Thank you everyone so much for the necklace. It is so beautiful and I have already worn it twice! We had a great time together at our party with food, a craft and lots of smiles. Thank you everyone for your kindness extended in the gifts some brought in and the ultimate gift, which is their presence each day. They are the gift!
Please enjoy your family time together. If students are looking to access Edmodo over the break this is fine, but could you please let them know 2 things? I have set all posts and replies to "moderation" since we are out of school. This just means any posts and replies have to be first accepted through me so they may not see their words instantly appear! The second is that I have changed everyone's passwords to the name of the animal that is our mascot.
Enjoy the holiday week!
Jaclyn Karabinas
Monday, December 24, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Grateful for Blessings...
Dear Honeybee Families,
Thank you so much for the outpour of support and gratitude that so many in the community have expressed to LAS, and school communities in general, since Friday. Each night since, I lay in bed and run through any and all emergency procedures in my head to remind myself that yes- we are prepared as a school and a staff. I don't want to say anything to the children to cause them to create scenarios in their minds, but I hope they know that I would physically and emotionally shield them from anything, without hesitation.
Ok! Now that I am teary, let's shift gears!
Christmas & Holiday Celebration
Our class will celebrate the holidays together on Friday afternoon at 1:45. Everyone is welcome to join us if you choose!
Maternity Leave Transition
I am really looking forward to January-March with the class. Each year, these are my favorite months with students, as the schedule holds limited interruptions. It is typically the time that I really see so many skills fall into place with the students and we are really able to dig in to our learning. I am so thankful that my baby isn't due until the end of March so I can still enjoy that time of learning with them!
That being said, the children may have mentioned to you that Jill Berry will be their teacher from March 15 through the end of the year. Mark and I feel so confident about this for many reasons. Jill is a teacher that has been substituting in our school for many years. I will let her completely introduce herself personally and professionally when we begin the new year. She has worked with the children from this class in their other classrooms from K-2 so that has truly created a base of experience with them as students. Additionally, since she has been a part of our school community for so long, she is comfortable with staff, as well as all the nuts & bolts of LAS and the community. While I am not out often, I have asked that it be Jill as the substitute to increase their bonding time together.
She and I have already had a handful of meeting times together and will continue to meet during January and February. After February break, she and I will be co-teaching for a week or so, and then she will fully take over at the start of the 3rd trimester, March 18. (unless this baby girl comes reaaaallly early!) By the time Jill begins as their teacher, she will have full background information on the talents and needs of each student, of core learning goals, curriculum topics, classroom routines, and instruction/assessment strategies. I will leave no stone unturned!
Finally, when talking to the students I refer to Jill Berry as their other teacher. I don't want them to think of her as a substitute because at that point, she will have transitioned to being their teacher. We talk about it often so they can transition their minds with time, and honestly, I think they will adjust much more quickly than I will! I promised them baby updates via Edmodo.
Other bits and pieces...
*If your child hasn't brought in his/her caroling permission slip yet, please make sure they do by Thursday.
*Our New Year begins together on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013
*We will touch base in January so I can update you on the curricular happenings in our classroom.
As always, any questions- email me at jkarabinas@sau21.org
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you,
Jaclyn Karabinas
Friday, December 7, 2012
The Magical World of...Assessment?
Hi everyone! Today your child brings home his or her 1st trimester report card. I wanted to let you know a bit about the process so you have an understanding of how I work with your children so they understand their progress and use the information to move forward.
Why so many skills?
I don't think I could ever function in an education world where I didn't get to examine children from the perspective of so many learning goals! The idea of receiving 1 grade for a subject with so many components seems so...final. Letter grades are familiar to our society; They are mathematically based and have been a part of traditional practice and our own educational histories. What is so valuable on our style of report card for students, teachers, and parents is the ability to specifically see areas of strength and struggle, and set goals accordingly. It allows kids to see that maybe, yes, math is hard for them, but perhaps a certain component of math is going well, for example. It allows us to look at ourselves as learners, not just academic performers.
Where does all the information come from?
A teacher's life is a constant cycle of observation, evaluation, reflection, planning and re-planning for instruction...then back again! Differentiated instruction calls for differentiated assessment, yet many subject skills require grade-level common assessments as well. Formative and informal assessments are what we do every day as we examine student work, listen to students process learning, and reflect in learning journals. This type forms our next step of instruction. Summative assessment wraps up examination of certain skills for a unit or topic, are often based on grade-level expectations, but are also based on individual students needs and goals. Basically, everything comes together on a report card to give a whole picture of the child and help them to zero in on their "medals and missions" as we call our "strengths and struggles" in here.
Understanding and Using Assessments as a Student
We use the language of the goals on our report card daily. Students hear and are learning the key words in just about every goal, something done on purpose to help them truly be connected to their assessment. We reviewed a blank report card, looked for those familiar words, and asked many questions to understand what we are seeing. Many students were surprised at their attendance records. Some students thought it was great that there is a space for my comments. Each student had the chance to meet with me 1:1 ask questions and share his/her perspectives of personal medals and missions. I want to make sure that they feel connected to the assessment and view it not as final, but a starting point for our new trimester.
Understanding the Rubric
Students have a clear understanding of the meaning of 1,2,3,and 4. We have processed the word "expectations" and understand that those are at a 3rd grade level. They know that to "exceed" means to go beyond in many different ways for many different reasons, and that achieving 4's means it is something consistent throughout the marking period. They also know that a 1 can mean something is either really hard for you, something that needs more attention and effort, or both. If anything on the report card is a surprise to the students, I did something wrong somewhere in the path of communicating expectations. It's why I meet with them because it's important for them to make sense of what they need to do. 1's seem scary to students at times, but we talk about it like this: it means "not within expectations"- but I like to add the word 'yet'. Someday it will be! It might be in March, it might be by September or it might take longer, but regardless, we continue to work hard as learners.
Goal Setting
Usually I set goals right away with the students based on this information. As I look at where we are in the year, I think that goal setting will be more useful in January with the holiday excitement behind us and new focus in front of us. Many students already told me their goals today- and that is great! But we definitely will take the time upon returning in January to revisit our progress and set our goals.
If the students have more questions, or of course, if YOU do, please send me an email or give a call next week. I never mind making more sense of important information. Have a great weekend and we'll talk soon!
Why so many skills?
I don't think I could ever function in an education world where I didn't get to examine children from the perspective of so many learning goals! The idea of receiving 1 grade for a subject with so many components seems so...final. Letter grades are familiar to our society; They are mathematically based and have been a part of traditional practice and our own educational histories. What is so valuable on our style of report card for students, teachers, and parents is the ability to specifically see areas of strength and struggle, and set goals accordingly. It allows kids to see that maybe, yes, math is hard for them, but perhaps a certain component of math is going well, for example. It allows us to look at ourselves as learners, not just academic performers.
Where does all the information come from?
A teacher's life is a constant cycle of observation, evaluation, reflection, planning and re-planning for instruction...then back again! Differentiated instruction calls for differentiated assessment, yet many subject skills require grade-level common assessments as well. Formative and informal assessments are what we do every day as we examine student work, listen to students process learning, and reflect in learning journals. This type forms our next step of instruction. Summative assessment wraps up examination of certain skills for a unit or topic, are often based on grade-level expectations, but are also based on individual students needs and goals. Basically, everything comes together on a report card to give a whole picture of the child and help them to zero in on their "medals and missions" as we call our "strengths and struggles" in here.
Understanding and Using Assessments as a Student
We use the language of the goals on our report card daily. Students hear and are learning the key words in just about every goal, something done on purpose to help them truly be connected to their assessment. We reviewed a blank report card, looked for those familiar words, and asked many questions to understand what we are seeing. Many students were surprised at their attendance records. Some students thought it was great that there is a space for my comments. Each student had the chance to meet with me 1:1 ask questions and share his/her perspectives of personal medals and missions. I want to make sure that they feel connected to the assessment and view it not as final, but a starting point for our new trimester.
Understanding the Rubric
Students have a clear understanding of the meaning of 1,2,3,and 4. We have processed the word "expectations" and understand that those are at a 3rd grade level. They know that to "exceed" means to go beyond in many different ways for many different reasons, and that achieving 4's means it is something consistent throughout the marking period. They also know that a 1 can mean something is either really hard for you, something that needs more attention and effort, or both. If anything on the report card is a surprise to the students, I did something wrong somewhere in the path of communicating expectations. It's why I meet with them because it's important for them to make sense of what they need to do. 1's seem scary to students at times, but we talk about it like this: it means "not within expectations"- but I like to add the word 'yet'. Someday it will be! It might be in March, it might be by September or it might take longer, but regardless, we continue to work hard as learners.
Goal Setting
Usually I set goals right away with the students based on this information. As I look at where we are in the year, I think that goal setting will be more useful in January with the holiday excitement behind us and new focus in front of us. Many students already told me their goals today- and that is great! But we definitely will take the time upon returning in January to revisit our progress and set our goals.
If the students have more questions, or of course, if YOU do, please send me an email or give a call next week. I never mind making more sense of important information. Have a great weekend and we'll talk soon!
Friday, November 9, 2012
It's November!
Has it REALLY been a month since I last posted? I have to be cliche and say "time flies'.
It was so nice to sit down and talk with everyone at conferences this week. This switch to trimesters is proving to be so beneficial from the instructional side; I really feel like I have the time to get to know the kids, work with them in small groups, 1:1 and as whole class AND meet with all of you before the first marking period ends. We've been busy, so you might want to get a cup of coffee before you dive into this update!
Math
We have wrapped up Unit 2 which explored algorithms for addition and subtractions, making "ball park" estimations, and using strategies to problem solve using these operations. Multi-step problems can be challenging for students because they have to slow down and take it step by step- not always the first choice of third graders! We have begun Unit 3 which focuses on linear measurement, area, and perimeter. Both metric and customary units are explored, and mastery goals include measuring to nearest whole and 1/2 cm, whole, 1/2, and 1/4 inch, knowing inch-foot-yard relationships, and calculating area and perimeter.
I have narrowed down the weak areas for addition facts for each student (ie: 5-9) and will share that with them next week so they can focus on these specific facts before we have a fact assessment after Thanksgiving. If you do facts orally with your child, try to focus on the higher numbers (6-10) as those tend to be the weakest.
Word Study
We assessed unit 1 which addressed some tricky word patterns such as -tch vs. -ch and -ck vs. k. Assessments will come home after we build personal word lists based on patterns we still need to master. Our next unit addresses something called a 1-1-1 rule. If a word has ONE short vowel, ends in ONE consonant and has ONE syllable, you will double the final consonant before adding a vowel suffix. ex: hit= hitting star-starred swim=swimming
Literacy Workshop
Our focus has shifted from elements of fiction tales to non-fiction. The Common Core State Standards put more of an emphasis on reading and understanding non-fiction, and it makes sense since so much of our world is explained through factual text/audio. We are learning to use text features (photos, captions, charts, headings etc.) to navigate non-fiction and stay connected to text. As fun as reading text features can be, we are also learning to look beyond saying "That picture is so cool!" to reading the caption AND the text to create more meaning. We will eventually begin transferring these skills to our writing as we become non-fiction writers.
Our comprehension skills focus has been schema (prior knowledge) and questioning. We have talked and practiced how to activate schema, build schema, and be open to when our schema is wrong! Paying attention to our growing prior knowledge helps us to be critical readers who are connected to text.
In Writing, we have been working on building writing stamina and expanding our ideas by experiencing quick writes. Quick writes are 10 minutes long during which we have a short, sweet prompt that we can take in any direction we choose! We have written about Mornings, Evenings, and Snow. This will help us as we work independently in Writer's Workshop when we develop and try new ideas. We also have been working to master conventions of basic end punctuation. By reading our writing out loud, we are discovering that punctuation tells the reader what to do with the voice and organizes thoughts in complete sentences.
Science
We entered the world of the Solar System in our unit called "Our Place in Space". Our essential question for learning is: "How does earth's place in space affect our lives here on earth?" So far we have discovered that the rotation, orbit, and tilt of the earth cause things like day/night, seasons, and different constellations in the sky. Next week we will shift into satellites, such as the moon, and finally end in space exploration and technology. Following this unit, we will zoom into the earth's surface for a geology unit called Earth's Materials.
Edmodo
I am sure you have heard your child mention his/her initiation into Edmodo! Edmodo is a Secure Social Learning Network designed for schools. I adore Edmodo. It holds so much possibility for students and their learning since it is a place where learning is timeless. If we need more time with an activity, we can find that through Edmodo. If we couldn't share our thoughts or questions on a subject in school that day, you can later on Edmodo.
Edmodo teaches students early that the internet provides many opportunities, but can be a learning tool first and foremost. However, since Edmodo is completely secure, we can only communicate with each other as a whole class and with the teacher privately- without the outside world coming in. It gives kids their first experience at a positive digital footprint online in a guided setting with the teacher. You can join, too! Ask your child to login and you will see a parent code.
I will keep you all posted on more of the Edmodo possibilities and happenings as time goes on. If you want to read a blog post I wrote about it on my professional blog you can find that here. Ask your child to tell you about assignments we have done regarding seasons and perimeter using Edmodo as our "home base".
That was a lot. Nice work if you made it to the end. Any questions? Email me @ jkarabinas@sau21.org.
~Jaclyn~
It was so nice to sit down and talk with everyone at conferences this week. This switch to trimesters is proving to be so beneficial from the instructional side; I really feel like I have the time to get to know the kids, work with them in small groups, 1:1 and as whole class AND meet with all of you before the first marking period ends. We've been busy, so you might want to get a cup of coffee before you dive into this update!
Math
We have wrapped up Unit 2 which explored algorithms for addition and subtractions, making "ball park" estimations, and using strategies to problem solve using these operations. Multi-step problems can be challenging for students because they have to slow down and take it step by step- not always the first choice of third graders! We have begun Unit 3 which focuses on linear measurement, area, and perimeter. Both metric and customary units are explored, and mastery goals include measuring to nearest whole and 1/2 cm, whole, 1/2, and 1/4 inch, knowing inch-foot-yard relationships, and calculating area and perimeter.
I have narrowed down the weak areas for addition facts for each student (ie: 5-9) and will share that with them next week so they can focus on these specific facts before we have a fact assessment after Thanksgiving. If you do facts orally with your child, try to focus on the higher numbers (6-10) as those tend to be the weakest.
Word Study
We assessed unit 1 which addressed some tricky word patterns such as -tch vs. -ch and -ck vs. k. Assessments will come home after we build personal word lists based on patterns we still need to master. Our next unit addresses something called a 1-1-1 rule. If a word has ONE short vowel, ends in ONE consonant and has ONE syllable, you will double the final consonant before adding a vowel suffix. ex: hit= hitting star-starred swim=swimming
Literacy Workshop
Our focus has shifted from elements of fiction tales to non-fiction. The Common Core State Standards put more of an emphasis on reading and understanding non-fiction, and it makes sense since so much of our world is explained through factual text/audio. We are learning to use text features (photos, captions, charts, headings etc.) to navigate non-fiction and stay connected to text. As fun as reading text features can be, we are also learning to look beyond saying "That picture is so cool!" to reading the caption AND the text to create more meaning. We will eventually begin transferring these skills to our writing as we become non-fiction writers.
Our comprehension skills focus has been schema (prior knowledge) and questioning. We have talked and practiced how to activate schema, build schema, and be open to when our schema is wrong! Paying attention to our growing prior knowledge helps us to be critical readers who are connected to text.
In Writing, we have been working on building writing stamina and expanding our ideas by experiencing quick writes. Quick writes are 10 minutes long during which we have a short, sweet prompt that we can take in any direction we choose! We have written about Mornings, Evenings, and Snow. This will help us as we work independently in Writer's Workshop when we develop and try new ideas. We also have been working to master conventions of basic end punctuation. By reading our writing out loud, we are discovering that punctuation tells the reader what to do with the voice and organizes thoughts in complete sentences.
Science
We entered the world of the Solar System in our unit called "Our Place in Space". Our essential question for learning is: "How does earth's place in space affect our lives here on earth?" So far we have discovered that the rotation, orbit, and tilt of the earth cause things like day/night, seasons, and different constellations in the sky. Next week we will shift into satellites, such as the moon, and finally end in space exploration and technology. Following this unit, we will zoom into the earth's surface for a geology unit called Earth's Materials.
Edmodo
I am sure you have heard your child mention his/her initiation into Edmodo! Edmodo is a Secure Social Learning Network designed for schools. I adore Edmodo. It holds so much possibility for students and their learning since it is a place where learning is timeless. If we need more time with an activity, we can find that through Edmodo. If we couldn't share our thoughts or questions on a subject in school that day, you can later on Edmodo.
Edmodo teaches students early that the internet provides many opportunities, but can be a learning tool first and foremost. However, since Edmodo is completely secure, we can only communicate with each other as a whole class and with the teacher privately- without the outside world coming in. It gives kids their first experience at a positive digital footprint online in a guided setting with the teacher. You can join, too! Ask your child to login and you will see a parent code.
I will keep you all posted on more of the Edmodo possibilities and happenings as time goes on. If you want to read a blog post I wrote about it on my professional blog you can find that here. Ask your child to tell you about assignments we have done regarding seasons and perimeter using Edmodo as our "home base".
That was a lot. Nice work if you made it to the end. Any questions? Email me @ jkarabinas@sau21.org.
~Jaclyn~
Friday, October 5, 2012
I can see the SUN!!!
I'm sure it is character building, but rain+indoor recess+ NECAPS = the ultimate challenge! Regardless, next week looks lovely and we will finish our final 2 days of math NECAP on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Blog
Please note that when these blog posts come to email, they most likely contain the entire message, but I believe clicking on the title or link brings you to the actual site. I just want to mention that because I post other information there as well. If you have comments that you want to share with the group, they can be added at the bottom of this post. If you want to contact me directly, use jkarabinas@sau21.org. Please do not reply to the blog post as it is not connected to my school email. Thanks!
Friday Folders
Today your child will bring home a "Friday Folder". These will not come home every single Friday, but it is my way of organizing corrected work and assessments for you to see. Everything the students complete, whether in class or at home, is reviewed by me and gives me information to plan instruction. Often I will hang on to the work to use in groups or to give me an example of what a student needs to practice. Math seems to produce the most paper of all of our subjects but don't be fooled! We have many notebooks and journals that collect other classroom experiences that do not regularly make it home. Additionally, so many of our experiences are not on paper. Please see the front of the Friday Folder for details. Students need to bring it back each Monday (Tuesday, next week, due to the school holiday).
Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower II
Many permission slips have already come back for our trip that is scheduled for next Thursday, October 11. As of right now, weather looks good! Please note on the slip if you would like to chaperone and/or have your child purchase a bag lunch from the school. I will touch base on this more next week before we go. Please remember that we will not return to school until 5 pm that day.
Book Orders
In the Friday Folder today will be your child's first book order. These are optional, of course. On the top of each, I filled in the due date and online ordering code. They will be due by Wednesday, 10/17 and when you go to http://www.scholastic.com you will be able to log in as a parent OR create an account. It will then ask you for your classroom code, which is HMD7Z.
If you are wondering how to tell if a book is just-right or a "good fit" for your child's reading level, you could use the Lexile Range as a guide. Many of the books have that noted under the title. Your child's Lexile range can be found on the Reading NWEA assessment reports sent home last May. If your child wasn't here, I can estimate for you or if you have absolutely no clue where that paper is, I can look it up for you. ;)
Puppet Shows
This lively group showed their energy in performing their puppet shows based on Pourquoi book groups. They created original puppets from scratch and worked together to re-tell the story with correct sequence an relevant details. Afterward, students showed their comprehension by answering questions and reflecting on the experience. Those assessments will either come home today or next week.
That's it for now! Enjoy the weekend.
Jaclyn Karabinas
The Blog
Please note that when these blog posts come to email, they most likely contain the entire message, but I believe clicking on the title or link brings you to the actual site. I just want to mention that because I post other information there as well. If you have comments that you want to share with the group, they can be added at the bottom of this post. If you want to contact me directly, use jkarabinas@sau21.org. Please do not reply to the blog post as it is not connected to my school email. Thanks!
Friday Folders
Today your child will bring home a "Friday Folder". These will not come home every single Friday, but it is my way of organizing corrected work and assessments for you to see. Everything the students complete, whether in class or at home, is reviewed by me and gives me information to plan instruction. Often I will hang on to the work to use in groups or to give me an example of what a student needs to practice. Math seems to produce the most paper of all of our subjects but don't be fooled! We have many notebooks and journals that collect other classroom experiences that do not regularly make it home. Additionally, so many of our experiences are not on paper. Please see the front of the Friday Folder for details. Students need to bring it back each Monday (Tuesday, next week, due to the school holiday).
Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower II
Many permission slips have already come back for our trip that is scheduled for next Thursday, October 11. As of right now, weather looks good! Please note on the slip if you would like to chaperone and/or have your child purchase a bag lunch from the school. I will touch base on this more next week before we go. Please remember that we will not return to school until 5 pm that day.
Book Orders
In the Friday Folder today will be your child's first book order. These are optional, of course. On the top of each, I filled in the due date and online ordering code. They will be due by Wednesday, 10/17 and when you go to http://www.scholastic.com you will be able to log in as a parent OR create an account. It will then ask you for your classroom code, which is HMD7Z.
If you are wondering how to tell if a book is just-right or a "good fit" for your child's reading level, you could use the Lexile Range as a guide. Many of the books have that noted under the title. Your child's Lexile range can be found on the Reading NWEA assessment reports sent home last May. If your child wasn't here, I can estimate for you or if you have absolutely no clue where that paper is, I can look it up for you. ;)
Puppet Shows
This lively group showed their energy in performing their puppet shows based on Pourquoi book groups. They created original puppets from scratch and worked together to re-tell the story with correct sequence an relevant details. Afterward, students showed their comprehension by answering questions and reflecting on the experience. Those assessments will either come home today or next week.
That's it for now! Enjoy the weekend.
Jaclyn Karabinas
Friday, September 28, 2012
Rain, Rain Go Away!
Well, we survived a day of double indoor recess- always an interesting challenge!
The students are really showing so much progress with getting into classroom routines and positive classroom community behavior. This week, they worked in groups to design original puppets for the "pourquoi" tales they read. Their creativity, problem solving, and teamwork was excellent! I would like to video the shows for all of you to see, so if you still have the Video permission form, please send it back in ASAP. These will not be "broadcasted" for all to see, but I would like you all to be able to see your child's group.
Today we started our routine of bringing home our weekly fact and reading practice sheets, due each Friday. If your child is extremely busy during the school week, please encourage them to practice their home reading and/or facts a day or two during the weekend to get a head start on the week. From there, the books, style of reading (Read-to-self etc.) and style of fact practice is their choice. Choices of time and choices of days gives kids ownership over this learning and early time management skills.
Enjoy the weekend, no matter how rainy!
Jaclyn
PS- Federal mandated state testing, the NECAPS begin next week. Please please please check schedules as 3rd grade will be testing Tues,Wed, Thurs, Fri next week from 10:30-12 and the following Tues and Wed. 10:30-12. Thinking good thoughts for good sleep, solid breakfast and , present students! Scheduling make-ups can be very challenging and cause the student to miss 90 minutes elsewhere during the week.
The students are really showing so much progress with getting into classroom routines and positive classroom community behavior. This week, they worked in groups to design original puppets for the "pourquoi" tales they read. Their creativity, problem solving, and teamwork was excellent! I would like to video the shows for all of you to see, so if you still have the Video permission form, please send it back in ASAP. These will not be "broadcasted" for all to see, but I would like you all to be able to see your child's group.
Today we started our routine of bringing home our weekly fact and reading practice sheets, due each Friday. If your child is extremely busy during the school week, please encourage them to practice their home reading and/or facts a day or two during the weekend to get a head start on the week. From there, the books, style of reading (Read-to-self etc.) and style of fact practice is their choice. Choices of time and choices of days gives kids ownership over this learning and early time management skills.
Enjoy the weekend, no matter how rainy!
Jaclyn
PS- Federal mandated state testing, the NECAPS begin next week. Please please please check schedules as 3rd grade will be testing Tues,Wed, Thurs, Fri next week from 10:30-12 and the following Tues and Wed. 10:30-12. Thinking good thoughts for good sleep, solid breakfast and , present students! Scheduling make-ups can be very challenging and cause the student to miss 90 minutes elsewhere during the week.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Mission: Fact Fluency!
Hi everyone!
Today your student will bring home a Math Fact practice log, attached to the Home Reading Collection sheet for convenience! They will also bring home a direction sheet for setting up their account at Xtramath.org for fact practice. The code is different from last year, so please set up a new account with a new code!
Common Core State Standards set a goal for fact fluency of +,-, and X by the end of 3rd grade. We will aim for this goal by having a variety of opportunities in the classroom and at home.
Adding to our weekly homework of 4+ days reading, we are aiming for 2 to 3 days per week fact practice, at least 10 minutes each time.
What are practice choices?
-Xtramath
-other fun fact math sites
-out loud with an adult or older sibling (in car, while doing home tasks etc.)
-fact triangles (students have some to cut out in Math Journal if they wish)
-other ideas the students/you have
I believe in homework being relatively predictable, independent practice for the students. These types of logs also teach students the early skills of planning ahead, by choosing the days that work best for them. Finally, I like to allow as much choice as possible by allowing them to choose how they practice, what they read, and how they read.
Please let me know at any time if you think your child needs more help organizing this during the week! I will continue to touch base with them in the classroom as we build these routines. Please let me know if you need guidance setting up Xtramath on your home computer or other device.
Talk soon!
Jaclyn
Today your student will bring home a Math Fact practice log, attached to the Home Reading Collection sheet for convenience! They will also bring home a direction sheet for setting up their account at Xtramath.org for fact practice. The code is different from last year, so please set up a new account with a new code!
Common Core State Standards set a goal for fact fluency of +,-, and X by the end of 3rd grade. We will aim for this goal by having a variety of opportunities in the classroom and at home.
Adding to our weekly homework of 4+ days reading, we are aiming for 2 to 3 days per week fact practice, at least 10 minutes each time.
What are practice choices?
-Xtramath
-other fun fact math sites
-out loud with an adult or older sibling (in car, while doing home tasks etc.)
-fact triangles (students have some to cut out in Math Journal if they wish)
-other ideas the students/you have
I believe in homework being relatively predictable, independent practice for the students. These types of logs also teach students the early skills of planning ahead, by choosing the days that work best for them. Finally, I like to allow as much choice as possible by allowing them to choose how they practice, what they read, and how they read.
Please let me know at any time if you think your child needs more help organizing this during the week! I will continue to touch base with them in the classroom as we build these routines. Please let me know if you need guidance setting up Xtramath on your home computer or other device.
Talk soon!
Jaclyn
Friday, September 21, 2012
Another week goes by!
Hi everyone!
Just wanted to drop a quick note as the students head home today for Early Release.
Literacy Workshop
This week we rotated through Read-to-Self, Work-with-Words, Read-to-Someone and Groups with Mrs. K! The idea of the literacy station "training" is so that students can be productive independently while I give my full attention to small groups. Many of us are still learning to read and work away from distractions and learning to focus the whole time without chatting. We will get there!
Math
We are just about to wrap up Unit 1, which mostly reviews skills from Grade 2 EDM. Basic skills that students have mastered or still have struggles with are more clear to me with this kind of review, giving me information to plan future instruction. We will most likely have our Unit 1 assessment next Friday.
Social Studies
This week we read some stories about the Wampanoag, the tribe that needed to co-exist with the Pilgrims and other colonists in the area of Plimoth Plantation. (yes it is spelled like that! :) ) We filled out a culture chart to build our understanding of this culture, so that when we learn about the colonists culture, we will be able to see the reasons for clashing interactions.
Home Reading Collection
Today students turned in their first log. We reviewed what went well and answered any questions for those with incomplete logs. Next week, we will do the same thing- Monday-Thursday for reading time at home. Next Friday, they will begin receiving them weekly on Fridays, and then can make decisions about possibly doing their reading on some weekend end days if the weeks are crazy. I modeled today what that might look like, and how it could free up the week if 1-2 nights are super busy.
Various Computer Accounts
Next week I will begin sending home instructions for either setting up or logging in to various web based programs that we use. The students will be keeping a login and password list in their binders, so this will help when they need to access these programs at home for extra practice or for assignments. Keep an eye out for these!
Medals and Missions
Today we did our first weekly reflection on both our Academic and Behavioral Medals and Missions! They are in student binders, but they will need these on Monday so please make sure they stay in binders! Next week we will begin tracking these during the week so we can see how we are progressing with our positive behavior.
That's all for now-Enjoy the weekend!
Jaclyn Karabinas
Just wanted to drop a quick note as the students head home today for Early Release.
Literacy Workshop
This week we rotated through Read-to-Self, Work-with-Words, Read-to-Someone and Groups with Mrs. K! The idea of the literacy station "training" is so that students can be productive independently while I give my full attention to small groups. Many of us are still learning to read and work away from distractions and learning to focus the whole time without chatting. We will get there!
Math
We are just about to wrap up Unit 1, which mostly reviews skills from Grade 2 EDM. Basic skills that students have mastered or still have struggles with are more clear to me with this kind of review, giving me information to plan future instruction. We will most likely have our Unit 1 assessment next Friday.
Social Studies
This week we read some stories about the Wampanoag, the tribe that needed to co-exist with the Pilgrims and other colonists in the area of Plimoth Plantation. (yes it is spelled like that! :) ) We filled out a culture chart to build our understanding of this culture, so that when we learn about the colonists culture, we will be able to see the reasons for clashing interactions.
Home Reading Collection
Today students turned in their first log. We reviewed what went well and answered any questions for those with incomplete logs. Next week, we will do the same thing- Monday-Thursday for reading time at home. Next Friday, they will begin receiving them weekly on Fridays, and then can make decisions about possibly doing their reading on some weekend end days if the weeks are crazy. I modeled today what that might look like, and how it could free up the week if 1-2 nights are super busy.
Various Computer Accounts
Next week I will begin sending home instructions for either setting up or logging in to various web based programs that we use. The students will be keeping a login and password list in their binders, so this will help when they need to access these programs at home for extra practice or for assignments. Keep an eye out for these!
Medals and Missions
Today we did our first weekly reflection on both our Academic and Behavioral Medals and Missions! They are in student binders, but they will need these on Monday so please make sure they stay in binders! Next week we will begin tracking these during the week so we can see how we are progressing with our positive behavior.
That's all for now-Enjoy the weekend!
Jaclyn Karabinas
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
We are getting into routine!
Hello everyone!
Little by little we are getting into our routines. Afternoons are tough on a warm day, but we do what we can to keep active and learning.
Social Studies & Writer's Workshop
We begin our learning with understanding Native American culture through stories and "pourquoi" tales. These stories fictionalize how or why things came to be. Today we experienced How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes. Our first writing piece in Writer's Workshop will be a pourquoi tale, and we will use our knowledge of Native American cultures to write these stories. Following that, we will move over to Europe to learn about life of the people that would eventually come to the New World. Finally, we will put the 2 cultures together after the Mayflower's brave journey and learn about the challenging interactions of 2 clashing cultures.
Math
As we awaken our basic skills, I am able to get a closer look at what each child needs to personally advance in math. This week we reviewed place value, hundred grid puzzles, time, counting coins, and our basic facts. Our goal is to master addition, subtraction and multiplication by the end of the year so facts do not hold us back from more complex problems.
Please use any opportunity you can with your child to count coins/bills and talk about receiving change. It can be a tough skill and in our world of debit cards, children do not get as much natural exposure to this skill.
Literacy Workshop
We have begun our training (or really our "re-training") of Daily 5 procedures. What I love about the Daily 5 is that it engrains independence of Writing, Working with Words, Reading to Self, Reading to Others, and Listening to Reading. This way students can build skills with independence while I dig in with small groups. We are half-way through our re-training and expect to be fully trained in a week or so!
Medals and Missions
These are the terms we use to examine what is going well and what needs some work, both in areas of behavior and academics. Students will be tracking their behavior cheeck-ins when they "take a minute" in Australia (ask them to explain it if they haven't already :) ). At the end of the week, we will reflect on our learning and behavior by determining what our "medals" for the week were and what our "missions" for next week will be. We will slowly build toward earning or losing choice time as our motivation to achieve missions set for champion behavior.
Home Reading Collection
This week we started our reading logs, called our Home Reading Collection. These will be completed 4x per week. This week we all are completing Monday-Thursday. From here on out, students will receive them on Friday and turn them in each Friday. Students may use Fri.-Sat. as reading days to complete the 4 if it works better with his/her schedule.
Please check in the with the other tabs on this site to see any changes in homework process or important dates. And as always, never hesitate to contact me with questions!
Jaclyn Karabinas
Little by little we are getting into our routines. Afternoons are tough on a warm day, but we do what we can to keep active and learning.
Social Studies & Writer's Workshop
We begin our learning with understanding Native American culture through stories and "pourquoi" tales. These stories fictionalize how or why things came to be. Today we experienced How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes. Our first writing piece in Writer's Workshop will be a pourquoi tale, and we will use our knowledge of Native American cultures to write these stories. Following that, we will move over to Europe to learn about life of the people that would eventually come to the New World. Finally, we will put the 2 cultures together after the Mayflower's brave journey and learn about the challenging interactions of 2 clashing cultures.
Math
As we awaken our basic skills, I am able to get a closer look at what each child needs to personally advance in math. This week we reviewed place value, hundred grid puzzles, time, counting coins, and our basic facts. Our goal is to master addition, subtraction and multiplication by the end of the year so facts do not hold us back from more complex problems.
Please use any opportunity you can with your child to count coins/bills and talk about receiving change. It can be a tough skill and in our world of debit cards, children do not get as much natural exposure to this skill.
Literacy Workshop
We have begun our training (or really our "re-training") of Daily 5 procedures. What I love about the Daily 5 is that it engrains independence of Writing, Working with Words, Reading to Self, Reading to Others, and Listening to Reading. This way students can build skills with independence while I dig in with small groups. We are half-way through our re-training and expect to be fully trained in a week or so!
Medals and Missions
These are the terms we use to examine what is going well and what needs some work, both in areas of behavior and academics. Students will be tracking their behavior cheeck-ins when they "take a minute" in Australia (ask them to explain it if they haven't already :) ). At the end of the week, we will reflect on our learning and behavior by determining what our "medals" for the week were and what our "missions" for next week will be. We will slowly build toward earning or losing choice time as our motivation to achieve missions set for champion behavior.
Home Reading Collection
This week we started our reading logs, called our Home Reading Collection. These will be completed 4x per week. This week we all are completing Monday-Thursday. From here on out, students will receive them on Friday and turn them in each Friday. Students may use Fri.-Sat. as reading days to complete the 4 if it works better with his/her schedule.
Please check in the with the other tabs on this site to see any changes in homework process or important dates. And as always, never hesitate to contact me with questions!
Jaclyn Karabinas
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Welcome!
Hello, new Honeybee families!
You made it to our class newsletter, in the form of a blog. Mostly, posts will come from me. But later in the year as the students learn more about it, they will be able to work together to update you all on classroom happenings.
Directions:
1. On the right of the screen, scroll down a bit to see "follow by email" with a box for your email.
2. Type in your email address and click "submit".
3. It will send you a verification link that you NEED to click for the subscription to go through.
4. Each time I post to the blog (every couple weeks) it will send you an email with the link.
I will happily walk you through this in person or on the phone, if you would like.
See you soon!
Jaclyn Karabinas
jkarabinas@sau21.org
You made it to our class newsletter, in the form of a blog. Mostly, posts will come from me. But later in the year as the students learn more about it, they will be able to work together to update you all on classroom happenings.
Directions:
1. On the right of the screen, scroll down a bit to see "follow by email" with a box for your email.
2. Type in your email address and click "submit".
3. It will send you a verification link that you NEED to click for the subscription to go through.
4. Each time I post to the blog (every couple weeks) it will send you an email with the link.
I will happily walk you through this in person or on the phone, if you would like.
See you soon!
Jaclyn Karabinas
jkarabinas@sau21.org
Saturday, June 16, 2012
SKY WATCH TONIGHT!
Hi everyone! Just a reminder that our rescheduled Sky Watch is tonight @ 8:30 at LAS. I imagine with the craziness of the end of year that it slipped all of our minds! My iCal reminder popped up and I said...Oh yeah... that is tonight! I just posted it to Edmodo.
If any of you could maybe start a little phone chain for reminders that would be great, in case people don't check email on weekends. I am sure some people aren't able to attend, but I want everyone who can and wants to come to get a reminder.
Thanks so much- Sorry for the late reminder!
If any of you could maybe start a little phone chain for reminders that would be great, in case people don't check email on weekends. I am sure some people aren't able to attend, but I want everyone who can and wants to come to get a reminder.
Thanks so much- Sorry for the late reminder!
Friday, June 1, 2012
So much fun to be had in these last days!
Hello, Honeybee Parents!
As time winds down there are so many dates and activities to keep track of on our calendars, and I appreciate your support in helping the kids finish out the year strong! So...I will be BRIEF! :)
1. As far as homework goes, all students will continue reading and fact practice. Our book groups, final writing pieces, final word lists, and 50 States quiz are the focus for our home AND school completion. They know the expectation and dates- ask them or ask me if you have questions!
2. SkyWatch is cancelled...Rescheduled (for the 4th time!) for Saturday, June 16. All other info is the same.
3. We will be planning an encore Innovation Day for June 7, wrapping up June 8th in the morning. It will be June 11th if Field Day is cancelled.
4. Field Day, if cancelled on Tuesday the 5th, will be rescheduled for the 7th. Wendy Welch could use some more help if you are available.
5. Mrs. Elzey and I could use some help from 3-5 pm on Thursday June 7th with cleaning buckets/taps left from the sugaring season. Please email me jkarabinas@sau21 to let me know if you could help.
6. Reading NWEA is Monday, 6/4 from 10:30-12. They did AMAZING on the Math NWEA!!!
7. Class Party and Awards will be Wednesday, June 13 from 1-2:15. I would LOVE to have you all there to celebrate the magic this class has created over 2 years.
8. Future Gr. 5 Parent meeting is June 11 from 3-3:30 with Barbara Cutting and Kelly Trottier, upstairs in Mrs. Cutting's room. They are FABULOUS teachers and it is bittersweet to send my kids on to them.
Please email, call, or stop in with any questions!
Jaclyn Karabinas
As time winds down there are so many dates and activities to keep track of on our calendars, and I appreciate your support in helping the kids finish out the year strong! So...I will be BRIEF! :)
1. As far as homework goes, all students will continue reading and fact practice. Our book groups, final writing pieces, final word lists, and 50 States quiz are the focus for our home AND school completion. They know the expectation and dates- ask them or ask me if you have questions!
2. SkyWatch is cancelled...Rescheduled (for the 4th time!) for Saturday, June 16. All other info is the same.
3. We will be planning an encore Innovation Day for June 7, wrapping up June 8th in the morning. It will be June 11th if Field Day is cancelled.
4. Field Day, if cancelled on Tuesday the 5th, will be rescheduled for the 7th. Wendy Welch could use some more help if you are available.
5. Mrs. Elzey and I could use some help from 3-5 pm on Thursday June 7th with cleaning buckets/taps left from the sugaring season. Please email me jkarabinas@sau21 to let me know if you could help.
6. Reading NWEA is Monday, 6/4 from 10:30-12. They did AMAZING on the Math NWEA!!!
7. Class Party and Awards will be Wednesday, June 13 from 1-2:15. I would LOVE to have you all there to celebrate the magic this class has created over 2 years.
8. Future Gr. 5 Parent meeting is June 11 from 3-3:30 with Barbara Cutting and Kelly Trottier, upstairs in Mrs. Cutting's room. They are FABULOUS teachers and it is bittersweet to send my kids on to them.
Please email, call, or stop in with any questions!
Jaclyn Karabinas
Friday, May 11, 2012
Happy May, everyone!
With 4 weeks to go, the 4th graders press on. They never cease to put full effort into their learning, no matter what!
Science & Math
After our States of Matter unit, we explored concepts of Forces and Motion last month. Using many hands-on investigations, we could experience and describe gravity, inertia, momentum, and friction. Simultaneously, our unit in Math explored mass, volume and capacity. These units really complimented each other, helping the students to understand the true intersection of math and science.
Currently, we are exploring weather and the tools, technology and vocabulary used to describe it. Students built weather instruments and worked in pairs to create posters on the major elements of weather such as air pressure, humidity, precipitation etc. In math, we just completed Area and Perimeter and will be moving into reinforcement of multiplication facts and learning how multiplication and division help us to find Rates.
Fact fluency is crucial! Every student needs personal practice. Even when fact practice is not assigned, 5 minutes a will make such a difference!
Literacy Workshop
Students are reading books in trios/partners right now to improve comprehension conversations and expand vocabulary. Using Edmodo, we are learning how, (though our network is closed) social media can help begin, continue, and extend conversations about our learning. Students are posting discussion points from books, posting new vocabulary phrases, and helping each other to make meaning of these in an asynchronus (timeless) learning environment. Students also meet in class to either read portions as a group or to discuss comprehension from the book. They are doing a tremendous job in this very student-directed format of reading.
Writer's Workshop and Word Study
We have continued expanding our knowledge and use of prefixes and suffixes as we add to our "Nifty Thrifty Fifty" Word Wall. After another Word Journey assessment, we rearranged our "Word Study Teams" to reflect the new patterns we are now ready to master. In writing, we wrapped up our focus of poetry by publishing and sharing in many ways. We had a class poetry reading and even went to 5th grade as they invited us to a Writer's Cafe to share writing. Currently, students have planned a choice writing piece to showcase their abilities to independently follow the writing process with 100% choice, accompanied by teacher guidance. I cannot wait to see the finished products!
Altered Books
Our almost 2-year exploration of nature/art/writing with our altered books was such as journey. Altered books, while they contain marvelous art, writing, and creativity, are all about problem solving! Watching the students plan a vision for a page, setting out to make it happen, and having obstacles along the way was such an experience for them to problem solve. I have seen them transfer this flexibility to other areas of learning and am so thankful that the experience was not only what I thought it would be for them, but even more.
Even more, though, I need to thank all of YOU, parents. In so many schools and in so many places, I would have been questioned about the amount of time spent on something like the Altered Books. No one here ever did, (not that I expected that :) ) and it reminds me how lucky I am to teach in a community that has professional trust in me with their children. Thank you so much for believing in me. It was a rich learning experience on so many levels for the students.
Testing....
And of course, there is the inevitable. We take our first NECAP Science next week, and in a few weeks will take the NWEA Reading and Math. I believe that we will see wonderful growth in the students as they have worked hard on their individual needs in these subjects. I will also post the dates on the IMPORTANT DATES tab.
NECAP SCIENCE-next week. Attendance and rest, attendance and rest...!
Tuesday, 5/15 from 10:30-12
Wednesday, 5/16 from 8:30-10
Friday, 5/18 from 8:30-10:30
NWEA Math-Wednesday, May 30 @ 8:30-10
NWEA Reading- Monday, June 4 @ 10:30-12
With 4 weeks to go, the 4th graders press on. They never cease to put full effort into their learning, no matter what!
Science & Math
After our States of Matter unit, we explored concepts of Forces and Motion last month. Using many hands-on investigations, we could experience and describe gravity, inertia, momentum, and friction. Simultaneously, our unit in Math explored mass, volume and capacity. These units really complimented each other, helping the students to understand the true intersection of math and science.
Currently, we are exploring weather and the tools, technology and vocabulary used to describe it. Students built weather instruments and worked in pairs to create posters on the major elements of weather such as air pressure, humidity, precipitation etc. In math, we just completed Area and Perimeter and will be moving into reinforcement of multiplication facts and learning how multiplication and division help us to find Rates.
Fact fluency is crucial! Every student needs personal practice. Even when fact practice is not assigned, 5 minutes a will make such a difference!
Literacy Workshop
Students are reading books in trios/partners right now to improve comprehension conversations and expand vocabulary. Using Edmodo, we are learning how, (though our network is closed) social media can help begin, continue, and extend conversations about our learning. Students are posting discussion points from books, posting new vocabulary phrases, and helping each other to make meaning of these in an asynchronus (timeless) learning environment. Students also meet in class to either read portions as a group or to discuss comprehension from the book. They are doing a tremendous job in this very student-directed format of reading.
Writer's Workshop and Word Study
We have continued expanding our knowledge and use of prefixes and suffixes as we add to our "Nifty Thrifty Fifty" Word Wall. After another Word Journey assessment, we rearranged our "Word Study Teams" to reflect the new patterns we are now ready to master. In writing, we wrapped up our focus of poetry by publishing and sharing in many ways. We had a class poetry reading and even went to 5th grade as they invited us to a Writer's Cafe to share writing. Currently, students have planned a choice writing piece to showcase their abilities to independently follow the writing process with 100% choice, accompanied by teacher guidance. I cannot wait to see the finished products!
Altered Books
Our almost 2-year exploration of nature/art/writing with our altered books was such as journey. Altered books, while they contain marvelous art, writing, and creativity, are all about problem solving! Watching the students plan a vision for a page, setting out to make it happen, and having obstacles along the way was such an experience for them to problem solve. I have seen them transfer this flexibility to other areas of learning and am so thankful that the experience was not only what I thought it would be for them, but even more.
Even more, though, I need to thank all of YOU, parents. In so many schools and in so many places, I would have been questioned about the amount of time spent on something like the Altered Books. No one here ever did, (not that I expected that :) ) and it reminds me how lucky I am to teach in a community that has professional trust in me with their children. Thank you so much for believing in me. It was a rich learning experience on so many levels for the students.
Testing....
And of course, there is the inevitable. We take our first NECAP Science next week, and in a few weeks will take the NWEA Reading and Math. I believe that we will see wonderful growth in the students as they have worked hard on their individual needs in these subjects. I will also post the dates on the IMPORTANT DATES tab.
NECAP SCIENCE-next week. Attendance and rest, attendance and rest...!
Tuesday, 5/15 from 10:30-12
Wednesday, 5/16 from 8:30-10
Friday, 5/18 from 8:30-10:30
NWEA Math-Wednesday, May 30 @ 8:30-10
NWEA Reading- Monday, June 4 @ 10:30-12
Friday, April 13, 2012
April Update
Hello everyone!
It seems like I was emailing you daily during Sugaring, and then---nothing! So, here is an update of the learning happening in our classroom.
Literacy Workshop
Poetry has been our focus, learning how to read, write, and perform poetry. Whether reading funny Shel Silverstein poems, or flowery Emily Dickenson, the students have all found a style that they can connect to personally. We read both Love that Dog and Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech, 2 brilliantly funny, short novels, written in poetry form. The main character is a middle school boy, Jack, who starts out saying "boys don't write poetry- girls do" and turns in to a writer that really finds his way with words. I really recommend reading them- they are quick reads for adults!
Through reading poetry, we were able to gain more of an understanding of Word Choice and Voice as elements of writing. Reading and writing with Literary Devices (similes, metaphors, alliteration, onomatopoeia etc.) was a challenge since these stretch our thinking by creating vivid imagery.
Currently, students are publishing their own poems and practicing for a poetry performance next week. I wasn't planning on turning it into a large event, but if you want to come let me know! I believe it will be Wednesday or Thursday next week, depending on the preparedness of the kids.
Word Study
Using personalized word assessments I was able to determine specific patterns each child needs to focus on for practice. The students formed "teams" based on the patterns and created games to play to practice their pattern lists. We also continue our study as a class of base words, prefixes and suffixes, using these to decode both pronunciation AND meaning of new words. The "Nifty Thrifty Fifty" create a list of 50 words with the most common prefixes and suffixes. So far, we have practiced spelling, mixing, and matching the base words, prefixes and suffixes of 32 words already!
Science
We have been investigating our physical world these days. We just finished a unit on Heat and the States of Matter and the main concept learned was that adding or subtracting heat causes changes with molecules, depending on their chemical and physical properties. By conducting an investigtation, we explored the challenge of insulating a house. We practiced reading thermometers and creating graphs with all the pieces needed to display the data. One day we had hands-on stations that gave us the chance to play with density of liquids and solids, the changing forms of water, and the concept that the mass of an object is equal to the sum of its parts.
We will begin a unit on Force and Motion next week. The concept we will explore is: How can use data to predict and explain how forces affect motion, position, or acceleration? It is going to be so much fun- ramps, balls, bowling, friction slides...can't wait!
Math
Our math units have coincided with our Science units beautifully! After fractions, decimals, and percents, we started our unit on 3-D Shapes, Weight, Mass, Volume & Capacity. Using a variety of scales, we worked to build a frame of reference for both metric and customary units of measurement. We used a computer application to examine 3-D shapes with virtual rotation and used real shapes to explore the vocabulary used to describe them. We used a formula to calculate volumes of rectangular prisms and discussed how displacement can measure volume of irregular objects.
Next week we will assess the 3-D etc. unit and focus on individual skill and/or fact practice. Memorization and fluency with math facts is SOOO important! I have encouraged the kids to let me know or seek out a way to practice these if Xtramath does not match his/her learning style. Some fact practice sites have been posted on Edmodo, so they can check those out. This quarter we will have frequent fact check-ups for those that have not yet demonstrated mastery of multiplication and division through x 11.
Looking forward to...
Arts & Authors Night on May 2 at 6:30!
We have been working for almost 2 years on our Tree Altered Books, using Science, Writing, Art, and Problem Solving (and so much more) to create these works of art. They will be 90% finished an on display. (Not 100% because we need to add some pictureswriting and from when the leaves appear!)
Thank you ALL for your kids- They are amazing children and this is attributed to the places from which they come.
Jaclyn Karabinas
It seems like I was emailing you daily during Sugaring, and then---nothing! So, here is an update of the learning happening in our classroom.
Literacy Workshop
Poetry has been our focus, learning how to read, write, and perform poetry. Whether reading funny Shel Silverstein poems, or flowery Emily Dickenson, the students have all found a style that they can connect to personally. We read both Love that Dog and Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech, 2 brilliantly funny, short novels, written in poetry form. The main character is a middle school boy, Jack, who starts out saying "boys don't write poetry- girls do" and turns in to a writer that really finds his way with words. I really recommend reading them- they are quick reads for adults!
Through reading poetry, we were able to gain more of an understanding of Word Choice and Voice as elements of writing. Reading and writing with Literary Devices (similes, metaphors, alliteration, onomatopoeia etc.) was a challenge since these stretch our thinking by creating vivid imagery.
Currently, students are publishing their own poems and practicing for a poetry performance next week. I wasn't planning on turning it into a large event, but if you want to come let me know! I believe it will be Wednesday or Thursday next week, depending on the preparedness of the kids.
Word Study
Using personalized word assessments I was able to determine specific patterns each child needs to focus on for practice. The students formed "teams" based on the patterns and created games to play to practice their pattern lists. We also continue our study as a class of base words, prefixes and suffixes, using these to decode both pronunciation AND meaning of new words. The "Nifty Thrifty Fifty" create a list of 50 words with the most common prefixes and suffixes. So far, we have practiced spelling, mixing, and matching the base words, prefixes and suffixes of 32 words already!
Science
We have been investigating our physical world these days. We just finished a unit on Heat and the States of Matter and the main concept learned was that adding or subtracting heat causes changes with molecules, depending on their chemical and physical properties. By conducting an investigtation, we explored the challenge of insulating a house. We practiced reading thermometers and creating graphs with all the pieces needed to display the data. One day we had hands-on stations that gave us the chance to play with density of liquids and solids, the changing forms of water, and the concept that the mass of an object is equal to the sum of its parts.
We will begin a unit on Force and Motion next week. The concept we will explore is: How can use data to predict and explain how forces affect motion, position, or acceleration? It is going to be so much fun- ramps, balls, bowling, friction slides...can't wait!
Math
Our math units have coincided with our Science units beautifully! After fractions, decimals, and percents, we started our unit on 3-D Shapes, Weight, Mass, Volume & Capacity. Using a variety of scales, we worked to build a frame of reference for both metric and customary units of measurement. We used a computer application to examine 3-D shapes with virtual rotation and used real shapes to explore the vocabulary used to describe them. We used a formula to calculate volumes of rectangular prisms and discussed how displacement can measure volume of irregular objects.
Next week we will assess the 3-D etc. unit and focus on individual skill and/or fact practice. Memorization and fluency with math facts is SOOO important! I have encouraged the kids to let me know or seek out a way to practice these if Xtramath does not match his/her learning style. Some fact practice sites have been posted on Edmodo, so they can check those out. This quarter we will have frequent fact check-ups for those that have not yet demonstrated mastery of multiplication and division through x 11.
Looking forward to...
Arts & Authors Night on May 2 at 6:30!
We have been working for almost 2 years on our Tree Altered Books, using Science, Writing, Art, and Problem Solving (and so much more) to create these works of art. They will be 90% finished an on display. (Not 100% because we need to add some pictureswriting and from when the leaves appear!)
Thank you ALL for your kids- They are amazing children and this is attributed to the places from which they come.
Jaclyn Karabinas
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Valentine's Day
Hi!
As a class, we discussed Valentine’s Day and came up with these ideas.
- We will celebrate on Tuesday, February 14 from 10:30-11:15ish.
- There has been a request by a few students for “Hannah’s mom’s baking” :)
- Valentines are optional, but if you choose to make them, make one for everyone.
- Consult the class directory for name spellings and ask for help if needed.
- So everyone has as much or little time as desired, decoration of bags/boxes etc. will be at home, but materials can be borrowed from school.
- For an activity, we will make "Secret Valentines" that morning to sneakily deliver around the school.
Mrs. Karabinas
Friday, February 3, 2012
What a great couple of weeks we've had!
Hi friends!
The Honeybees have been amazing, as usual. Over the past week and half, they have become relatively proficient with some new digital tools and with being critical readers when it comes to information found on the internet. Using a social learning network called Edmodo, students have begun to catalog and share links, as well as ask questions and share advice for our biography project. It truly is an era of information sharing. We also learned to use Glogster, which we will use to digitally create a poster for our projects.
Be assured that as we use new technologies, students are guided through acceptable use of the internet, as well acceptable responses when they feel some thing isn't right. Edmodo, Glogster and Kidblog are all completely private, safe and secure EDU sites, which means they have gone through a great deal of scrutiny to be available for educational institutions. It's been fun and we will all be ready to give computers a break at the close of this project. Balance is really important when it comes to technology use.
Math
After a unit of division concepts, we will take our Unit 6 Test on Tuesday. Keep workin' on those facts! Next up is fractions. This can be challenging, so any opportunity for the students to recognize and use fractions outside of school will help.
Word Study
Students have been working on personalized lists of specific patterns so we can begin to close the gaps on our skills. New vocabulary words are up and they are really getting the hang of pulling apart prefixes, suffixes, and root or base words.
Writers' Workshop
We recently focused on pronouns, possessive nouns and pronouns, and correct use of apostrophes. Tricky! Additionally, we are learning to read more like writers, looking for things to try in our own writing. We talked about writers being decision makers, that writers need to make decisions from topic choice to revision.
Literacy Workshop
Synthesizing, or changing our thinking over time, became our focus. We used the concrete example of Russian Matryoshka dolls to represent the change in thinking. We also focused on information literacy and learning how to read for specific information.
Social Studies
Westward ho! As we move into the mid-west, we are reading a variety of books about the Lewis and Clark expedition. We have learned about primary sources, such as journals, and that history is often written from many different perspectives.
Coming up...Maple Sugaring!
Starting right after February break, 4th graders will begin tapping trees! We will need help with gathering sap and running the boils both after school some days and on the weekends. Our Sugaring-off party has been set for March 17th and the pancake breakfast date is TBD. Please let me or Mrs. Elzey know, if you haven't already, if you are interested in helping out with sugaring that month!
Thank you so much for sending your children to school each day ready to learn! Project instructions will be posted to the "Current Projects" tab on this site, new links and important dates are also recently updated. You are also invited to join us on Edmodo, but you will need a code. If you are interested, ask your child to log in, and there should be a code on the left that says "for parents to join you".
ANY questions- you know where I am!
Jaclyn Karabinas
The Honeybees have been amazing, as usual. Over the past week and half, they have become relatively proficient with some new digital tools and with being critical readers when it comes to information found on the internet. Using a social learning network called Edmodo, students have begun to catalog and share links, as well as ask questions and share advice for our biography project. It truly is an era of information sharing. We also learned to use Glogster, which we will use to digitally create a poster for our projects.
Be assured that as we use new technologies, students are guided through acceptable use of the internet, as well acceptable responses when they feel some thing isn't right. Edmodo, Glogster and Kidblog are all completely private, safe and secure EDU sites, which means they have gone through a great deal of scrutiny to be available for educational institutions. It's been fun and we will all be ready to give computers a break at the close of this project. Balance is really important when it comes to technology use.
Math
After a unit of division concepts, we will take our Unit 6 Test on Tuesday. Keep workin' on those facts! Next up is fractions. This can be challenging, so any opportunity for the students to recognize and use fractions outside of school will help.
Word Study
Students have been working on personalized lists of specific patterns so we can begin to close the gaps on our skills. New vocabulary words are up and they are really getting the hang of pulling apart prefixes, suffixes, and root or base words.
Writers' Workshop
We recently focused on pronouns, possessive nouns and pronouns, and correct use of apostrophes. Tricky! Additionally, we are learning to read more like writers, looking for things to try in our own writing. We talked about writers being decision makers, that writers need to make decisions from topic choice to revision.
Literacy Workshop
Synthesizing, or changing our thinking over time, became our focus. We used the concrete example of Russian Matryoshka dolls to represent the change in thinking. We also focused on information literacy and learning how to read for specific information.
Social Studies
Westward ho! As we move into the mid-west, we are reading a variety of books about the Lewis and Clark expedition. We have learned about primary sources, such as journals, and that history is often written from many different perspectives.
Coming up...Maple Sugaring!
Starting right after February break, 4th graders will begin tapping trees! We will need help with gathering sap and running the boils both after school some days and on the weekends. Our Sugaring-off party has been set for March 17th and the pancake breakfast date is TBD. Please let me or Mrs. Elzey know, if you haven't already, if you are interested in helping out with sugaring that month!
Thank you so much for sending your children to school each day ready to learn! Project instructions will be posted to the "Current Projects" tab on this site, new links and important dates are also recently updated. You are also invited to join us on Edmodo, but you will need a code. If you are interested, ask your child to log in, and there should be a code on the left that says "for parents to join you".
ANY questions- you know where I am!
Jaclyn Karabinas
Monday, January 30, 2012
Upcoming Project
Hi all!
Mrs. Elzey and I have been working with the 4th graders over the past week to prepare them for our Biography project. We have experienced introductory lessons on choosing people, searching effectively on the internet, using resources, and determining what is important.
More details to come later this week, but just wanted to give you a heads up! We are essentially getting them started on the project here at school, and by the end of the week they will transition home with the project. It is due Feb 20th and our Wax Museum will be Wed., Feb 22 from 1-2.
More to come....
Jaclyn Karabinas
Mrs. Elzey and I have been working with the 4th graders over the past week to prepare them for our Biography project. We have experienced introductory lessons on choosing people, searching effectively on the internet, using resources, and determining what is important.
More details to come later this week, but just wanted to give you a heads up! We are essentially getting them started on the project here at school, and by the end of the week they will transition home with the project. It is due Feb 20th and our Wax Museum will be Wed., Feb 22 from 1-2.
More to come....
Jaclyn Karabinas
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
January is in full swing!
Hi everyone! Just want to give you an update on the classroom happenings since we returned from break. Remember that you can click on the link in the email and it will take you to right to our site.
Word Study
We completed the scope and sequence of Fundations Level 3! This means we have had instruction and practice on all phonics patterns and 6-syllable types. Now we move into the direction of filling in gaps and increasing our knowledge of prefixes, suffixes and root words. Starting next week, students will have personalized lists again, containing words that are best suited to his/her needs.
Literacy Workshop
The students did an excellent job working in book groups to read immigration-themed chapter books. The books fictionalized stories about immigrants from many backgrounds- some titles being In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, by Bette Bao Lord, Letters From Rifka by Karen Hesse, and Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen. Students designed a mini-project of choice to share with the class to show their new learning and comprehension. Our primary reading goals for the books were "Decoding Meanings of Unknown Words" and "Showing Comprehension" using our thinking stems as we wrote responses in our Reader's Notebooks.
Writer's Workshop
In December, students learned revision strategies and chose 1-2 pieces they had done since the start of the year to work toward publishing. While they had been anxious to publish since September, we were really focusing on expanding our ideas, word choice, and revision strategies. Currently, we are learning how blogs create a "global" discussion based on interesting ideas and comments that create conversation. We will continue with this and learn more about internet ethics and determining site authenticity.
Additionally, we are learning how to use favorite authors and/or stories to be "Mentor Texts". We will be working on 'reading like writers' to use models of great writing to expand on our own skills.
Math
We are currently in Unit 6 of Everyday Math, which practices division of whole numbers, division of circles for use as measuring angles with protractors, and the division of maps as grids. They will be learning a Partial-Quotient strategy for division. Please refrain from teaching them 'traditional' division until I see that they understand the process and/or need that as their main algorithm. Students are making so much progress on Xtra Math. Please note that ANY practice of facts is accepted and needed- if your student loathes Xtramath, a different site or mode of practice (flashcards etc.) will be just fine!
Social Studies
We continue making our way through the country! For the Northeast, we explored immigration, cities, and mills. During the Southeast we have touched upon the time of the Civil War, Civil Rights, Appalachia, and will learn about the Cherokee Trail of Tears. The goal of our USA unit is to learn the locations of states/regions and gain a general understanding of the differences between each one, based on location and history.
Science
Maple Sugaring will be here before we know it! I will send a separate email/update about that at the end of the week.
So much learning- so much fun! As always, give a call or send an email if you would like to chat. I am here!
Mrs. Karabinas
Word Study
We completed the scope and sequence of Fundations Level 3! This means we have had instruction and practice on all phonics patterns and 6-syllable types. Now we move into the direction of filling in gaps and increasing our knowledge of prefixes, suffixes and root words. Starting next week, students will have personalized lists again, containing words that are best suited to his/her needs.
Literacy Workshop
The students did an excellent job working in book groups to read immigration-themed chapter books. The books fictionalized stories about immigrants from many backgrounds- some titles being In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, by Bette Bao Lord, Letters From Rifka by Karen Hesse, and Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen. Students designed a mini-project of choice to share with the class to show their new learning and comprehension. Our primary reading goals for the books were "Decoding Meanings of Unknown Words" and "Showing Comprehension" using our thinking stems as we wrote responses in our Reader's Notebooks.
Writer's Workshop
In December, students learned revision strategies and chose 1-2 pieces they had done since the start of the year to work toward publishing. While they had been anxious to publish since September, we were really focusing on expanding our ideas, word choice, and revision strategies. Currently, we are learning how blogs create a "global" discussion based on interesting ideas and comments that create conversation. We will continue with this and learn more about internet ethics and determining site authenticity.
Additionally, we are learning how to use favorite authors and/or stories to be "Mentor Texts". We will be working on 'reading like writers' to use models of great writing to expand on our own skills.
Math
We are currently in Unit 6 of Everyday Math, which practices division of whole numbers, division of circles for use as measuring angles with protractors, and the division of maps as grids. They will be learning a Partial-Quotient strategy for division. Please refrain from teaching them 'traditional' division until I see that they understand the process and/or need that as their main algorithm. Students are making so much progress on Xtra Math. Please note that ANY practice of facts is accepted and needed- if your student loathes Xtramath, a different site or mode of practice (flashcards etc.) will be just fine!
Social Studies
We continue making our way through the country! For the Northeast, we explored immigration, cities, and mills. During the Southeast we have touched upon the time of the Civil War, Civil Rights, Appalachia, and will learn about the Cherokee Trail of Tears. The goal of our USA unit is to learn the locations of states/regions and gain a general understanding of the differences between each one, based on location and history.
Science
Maple Sugaring will be here before we know it! I will send a separate email/update about that at the end of the week.
So much learning- so much fun! As always, give a call or send an email if you would like to chat. I am here!
Mrs. Karabinas
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