Read Aloud

Well, after months of reading, discussing, and always up against the clock we have finally finished "Holes". The kids have enjoyed this since we began back in September. As a treat today for all the hard work and learning about what good readers think, do, and say while reading the students watched the movie that follows very close to the book. If you were here during the read alouds you would have thought the characters were part of our classroom. As a teacher, that is the mountain top of a good book when the kids get into a book that deep. I am very proud of them. I wonder what we will begin next.

Announcement

Any kid that brings in 5 cans of food to donate to the food bank across the street earns a free homework pass.

Tuesday's Party

Parents,
If you signed up to donate a goodie for the goodie bags, please bring the items in as soon as possible. This will allow our room moms time to situate all the items.

A+ Spellers

Alesha
Aaron
Leah
Alyssa
Evan
Ava
Chase
Aliza
Logan
Emily
Dustin
Jesse
Brady
Elizabeth
Haley
Karter
Mackenzie
Tony

Great job spellers! It's a good list this week.

A+ Spellers

Logan
Kortez
Karter
Haley
Mackenzie
Leah
Bryuna
Shaston
Dustin
Alyssa
Ava
Evan
Aliza
Emily
Elizabeth
Brady

Way to go spellers. Keep setting the pace!

Scholastic Book Orders

Scholastic orders have been placed. I would guess the books will be in early next week. Thanks for ordering.

Fractions

In math we are comparing, ordering, and drawing fractions. There seems to be some confusion as to what fractions represent. For example, 1/3 of a pie. The one is how much of something and the three is the total equal pieces. That is a skill they have learned in previous years, but haven't seen it for awhile. I am asking that you talk with your child a little about fractions to get a solid understanding. Thank you!

Winter Gift Shop

Wednesday is the Gift Shopping day. We have had several students turn in money. You can still bring money with you up until Wednesday. Happy shopping!

Scholastic Book Orders

Reminder to parents that tomorrow is the last day for book orders if you are interested. There are a few students who mentioned bringing in money still. I will order tomorrow after school. If you have an online order please try to make that tonight or sometime tomorrow before the end of the school day. Thank you!

A+ Spellers

Leah
Logan
Chase
Jesse
Elizabeth
Brady
Larissa
Karter
Bryuna
Tony
Kortez
Alesha
NiJay
Ava
Evan
Mackenzie
Alyssa


Great job spellers. You made it again!

To Parents from the PTA

A couple of quick PTA reminders of what is coming up at this busy time of year! Cookie Dough sales are due this Monday, Dec. 5th. There is a contest for the most sold by classroom. They are great for a quick snack or for holiday entertaining!

Winter Gift Shop starts on Monday and runs through Thursday next week, please have your money and form turned in to your teachers no later than Monday morning. It is a fun time for the kids to shop for small items for their family/loved ones. We are still in need of volunteer parents to make it run smoothly if you can give a few hours next week between 9:00am – 2:00pm please call Mimi Hicks, 435-0329. Thank you!

Cookie Dough/Market Day and Frankenmuth Fundraising orders will be delivered on Tuesday Dec. 13! Market Day/Cookie Dough can be picked up from 4:30-5:30. Frankenmuth Fundraisers can be picked up from 4:00 – 7:00. Both are to be picked up through the cafeteria. Please mark your calendars to pick up your orders this night or make other arrangements ahead of time. This is a very busy time of year – but the orders will have to be picked up so we don’t have items here over the Winter Break.

Bells Skating Party

Time: 6-8pm
Date: Monday 12/5
Cost: $3.00 (Skate Rental Extra)

Theme: Tee Pee Night

Hot Dog, Popcorn, and a Small Drink $3.00

I sent book orders home yesterday with students. If you are interested in ordering online here is the information (There is a link to the right on this page). If not, just send in money with your child and I will order them here. Thank you.

If you want the easiest way for everyone feel free to order online. Here is the information:

Online Ordering Information
Web address: scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: J3G7L

Dear Parent,

Now it's easier than ever to find the perfect books for your child -- shop our NEW online Book Clubs Web site. Choose from a much-wider selection of books than in the printed flyer. Plus, you can send your orders directly to me online and use your credit card to pay.

Best of all, we earn a FREE book for the classroom library every time a parent places an order online.*

It's so simple! Here's how it works:

* SIGN UP at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs. On the parent page, click the "Register" button in the "First Time Here?" section. Register for your own user name and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code shown above. This unique code ensures that your order is sent to me.

* SELECT the books you'd like to order -- choose from thousands of titles -- many more than in our monthly flyers.

* SEND your order to me online by the due date and your child's books will be delivered directly to my classroom.

Ordering online is fast, easy, and secure.

Of course, you can still order using the form from the printed flyer. But why not see for yourself how convenient it is to order online?

Thank you,

*Excludes eBooks.

Math Test

We completed Topic 6 today. The test went smoothly and many students received an A. They are now graded and will be returned Monday. Our next topic will deal with fractions.

Winter Gift Shop

Our class will go to the Winter Gift Shop on December 7th. This is a time when students can bring in money and shop for gifts for their family. There will be more information to follow in the next few weeks.

Spelling This Week

The kids will not have spelling words this week due to Thanksgiving. We will review the Word Wall words.

A+ Spellers

Karter
Tedra
Elizabeth
Emily
Logan
Brady
Mackenzie
Shaston
Bryuna
Haley
Tony
Aaron
Leah
Evan
Dustin
Ava

Great job to everyone that made the list! It is a big one this week.

Social Studies

Ask your child if they can name some Native American tribes that lived in Indiana during the mid-1600s through the late 1700s. We have also talked a lot about explorers who came over from Europe. LaSalle and Columbus are the two we have focused on. We are now in thick of the French fur trade. The kids have really enjoyed this so far.

Exciting

I have been very pleased as of late with the students ability to write written responses. We have really focused on how to use the question to start responses. It isn't automatic for everyone just yet, but it is getting close. It has become second nature for some. Well done!

Recently

We have really been working hard on multiplication. We are now working on 2/3/4 digit numbers multiplied by a one digit number. We have worked on three different methods to solve these (paper-pencil, lattice, and partial products). The idea is to give kids a range of methods and have them decide which works best for them. If you have a question about any of the methods feel free to send in a note and I will try to explain.

The biggest factor I see with a few of the students that miss a problem isn't because they don't know the process. I see some students not knowing the basic facts. Please work with you child if they don't know for example 8*7=56. This will greatly increase their success for the years ahead. We will continue to work on these the rest of the year as well.

A+ Spellers

Bryuna
Dustin
Evan
Ava
Shaston
Logan
Chase
Aliza
Brady

Congratulations to the students who made it this week. It was a small list this week, so great job!

Veteran Letters

The letters were a big hit. The veterans really appreciated them and had nothing but praise for our fourth graders. The kids put a smile on many faces. They were delievered last night.

Classroom Bugs

It looks like we have a virus traveling around the room. We have had many different kids sick this week with one thing or another. If your child complains of a stomach ache or fever you can surmise it to say it was obtained through school. I was out yesterday with it as well.

Veteran Letters

The class worked on writing letters to veterans in the community. Mrs. Steinmetz knows and helps some local veterans. We decided to write them a friendly letter thanking them for their dedication to our nation. We will finish them tomorrow and write them on a nice piece of paper to send on Thursday. Great work kids!

Math Test

We will have our Unit 5 math test this Tuesday. We will review on Monday and take the test the following day.

A+ Spellers

Emily
Aliza
Alesha
Karter
Brady
Elizabeth
Mackenzie
Shaston
Ava
Leah
Aaron
Evan
Alyssa
Tony
Jesse

Great job spellers! Keep up the good work.

Parent / Teacher Conferences Day 1

Thank you to all the parents I have seen to this point. I enjoyed talking with you and hearing from you. If you have any more questions or comments please feel free to call or send an email.

To those I haven't seen, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Save the Date

Picture retakes are scheduled for November 22.

A+ Spellers

Logan
Chase
Michael
Leah
Ava
Jesse
Mackenzie
Kortez
Evan
Karter
Elizabeth

Great Job! Be safe tonight.

Character Day

Today was a success. I was so pleased with all the effort and presentations. The students really did a fantastic job! I think we have some future public speakers in our room. The party was a great celebration of all the hard work the kids put in to make their reports outstanding. Thanks to the parents that showed up and helped. I couldn't have done it without you.

Lunch Menu

Just in case you didn't find the menu, there is a link on the right side of this page for the daily lunch schedule.

Character Dress Up Day Presentations

I talked in length today about the expectations of their presentations on Friday. I even went as far as showing them how to make a note card and how to read/not read off of it. I told the kids they should expect to talk for about 2-5mins. I presented a character as if I was the character, so they could see that it needs to seem as though they are the actual character. The students are trying to make it interesting for their classmates, hoping to get the others excited about reading their book.

A+ Spellers

Brady
Karter
Elizabeth
Logan
Chase
Emily
Evan
NiJay
Aliza
Dustin
Alesha
Jesse
Mackenzie
Tony
Aaron
Ava

Great job to all the students who made the list!

Acuity Testing

This week we are taking the Acuity Quarter 1 test. This is a test that lets me know what the students have learned, what they already know, and what I need to work on with the students to better prepare them for the following school year. The reading section is a typical test where they read a passage and answer the questions that follow. The math test is also very common with testing them over a broad range of topics.

Today

I will be sending home the Character Dress Up book report form today. The kids will be given the directions and have a clear understanding of what they need to do. It won't be due until October 28th. I will also be sending home the presentation rubric that describes exactly what I will be looking for in their talk to the class. Look for that tomorrow or Friday.

A+ Spellers

Chase
Mackenzie
Emily
Larissa
Ava
Aaron
Michael
Tony
Karter
Elizabeth
Brady
Alesha

Great job this week. It was a short week and you still pulled it off.

PIcture Day

Just a reminder to parents that tomorrow is the day. We will take our pictures at 11:45. Pictures will happen before recess and we don't have gym tomorrow.

A+ Spellers

Alyssa
Kortez
Evan
Logan
Dustin
Chase
Emily
Elizabeth
Alesha
Karter
Jesse
Mackenzie
Shaston
Michael
Haley
Aliza
Leah
Aaron
Tony
Brady


The list keeps growing! Great job spellers.

Character Dress Up Day

This is an announcement to get the word out early. Instead of a Halloween party, we will have a character dress up party. This will take place on the 28th of October. This will take a little work for all the students.

The steps involved:

-The first item they must accomplish is to find a book. The book must be no more than 100 points below their current lexile level. Each student has their lexile score inside their assignment book. To search the lexile level of a book go to lexile.com. I will have a sign-up sheet in the classroom to write the book down they pick.
-The next task will be to read and finish the book.
-I will give them a sheet to fill out, much like a book report, that goes along with their books.
-The students will use this sheet to help them present to the class about their characters. I will give the students a rubric days beforehand describing exactly what I am looking for in the presentation.
-After we present all the characters, we will celebrate with a party at the end of the day.

Each student will be required to have an outfit that matches a book character they read about. Keep in mind some characters dress just like each child would on a normal school day, so you wouldn't need to go out and purchase a new outfit for this day. The students have to be able to describe this to the class. This isn't meant to be a cost burden to parents.

Students can pick books they are currently reading, but not a book that they read last year or even earlier this year unless they plan to reread the book. I am getting the word out now, so the students have time to select and begin reading them immediately.

Assignment Books

Don't forget that when you child has his/her name on the board it will be written in the planner. Then it must be signed by you at night letting me know that you saw the reason for that day.

Book Fair

The Book Fair is coming to school. Look for the flyer along with a sheet listing details for the Book Fair. It will be sent home today.

Reading

Today we read about a class favorite - the Solar System. Students had a ton of questions and seem to really wonder some deep thoughts about our planets.

Math Today

The students are working on one of the most confusing topics of the school year. It seems as though some get it, but others need multiple examples before they see it.

Subtracting Zeros...for example:

1,200-381 =


The hardest part for some is learning that they can't go to the tens place and take one from zero.

Mastery Club Clarification

I am really pleased with all the motivation to master challenges. One thing I have noticed is that students are coming into the classroom and asking if they can do a challenge, but they don't know which one they want to attempt. I told the students they must know which one they want to attempt at the beginning of the day because they have already studied the previous night or few nights. I won't allow a student to take a challenge if they don't know which one that want to attempt until that morning. The idea is they must know it when they first attempt it, and not just know because they learned it in second grade or third grade.

A+ Spellers

Kortez
Aliza
Michael
Haley
Mackenzie
Brady
Jesse
Tony
Aaron
Larissa
Leah
Dustin
Evan
Logan
Emily
Alesha
Elizabeth
Karter

It is a big list this week. Great job to those that made the list!

Room Parents

I know there are some parents that were interested in becoming room parents. If you would still like to be a room parent, please send in a note with your child and I will add you to the list. Thanks for considering.

Things the room parents can do:


-donate food for parties
-organize a game to play with the students during a party
-bring plates/napkins/forks/cups
-donate drinks for parties

A room parent wouldn't necessarily have to come if they couldn't make it to a party.

A Visitor Is Coming!

Thursday, Sept. 29

Author Visit

Buck Wilder
(buckwilder.com)


Students and staff are encouraged to wear
camouflage clothes, plaid shirts and/or a hat that day

Mystery Desk

Does anyone recognize this one?

Mastery Club

We had four people pass one challenge today. Remember this is completely optional, and for the fun of knowledge. Remind your child to say something in the morning if they are ready to take a challenge that day. Happy studying!

Carnival Refunds

Carnival money will be sent home tomorrow after school for those who prepaid. Mr. Critell will be making calls to parents letting them know this as well.

A+ Spellers

Elizabeth
Evan
Logan
Kortez
Tony
Leah
Ava
Michael
Mackenzie

Great job this week spellers!

Computer Lab

Here's a game we played yesterday in computer lab. The students have been learning about circuits in science, so this was a bit of a recap.


Game

Carnival

Unfortunately the PTA needed to cancel the carnival scheduled for Friday. This is due to the lack of volunteers needed to pull it off. All money will be refunded if your child turned in a pre-order.

Any Volunteers?

The PTA is still in need of helpers for Friday's carnival. If you are willing to help, we would love to have you. You may call the school office or send in a note with contact information. Thank you for the support!

Writing Scores

When a student gets his/her writing piece back you will see two scores.

One score will be out of 6 points (Applications). This score is based on how well the student got their ideas across, staying on topic, and using interesting language.

The second score will be out of 4 points (Conventions). This score is based on grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

The scale for the letter grade is as follows:

Applications (out of 6):
6 = A+
5 = A
4 = C
3 and below = F


Conventions (out of 4):
4 = A+
3 = B
2 = C
1 = F


The kids will be getting back their letters they wrote to me during the second week of school, tomorrow. If you have questions don't hesitate to comment or contact me.

Reading Book Quiz

A parent made me realize I hadn't posted this information yet. I have discussed this with the students.

Every week when the students check out library books they are able to take a Reading Counts quiz over the book. If you look at the small white tag on each cover, you should see a reading level and points (pts) listed. The points are gained by taking a quiz on the school computers and getting enough questions correct. The more books you read, the more points you receive. The higher the level of book, the more points the book is worth. Each student has a goal and when they reach the goal, they receive a prize. Encourage your child to read at home, so they can take a quiz at school.

School Carnival

I will be sending a second flier home today with information on the upcoming School Carnival. The carnival is from 5-8 pm on Friday, September 23. Hope to see you there. The office is reminding students that money is due ASAP. Preferably by tomorrow.

A+ Spellers

Elizabeth
Emily
Aliza
Haley
Aaron
Leah
Kortez
Logan
Alyssa
Bryuna
Brianna
Brady
Jesse
Mackenzie
Evan
Shaston
Karter

Congratulations to those who made the list. It was a big list this week!

School Carnival

Friday, September 23 is the school carnival. Mark your calendars!

Today

I'm out sick today. My boys have been passing around a stomach bug and it must have been my turn. Our student teacher is there, so it should still be business as usual.

Parents

Scholastic book orders were sent yesterday for those who sent in money. I'm guessing they will be in early next week.

A+ Spellers

Tony
Larissa
Logan
Karter
Ava
Aliza
Emily
Mackenzie
Shaston
Elizabeth
Brady
Brady
Aaron
Alesha
Alyssa
Evan
Kortez


Welcome back to the list this week. Great to see so many A+ spellers!

Math Textbook Passwords

I am sending home a username and password for parents/students today. Students can view their textbook online if they ever have a question. It also has a copy of the homework. This series is new to us this year, so I am still trying to figure out the online side of the textbook. This is nice for the kids because if they do forget their book it is still available. There are other goodies that have yet to be explored, so report back if you find things.

Math Activities

Here are two of the activities we did today. Your child only played one of the two.

Math Activity 1

Math Activity 2

Mastery Club Info

Sorry parents. I haven't sent the paper copy of all the goals yet. I will send it home tomorrow with the students. You can always go to the link in the "Important Links" section if the student misplaces it. We will begin next week for anyone wanting to participate in his/her first challenge.

Assignment Books

Assignment books have arrived. Every student received one today. They are responsible for writing their assignments down each night. If your student ever has his/her name on the board for something that happened during the day, it will be written down inside the book.

Other things you will see written down in them are spelling words, important events coming up, or even due dates for assignments. This book is to be taken home everyday and brought back each morning.

Fact Practice

Reminder to all parents/students:
Please continue to work on multiplication facts throughout the year (ex. 3x4=12). Five minutes a night does wonders for a child. We are moving into division by relating the facts to each other, so it is very helpful when the students already know the basic multiplication facts.

Writing

We made lists today during writing time. The students were asked to write as many first names as they could think of in 10 minutes. We had one person list 91 names! The students can use this list throughout the year as a resource when they need a name for a character.

A+ Spellers

Tony
Ava
Leah
Emily
Brady
Elizabeth
Karter
Mackenzie
Logan

Nice job top spellers of the week. Most of you made it a second straight week. Congratulations!

Scholastic Book Orders

I sent Scholastic Book catalogs home with the students today. There were four different catalogs. Some of the catalogs were for younger ages, so if you were interested in ordering for younger siblings feel free to include those. The orders are due on September 13th. If you are interested in ordering, just send in the order form with the catalog and payment of cash or a check made out to Scholastic (check is the easiest).

If you want the easiest way for everyone feel free to order online. Here is the information:

Online Ordering Information
Web address: scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: J3G7L

Dear Parent,

Now it's easier than ever to find the perfect books for your child -- shop our NEW online Book Clubs Web site. Choose from a much-wider selection of books than in the printed flyer. Plus, you can send your orders directly to me online and use your credit card to pay.

Best of all, we earn a FREE book for the classroom library every time a parent places an order online.*

It's so simple! Here's how it works:

* SIGN UP at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs. On the parent page, click the "Register" button in the "First Time Here?" section. Register for your own user name and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code shown above. This unique code ensures that your order is sent to me.

* SELECT the books you'd like to order -- choose from thousands of titles -- many more than in our monthly flyers.

* SEND your order to me online by the due date and your child's books will be delivered directly to my classroom.

Ordering online is fast, easy, and secure.

Of course, you can still order using the form from the printed flyer. But why not see for yourself how convenient it is to order online?

Thank you,

*Excludes eBooks.

Mastery Club

We have had parents request additional challenges for their children over and above what is going on in school. This year we are tapping into the Mastery Club encouraged by other teachers across the US, stretching our students' overall knowledge. Students have a list of the challenges. They can collect this information to study in any way, but can get into the Student Section of mrsrenz.net, where additional help is provided.

Each time a student passes a written challenge, his/her name will be placed on the bulletin board in the hall. Students that accomplish 16 challenges over the course of the year will have their names and the date of the accomplishment hanging in a prominent place in the hallway. Hopefully, they will be able to visit years down the way and still see their name! We will also have some kind of recognition that they will be able to display at home.

Participation is not a requirement for any student. Just strongly encouraged.

There is now a link on the right side of this page that says Mastery Challenges. Click on the link and scroll down to all 86 challenges.

Mystery of the Missing Lunch

This week our story was a mystery. Ask your child about the guilty cats and Ramon's lunch. We have some real detectives this year.

Multiplication

The fourth grade is the year the students really need to master multiplication. We will do this throughout the school year. I'm asking every student to practice 5 minutes a day outside of school. This greatly increases their chance of success in upper grade concepts.

Friendly Reminder

Tonight is Back to School Night. Join in on the fun and come to say hello.

Today

We began working today on problem and solution. We read a short story about a student who couldn't figure out why his glasses were blurry. Turned out that he accidentally switched them with a classmate.

We also began discussing factors and products in math class. We drew arrays to represent multiplication. Most of the students were very familiar with this due to seeing it in previous schooling. I ask that all students study those facts 5 minutes a day to nail them down to memory. It makes a world of difference. Even in the car to practice can be used to brush up.

A+ Spellers

Shaston
Kortez
Mackenzie
Ava
Aaron
Evan
Brady
Michael
Karter
Aliza
Emily
Jesse
Alesha
Brianna
Haley
Elizabeth
Alyssa
Larissa
Logan
Leah
Tony


Congratulations to all the A+ spellers. Can you do it again next week?

Back to School Open House and Cookout

Where: St. Joseph Central
When: Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Purchase a hotdog, chips, and a drink for 50 cents.
Food Served from 5-6:30pm.
Visit the classroom from 6:30-7:30


Each student received a form to return by August 29th. If you plan on attending and eating you may turn in the money along with number of meals ordered with your child.

Hello, my name is Riley Muhlenkamp and I will be doing my student teaching in Mr. Burgette's class for the next six weeks. I am a student at Indiana Tech, where I also played baseball for four years. I will be getting my K-8 degree in December, and look forward to finding a job shortly after.

Here is the Jeopardy game we played today. Ask your child a question or two.

Place Value Review

View more presentations from dburgette

Assignment Books/Sheets

Each student has received an assignment sheet for the week. They are blank at the beginning of the week. At the end of each day the students are to write down the homework for the evening and any other notes listed on the board. If a child had his/her name on the board for behavior or academics it will be written in his/her book. A parent is to sign next to the written reason, and the child is to bring it back in to show it to me. This is to show me that the parents are informed of any missteps during the day. It doesn't need to be signed each night otherwise, but feel free to look and ask questions.

Welcome

I want to thank the parents who filled out the survey I sent home requesting opinions and facts about your children. It is very important to me that each parent has an opportunity to let me know things that are important to them. I always take into consideration what is best for each student, so I hope we can work together for the success of your children this school year. I'm always willing to listen to a concern or comment. We have started off the school year well. It's going to be a great year!

Spelling Information

Each week your child will have five spelling words. They will be written in their assignment book, when they arrive, and have a list ready to be studied. Mondays will be the pretest and Fridays will be the test. Although your child will work on them in class, the greatest thing you could do for success on the Friday test would be to go over the words each night. Make it fun and quick each night so by Friday he/she has them down. Good luck!

Enjoy The Last Few Days

I look forward to starting the new school year off right. But of course, enjoy those last few days of summer before you have to adjust to a new schedule.

Success

We have reached the finish line. I want to thank all my students and parents for making this a year to remember. I will miss each student for many different reasons. I wish every student success in the future. Some of you are moving to different schools. Some of you are going to be big fifth graders at Harrison Hill. No matter where you are next year, remember Mr. Burgette cares about you and wants great things for your future. Hard work and dedication will always get you that. Have a great summer and be sure come back and visit sometime!

Your 4th grade teacher,
Mr. Burgette

History Museum

One of our students was picked to dress like a Civil War soldier.

More Friday Fun

Bowling

Skating Fun

Spelling Bee

Well done to our classroom spellers. We had a very strong showing from all our spellers. It came down to the final three in the last round and two of the students were from our room. I was so proud of the hard work and time put in to do the absolute best job the spellers could. The spellers should be very proud of themselves. I hope they all had fun because it was a pleasure to watch.

A+ Spellers

Cristian O.
Anna Mc.
Christian M.
Tayten
Alex
Maytal
Sam
Caleb
Zach
Zuzu

Well done spellers!

Five Classroom Representatives

The following five students will represent our class in this year's spelling bee:

Zuzu
Anna Mc.
Elisabeth
Amaya
Maytal

Congrats!

Spelling Bee Begins

Classroom qualifying will happen this Friday, May 27th. We will run a mini-bee in the room to get our top five spellers. The five kids who are left will be the ones competing on June 2nd for the fourth grade. Keep studying and good luck.


Spelling Bee Words

A+ Spellers

Christian M.
Elisabeth
Zoe
Zuzu
Connor

Congratulations to those who made the short list.

Chaperones Needed June 7th

I will need a few chaperones for our History Museum Field trip, June 7th. We leave the school at 12:15 and arrive back about 2:15. The kids split up into groups and do a scavenger hunt around the museum looking for different things. If you are willing to help out, just send in a note with your child.

Thank you!

Celebrate Success

We are celebrating three great students this week.

Alex - great participation during math and reading. Very enthusuastic during lessons.

Christian M.- Staying on task with the class. Never need to remind him where we are.

Carter - Big improvement in his journal writing.

Great job to all the students who were recongnized this week for their success.

Wright Brothers

A fun video we watched about the Wright Brothers. This week's story is told from their sister's point of view. We have learned a lot about the brothers.

A+ Spellers

Cristian O.
Anna Mo.
Zuzu
Carter
Tayten
Tavareon
Anna Mc.
Christian M.
Zoe
Maytal
Jordan
Connor
Sam
Zach
Amaya
Alex
Elisabeth
Jaysen

Congrats to the long list. Welcome all of you who are new!

Good News...It's Back

Note to Fourth Grade Parents:

As we wrap up the 2010-2011 school year, we look forward to special projects, field trips and school-wide events. Please be on the look-out for further information as the Harrison Hill calendar fills up with fun for everyone!

One event that we are anticipating for the fourth grade is our (2nd Annual) Spelling Bee. We are currently planning on having an outside championship round June 2nd, after the Fourth Grade Talent Showcase. More information will be forthcoming!

Every student will receive a list of the approved bee words- If your child is interested in progressing to the grade-level round, please find fun and interesting ways to help him or her study at home! And good luck!

Sincerely,

Mr. Burgette, Mr. Dettmer, Mrs. Gilbert, Mrs. Keller, and Mrs. McGinnis

P.S. Last year, Mr. Burgette’s class won; can he keep the title this year??

THREE is a...

We had a little fun today with three.

A+ Spellers

Zuzu
Tavareon
Amaya
Sam
Tayten
Mykemma
Elisabeth
Cameron


Great job spellers! I am starting to see the same students over and over making this list. Keep up your hard work. It is paying off.

This Week

Since this week is ISTEP the student will not have homework or spelling words. The kids know their homework is to get a good night sleep and a healthy breakfast. Thanks for all the support to help the students do the best they can on the test.

Monday

ISTEP is upon us. Monday we will finish our final round of testing this school year. We ask that all students have a good night of rest and eat a healthy breakfast Monday through Thursday. Thank you for helping your child do the best they possibly can.

A+ Spellers

Caleb
Elisabeth
Amaya
Zach
Zuzu
Maytal
Connor
Tayten
Berenice
Mykemma

Great job last week giving your all on your spelling words.

Interesting Article

I say this because 95% (give or take a few percent) of my class drinks chocolate/vanilla milk for lunch.

Should Chocolate Milk Be Banned At Schools?: via HuffPost

Celebrate Success

We had a nice ceremony on Friday recognizing three outstanding students. The following students were recognized:

Berenice- being a model student at all times in the classroom.

Jaysen- adjusting nicely in the classroom.

Caleb- great improvement in behavior in the past three weeks.

Bag Books

If you child has a Bag Book for the night be sure to sign it for them saying they have read the book and completed an assignment. Please ask your child questions about the book to see what they learned (Chances are you will learn something as well).

High Soaring Hawks

The following students received an E in Work and Study Habits and an E in Citizenship:

Berenice
Caleb
Maytal
Elisabeth
Amaya
Carter
Zach
Zuzu
Sam
Anna Mc.
Anna Mo.
Christian M.
Jaysen
Kyrah

Great job to these responsible students for always setting the bar high as a positive example for the rest of your classmates.

One Chaperone Needed

Our class will be going to Northrop High School to watch some of the high schoolers put on a play called "Aesop's Oh So Slightly Updated, Rewritten Fables". We have read one play this year called "Ranita and the Frog Prince". The students loved it. We are scheduled to go May 17th at 10:00. I am in need of one volunteer to come and watch/supervise our class with me. If you are interested please send in a note with your child or call and I will let you know the details.

When: May 17th
Where: Northrop High School
Time: Leave Harrison Hill 9:20 - Return to Harrison Hill 11:30
Cost: Free

Welcome Back

I hope everyone had a nice and relaxing Spring Break. I saw a few yawns from some students this morning. It will take a few days to get back on schedule. We are on the home stretch.

ISTEP will begin in two weeks. We are working hard to prepare and look forward to knocking it out of the park.

Kids At Work

The students were completing a character web based on Uncle Romie. He is a character from this week's story. They only read half the story so they have yet to completely understand him as a character.

A+ Spellers

Anna Mc.
Mykemma
Zuzu
Carter
Tayten
Zach
Amaya
Elisabeth
Maytal
Sam
Connor
James

Great job to the fantastic spellers of last week. Keep up the good work! Challenge your friends to join the list next week.

Conference Week

This week is a big week. I have an opportunity to meet with all the parents. The students have an extra day added to their Spring Break. If you have questions about your conference time please feel free to send a note with your child. See you this week.

Tonight

Just a reminder that McTeacher's Night is TONIGHT (Monday) from 4-7 p.m. Stop by if you are able.

Moon Phases

Did you miss a day? Here is a helpful guide:

Past or Present Moon Phases

New Quarter Begins

Today the first day of the last quarter. Let's make the last nine weeks the best.

A+ Spellers

Mykemma
Tayten
Elisabeth
Zach
Berenice
Christian M.
Anna Mc.
Connor
Cameron
Zuzu
Maytal


Great job to the fantastic spellers of the week!

Celebrate Success

Last Friday we recognized three students in the auditorium for outstanding things they have done in or around the classroom. The following three students were nominated this time:

Kyrah (Great adjustment to the classroom since coming to Harrison Hill)
Amaya (Wonderful journal entries and writing prompts. Always shows her personality.)
Connor (Great job on becoming a High Soaring Hawk on a recent Parent Report)

End of the 3rd Quarter

The end of this quarter is upon us (March 18th, Friday). It is hard to believe we only have a one quarter to go. We will be tying up loose ends this week and then getting ready to start our last grading period. Recently we have had a lot of students not finishing assignments both in class and at home. Please check book bags, ask questions, and stay on your child when it comes to turning in assignments.

Thank you for the support,
Mr. Burgette

A+ Spellers

Mykemma
Connor
Zach
Amaya
Elisabeth
Kyrah
Tayten
Anna Mo.
Carter
Cristian O
Zuzu

Well done spellers! Can you do it again this week?

Reading A Play This Week

FAME Festival Information

What: Fort Wayne FAME Festival for children, K - 8^th grade from northeast Indiana school districts.

Where: Grand Wayne Convention Center

When: Sat. March 12, Saturday 9 am to 7 pm

Sun. March 13, Sunday noon to 5 pm

How much: Price $3 for adults, All children are free, 18 and younger

A+ Spellers

Berenice
Caleb
Elisabeth

We had the same words for two weeks and these three people excelled. Well done to them.

Phases of the Moon

As you know the students have a March calendar that they are filling out with the phases of the moon on each day. It is their job to draw the moon and label the type each day of the month. We have discussed the fact that if they don't see the moon they can look it up on the computer to find the phase.

Here is a link to the current phase of the moon:

MOON PHASE

Parent/Teacher Conferences

It is that time of year again. We will have Parent/Teacher Conferences at the end of this month (March 30/March 31). I am sending a sheet home today for parents to sign-up. I ask that you sign-up for two spots in case one is already taken.

ISTEP

We completed the first session of ISTEP today. The test went well. After watching the students take it and looking at the skills they needed to complete the questions, I feel good that the students had all the tools to finish the math portion.

Tomorrow we will take the writing prompt portion of the test. The students will be given a writing prompt and asked to write to that prompt. We have created a chart this school year and referred back to it numerous times. The chart is called "What Makes a Good Response?". I look for big things to come.

Thursday will be a day of responding to questions asked about a reading passage. The students must support their answers with details from the passage. They will also have a shorter writing section in this session.

Also Thursday we will take the Science portion of the ISTEP in the afternoon. This is a test where the students must pull from a lot of real world knowledge.

What Type of Moon Do You See?

Today we had a lesson based on the different phases of the moon. We also talked about what actually happens to the moon when it rotates and revolved around the earth. We had a flashlight and a kickball to help the demonstration. Talk about a fun science demonstration.

Terms:
reflection
revolve
rotate
waxing
waning
full moon
new moon
gibbous
1/4 moon
crescent

A+ Spellers

Christian M.
Cameron
Sam
Connor
Zach
Berenice
Tayten
Amaya
Elisabeth
Tavareon
Zuzu


Great job spellers. Keep it up!

Last Day of School Year

As of right now the final day of the school year is June 10th.

Math Lessons Online

Click Here

Here is a personal tutor for each lesson. You will need to know the lesson we are working on to find the specific topic. For example, if we are on lesson 11-4 you will select Chapter 11 Lesson 4. Once you have done this, scroll down and find the Learn More section. You will see specific examples for the students to listen to if students are unsure of the topic. These are available for each lesson, so feel free to go back and review skills. Here are the units we have completed: 1,2,3,4,5,6,9,now on 11.


I have included this on the important links side of the web-page. It is listed as Math Lesson Helper.

Writing Piece Reminder

When your child gets a writing piece back you will always see two scores. One score is out of six and the other is out of four. The six is for language applications--think...how well did the child get their ideas across...how much detail did the child use...etc. The four is for language conventions--capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar.


The students have been working on writing responses to a prompt this week. I always encourage them to use their personality to get their ideas across. I want them to make it interesting.

Mystery Desk

Another desk for this week. Notice the candy wrapper from last week's party.

A+ Spellers

Zach
Zuzu
Elisabeth
Amaya
Tavareon
Anna Mc.
Berenice
Alex
Tayten
Cameron


Great job A+ club. Can you do it again?

Family Movie Night At Harrison Hill

"How to Train Your Dragon"
Friday, February 18th
Doors open at 6:15 p.m., movie begins at 6:30
Admission is a non-perishable item for the food bank
Popcorn, candy, and water will be available

Today

In Social Studies a few groups finished presenting their projects to the class.  We also had time to make our Valentine mailboxes for Friday. The kids enjoyed being creative and decorating them.

Wednesday

We have a lot of testing to finish this week. Yesterday we took our writing prompt for the second quarter. Today we will take two Acuity tests (LA/MATH).

Friday's Valentine Party

Our class will have a small party to pass out candy and Valentine cards.  Each student was given a class list this week to use for filling out their cards. Please note we have 26 students in all. All students were given tickets to keep in order to earn the party. Every student has four tickets to start with and must have at least one by start of the party on Friday. Ask your child how many tickets he/she has left.

A+ Spellers

Caleb
Amaya
Elisabeth
Christian M.
Berenice
Zuzu
Carter

Great job spellers!

Mystery Desk

This week's mystery desk is a little less desirable. I wonder if this student recognizes their stuff.

Some Time Off

I hope everyone is warm and cozy in their homes. It looks like a few days of waiting are upon us.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

An Activity Today

We talked today about some things we do when taking a test--good and bad. This was an activity meant to help students realize there are things you can do to become a better test taker. Some of the things students wrote were flat out funny.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

A+ Spellers

James
Connor
Zach
Elisabeth
Carter
Maytal
Mykemma
Terry
Zuzu
Caleb
Anna Mo.

Congratulations to these hardworking spellers.

Good Math Practice for this Week

Practice Activity

Pop-Up Scenes

This week we read a short story about two kids that entered a contest. This was an independent activity where the students had to draw the main characters in an important and meaningful part of the story. They pasted them to the pop-up section to make them 3D like. I have a picture of some of them. They really turned out well. Some students put a lot of hard work into each project.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Report Cards

Report Cards went home last night. Please review them and send in the back sheet.


Friday is Popcorn Day! Each bag is $0.25. Send in money if you like.

Note to Parents

We will begin working on geometric shapes this week. This is the first time this year we have started to discuss shapes. The students have a lot of background in these from previous grades. I expect most of the students will do great!

NEW CONTEST (This hasn't been widely talked about with other classes, so that is good for room 209):
I have just informed the students of the Reading Counts Quiz Contest they can join when they finish reading a book. Each library book that has a green circle on it has a test they can take at school. If your child is reading a book that is from another library it probably has a test they can take, as well. Mrs. Klugman purchased an iPod Touch to give away at the end of the year to one lucky student. Each time a child reaches their goal they put their name in the drawing. The more names in by one student the better chance they have. Good luck and happy reading!

Mystery Desk

Does anyone know who this desk belongs to? Look at the organization. I hope this student's room is just as clean.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Some Friday Station Pictures

During our station time on Friday we had some kids finishing things they had been working on during our broken week. Enjoy.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

A+ Spellers

Cameron
Alex
Elisabeth
Tayten
Amaya
Carter
ShunTaya
Zuzu
Anna Mo.
Zach
Connor
Caleb

Congratulations to these spellers! Well done and keep up the good work.

Math Test

Since we were canceled yesterday, we will have our math test tomorrow. Today we are playing a review game of Jeopardy. Good luck to all the contestants.

Math Chapter 6 Test

Room 209 will take our chapter test over chapter 6 on Thursday. Don't forget to take the practice test. The link is on the right of this website page.

Once we finish chapter 6, we will skip ahead to chapter 9 dealing with shapes and geometry.

Hi everyone!

Hello! My name is Ms. Schumann and as Mr. Burgette mentioned in a previous blog I have been given this great opportunity to do my student teaching in his classroom! I am so excited to be here at Harrison Hill and to learn from Mr. Burgette. He is an amazing teacher and I have learned so much from him already in the short amount of time I have been here. I am also so impressed with the intelligence of your students and of how well mannered and behaved they are! This class is definitely a blessing to work with!

Just to tell you a little bit about myself, I am originally from Fort Wayne. I attended St. Charles and Snider High School before heading off to Purdue University. Dancing is a passion of mine and I am now lucky to be able to teach it to others at a local studio.

Being at Purdue was a wonderful educational experience. However, it does feel great to be back at home! I look forward to getting to know your students more and helping them further their education.

If you ever have any comments, questions, or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me as the education of your students is my highest priority!

Sincerely,
Ms. Schumann
(msschuma@purdue.edu)

A+ Spellers

Anna Mo.
Caleb
Elisabeth
Zuzu
Maytal
Zach
Cameron
Zoe

Great job to these spellers!

Today

Our class finished the math quiz today over the first four lessons in unit 6. We also worked together to learn about union workers (why they started unions) and education in the late 1800's.

In reading we worked on test taking skills/reading practice. Ms. Schumann started reading "Small Steps" to the class. Ask your child about some of the characters and the setting of the book at this point in time.

Tuesday Math Quiz

We will review on Tuesday and take a quiz over the first half of chapter 6 in Math. Students will be estimating products, finding extended facts, and multiplying on this quiz. Be sure to look at the practice test to see some examples of how it might look.

Note to Parents

Ms. Schumann will be joining our classroom for the next 15 weeks. She is coming to us from Purdue University. We welcome her to her student teaching and know she will learn a lot from our wonderful class.

Also, we are continuing our work on multiplication and division, so if you would constantly keep these fresh in your child's mind that will help them for the more advanced concepts we are working on.

Example:
4x7=28 50/10=5
3x9=27 25/5=5
8x9=72 36/6=6

Thank you,
Mr. Burgette

Today's Excitement

Today we had a visitor come into our classroom. Thanks to a few of our students we were able to catch him. Needless to say we had to take a moment to gather ourselves after this one.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Welcome Back

We welcomed the students back yesterday. It may take us a few days to get back in our routines, but we had a great first day of the new year. We started a new chapter in math which deals with multiplying larger numbers and rounding to specific places. Keep reading room 209! Lets make this a great 2011.