PLEASE NOTE

There will NOT be intramurals on Thursday, December 19th.

The holiday party for 4th grade will begin at 3:00 on Friday, December 20th.

Next Weeks Plans and Testing in the New Year

     First, let me thank you for your patience while I was sick.  The students did a great job in my absence.  Hopefully, I am nearing the end of the "yuck" and will be here daily.
    I was amazed at the kindness and generousity of all of you with your donations to Mrs. Smith's "teacher survival basket"!  She has not seen it yet but I am sure that she will be in tears!  We will miss her terribly.  Today when I was talking to the kids about Mrs. Smith's party one of the kids asked me, " Why are we celebrating Mrs. Smith leaving?"  I tried to explain that this is a big step in her life but to the kids they are losing one of their teachers.
     Next week will be a busy week of celebrations and holiday fun. Yes, there will be learning too. :)
Children WILL have a spelling test and homework next week. They will also have Comprehension Tidbits.  We will be finishing up Math unit 7 and taking the test next week.  We will continue to work on narrative writing .  In reading we will be continuing our books on snakes and doing snake research. If your child has a book on snakes they are welcome to bring it in.
 Along with this learning we will be doing some fun things as well.
Monday we will be meeting with our second grade buddies and playing holiday games and sharing a snack.  Wednesday we will be making holiday gifts . Please remember that Wednesday if a half day of school.  Thursday we will be having our class room celebration. The kiddos have earned 500 tickets.  We will be watching the movie" The Santa Trap", doing a holiday craft , and the kids may bring in junk food to snack on and a drink.  Friday we will be watching :Despicable Me 2" as a school reward and having popcorn.  Grades 3 - 5 will be together in the gym.  Since this movie will be a bit long our holiday party will not begin until 3:00.
 Over break your child will NOT have any homework.  Enjoy the time with your kids!  After break we gear up for a month full of testing!
The children will be taking the Reading Performance Assessment,  the district math assessment, the writing assessment, and the QSI test.  PLEASE send me an email if your child will not be in school any of January so I can make sure that they complete these assessments before/after their absence!  These are all cumbersome tests and require a lot of time to take!

Have a relaxing weekend and stay warm!
Carrie

Happy Thanksgiving

There is so much to be thankful for this time of year.  I am thankful to share that I had 100% participation at conferences. I so enjoy talking to all of you and learning more about your child!
I am thankful for your kiddo!  I am very lucky that I have a job that involves such sweet kids with great hearts!  I am thankful to be a part of such a wonderful community. Truman is such a caring and kind environment.

As you relax and think about all that you are thankful for take a minute to hug your child a little closer. Be thankful that you have that minute with them.  You will blink and that minute will be gone.

A few things to remember before returning to school"
1. Please have a pencil at home for your kids to do their homework with. We are seeing a lot of crayons, markers, and pens.  They don't erase very well.
2. Please send warm clothes with your child and snow gear if needed.
3. Mrs. Smith's last day will be Dec. 13th. How will I ever do it without her?

Upcoming Events:
 Dec. 3rd - Half day
Dec. 6th - Awards Assembly 3/5 at 2:15.
Dec. 10th - I will be gone for a teacher training. Mrs. Lewis will be here.
Dec. 12th - Taft play
Dec. 18th - half day
Dec. 19th - Movie " Little House on the Prairie/Blizzard"
Dec. 20th - Winter Party - 3:00
Dec. 23- Jan. 1st - Winter break
Jan. 2nd - Return to school

Have a relaxed and family filled Thanksgiving! Thank you for all you do!!

Book Orders

Book orders are due this Friday, Nov. 15th.  Please let me know if this order is a holiday gift and I will contact you when it arrives.
Thanks!

Paramount Trip Tomorrow

We will be going to the Paramount Theater to listen to the symphony on Tuesday, November 12. We will leave at 9:10 and return around 11:00. We will be traveling by bus and we will eat lunch at school.

In reading the kids will be reading about different kinds of snakes next week.
 They will take the Topic 5 math test  While we are waiting for our next science kit to arrive the children will be reading  articles and watch news clips regarding the topic: Should students wear uniforms to school? with Mrs. S. during their science time.  Students will gather information regarding this topic and write their opinion using facts to support their side of the debate. This is a similar format to our new district reading test that was/will be shared with you at conferences.
We will continue to work on multiplying larger numbers in math. In writing we are working on drawing conclusions.  Our S.S. states and region unit is off and running. The kids have a lot to share about the regions and different states.
As I write this there is a lot of snow flying around outside. PLEASE make sure that your child has warm clothes on for recess!!  We still go out as long as the temperature is ok.


Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, November 12: Symphony 9:10-11:00, Conferences
Wednesday, November 13: Mrs. Hall Guidance lesson 2:45-3:10
Thursday, November 14: the author Nancy Carlson visits Truman, Conferences
November 25-29: No School
Wednesday, December 4: Early Dismissal 1:30
Friday, December 6: Awards Assembly, Pride Day, Winter Fun Night Dance 6-8

Conferences have started

The weather has taken a change and we have many kiddos that are still not wearing appropriate warm clothing for outdoor recess.  Please make sure that your child has warm clothing.  I know that it is often "not cool" to wear a hat and gloves but after the kids get cold enough they won't care how "cool" they look. :)
This week we are starting a new math unit.  The unit 4 math scores will be shared with you via email later today. We have started unit 5 in math which is multiplying by one digit numbers.  We have started taking a multiplication Tiger Test.  The class met their addition and subtraction Tiger Test goals for being 70% accurrate.  They actually were in the high  80-90%'s.
We are continuing working on drawing conclusions and inferencing in reading and reading groups. We have not met our goal on having all kids at mastery on finding the main idea and supporting details in a grade level passage so we are continuing to work on that in intervention. We have started learning how to write a compare/contrast paper.  This is the topic of our next writing assessment.

Mrs. Smith has started her full time teaching. She will be teaching until Dec. 4th.  I will still be in the room and working with kids much of the time. 

Report cards will be sent home today.  Conferences start tomorrow.  Please be mindful of the time so that everyone gets their "time with the teacher."  I still don't have all the parent conference questionaires returned.  I am using these as a way to make sure I have your questions answered and that we make sure we spend time talking about things that you have concerns/questions about.

Upcoming Events:
Monday, November 4:  From the Ground Up  2:15-3:00
Tuesday, November 5:  Report Cards sent home
Wednesday, November 6:  1:30 Early Dismissal, Conferences
Tuesday, November 12:  9:10 Symphony performance, Conferences
Thursday, November 14:  Conferences, author Nancy Carlson visiting Truman
Monday, November 25-29:  No School

Red Ribbon Week is Next Week

Here are the activities for Red Ribbon Week: ( Oct. 28th - Nov. 1st)

Monday - Wear sunglasses.. My future is so bright I have to wear shades
Tuesday- Wear hats.... Hats off to a drug free life
Wednesday - Wear sneakers... sneak away from drugs
Thursday - Wear your t-shirts backwards - Turn your back on drugs
Friday - Wear "Read" or red t-shirts ... Feed your brains.. don't harm them.

As the weather turns colder there are many children that are not wearing warm enough coats to school. Children WILL go outside as the temperature permits. There is no one to watch them at recess if they don't have a warm enough coat.

Golfing and More

          Your child has been an active participant in Physical Education, learning about golf as a great lifetime activity.  We have been hitting practice balls outside at Truman during P.E. classes, and our focus has been on correct technique, using a driver and an iron, as well as safety.  Students have also been able to practice putting while participating in a mini golf course that was set up around the library.  I was awarded a “Kids in the Community” grant that is paying for our field trip to Airport National on Friday October 25^th. Mrs. Sercu-Fredericks class will go from 9:15-12:00 and Mrs. Thompson’s class will go from 11:30-2:30.  Students will get an hour on the driving range as well as an hour on the mini golf course.  Classes will be eating lunch at school. Students need to dress warm, I recommend jeans/sweat pants, hooded sweatshirt, jacket, hat and mittens/gloves.  It is easier to take off items if the weather allows verses not having what you need to stay warm.  Students may also bring water bottles.  If you have any questions please contact me at lshaver@cr.k12.ia.us.

 

Miss Shaver

 

 

This week we will be working on main idea , character traits, and setting in reading.  Mrs. Smith has started to teach more and she is teaching reading and reading groups.

We took the Unit 3 math test. Your child's score will be sent to your email tomorrow.  Our next unit in math addition and subtraction of whole numbers. That would be "big" numbers.

The Master Gardeners came last Monday and will be coming for the next three Mondays. They are teaching the kids about plants and how they grow.

 

Thank you to all of our readers on Friday for America Reads Day.

Upcoming Events:
Monday, October 21:  From the Ground Up  2:15-3:00
Wednesday, October 23:  Early Dismissal 1:30
Friday, October 25:  Airport National Golf 9:15-12:00
Monday, October 28:  From the Ground Up  2:15-3:00
Thursday, October 31:  Fall Party 2:45-3:00  (No costumes and no parade)

 

Something to Keep in Mind

Our class is looking for donations of gum and wrapped candy for ticket rewards.  If you have some Halloween candy that your family won't eat we would appreciate the donation. I draw ticket winners daily.
Thanks!

Friday is Picture Day and the Book Order is Due

Today you will be recieving the form for school pictures that your child will need.  If you are wanting school pictures please fill out the form and return it with a check to school on Friday.

Book orders are also due on Friday.

We had our ticket celebration today. We watched It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and ate popcorn.
Our next ticket goal is 500 tickets.
Please check your email regularly as I have been sending you your child's test results via the internet.
Thanks!

Picture Day is Friday, Oct. 11th

This week will begin our testing week.  Your child will be taking the new district reading assessment. This test is not like the ones they have taken in the past.  For this test they are shown some video clips and given some articles to read. Then they will have to choose a side and write a paper on it.  Our topic is whether school or home lunch is healthier for kids.  This will take us about two days to complete.
When we are not working on the reading assessment we will continue to review inferences, main idea, and character traits in reading groups.

We will also be taking the writing assessment this week. The children will be writing a persuasive piece about what changes could be made to our school to improve it.  They will be utilizing the Traits of Writing and trying to make sure that they have good sentences and conventions.  We practiced this type of writing with the letter written to you about what book they should get from the book order and why.  I wonder if your child was able to persuade you to buy them a book.
The tenement houses are in the front glass display case for the next few weeks.  They look great!  Please take a minute to come to school and see them. They are so proud of them.  I will be sending grades home this week. We are going to be moving on in Social Studies to study child labor.  On Thursday your child will be bringing home a time line of what their day looks like. This is a WEEKEND HOMEWORK assignement that will be due on Monday.  All your children need to do it keep a "diary" of what a typical day looks like for them. There will be a sheet with times on it for your child to fill in.
In math we took the Unit 2 test on patterns and are moving on to place value.  I will be giving a pre-test today.
We have earned our next ticket reward. The children have voted to have a movie and popcorn. On Wed. we will be watching The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and having popcorn.
Upcoming Events:Tuesday, October 8: PTO Orange Leaf Night
Wednesday, October 9: Early Dismissal 1:30
Friday, October 11: Picture Day
Friday, October 18: America Reads Day
Wednesday, October 23: Early Dismissal 1:30
Friday, October 25: Airport National Golf 9:15-12:00
Thursday, October 31: Fall Party (No costumes or parade) 2:45-3:30

Important Information About Intramurals and Student Directory

Intramurals will be cancelled tomorrow morning, Oct. 3rd.

Please send back your student directory forms if you want your child's name and number in the directory.  There have only been 12 turned in so far in the 4th grade.
Thanks,
Carrie

Author Tolya Thompson Called Us!!

We were taking a math test today and my school phone rang.  The caller ID said that it was Tolya Thompson , an author that we had written.  I hesitantly picked up the phone and to my surprise it was her!  I have read the Smartie Series books by Tolya Thompson to the kids this year and we have used them to talk about many different social and emotional skills.  For example, Loud Lips Lucy is about a girl who talks all the time and when her loses her voice she learns that by listening she learns more.  Worry Wart Wes is about a boy who worries over everything.  He learns that he is just fine and that he doesn't need to worry so much.
The kids had liked these books so much we decided to write the author.  Little did we know that she would call us. She told the class that the letters came at a great time since she had been thinking of giving up writing since she was having a writer's block She shared that these letters from the kids were what she needed to not give up and to keep on writing. She told the kids that they can do anything that they want to and to think outside of their main views.  She talked to the kids on speaker phone for quite some time and told them that she was sending a package to them.  She even told them that when she finished the new series that she is writing... the one that is causing her troubles... that we would be the first ones to get a copy!!
I have taught for over 20 years and this phone call was one of the neatest things I have expereinced. I wish you all could have seen the look on the kids' faces as this wonderful author talked and encouraged your children!  Today.... that math test wasn't the focus... today.... the focus was that your children touched the life of an author as much as she touched theirs.  Sometimes the biggest lessons are taught by surprise! Please take a minute to talk to your child about this amazing and wonderful event in our day!

Conference Sign Up

 You should have received a note home on Thursday telling you how to sign up for conferences online.  Truman is trying to "go green" and do this electronically .  If you are NOT able to access the internet you may send the form back to me and I will do it for you.  I cannot guarranty the times that you picked since I am unaware of the avaliable times until I log in and see what times are left.

The Truman Trot was a great success! The school raised more than $6,100 to use towards technology in the classrooms.  Thank you to all the volunteers and businesses that donated their time and materials to make this day fun for the kids!

This week we will begin two weeks of heavy testing.  The children will begin the Iowa Core math assessment this week and take the unit 2 patterns test.  Next week the children will be taking the reading assessment and the writing assessment.  PLEASE have your children here at school and on time so they are not getting behind on these tests.

This week in reading we are working on inferences and character traits.  Children will be asked guided questions that will require them to infere about what they have read to answer the question.  This is a skill we will continue next week as well.

In writing we are working on writing an opinion piece.  I hope to have those sent home by Friday. Please take a minute to read those with your child. They will be putting a lot of time into them.  We are also continuing to work on non-fiction summaries.

In math we are working on patterns in numbers and some of us are continuing to work on learning multiplicaiton facts.

In science the children are working on doing scratch tests to gain clues as to the hardness of the rock/mineral. They will use this information to identify the rocks/minerals.

Tenement houses are due this Friday.  They will be displayed in the glass case in front of the school.  This week we will be learning more about Teddy Roosevelt and how his Presidency is important in the Progressive Era.

Mrs. Smith is taking over more and more of the teaching. Next week she will be in charge of the entire morning. 

Truman Tiger Trot

Thank you to the parents who attended the Parent Night on Tuesday.  I appreciate the time you took out of your busy lives to come and learn about your child's fourth grade year and how to make it as successful as possible. If you were unable to attend I sent the packet of information home with your child.  Please note that we are now doing conference sign up online.  You can access this on the Truman Website.
     This week we worked on summarizing text.  We used the rule of 5 and wrote written summaries.  This is one of the "big rocks" for 4th grade.  We talked quite a bit about how it is important to read to remember. As I looked over the data that I collected from the reading assessment I realized that all but 2 children in the class need to work on reading comprehension.  We are putting a lot of focus on this skill all year. At home you can work with your child on this by asking them to retell the events of the story they are reading or by asking your child about the characters in the story, where the story takes place, and what the problem is in the story.  If your child is not able to retell these things to you I would have them go back and reread until they are able to answer these questions.
    In math we are finishing up our unit one math which is multiplication. Most kids have mastered their basic multiplication facts by now. If your child has not I sent home flashcards with the facts that they still need to master. Please practice them with your child nightly. Sign the sheet and return them to me daily.  At school I am working with them on ways to help them learn these facts and continuing to give them their multiplication level tests.  I have talked to the kids about the importance of reading each math problem correctly and rereading it so they know what the question is asking.
     There were many children that did not return their spelling homework or their Comprehension Tidbits. Please note that the homework schedule is on back of the red take home folder and that spelling is due on Thursdays and comprehension is due on Friday.
    Please remember to earn money for the Truman Tiger Trot! This event will happen on Friday, Sept. 27th.  The money earned from this fundraiser will help get technology into the classrooms that don't have it.
     I have sent emails to you to check to make sure that I have the correct email address for you.  I will be using email to update you on your child's progress this year.  Please check to see if you have an email from me.
    
Half day - Sept. 25th.
Tenement houses are due Oct. 4th
Oct. 11th - Picture day

Our First Two Weeks of School

I have enjoyed getting to know all of your children these last two weeks.  They are a great group of kids. They are working hard to learn the expectations in 4th grade and the schedule.
This week the children have been learning "how to read" again. We have been talking about how good readers use metacognition (thinking about our thinking) and schema ( our past experiences) to understand what we are reading and to make connections.  Next week we will be continuing to learn more skills to help make us better readers. We will also be starting our guided reading groups.
In math we are working hard on our multiplication facts.  The expectation is that all 4th graders are fluent on their basic multiplication facts.  Please have your child practice these facts at home. Each child is in a multiplication level ranging from 0 - 10. That is the facts that they need to know. For example if I didn't know my 5 facts then I would be in level 5.  Ask your child what level they are in. The Truman website has a great link in the math room for the kids to practice their math facts. They played it today in computer lab. I would strongly recommend your child spending some time on this site daily.
In Social Studies we are learning about the Industrialization Era or the Progressive Era. We have talked about World War 3, Robber Barrons, tenement houses, and child labor.
In Science the children are breaking apart mock rocks to try to figure out what properties are in them.
Here are some  school updates:

The crossing guard will be on duty from 8:30 - 9:15 and from 3:15 - 4:00 daily.  Children should NOT be dropped off before 8:40 am unless they eat school breakfast or go to intramurals.

Your child should have brought home a PTO fundraising packet. Please read it carefully. We are hoping that each child can raise $40 so that we can get some more technology in our building.

This weeks comprehension tidbits story is titled Thomas Edison.

Our class has earned 100 Tiger tickers. We will celebrate on Tuesday with a sharing time. Children may bring in one small , non living, item to share. Please no electronics!

Our school has earned over 1000 tickets so we will be having a school wide picnic on Friday.

There will be an at home SS project note coming home next week ,  Your child will be making a tenement house. Please save a kleenex box or shoe box for this project.

Thank you for making sure that your child is doing and returning their homework on time.  I only had 4 kids not have homework turned in today.

Parent Night will be on Sept. 17th. This will be the night that I give you informatioon on things that you will need to know to help your child be more successful at school. It is also a time that you can ask any questions that you may have.

I will be reading testing next Friday the 13th and on Monday the 16th.  Mrs. Lewis will be my substitute.

Have a great weekend and please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns!

Welcome to 4th Grade!

Did you know that our class has a blog?  In effort to "go green" all class news will be posted on the blog.
You can become a follower of our class  blog and get it sent to your phone or computer.
If that is not an option you can get to the blog by going to the Truman Website www.trum.cr.k12.ia.us . Then find curriculum links and press "Thompson".  The most current copy of the blog will be there for you to read.
The blog will contain information about our class and schedules. It will also have any other information that I need you to know.
So, become a follower!!
Stay informed!
Thanks,
Mrs. Thompson

Rain, Rain Go AWAY!

Well. the weather just isn't cooperating!  According to the weather people we are slated to have rain all week. With this in mind we have had to change/cancel a few activities.
 We will NOT be going to the park this week at all.  The park has too many puddles on the ball field and around the pavillion.  Your child will NOT be needing a home lunch this week.  We have some indoor fun planned instead of the park.

Report cards will be sent home on Friday.

Please send in an empty bag for your child to pack up their school supplies. We will be packing up at the end of the week.

Thank you for sharing your child with me this year!

Field Trip News and Teacher Appreciation

Tomorrow we will be going to the Herbert Hoover Museum. Please make sure that your child eats a good breakfast and that they are at school on time. We will leave right away at 9:10.
Your child will need to bring a sack  lunch and a drink.  They will NOT be allowed to wear flip flops. They may bring money to buy things in the gift shop.

On Friday we will be going fishing.  Your child will need a sack lunch and a drink that day as well. Please only let your child wear LONG JEANS!  They can wear hats, sunglasses, and layered clothes.
FLIP FLOPS ARE NOT ALLOWED!!

Thank you for all of the GREAT teacher appreciation thoughts and gifts!!  I have enjoyed the year with the kids and can't believe that it is almost over!

Friday will be Mr. Smith's last day with us. He did a great job and we will miss him. He has accepted a position at Springville High School as a Strategist II Special Education teacher.

Enjoy the nice weather!

An Update (From the Students)!

This past week several of students in class finished their animal research early. The following post was written by those students!

On Tuesday, we had a music program and I hope you all watched it. The first song was Fifty Nifty United States and it was awesome. The second song was Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog and it had a lot of movement in it I was sweating at the end of the song. The third song was wonderful world and it was really slow and kind of boring. The fourth was Happy together and the people that had solos did pretty well. Last but not least, the fifth was I’m a Believer and it was so amazing I can’t describe it. 

     On Friday, we had Hawaiian day. Everybody looked like they were from Hawaii. It was awesome because we got to wear grass skirts, necklaces, and other stuff. 

     Also on Friday, Mr. Smith taught us the Interlude. When we did the Interlude, it was fun and cool. We were jumping, just having fun and it got very crazy. I hope we have another fun day. I think Mr. Smith is a good teacher because he teaches us cool things.

Mr. Smith just came to Mrs. Thompson’s class on March 25. We are so excited that he is here. We welcome him with our loudness and craziness. He came from UNI. He is studying to be a teacher. He is teaching our class for three weeks. He taught us the Interlude. Sometimes he can be strict when we are wild and crazy.

  

                  

       

Basket Update and Intramural News

Just a quick note to let you know that our spring basket theme is "Sports Attack." We currently have 2 items donated for the basket. Thank you for sending things in.

Miss Shaver has cancelled intramurals on Monday morning. All students were told that this morning.

Please check your child's homework folder as the end of the year draws near. There will be important notes on field trips and park day coming soon.

Our PTO themed spring basket this year will be "Sports Attack."  We will be collecting items for our basket. Some ideas are sports equipment, Gatorade, sunflower seeds, a team t-shirt, ice packs, and water bottles. Feel free to send these items in at any time in the future.
The carnival will be on May 3rd.
Thank you!

Spring Has Sprung!

Mrs. Thompson's class would like to welcome Mr. Andy Smith to their class.  Andy will be with our class until May 10th. During this time he will be full time teaching for three weeks.  He has already gotten to know the kids and has taught many lessons.
We FINALLY completed the Iowa Assessments!  What a great feeling. I am so proud of the kids for their perservernce and hard work. I am positive that all of our hard learning will be reflected in their scores.
Today a fishing field trip permission slip will be sent home with your child. This MUST be signed and returned for your child to attend this fun trip.  Miss Shaver has already secured retired administrators as volunteers so we will not be needing any parent volunteers for this trip.
Picture money and/or pictures need to be returned to school by Friday, April 12th. 
Book orders are due on Friday, April 12th.

As you may have heard, one of our classmates was diagnosed with Type 1 diebetes.  It is important that when you send in snack for the class that you send in ONE of the boxes or containers so that I can get a carbohydrate reading on it.  This is very important!!

Here are some upcoming events as we near the end of the year:
April 17th- Truman night at Orange Leaf
April 18th- PTO meeting at 6:00
April 23rd- Music program at Taft
April 24th - Early dismissal
April 26th - Family Life for 4th graders
May 9th - Field trip to Herbert Hoover Museum
May 10th- Fishing Field trip
May 31st - Field Day
June 3rd - Last day of school...


Only 36 1/2 days left of school!

Celebration

The class has filled their yellow ticket jar.  The celebration for this will be on Monday. It will be hat day and gum day.  I know that I have a few kids that are not allowed to have gum. I have told them that they may bring a different snack.
Next week is Unit 4 reading test week. There will not be any spelling test or homework.  Please make sure that your child is getting a good nights sleep and eating a healthy breakfast before coming to school so their brain is "fueled" for testing.
We will continue to work on area and perimeter in math.  You will notice that along with some practice on those skills on nightly homework we will be adding some practice on multiplication, division, and rounding on the back of each math homework sheet.
We continue to work on muscles in Science.  We have built the leg and the thumb with objects to respresent bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles.  We will build the arm next week and take the investigation test.
In social studies we finished the government and are now doing the Iowa unit.
Thank you for 100% participation at conferences! It is always nice to visit about the growth that the kids are making. A big thank you to all the PTI members and parents who sent in food to feed the staff while we were conferencing!  It was so nice to have a hot meal on those long days.
Remember that Monday is a snow make up day and there WILL be school all day.
The awards assembly is Friday at 2:15.

Conferences, Bingo, and Valentines

Thank you to everyone who has shown up at conferences! I really appreciate your support and willingness to work with me to give your child a successful 4th grade year. So far everyone has made their conference times.
Tonight is BINGO night at Taft.  If you are your family aren't busy you would have a lot of fun at this activitity.
Valentines Day is on Thursday, Feb. 14th.  We will have our party at the end of the day.  Children are allowed to bring in valentines for their friends and teachers. However I ask that your child either bring in a valentine for everyone in the class or no one in the class so that feelings aren't getting hurt.
Below I have the names of the kids in the class that particiapate in valentines.
Nkasa
Chase
Zoey
Jade
Ashley
Abby
Matthew
Dylan
Maddie
Autumn
Barett
Zoe
Joe'l
Olivia
Sydney
Jayden
Dante
Dawson
Koda

Some teachers to remember may be:
Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. S., Mrs. Wiedneman , Miss Shaver, Miss Huston, Mrs. Lehmann, Grandma Joann, Mrs. Woods, the office staff, etc.

Next week we will be starting a new math unit that is about perimieter and area. 
In reading we will be working on context clues, whale research, compare and contrast, and summarizing.  The story we will be reading is called At Home in the Coral Reef.
In science we will be starting to learn about the muscles in the body. We recently completed our investigation on joints.
In SS the chidlren are concluding their unit on the United States Governement and will be starting their Iowa Unit.
Please remember that the weather is still iffy. Please make sure that your child has a winter coat, hat, and gloves to keep warm.

Happy New Year!

I hope that all of you had a relaxing and wonderful holiday season!  The kids came back to school with many adventures to talk about.
As we kick off the New Year, I would ask that you check with your child to see if they are in need of any school supplies.  Many children are without pencils, markers, crayons, and even scissors.  They seem to get misplaced and never found again. 
We  are going to be having a busy month of testing.  Next week we will take the Unit 3 reading assessment .
Later in January we will be taking the Iowa Core math assessment.  This will be the second time that we have taken the math test. The goal is to see some growth from earlier in the year to now.  Please make sure that your child arrives to school on time so they don't fall behind on testing. Having your child get a good night sleep and breakfast are also ways to help them have the energy for the tests.
With the colder weather it is important that your child have winter gear here at school. When the temperature is above 10 degrees the children DO go outside for recess.
The rollar skating unit will begin next week in PE.  Please have your child bring in their helmet. They will need this to particiapte.  Please make sure that their helmet is labeled with their name on it.
Conferences are coming up soon again. I will be sending home conference schedules in two weeks. Please be sure to mark the date and time on your calendar.
Illness has lingered in our room since early December.  I have been haing the children Lysol their desks nightly and we are doing a lot of hand washing.   We are down to our last few bottles of Lysol wipes.  If you have extras sitting at home we would gladly use them in class.