring in your dog (they would not like to be squeezed into a bag) bring in a picture.
9/4/08
Parents/Guardians,
What a great first day!! I am so very excited to begin the school year. It was great to meet those of you who attended the open house last night. I also am eagerly anticipating meeting any parents/guardians who were unable to attend. It is going to be a fantastic year.
Today your student has brought home a packet of forms that MUST be filled out and returned to school. Please be sure to read them thoroughly and sign the areas that require signatures. If any areas are incomplete they will be returned. I know what you’re thinking, “First day and already I have homework!” Do not worry, the rest will be for the students. Speaking of homework, they have their first assignment due tomorrow. Feel free to work with them on their Learn About Me essay that they need to bring in tomorrow. This essay is meant to be a fun and informal way for your student to let me know some things about them.
Tomorrow there will be some information going home about some up coming projects. Please feel free to let me know if you ever have questions or concerns. My email is jcollyer@cvsd.org or I can be reached by phone here at the school at 228-4600. Please view the website at schoolnotes.com, it is a great way to stay in touch with what is going on at school. Have a great week.
Mr. C
August 26, 2008
Parents/Guardians/Students,
WELCOME TO THE 2008-09 SUNRISE 4th GRADE SCHOOL YEAR!
Hello and welcome to a year full of learning and fun! First, let me introduce myself. I grew up in Puyallup, WA (40 miles south of Seattle) where I graduated from Puyallup HS in 1996. I graduated from Washington State University in May 2001 (GO COUGS!). I spent 2001-2007 teaching in the Puyallup School District. Following the completion of the 2006-07 school year my wife (who teaches in the Nine Mile School District) and I decided to come to the Spokane area to be closer to her family and enjoy a new area. Last year was my first year in the Central Valley School District, and I had an absolutely great time teaching fifth grade here at Sunrise. I am very excited to be working in fourth grade this year (I have taught 4th grade previously in the Puyallup School District). I LOVE all sports (especially football, baseball, hockey, basketball and golf) and being outdoors.
I am very pleased to have such a fantastic team of 4th grade teachers to work with. Mrs. Stumbough , Mrs. Froehle, and Mr. Kennedy have been wonderful to work with this summer. I know we are going to make a super 4th grade team. The entire Sunrise staff is great and I feel blessed to be here.
Parents and students can expect progress reports that will detail student achievement and assignment completion twice per month. Students will read every night and parents will sign off acknowledging this in a reading log that goes home daily. Homework will be assigned once or twice per week, and assignments not completed in class will be assigned as homework for completion. Students will have a daily assignment calendar so parents and students can discuss class activities and have a visual reminder of what needs to be done at home. I also have a web site at schoolnotes.com. Go to the website now if you would like to get a sneak peak! Registering is very easy, just enter the school zip-code and look to click on Sunrise, and then my name. You can also enter the following address to view it directly http://www.schoolnotes.com/99037/mrcollyer53.html. It is a super source for parents and students to get any news and see any letters I sent home (I know they disappear in backpacks from time to time). I am eager to see everyone at the open house when you can drop off student supplies and say hello. I am always willing to meet with parents before or after school (please let me know if you would like to meet so I can be sure and have a clear schedule). I am always available via email at jcollyer@cvsd.org or jcollyer53@msn.com (the second email is my home account). It is going to be a great year and cannot wait to meet you all. Enjoy the end of your summer!
Justin Collyer
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