Wednesday Aug. 31

Homework:

Study Link 2.1

Tuesday Aug. 30

Homework:

1) Finish the picture boxes that we started in class. Picture boxes are for our -man/-manu words.

Monday Aug. 29

Homework:

1) MATH Chapter 1 Study Guide. TEST IS TOMORROW (TUES, 8/30)

2) SOCIAL STUDIES Chapter 1 Review Guide. TEST IS TOMORROW (TUES, 8/30)

*If you are one of my AFTERNOON Learning Lab people who leave the room during Social Studies---> You do not need to do a Social Studies Review Guide. INSTEAD, your #2 homework is to have DEAR time for 30 minutes.

Reminders:

Newsletter went home today. On the back of the newsletter, you can find our spelling list and test dates. Spelling Menu also went home today. This is due next Wednesday. Start working on it this week to get it out of the way! :)

Friday Aug. 26

Happy Friday to everyone! I hope you have a nice, relaxing weekend. I'm sure we could all use it!

Assignment notebooks MUST be signed over the weekend. If it is not signed, it equals a tally.

Today we discussed our Literacy Communities that we will be starting next week, and we learned what community everyone would be in.

A little about Literacy Communities: They are small reading groups. Each group will read a different novel. The community grouping and novel selections are based off of Reading Lexile scores. There will be different jobs (Discussion Director, Illustrater, etc.) that the students will rotate through as they read their novels.

I am very excited to get these started. I think they will be both fun and beneficial for the students!! :)

Thursday Aug. 25

Homework:

1) Study link 1.7

2) Study for spelling test

Just a reminder to send in the 3 pronged folder for your child's Science Notebook.

*Snowball is going home with Reese tonight. Reese has also been my reporter this week. Thanks so much Reese!

Wednesday Aug. 24

Homework for tonight:

1) Study link 1.6

2) Study for vocab test

Tuesday Aug. 23

Hello all-

Just a few reminders. Tomorrow is picture day. If you wish to order your child's pictures, he/she must bring the picture order form back tomorrow! These went home last week.

Your child needs to bring in his/her picture of a meaningful memory by tomorrow. Information about this was also sent home last week.

Homework:
1) Spelling menu is due tomorrow!

*No Study Link 1.6 tonight*

*Snowball went home with Glenn tonight.

Monday Aug. 22

Homework:

1) Study Link 1.5

2) Work on Spelling Menu

Spelling Menu is due on Wednesday.

*Snowball went home with AJ tonight.

Friday Aug. 19

Homework August 19 2011

1) Get assignment notebook signed. If it is not signed on Monday, it is a tally.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND! :)

Thurs Aug. 18

August 18,2011

Snowball went home with Sophi.

Homework:

1) Study Link 1.4

2) Read Ch. 15 in Shiloh. Then write a half page telling what you thought of the end!

*****Artifact Bag DUE TOMORROW! *****

Wedsnesday, August 17, 2011

Homework:

1) Read chapter 11 and 12 in Shiloh

2) Study link 1.3

*Maddie took Snowball home today, and she is our blogger. Thanks Maddie :)

Tuesday Aug. 16

Your homework for tonight is:
1) Study Link 1.2
2) Finish Chapter 9 in Shiloh

The newsletter says to finish the Chapters 7-9 comprehension sheet. This has changed. It is not tonight's homework anymore. We will be completing these in class tomorrow.

Thanks to my reporter, Maddie.

CORRECTION TO NEWSLETTER

I would like to make a correction to the newsletter sent home yesterday. I apologize that my extension for my phone was cut off when I made copies of the newsletter.

My extension is 1192.

Monday Aug. 15

Homework for tonight:

1) Read Shiloh Chapter 6

2) Complete comprehension sheet over Ch. 4-6

Your child is bringing home an informational sheet about our All About Me Artifact bags. These are due FRIDAY, AUGUST 19.

Your child is bring home their Spellign Menus. Please begin practicing the words at home. We will have a test NEXT WEEK. The Spelling Menus are not due until Wednesday, Aug. 24

First Friday of the Year

1) Get your assignment notebook signed.

2) If you need to bring Miss Donahue your student information sheet, it is due Monday. These people are: Zach, Isacc, Lauren, Samantha, AJ, Taisha.

*Snowball went home with Abigail this weekend.

**Parents---> Darts and tallies did not officially count this week. It was a practice week. Please still sign the behavior slip in your child's assignment notebook. THIS MUST BE DONE EVERY WEEKEND. IF IT IS NOT SIGNED ON MONDAY, YOUR CHILD WILL RECEIVE A TALLY.

Thanks to my reporter this week, Emily. :)

Second Day of School

Whew, today was fun but crazy!! We are still trying to get back into the swing of things. Parents--> just a couple of things...1) Today we had our hearing screening. Students will be bringing home an informational sheet about the screening tomorrow afternoon. 2) I will start sending the weekly newsletter home on Monday. No newsletter this week as it was a very short and hectic week.

Homework for tonight:
1) Finish filling out the ABC memories chart if you did not finish in class.
2) Read a book that you are interested in for 20 minutes.

Due: Tomorrow (Friday, August 12)

One more thing....

*Snowball is our classroom bear. He gets to go home and stay the night with a different student each night. He also has a journal that is kept for his adventures.

Snowball the bear went home with Luke tonight.

When it is your turn to take Snowball home, remember to write in his journal. What did he see? What did he do? Where did he go? Who did he meet?
Don't forget capital letters, punctuation, complete sentences full of juicy detail.

First Day

Homework for tonight is to share our accordian folders and assignment notebook with Mom, Dad, or any other adult at home.We had a great first day!

(Thanks to my reporter for the week, Emily, for typing up our blog entry!!)

Happy School Year!!!

About Miss Donahue:

I am a 2011 graduate of Franklin College; I was blessed with the wonderful opportunity to teach fourth grade at Brown Elementary while Mrs. Fiete spends time with her newborn baby boy, Jake.

I grew up in Greenfield, Indiana, where I graduated from Greenfield-Central High School and then moved to Franklin for four years while I worked towards my Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. Upon graduation in May, I moved up to the Southport area where I currently reside. This will be my first year of teaching, and I cannot think of a better place to be than Brown Elementary. I have heard only wonderful things about Brown Elementary students, and I am so excited to be a Bulldog!

About Our Classroom:

Discipline:

Our classroom will follow the school-wide discipline policy that was adopted by the staff. More information will be given on Back to School Night.



Grading:

I will put grades into Powerschool throughout the week. I strongly encourage you to be involved and "in the know" about your child's progress. You can check to see how he/she is doing by logging into Powerschool frequently. If you are unable to log into Powerschool, please feel free to contact me for updates. Graded papers will be sent home each Friday afternoon.

Responsibility is a character trait that all Brown students are expected to practice each and every day. Therefore, homework is to be turned in on the given due date. Any homework received after the due date will be graded according to the 4th Grade Homework Policy.

4th Grade Homework/Assignment Policy
1 Day Late = - 10% final grade
2+ Days Late = Automatic Zero

You can expect your child to bring homework home every night except for Fridays. Homework assigned should not typically take more than an hour unless he/she has been absent or has chosen not to utilize work time given in class.



Reading:

Fourth grade is a big year for students! No longer are they learning to read, but instead they are reading to learn. This is an important and tumultuous jump. Stories in the reading book, as well as novels, will be longer and more time consuming. Students will have to go back to the text to answer more complex questions. We will be reading out of the basal readers as well as outside books. Each day both the students and myself will participate in ten minutes of DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time. During this time, the students may read a book of their interest. These books may be brought in from home, borrowed from the library, or chosen from our classroom library.



Math:

The curriculum we will use is Everyday Math. Unit tests will be given every 8-10 lessons. As a part of the Everyday Math program, a Study Link will be sent home each night (except for Fridays) to complete for homework.
Make sure you also look for the Family Letter that is sent home at the beginning of each unit. This letter informs you of what we will be learning as well as answer guides that allow you to check your student's homework each night for accuracy.

It is important that your child masters his/her addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. Practice, practice, practice! :)



Social Studies:

We will be studying the history of Indiana! We will also be working on map skills, timelines, and critical thinking.

Science/Health:

Science and health grades will be combined. We’ll be studying magnets, electricity, weather, states of matter, as well as the scientific method. Students are tested on their science knowledge on ISTEP+ this year. Therefore, it’s important that they understand many of the scientific foundations. In health, we’ll be learning ways to manage our emotional and physical health. It’s all about making good choices!

Handwriting:

No handwriting grades will be given. Students should be able to write their first and last name in cursive legibly. They should also be able to read cursive. They are not required to write in cursive.

Classroom Supplies:

Your students should be set with all the necessary supplies to start the school year. However, you may need to replenish their supplies throughout the year. If your student is missing some necessary supplies, I will try my best to send home a note in their Friday folder. If you need assistance with getting or replenishing supplies, please contact the school’s office or myself—we’ll put you in touch with someone that can help!



Water Bottles/Snack:

I allow water bottles in my classroom. If your child has some type of water bottle, they may bring it in for use. Please make sure it is a bottle you do not mind having your child write their name on and it must have a lid (sports bottles are perfect!). Due to health issues, I expect water bottles to go home frequently to be washed or a new one may be brought in. Please, no flavored water. Also, students may have snacks if they choose (providing it follows the healthy food guidelines). I do not provide snack, and there is no designated "Snack Time". A student may bring his/her own snack from home and eat it when desired. However, if snacks should become a distraction or messy, I reserve the right to take the privilege away.

Communication:

This blog will be used to communicate classroom reminders, events, and homework. Please check it frequently to stay updated. I will also send home a newsletter each week to keep you informed.

Parents know their children better than anyone-- including their teachers! In order for this year to be as successful as possible, it's important for parent and teacher to communicate openly and freely. Please never hesitate to contact me. Always feel free to email, call, or send a note!!

Together, we can make this a great year for our students!