Debbie Corrado

NEWS CREW APPLICATION

The process for applying for NEWS CREW is a little different this year.  Please note that applications are due by the 15th.  GOOD LUCK!!

http://bllblogs.typepad.com/bullard_news_network/

March News and Notes

Dear Parents,

Well, we made it through the 3rd nine weeks.  Monday will start the fourth and final quarter.  Hard to believe that we are actually winding down the year.

• Thank you for stopping by our VIP tea.  The students ALL did a wonderful job!
• Our field trip to the Aquarium is March 26th.  We will be eating late when we return, so please pack your child a big snack to have before we leave.
• Academic notes......

Math- Chapter 20 on Multiplying Decimals will start on Monday.
We are working in groups on a state research poster and will start persuasive writing.
Science- Ecosystems
SS- Chapter 10 test next Friday (March 20th)
We will also be working on reading comprehension, spelling and grammar CRCT practice.

*This is the time of year when we start getting a little antsy.  Please remind your child the importance of good behavior in the classroom.

 *Thank you for all you do!  Have a great weekend!

                                                                Mrs. C.

VIP Update

V.I.P. Project Reminder

Our V.I.P. celebration will be next Friday, March 6, 2009.

Please drop in between 11:00-11:45 a.m.

Students are responsible for the following items as the “at home” portion of their V.I.P. project:

1.  QUESTION BOX: Create a “Question Box” for your VIP. This should simply be a covered shoe box or similar container with a hole in the top that is large enough for an adult to reach in and pull out a question. The box should be decorated in ways to represent the person you are portraying. (For example: decorate with pictures and/or words to represent your V.I.P.) 

**Bring your question box to school on Thursday, March 5^th.

 

2.  QUESTION CARDS: 12 question cards should be in your box. The questions should be very neatly written/typed using correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Each visitor that stops by your desk will choose three questions from your box to ask. (Examples: Where were you born? What is your most famous invention? Etc…) You should know your questions and answers very well.  Practice them at home. 

**Bring your question cards to school on Thursday, March 5^th. 

 

3.  VIP OUTFIT: Come up with an outfit for you to wear to represent your VIP for our VIP Tea. (**It is NOT necessary to purchase costumes, etc.)  If you need an idea, ask a teacher.

**Bring or wear your outfit on Friday, March 6^th. 

 

4.  OPTIONAL Souvenirs: This is an item for your visitors to take with them to remember you by. Be creative! Example: If you are Abraham Lincoln, you could give your visitors a penny as a souvenir. You may also choose to give your visitors a “business card.” (**This is NOT a requirement)  **If you choose to have souvenirs, bring them on Friday, March 6^th.  

Thank you!!

Dear Parents,

Thank you VERY much for all the gifts and goodies I have received for Teacher Appreciation Week.  I appreciate your kindness and generosity.  It has been a pleasure working with your child this year.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend and a Happy Valentine's Day!

Sincerely,

Mrs. C.

http://bllblogs.typepad.com/stephanie_lemoine/crct-practice.html

**Great web-site for CRCT practice!!!!!

February Features...................

Thank you to all the parents who took the time to meet me for conference week.  It was great to talk with all of you!

February already??  Here's a brief preview.   Please make sure and check your child's agenda for upcoming tests, etc....

*Math- It's getting harder!  We are working with decimals and fractions in Chapter 18.  This is a concept that your child will need to review at home.  Please let me know if your child is having a hard time with their homework so I can spend some extra time with them in the morning.

*Reading/Language Arts- We are in full swing with our informational text.  Students are working on an animal research report as well as starting their VIP Project.  Please refer to the VIP sheet that you received at conferences.  Everyone has checked out a book from the media center, and the research paper will be written in class.

*Social Studies- We are finishing up the Revolutionary War and will start on Chapter 9 next week.  Students are encouraged to take their book home and take notes on their own.  This will help them out when we are reading and discussing in class.

*Science-We began our unit on Stars and Planets today.  Students will be creating a booklet to help with vocabulary understanding.  They should be reviewing important vocabulary daily.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  Have a great week!

January Happenings!

Welcome back!  I hope that all of you enjoyed your break.  We are excited to kick off a new year and the 3rd quarter.  A few notes.........................................................................

**We welcome our student teacher Ms. Anna Coleman.  Ms. Coleman will be with us through the end of April, and I can already tell you that she will do an outstanding job in the classroom.  We are very happy to have her as part of our family this semester!

**We are in full swing, and things seems to be getting a little harder.  We are working on fractions in math.  Students may need to be spending some extra time at home reviewing skills taught during the day.  There are also a few that need to be studying their math facts.  It is very important that they master their facts in order to complete other operations in a timely manner.  We should not be counting on our fingers anymore.

**We are discussing the events that led up to the Revolutionary War.  The students seem to be grasping the subject matter.  Please have them go on-line often and listen to the chapters we are working on.  Hearing the information more than once can't hurt.

**We have finished our Science rotations and will pick up with our new unit on Stars and the Solar System on February 2nd. (We are taking a short break until after conference week)

**Reading and Language Arts has us studying informational text and completing some small research projects in the classroom.  Students will be checking out some non-fictions books next week from the media center.

**No school on the 19th.  They are giving us this day off because the STEELERS play on Sunday evening and I will be too tired to come to work on Monday (just kidding, but no school for MLK)

**Conference week 26-30.  Early dismissal.  I look forward to seeing all of you!!

Finishing Up the Year!!

Wow!  December already?????  Where did the time go?  We are working hard on wrapping things up before the Winter break.   Just a few notes........................................

**Wordly Wise lesson 8 quiz this Friday.  Next week we will have a class Spelling Bee to determine who will be our Rep. in January!

**We are working on writing snow stories and completing reading assessments.  I will pick up with new grammar lessons in January.

**We are working on finishing up our unit on the 13 colonies.  We will have a test next week covering Chapter 6.

**Our 2nd nine week Math test will be next Tuesday.  It will cover multiplication and division as well as geometry.  Students should review lines, rays, angles, triangles and types of quadrilaterals to prepare.

**Thank you for your generous donation for Ms. Manske.  It was hard to see her go.  We were able to give her a nice American Express gift card to thank her for all her hard work.

**Hope to see you next week at our Winter Party.  Please contact Lea Roy if you would like to help out in any way.

:)  Only 9 more days!!

Finishing Up November!!

WOW!  We are winding down 2008.  It's hard to believe.  Here is a brief update...........................

**We are switching gears in Math.  Students are now working on Chapter 12.  The chapter will cover lines, rays and angles.  We will also be exploring how to use a protractor.  If you have a protractor at home, your child can practice creating and measuring angles.

**Students are working on synonyms, antonyms and homophones.  I am also administering reading assessments over the next couple of weeks.  Students will be working on a "book talk" where they will be writing a book report and sharing with the class.

**This week students will be performing their reader's theater scripts.  Ask your child about their role.  The scripts are folktales and tall tales.  The students are really showing their drama skills.  I see some future actors and actresses!!

**Wordly Wise quiz on Friday.

**Social Studies:  We are reading about the New England Colonies.  Students are discovering how geography affected they way people lived.  They are also realizing that life was quite a bit different back then!  What did they do without a PUBLIX??

**Students started their weather unit with Ms. Mabary this week.  Students need to bring in a weather map by Friday.

**Science test on Force and Motion this Wednesday.

**Thank you to all the parents who sent in a donation for Ms. Manske.  You can send in donations through Friday.

**Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I am cooking my first turkey in 8 years....................hope it turns out:}

November Happenings!!

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only weeks away.  Everyone is working hard.  Thanks to all of you who made it to Poetry with Parents.  I hope you enjoyed all of the great poems your child has been working on.

**We are having our SS test on Thursday.  Our next unit will cover Colonization.  Please have your child go on-line and read.  They can always read ahead to be extra prepared.

**The students have one more week of Force and Motion with Ms. Dempsey.  Their test will be the week after next.

**Students will have a Chapter 11 test on division next week.  Please make sure they review the concepts taught in the chapter.

**We are still working on our unit on Traditional Literature.  Students will be working on Readers Theater scripts next week. 

**Is your child reading daily?  Students should read about 15-20 minutes daily as part of their homework routine.  I still have a few that have only finished 1 or 2 books this year.  Students should be able to finish a book every two weeks.  Reading daily helps with vocabulary and comprehension and is a great tool for success in all academic areas.   Some students will start a reading contract to help with this next week.

**I know that some of you are seeing grades that aren't "typical" of your child.  Fourth grade is a big jump from third and some students are still making the adjustment.  This is normal!!  Students will realize that there is a whole new way of studying and you can't just listen and be successful.  Please hang in there!  They will get the hang of it!!

**Thanks for ALL you do for me and for our class.  It has been a pleasure to work with you and your child.  As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Enjoy the rest of your week and the weekend.

:) Mrs. C.

News and Notes Oct. 22-Oct. 31

October seems to be flying by.  Here is the latest.....................

**We enjoyed High Touch High Tech on Monday.  Students learned about simple machines and conducted many "hands on" activities with Scientist C.  I was very impressed with behavior as they worked in groups.  WAY TO GO!!

**We started our unit on Traditional Literature.  Students are currently reading a short FOLKLORE story and completing activites.  Next week we will work on TALL TALES and even write a TALL TALE of our own.

**The class is working hard on DIVISION.  The concepts are really clicking and everyone seems to have a good grasp on things.  We will have a Chapter 10 quiz next Wednesday.

**Students are wrapping up their unit on Simple Machines with Mrs. Allen.  She will provide them with a study guide on Thursday and the unit test will be next Wednesday.

**Study Wordly Wise!  Vocabulary quiz on Friday.

**We are wrapping up Explorers and will start with Colonization at the end of the week.

**You should have received an invitation to POETRY WITH PARENTS on October 30th.  We would love for you to join us to hear all of the wonderful FALL poems your child has been working on.  WOW!  We have some great poets in our class, and I have been thrilled with their enthusiasm for this unit.

**I am pleased with the first nine weeks report cards.  The students are hard workers.  We will continue to work on strategies to help everyone achieve success.

**I say this every year, but I am going to say it again......I HAVE THE BEST CLASS!!!  Thank you for all of your support!  This is a wonderful bunch of students to work with, and they make it very easy for me to come to work each day.

**Have a great week.  Hope to see you next Thursday!!