GREAT First Week!

WOW...what a week! You all have sent wonderful, polite, well behaved children to me...and I cannot begin to thank you!! I know many of you are thinking, "Is she talking about MY kid?" I am. My 18 students are fantastic...they're good listeners, excellent discussion participants, and overall awesome kids!!


SOARING WITH PRIDE
This is the theme for our positive behavior support system at Urbana . The students have reviewed the expectations and have been informed how they will be rewarded (classroom stickers and star student stickers) and how they will be reminded/what consequences they will face if those expectations are not met. "Think Sheets" are one of the ways we're asking kids to think about their actions. A think sheet is given after a warning...a silent warning. In my classroom that silent warning is a "Thinkman" card...this is a picture of the same "man" that is on the Think Sheet...it is supposed to warn the student that "I've asked you to stop that behavior and now I'm leaning toward giving you a Think Sheet." (I will go over this more at BTSN.) This positive behavior support will bring consistency throughout our school...our entire staff is involved and we like what we've seen the first week back!

Math
In Math this week we've been focusing on numeration and place value. We've been working on "really big numbers" and using many different ways to manipulate these numbers. The students have worked with a place value chart, had to read numbers aloud, shown their ability to write the numbers in expanded form, composed and decomposed the numbers, and found "really big numbers" of their own!! The kids also took two different pretests this week. The results of these tests will help me to structure the lessons and groupings for each concept in math.
Writing
I am so excited about writing this year. The kids spent all week making different types of entries into their "Writer's Notebooks." The concept behind this notebook is to give the kids a place to store their IDEAS...which happens to be the first writing trait we are focusing on. We are having so much fun putting different topics, lists, and memories into it! Some kids are writing full blown novels already!! Now that we have these notebooks set up, they are one of a few choices that kids have when they finish their classwork. Many kids are dying to take them home and work on them...I am allowing that...BUT please refrain from helping them "improve" their pieces. These pieces will be taken through all steps of the writing process and need to be their own work! Trust me, I know how hard it is to not help...but try not to, please!

Language Arts
I read a book this week called By My Brother's Side. It was a story written by Tiki and Ronde Barber and is about when they were young. It's a wonderful story that Mrs. Wright, our media specialist, recommended...we used it to discuss the Pillars of Character that our school recognizes: citizenship, caring, responsibility, respect, fairness, and trustworthiness. The kids worked cooperatively to define these six pillars. Next week we will dive into unit one which deals with reading strategies. We will be responding to literature and having class discussions... it's a great unit!

Social Studies
This past week we focused on maps and globes. This coming week we will be focusing more on grid systems and how they're used, maps of our state, and how important it is to be neat and correct when mapping!!

DONATIONS
If you are so inclined...throughout the year I appreciate donations of these supplies:
kleenex
hand sanitizer
ziploc bags (sandwich and/or gallon)
lysol wipes
I can't reiterate enough...thanks for sending me kids who are ready to dive in and get busy...we're going to have a great year!

I made sure no one's face was showing when I took the pictures below...I didn't have the forms back yet!  Enjoy!!

Welcome to Open House!!

You must be on the back page of your scavenger hunt if you're sitting here reading the blog!

 

Good job!

If you brought your supplies...don't forget to unpack them and organize your desk!

 

I am really excited for the upcoming year and so glad that YOU are in my class!

Have a great weekend and enjoy your families...oh, and take a green piece of paper with the blog address...when you get home, tell your parents to add it to their bookmarks or favorites, OK?

Welcome to My New Students and Families!!

WELCOME!


This is the place where I will post information every week about the goings on in our classroom. I am guessing that since you have found this blog, you have received my letter!! If not, you should be getting it any day now. I am so excited for the upcoming year...we are going to have a great time together while stretching our brains!!

I hope to get a chance to meet you all on Friday, August 24th from 3-4pm at the UES Open House...feel free to bring your school supplies and put them in your desks that afternoon...it will make the backpack a lot lighter Monday morning!! (Speaking of school supplies...I know the supply list on the website suggests a "white folder"...I also know they are hard to find...any color or design will suffice!)  When you get to the classroom...look for your desk...on it will be a Scavenger Hunt to help you become familiar with the classroom and our surroundings. We have a couple new students to the third grade magnet program this year...make sure to introduce yourselves to each other so that you can start off Monday the 27th already having made a new friend.

If you'd like to communicate with me BEFORE the 24th....maybe you'd like me to know what name you like to be called, or you'd like to tell me something interesting about your summer, or maybe you just have a question...please feel free to email me... karen.wills@fcps.org!

Enjoy the rest of your summer break...see you VERY soon!!

Mrs. Wills

Last call for pictures...whatcha been up to?!?!

So...in a few short weeks I will be rolling out the new look for the upcoming year...at that point I will start addressing my NEW students....so this is your last chance to send summer pix to be posted on the blog...so hurry up and send them to my email karen.wills@fcps.org!!

I heard from SAI...here's what he's been up to....he was in Chennai, which is in South India, for 4 weeks from mid June to mid July. He had a wonderful time traveling to different places, meeting family and friends, and eating lots of mangoes !!!!

So good to hear from...

...VINCENT!!

Vincent and his family went to Hilton Head, SC for a vacation...he and his brother, Brandon, enjoyed the huge waves, courtesy of Tropical Storm Debbie!!

                                  

...JESSIE and HANNAH!!

These two have been attending camp together this summer.  They went to Clown/Acrobatic Camp where they juggled, spun plates, tightrope walked, and did acrobatic routines!  They also attended a nature camp where they went swimming, creek walking, canoeing, and played capture the flag!  And this week they are in Horse Camp...all through the YMCA!

SO WHAT ARE THE REST OF YOU UP TO!?!??!

Happy July!!

Hello to my favorite FOURTH graders!!  I hope you are having a wonderful summer!  I sure am!  I am lucky to be able to see quite a few of you at the pool for swim team practice, but for those of you I haven't seen...I sure do miss you!  Here's what's been going on in my life...

I took a class in Westminster, MD with Mrs. Humerick called AG in the Classroom.  It was five days long, and Mrs. H and I stayed in a hotel during the class.  We learned a lot about the importance of agriculture and how it can be tied into geography... we have lots of fun things to bring back to the classroom for next year!  I also took a different class at the ESSL called "Nighttime Sky."  It was AWESOME!  So, even though school is out, my learning NEVER stops!!

My family and I just took a three day trip to my inlaws' cottage on Nomini Bay...they have a house on the water and they own a boat...it was such a fun time.  We all fished and the kids spent a lot of time in the water.  Later this month we are headed to Rehoboth Beach.  The boys still have baseball (believe it or not!) and Kate is still swimming in swim meets, so we have to stay close to home until all of that is over.  However, as soon as all of those sports wrap up, we are headed to Delaware!!

I would love to hear what you've been up to...send me an email or a picture and I will share with everyone what you're doing this summer.

Stay cool...miss you!
Mrs. Wills

Whatcha Up To?

So...if you remember...I told you to take some pictures and let me know what you're doing this summer....AJ took a vacation to Sea Isle, New Jersey with his family.  They had a blast!  He mastered skim boarding and spent a lot of time on the beach.  His brother got a geocaching device and they've been exploring with that...they've found FIVE geocaches!!  See some of his highlights below!

 

 

So whatcha been up to!??!  Send me pictures and some details...I'd love to create a post all about YOU?!