Thursday, December 20, 2018

Hi Room 9 Families,

Have a wonderful Winter Break! 

Today, our class enjoyed such a fun party. A huge thanks to our wonderful Room Parents, Jeanie and Tarah. In addition, thank you to all the able assistants who stopped in and manned the stations: Kristi, Lisa, Leilani, and Natalie. The kids had so much fun making slime, playing a candy cane "Minute to Win It" game, crafting snowmen, building marshmallow structures, and putting together beads. They also had delicious, personally assembled trail mix. Thanks to all who helped make the party possible!

At the party, I was gifted with a fun card signed by the entire class, and a gift certificate to one of my favorite places: Aptos St. BBQ. Thank you so much! I love eating there, and hanging out listening to the music. If you haven't made it over there, I highly recommend it!

Finally, this is such a great time to reconnect with family and friends, and also have some unstructured time. However, if you'd like your child to keep up his/her academic skills, or if the time just starts to feel too unstructured, I recommend reading, board games, Khan Mappers, and science projects (for all, but especially for those who have signed up for the Science Fair.)

Have a peaceful, loving finish to 2018, and a wonderful kick-off to 2019. I'll see you in the new year.

Love,

Carroll Mayer

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Hi Parents!

I know it's a busy time of year, but the Room Parents asked me to forward this link so more people could participate and support our class party on the last day before Winter Break.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c49aead22abfc1-4thgrade1

Also, please return permission slips for the mission field trip, and for the science fair.

Thanks,
Carroll Mayer

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Hi Parents,

We are in the countdown until Winter Break! That means kids are having late nights, special activities, and sweets abound. We will do our best here at school to keep things calm, and I trust you will at home.  That being said, the kids have earned their Board Game party (for good behavior.) On Friday, kids may bring board games to play and share with classmates on Friday afternoon. I will provide the popcorn!

During the next week+, we will be wrapping up our reading of Island of the Blue Dolphins, our research on California Indians, and our writing about expert topics. We are also going to complete our math unit Module 1 (adding & subtracting, rounding, and comparing numbers into the millions.) There will be an assessment this Thursday on rounding and comparing big numbers. It is based on work we have done in Lessons 1-9. We are also having weekly quizzes, so you have a chance to assess how well your child is understanding the current math content. Links to Engage NY homework, and "Duane" on YouTube are on the blog.

Today (Tuesday) I am sending home Science Fair information with the kids who have requested it. This is an optional activity, but you need to review the paperwork and return the permission slip before we go off to break. The bulk of the Science Fair project should be done over the Winter Break. Last year,  many 4th Graders participated, and several placed in the top 10 for our school and were able to go on to the county Science and Engineering Fair. If your child does not bring home the paperwork,  and this is something you wish to do with him/her, send me an email note.

Kids brought home permission slips for our field trip to Mission San Juan Bautista yesterday. While the trip is not until March 1st!, the district is now requiring us to submit a lot of information 40 days prior to the scheduled date, and we didn't want to be in a panic in mid-January. Please return the permission (and $2) before break.

Finally, we are collecting donations for Second Harvest. On Wednesday, we will be sticking Ms. Green to the wall (Stick it to Hunger), and any money or canned food donations are eagerly accepted.

Have a wonderful, festive week,

Carroll Mayer

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Hi All,

Just a quick message...

You will see your child bringing home many Engage New York math pages that are partially completed. We are doing a lot of additional work in class, on white boards and in math note books. Generally, I expect kids to complete at least one side of the paper, but many get started on the back. The back side of the math page is terrific additional practice, and a great way for your child to share their math knowledge with you. I've also linked Duane's YouTube lessons on the blog, if you or your child need some extra support.  He doesn't go over everything, but does address each day's big ideas. Finally, some children may bring home pages with a  "Finish at home" note. This means that I felt that your child was not productive enough in class, and needs some additional time with the content. Please supervise this "Finish Work." You do not need to send it back, but if you or your kid have questions,  feel free to send it with a note.

Best,

Carroll Mayer