They were JUST 2nd graders...right?

What I have loved the most about looping with 3rd and 4th graders is participating in the journey they take from elementary school students to middle school students. It is fascinating to experience, from a teacher perspective, and I can only imagine what it is like from your perspective as parents.
Here is my final update for the year!

Assessments
If you did not access your child's 3rd trimester report card through the MMS system this weekend, please make sure you either log in or request a paper report card (can send me or zlamare@sau21.org a request).  Students brought home their Friday Folders last week and do not need to return them. As always, please encourage your child to ask questions about their progress or contact me with your questions.

Tech What-nots....
Students will keep their Edmodo and Google Apps logins for the remainder of their school careers! Wow! I will be helping students to "clean up" their accounts to prepare for new classes and groups. They should MOST DEFINITELY keep their yellow login/password sheets they have created as they have MANY logins for web based tools that they will and can continue to use both this summer and throughout their education careers. Their IXL, Spelling/Vocab City, and Lexia CORE 5 logins will still work through the beginning of next school year and their use in 5th grade will be determined by those teachers.

Math
Our final math units focused on Area and Perimeter and then we revisited the concept of fractions in combination with Decimals and Percents. The topics of Area, Perimeter and Fractions are big ones (Common Core) for grades 3-4 and I truly feel that my adjustment of our math topic schedule allowed for deeper understanding of these tricky concepts!

These kids have made so much progress with computation and have spent a great deal of time on fact practice- please help them maintain this during the summer! The students can practice any skills via IXL this summer- please encourage them to do so!

Social Studies & Science
Our final unit has been about New Hampshire, focusing on government, symbols and geography. Students created beautiful pieces of artwork for the symbols, on display in the hallway- check them out!

We also ended the year with an Innovation Day- an activity born out of Google's 20% time which allows employees to grapple with their own burning questions to try to make new discoveries.  Students formed their "big" questions and worked hard to investigate and share their learning in new ways.

Reader's and Writer's Workshop
Our book projects were our primary focus for the end of the year, working to apply so many of our literacy skills in one place. It brought me a lot of joy to work with the kids on their projects and see their pride. This class adores reading and writing and I was excited to tell the 5th grade teachers about this characteristic of the group.

We also read 2 books (Each Kindness: by Jacqueline Woodson and Hundred Dresses by: Eleanor Estes) along with the LAS/Community read aloud to explore the ideas of bullying and the consequences of being a bystander. The students wrote haiku to go with illustrations in Each Kindness and both books invoked tough conversations with the class. I am so glad the students will always have these shared stories to relate to their own experiences in school.

Poetry and kids is an awesome combination. From silly read-aloud poems to thoughtful, metaphoric ones, this is a unit that challenges kids to read and write in so many different ways.  Students published poetry based on our "quick writes", original ideas and poems built off of mentor texts, called "Inspired by:" poems.

We then learned how to alter a book to publish our poems in an interactive way.  The altered books are turning out awesome! While they serve as a vehicle for us to share our writing, they are truly a process of problem solving, creativity, and risk taking. These are such important skills to create imaginative, innovative learners. Google "altered books" and check out the possibilities!

Personal News...
Two Thursdays ago at the School Board meeting, they accepted "with regret" my resignation letter as classroom teacher here at Lincoln Akerman School. :(   Classroom teaching was always my dream as a child and I have been a passionate and dedicated teacher throughout my 12 year career.

The last few years, I have formed a love for working with teachers and educators, helping people to understand curriculum and standard changes, be innovative with instruction by integrating arts, technology and inquiry based learning, and to truly break down barriers of a "traditional" classroom. When Norah was born, I was no longer able to explore this "hobby" side of my career and I missed it so much. There simply isn't enough time or energy in the day to investigate and collaborate on changes in education, be a classroom teacher, and be a mother and wife. I had to choose and am following some leads and opportunities, taking the risk to become a freelance consultant: ExpandED consulting.

This class will be my last class, and that makes them a very special group, one that will forever remain in my memory as the class was at my side during pregnancy and my first year back to work as a new mom. All of you were so supportive of my journey as well and leave a lasting, positive impression on my experience from the last 2 years.

I am hoping that opportunities arise for me to return to LAS, if my services are ever needed, and will absolutely feel a void from not coming each day to this community to serve the families.  I say it often and will say it again- thank you for your never-ending support of your children. It's a crucial part of their success here at LAS.

Enjoy these final days of school and I hope your summer is full of family time!

Yours truly,
Jaclyn Karabinas

Hi!

This won't be a major update, but a few things you should all know!

Final Literacy Workshop Book Project

Today we introduced a book project that the kids are SO excited about. The direction/rubric/calendar will come home this week and they know their goal is to choose a book they will LOVE and love to SHARE and start reading. That gets us going and then we can get more information, directions, modeling etc. along the way. This project has a written and creative element, with room for some choice for kids to expand their project and shine!

This project will be the main homework for the remainder of the year, with a scattering of word study and math along the way. This group has come a long way in so many areas, and I love watching them be amazed with their own progress from academic to social to organizational. Awesome.

Fact Practice
Our 50 tests/graphed progress will continue through the end of the year. While I am not requiring a log, please be sure your child is practicing to improve/maintain.  If I notice that someone needs some encouragement or help with a plan, I will reinstate the log with them and create a plan. Some might really benefit from this scaffolding.

Social Studies and Science
Science is fresh in the students' minds as we have had the bulk of our 4th grade science content in this half of the year. We will finish up after the testing and then head into our final unit on the State of New Hampshire, exploring government, history and so much more.

The Science NECAP will be Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday this week, which you already know, and the kids are feeling confident.

Other
Please check the "Important Dates" section to be up to speed on the happenings for our class in the next 5 weeks. If anything changes, I will email.

Thank you for your never ending support for your children and myself as their teacher.  The progress and growth journey that students take from the start of 3rd grade to the end of 4th is amazing- something I feel so lucky to experience.

This year has not provided me with the time I usually like to take to detail for all of you what we are up to regarding curriculum (gee, I wonder why?) and I appreciate that you are all understanding about me figuring out my time with this new life as mom. I am always always available to answer questions about what we do here.

:) Jaclyn Karabinas

January Updates

Hi, everyone!

Oh, January. You know, I really wanted that snowstorm yesterday so I could go snow shoeing. I was all excited about having a storm, having it finish up in time for us to be able to STILL come to school..and then borrow the set of snowshoes for a class hike!  Soon enough, though. It's too cold, anyway. There's been a lot of indoor recess due to the cold weather lately...and that's all I have to say about that!

There are some upcoming events and changes in our routines so if you are usually an update "skimmer" (nothing wrong with that- it's communication survival!), please take a closer look today!

Literacy Workshop
Since returning from break, we have been:

• exploring the elements of fluency: tone, pace & accuracy
• applying Thinking Stem skills to read, complete, and comprehend a US history themed book
• work with peers to engage in quality book discussions both online and face-to-face
• learning to take charge of our group tasks and progress during book groups

We experienced a ball-toss activity that serves as our metaphor for balanced book discussion. Students are reading both fiction and non-fiction books on topics from Hurricane Katrina to the Cherokee Trail of Tears.  After we finish this book group, we will focus on improving our questioning and responding to text in a second student-driven book group. Often groups decide to do reading at both home and school, so check in with your child about his/her book.

Writer's Workshop

Students continue to work on publishing and collaboration skills using Google Docs.

We have entered the blogosphere! Since break students have:

• reviewed basic online safety that we learned via Edmodo, such as never including your picture or personal information about ourselves or anyone else
• explored student blogs from classes around the country (eventually we will branch out to the world!)
• determined the qualities of strong blog posts, as well as brainstorm lists of ideas
• practiced effective commenting by asking questions, acknowledging content, connecting, and creating conversations
• prepared themselves for the skills necessary to engage in writing for an authentic audience

Wait...blogging? Has she lost it? Is this safe for kids?

YES!

I have used Kidblog (along with countless other classrooms around the globe) to inspire students to become better writers, motivated by an authentic audience: the world's classrooms. Kidblog has the most important elements of an online tool: safe, simple, and secure.  To post comments and blog posts using Kidblog, everything will always be approved by me. Nothing ever goes in or out of our blogging platform with out my "click" of approval for quality or content! A platform like Edmodo is technically "microblogging" and I feel students have gained the experience necessary for authentic blogging. I will answer any and all questions regarding student blogging- track me down if you need to.

I have seen students flourish as writers once they acquire an authentic audience. Please visit this blog by Pernille Ripp, a 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin who is renown for her work with student blogging. There, you will find many resources about students blogging, safety, connections to curriculum, successes and more. I follow her process as well as other best-practices for student blogging. We are connected with Mrs. Ripp's class on Kidblog; she is on maternity leave and many students are blogging about it- definite point of connection for our students!

Social Studies

In December, we completed our memorization of US states. Our test on the location of all 50 states will be BY February 14. Students can take it whenever they are ready. (someone already has!)

Before break we:

• explored the Lewis and Clark expedition 
• wrote about the expedition from differing points-of-view using a strategy called "RAFT" 
• learned that where history is concerned, considering multiple points-of-view is crucial to building a balanced picture of information
• shared the story Lewis & Clark: A Dog's Tale (written from the fictional point of view of the actual dog on the trip, Seaman)

Currently, we will explore immigration by:

• making connections to our 3rd grade study of the pilgrims
• determining reasons for immigration (economics, religious/political freedom and space)
• observing real photos during the peak time of immigration in the late 1800's/early 1900's
• completing a project to explore immigration as it relates to our own family history (directions to come next week!)
• sharing fiction stories in book groups to explore the experience of immigration to the US
• interacting with virtual online tours of Ellis Island and Orchard Street Tenements 
• participating in a simulation of Ellis Island where our students become immigrants!
• check out my Live Binder of Immigration videos and interactives we will use

Math

I spent so much time on the other subjects that I will be short and sweet with math. I'll give it more attention next time! Since break, we have been exploring:

• decimal place value to the tenths and hundredths
• relating decimals to money
• using decimals when necessary for conversions between metric units of measurement
• adding, subtracting, and estimating with decimals

Weekly Homework

Our Reading Log will shift purposes for awhile. Students will receive a "Blog Tracker". (I just couldn't call it a 'blog log'...just couldn't.)  They will have a weekly log to fill out (between now and Feb. break) documenting posts they have read/commented, as well as written. Students will have a range of 6-10 posts to read weekly as their reading and 1 original post, due each Friday. We will go over the process and expectations in class, so check it with your child to get an idea of the new expectations.

Fact practice logs will continue until February break. Upon our return in March, we will no longer be turning in fact logs, but will have weekly quizzes on multiplication/division facts for mastery and maintenance! In this way, students will be able to document their progress and make goals based on their quiz progress.

Talk to you soon. Next week, I will touch base with you about the Immigration project, Blogging Tracker, and maple sugaring!

Jaclyn Karabinas