Week 7

If you haven't heard from your child yet, my husband and I are expecting our first child! I'm currently 8 weeks along and absolutely thrilled! I don't think I knew that it was possible to feel so much love and joy for someone I've never even held or met. We are blessed beyond measure!! Here's a pic of our little jelly bean:

I want to make sure to thank all of the parents who worked so hard to make our Movie Night such a success! The turnout was so much greater than we anticipated, and the kids had an amazing time. Thanks for your involvement and your time! 


Here are this week's main events:


1.  The final payment for the Austin/San Antonio field trip is due Friday.  If you are going with your child, your final payment is $80.  If your child is going alone, your final payment is $35.  If you helped with Movie Night, your cost will be less; I will email you your final amount on Monday.


2.  This week's Homework Menu is posted and ready for your viewing pleasure. We started the first activity today in the computer lab, and your child should have the brainstorming sheet in his/her Take-Home Folder. Your child should have started the second activity last week. Both activities are due Friday. (We will do a spelling activity in class this week instead of including it as a homework assignment.)


3.  Please take time to go over your child's portfolio with your child, fill out the reflection form, and send everything back on Monday.


4.  Your child should be finishing his/her fifth book this weekend. Remember, all books must be posted on the wikispace for your child to receive credit. 

HELPFUL HINT: Some parents are having their kids type their information in a Word document first. They are then copying and pasting the information on the wiki and/or the blog so that there is less chance of losing what they have written.

5.  If your child has not posted on the blog yet, he/she needs to do so by Sunday.  Next week's question will be up by Sunday.


6.  Clubs begin this week!  (I really have no more information than that, but I thought it was worth mentioning!)  : )

Week 6

The Ring Ceremony and Run went so well today! The kids did a great job and had a ton of fun. Our own Megan got 3rd place in the race even after being sick for the last couple of days! What a trooper!

Our Writing Boot Camp went so smoothly this year. The kids learned all about ways to improve their writing by including figurative language and powerful verbs. I was very impressed by how quickly they picked up and understood these skills, and I am excited to see them use them in the weeks to come!


There are several important events coming up this week that you need to know about.  As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

1.  Vertical schedule begins this week.  For those new to the Academy, this means that the kids will go to Specials and lunch with kids from all grades from the Azul team.  Click here to view my vertical plan.

2.  Tuesday will be our Movie Night to raise money for the Austin/San Antonio trip.  (Kate and Carter have done a great job advertising this all week on the announcements!)  Remember, to benefit from the money raised, you must participate and volunteer your time in some way.  Tracy Buzzard (tracybuzzard74@yahoo.com) and Stacey Henry (slhlah10@gmail.com) from Mrs. Mogk's class are two of the parents helping organize this experience.  If you have emailed me, I have forwarded your information on to them.  If they haven't contacted you yet, you might try emailing them directly.  If you haven't emailed me yet but want to participate, contact them and see where you can serve.

The Movie Night activities will last from 3:30-5:30.  We are asking the kids/parents to pay $5 to watch the movie and eat chips, salsa, chili, and popcorn.  (That's pretty cheap child care if you ask me!)  We have decided not to charge any entry fee for our chili and salsa participants since such a fee might discourage participants.  Remember that the Book Fair Family Night begins at 5:30, so you can go directly from the movie to the book fair!

3.  School ends at 11:45 on Wednesday!  Please make arrangements to pick up your child at this time.  Teachers will be in meetings the entire afternoon, (which is the reason for the early release).


4.  Portfolios will go home Thursday.  Please look at the pieces your child has chosen to include in the portfolio, return everything back in the folder, and complete the feedback form with your child.

5.  Over the next two weeks I will be doing QRI testing with your child.  These are the tests to determine your child's reading level and fluency.  As soon as I have the results, I will communicate them to you.

6.  On this week's Homework Menu, your child will have a 2-week reading assignment.  In lieu of doing a traditional book report, your child will create some type of project about the best book he/she read so far this year.  Please help your child pace him/herself over the next two weeks so that he/she has adequate time to produce quality work.

The spelling activity on the Homework Menu is still due this Friday.

7.  The second payment for the Austin/San Antonio trip was due today.  If you have not paid yet, please get this money to me a.s.a.p.  The final payment will be due in 2 weeks.  The amount due will depend on your participation in the Movie Night fundraiser.  As soon as I have those numbers, I will let you know.

8.  Your child should be finishing his/her fourth book this weekend. Remember, all books must be posted on the wikispace for your child to receive credit.

HELPFUL HINT: Some parents are having their kids type their information in a Word document first. They are then copying and pasting the information on the wiki and/or the blog so that there is less chance of losing what they have written.

9.  If your child has not posted on the blog yet, he/she needs to do so by Sunday.  The new question will be up by Sunday.

Week 5

Thank you to all of the parents who made it to Curriculum Night Thursday evening!  Hopefully many of your questions have been answered and you have a clearer picture of what we're doing, why we're doing it, and where we're going.  If you missed the presentation or need a refresher of the information given, click here to see the prezi.  (When it opens, just keep clicking on the right arrow to progress through the presentation.)

Thank you also to Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Kelly for coming up today and making copies for me!  You have saved both Mrs. Brannum and me a ton of time!  I appreciate you!

Here are this week's events:

1.  The second payment of $75 for the Austin/San Antonio trip is due this Friday, September 24th.  If your child is going by his/herself, you will not pay anything else at this time.  The final payment for everyone will be due two weeks later and will be around $75 or $100 for parent/student pairs and around $50 for individual students.  These numbers will be finalized and communicated to you soon.

2.  We will have a fundraiser to help with the costs for the trip.  On Tuesday, September 28th from 3:30-5:30, we will show a movie and have a homemade chili and salsa cook-off.  We will ask for donations from students and parents to enter and watch the movie, and we will charge fees for entering the cooking contest ($3) and/or for tasting/judging ($1).  Our vision is that kids will be able to watch the movie and fill up on chili, chips, and salsa for just a couple of bucks.  The Book Fair Family Night begins at 5:30 that night, so families can enjoy both activities.

In order for you and/or your family to benefit from this event, you must participate in the fundraiser.  You can participate by:

• making posters to hang up around the school advertising the event
• collecting money at the door
• serving chili, salsa, etc. at the event
• setting up the chili and salsa competition
• contacting parents (from all grades) to find competition participants
• finding people/businesses/restaurants to give chip donations
• finding people/businesses/restaurants to give plate, bowl, napkin, and bowl donations
• decorating for the event
• etc.

Please let me know a.s.a.p. if you plan on participating in the fundraiser and let me know how you would like to serve.

3.  Run for the Rings is this Friday!  We have not been given the schedule of events for the day yet, but last year the Raising of the Rings Ceremony was around 8:15 and the Run started immediately after it was done.  Unlike last year, the entire event will take place at our campus.  (Yea!)  As soon as I get more information, I will pass it on to you.

4. On Wednesday and Thursday, we will have our Writing Boot Camp.  This is a fun tradition where we mix the 4th graders up and rotate them through classes designed to help them add interesting and figurative language to their writing.  Our theme this year is "Bring the Bling," and we could use some fun glittery, shiny stickers to give as prizes throughout the week if you want to help out.

5. The Week 5 Homework Menu is posted on my website.  Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can help in any way.

6.  Your child should have completed his/her 3rd book by now and should have all 3 posted on the wikispace.

7.  If your child still has not posted on the blog this week, he/she needs to do so by Sunday.  The question for Week 5 will be up by Sunday.

8.  If your child sold items for the school fundraiser, you need to turn in all money and order forms by Tuesday.

Finally, in case you didn't know, Mrs. Brannum (Rojo 4th grade) found out on the first day of school this year that she has cancer.  On Tuesday she will have surgery to have her entire thyroid removed.  I know that she and her family could use your prayers, and I'm sure that letters and notes would be appreciated.  I know that many of you don't know Mrs. Brannum well, but I have seen time and time again that the Academy functions as a family and takes care of its own.  If you decide to give Mrs. Brannum anything, I can definitely deliver it for you.

Thanks for all that you do!

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!