Week 4

I'm at a Writing Retreat in Denton right now with Mrs. Mogk (don't worry, I'll leave in time for the OU game tomorrow), and for some strange reason I'm still awake at 12:50 in the morning.  I know it's because my mind is so full of things I need to do this week, starting with thanking all of the AMAZING grandparents who blessed us with their presence today.  It was such a treat to get to meet them and share a moment with your wonderful families.  What an incredible place to be today!

I also want to make sure to thank Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Johnson for the classroom help they have given me lately!  You ladies have definitely made my life easier this week!

Here are this week's major attractions:

1.  If you haven't turned in your Austin/San Antonio Information Sheet (given out at the parent meeting Thursday night), please do so by Monday!  We can't finalize costs until we have all of this information.  Your second payment for the trip will be due September 24th.


2.  This week I asked the students how many pages they should read each night.  It was very interesting to hear their responses.  Answers ranged from 10 to 40 to "I don't know."  Finally a child shouted out the correct response: "You never told us we had to read a certain number of pages."  I reminded the students that the requirement is simply that they finish a book each week.  The students have set their own goals for the number of pages based on the books they have chosen.  We talked a lot on Thursday about how if they are stressed about getting their reading done each week, they probably have chosen books that are too hard for them.  We compared picking out the right book to putting on the right pair of shoes.  Some kids need to just read the minimum 90-page books each week because that is the right fit for them. Other kids are comfortable with a 250- or 350-page book, so they should continue to challenge themselves each week with longer and harder books.  You can support your child at home this year by reminding him/her that there is no reason to stress about this and that he/she can choose easier books if he/she is having difficulty finishing in time.  Most kids seem to have a good grasp of the expectations now, and I hope that this clarifies any misunderstandings you might have had about the requirements.


3.  Thank you so much for everyone who made it to the parent meeting Thursday night; I know how hard it is to sacrifice an evening away from home.  If you missed the meeting, the documents you need are on the Parent Resources page of my website.  Please make sure you read them, sign them, and send them back Monday with your child.  Once we have this information from everyone, we will be able to determine final costs for the trip.  The second payment will be due September 24th, and we will let you know sometime this week how much it will be.


4.  Curriculum Night is this Thursday.  You can attend either a 6:30-7:10 session or a 7:20-8:00 session.  These important meetings are where I will talk to you about the academic expectations for 4th graders and answer any questions you might have about homework, technology, etc.  Hope to see you there!


5.  This week's homework menu is posted on my website.  The kids who are working on their activities over the weekend and/or early in the week are consistently turning in quality work and are far less stressed than those who wait until the last moment.  Please encourage your child to begin these assignments early and to use the checklists to make sure all requirements are fulfilled.  Remember, all assignments are due Friday.


6.  If your child has not blogged yet this week, please remind him/her that this must be done by Sunday.  Also, there are a handful of students who did not ever respond to last week's post.  If you are having trouble with this (or with anything else), please email me and I will be happy to help!


7.  On the first report card, your child is held accountable for being able to complete 100 addition and 100 subtraction problems in 5 minutes.  Please help your child practice flash cards daily so that he/she can master this goal.

Week 3

It has been a crazy week filled with benchmark tests, picture days, writing experiences, timed math drills, benchmark tests, unplanned fire drills (two of them to be exact), map skills, library visits, singing in the rain, and (did I mention?) benchmark tests.  I am so proud of the kids for adapting so well to the expectations put before them and for putting forth their best effort in the classroom.  I know I keep saying it, but I cannot wait to see what these kids produce this year!

Here are the things you need to know for this week:

1.  First, and most importantly, the OU football game is at 6:00 tomorrow.  I know that you probably plan every other activity in your life around the Sooners' schedule like I do, but I wanted to make sure you didn't miss it.  I'll leave for Oklahoma first thing in the morning, hang out with friends and family throughout the afternoon, and then scream my heart out at the first of many victories this year at Owen Field.  Don't you just love football season?

2. Thursday is the due date for the $75 deposit for the Austin/San Antonio field trip.  It is also the day of the parent meeting to answer your questions, give you information, and take roommate requests.  Please join us in the cafeteria from 6:30-7:30 Thursday evening.

3.  The new Homework Menu is already posted on my website.  Most students did a tremendous job of getting everything done and turned in on time this week.  Thanks for helping your child set up these routines at home.  As a former middle school teacher, I know that kids who build these habits at a young age are much more likely to be successful in later years.  Please remember, if you every have any questions or need clarification, just shoot me an email. 

This week's menu begins our spelling program for the year.  If you haven't looked at the Spelling Procedures Prezi (on the Curriculum Information links list shown to the right), please take a gander and familiarize yourself with the expectations.  The kids have seen this, and we will review it again this week.  The most important things to remember are:

• The kids often have freedom to use technology to help them present their information.  (Check out the Project Resources page of my website for more ideas.)  Please remind your child to use the checklists on the Homework Menu to make sure that in using the technology he/she doesn't leave out any of the requirements for each assignment.
• Your child will choose his/her own words to include in the assignment.  The words must match the spelling pattern for the week and must be words that he/she did not know how to spell before the week began.

4.  Your child should be finishing his/her first book by this weekend.  Books must be at least 90 pages in length, or your child can combine 2 books if their pages add up to 90.  (There are some kids trying to read 4 or 5 tiny books and add them together; this does not work for our requirements.)  When your child finishes a book, he/she must post it on the class wikispace to receive credit.

5.  Your child must post a 5-sentence comment on the Week 2 (Your Favorite Character) post of the class blog by this Sunday.  Some students have responded, but not everyone who did answered the posted questions and/or wrote enough.  Please double-check that your child has taken care of these requirements.  I will get the Week 3 post up sometime this weekend if you child wants to get ahead.

6.  Our Grandparents Day celebration will be Friday.  If your child's grandparent is coming, please make sure he/she is aware that grandparents will not be allowed to come to the older grades until 1:00.  At 1:00 grandparents should come to our classroom for an activity, and then they will have the opportunity to take pictures and get refreshments in the gym.  If your child is going to go home with his/her grandparent, please be aware that no one can check out before 2:00 and no child can leave with a grandparent without written permission which must be turned in by Thursday, (not Friday).

Have a wonderful long weekend!  Thanks for all of your support and involvement!

Week 2

Good morning!  Before I say anything else, I want to take a moment and thank you all for the tremendous outpouring of support you have given during the first week of school.  Thank you to each parent who sent supplies and gifts to make our classroom better.  What a blessing!  Thank you, Mrs. Gee, for volunteering time in the classroom, and thank you to those who have taken home projects to help out.  I also want to thank the Fosters for the delicious lunch they brought me Friday!  It is truly amazing how kind and giving Academy families always are, and the 22 families represented in our class this year are no exception.

There are several major events coming up in the near future that you will probably want to add to your calendar.

1.  The $75 deposit for the 4th grade Austin/San Antonio field trip is due by September 9th.  Your child should have brought home a blue reservation form Friday with information about the trip.  (If you can't find it, it is posted on my website, too.)  Please read the information, fill out the reservation form, and return it with your $75 deposit as soon as possible.  We will have a parent information meeting September 9th at 6:30 P.M. in the cafeteria to 1) explain the details of the trip, 2) answer questions, and 3) take roommate requests.  Our goal is for every single 4th grader to join us on this trip.  If money is an issue for your family, we have several options to help you out.  Please let me know as soon as possible if you will need assistance so we can get the ball rolling.

2.  Picture Day is Thursday, September 2nd.  Your child should have brought home a Picture Day packet yesterday.  If you need a new one, please stop by the office Monday morning.

3.  Your child will receive his/her first Homework Menu this week.  The first activity on this week's menu is mandatory, and it is due on Wednesday.  After that, your child has 2 options of activities that will be due on Friday.  I will almost always post the Homework Menu on Saturday or Sunday on my website, so your child should be able to get a head start and have a less-stressful week.  Remember, your child always has the opportunity to extend his/her learning by completing extra activities and/or by using the links on the Project Resources page of my website to present the information in a different format.  Please note that not all technology resources will work for each assignment and some assignments (like Activity #1 and #2 from this week) specifically require paper and pencil types of work.  Each menu is made as a checklist to make expectations clear.  If you have questions, please don't hesitate to email me at any time.

4.  Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week we will be taking Writing, Math, and Reading Benchmark Tests.  These are meant to give me an idea of where your child is currently so that I can know better how to adjust my teaching to meet his/her needs.  Please help your child to know that these are low stress assessments and that he/she should simply do his/her best.

5.  By now I'm sure you have heard from your child about the 30 Books requirement this year.  When your child finishes a book, he/she needs to post information about it on the 30 Books Wikispace in order to receive credit.  The site is self-explanatory and details exactly what the children should be recording about each book that they complete.

6.  Each week the kids will be required to post on our Class Blog about what they have been reading.  (Those that have already posted are LOVING it!)  Some class time will be available for students to do this each week, but it is always helpful if kids can do it at home ahead of time.

7.  We should be receiving the student agendas sometime this week.  Once we do, your child will record upcoming events and information daily.  Please remember to initial your child's agenda daily so I know you have seen it.

8.  By the end of the first Nine Weeks, every 4th grader must be able to complete 100 addition problems in 5 minutes and 100 subtraction problems in 5 minutes.  Please help your child practice flash cards on a daily basis.  Also, there are printable math drills and a variety of math games on my school website to help your child reach these goals.

9.  Book orders are due Friday.  Please make all checks payable to Scholastic Book Clubs.

Have a fabulous weekend and an even better week!  Thanks again for such a great start to the year!  Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

Welcome, Parents!

Welcome to my blog!  This is where I will post upcoming events and news so that you know what to expect and how you can best support your child.  My vision for this site is for it to be a place where you can:

• find information about Academy events,
• identify classroom needs,
• ask me questions,
• communicate with other parents, and
• find solutions to your child's academic struggles.

I cannot wait to see what this year holds!  In my nine years of teaching, I have never been so excited to challenge students to stretch and grow.  I have spent all summer planning and learning (and planning and learning), and I can barely contain myself as I think about the possibilities.  If you haven't checked out my class website yet (http://fc.burlesonisd.net/~dbennett/), please spend some time exploring the site with your child, especially the "Project Resources" page.  We will be using all sorts of amazing technology this year that will really allow your child to think critically and express ideas in unique and creative ways.  Have fun, and let me know if you have questions!