Sweet and Sentimental Sunday

It's a beautiful day out there, Team201, and it's providing us with a sweet taste of the lazy days of summer that will soon be upon us!  Tomorrow is out last day together.  I won't tell you any tall tales!  I am excited about summer vacation too!  But the honest truth is that I will be sad to see the members of Team201 walk out of the pod tomorrow.  It has been an absolute pleasure to work and learn with the amazing individuals that composed our fantastic team.  Each one of you has taught me something new this year, and you've all reminded me how much I love teaching!  Thank you Team201!

Tomorrow we will.....

• finish our 4th Grade Memory Books and collect autographs.
• write letters of advice to the new Ginn Crew.  You had better warn them that freeze means freeze!
• watch Family Matters, our CAC unit DVD.
• play some board games.  Bring some in to share!
• hand out some well-earned, end-of-the-year-awards.

Please bring in a small back pack.  You will also need a writing utensil.  I can't wait to see you all in the morning!

Too Soon Until the End of the School Year Tuesday

Alana gets the credit for today's title.  I could have never invented a year's worth of alliterations on my own.  Once again, Team201 has pulled through!

Today we......

• Worked on our E Sparks tasks.  Students created presentations in Keynote to display their understanding of concepts such as inference, predictions, or character.  Each student has a different learning goal, so all of the presentations were different.  To showcase our work, we took a Gallery Walk, and were able watch one another's slide shows.  Many kids were inspired to to revise and add to their work.
• Continued to work on our final IL OUR HOME presentations.  Many students are choosing to work in Keynote.
• Practiced our estimating and measurement skills and worked up a bit of a sweat too!  Students used timer to record how many times they could hop on one foot in a minute, walk around a table in one minute, write your name in a minute, count to 200 in a minute.....You get the idea!  Aniyah was able to hop 168 times!

Tomorrow we will....

• Work on our Final Winn Dixie presentations.  
• Write, collect and create our poetry books.  I still have one that I made in the fourth grade!  Thanks Mrs. Gibbs!
• Test our understanding of probability by playing a game...
• Finalize our IL projects.

Tonight at home.....

• Read for pleasure and bring in a signature!
• Clean out your book bag. 
• Finish the Math Essentials sheet that was sent home yesterday.

Making Memories Monday

Greetings Team201 Families!

We are really in the backstretch now!  Today in 201, we discussed several projects that need to be wrapped up.  Most students finished their IL Book today.  Thank you to Sean's dad for tracing the covers so many months ago. The books look great.  Students who are missing pages should be adding the finishing touches at home.  Each student has a list of required pages written on their purple SS folder.

Other goals for this week include:

• Finishing our Poetry Party books
• Completing an ESparks quest and creating the final video
• Finishing ST math
• Completing our final Winn Dixie project 
• Take a Final Reading and Math assessment

Tonight at home...

• Read for pleasure and write a reflection.
• Complete the Week by Week Essentials: Week 34 M-F

On This Tuesday, With Words We Play

Hello Team!

Couplets were our poems for this day
We read some and wrote some to display

We worked on our rhymes
And on meter and time

Leaving school smarter than when we began,
We learned that our teacher is rhyming's biggest  fan!

Ask your child to tell you about couplets.  Can they name the pattern? Yes, they can!
Today we were treated to a guest speaker from the Chicago Public Library.  Ms. Laura came to the pod to tell us about the CPL Summer Learning Program.  The Library is partnering with the Museum of Science and Industry.  The activities, and the perks and prizes, are amazing!  Follow this link to learn more about the program.  I hope that all of my students will participate!
Full Steam Ahead: Chicago Public Library Summer Learning Program

Tonight at home:
-Complete one vocabulary activity and one spelling activity
-The Math test has been pushed back until Thursday.
-We will take the Theme 6 test on Thursday and Friday.

Tomorrow is Field Day!

Students brought home a note today, and had a chance to ask questions.  Please bring a towel to sit on, a picnic lunch and games.  Nerf type balls are o.k.!  The school will provide a snack and water, but students should bring extra water and sunscreen.

Rain plan: We will play in the CAC.  Students should bring board games, cards,  or art or craft supplies.

Please do not bring: glass containers, electronics of any kind, hard basketballs, footballs, etc., bats, things with wheels such as skate boards....

Students who forget to bring lunch will be able to get lunch in the cafeteria during our regular lunch time.  

Rain or shine, it should be a great day!

Motivated Monday

Today we participated in some highly motivating training!  Pod 200 students have been selected to pilot  the E Sparks learning program at Disney.  E Sparks uses MAPS data to create a personalized, app-based learning path for your child.  Each student is led to different apps and activities, depending on his or her learning targets.   Team201 was seriously engaged during today's training, and we can't wait to keep learning and exploring.  By the end of the week, students will be creating their own videos to "show what they know!"


Today we also....

• Began researching the IL State Seal.  We will add a page to our IL book tomorrow
• Reviewed metric conversions, listened to a Metric Rap on You Tube and practiced with partners
• Reviewed the essay question on last week's reading test.  Our discussion reveals that Team201 knows how to think and talk about books!

This evening at home.....

• Prepare for the Theme 6 test, which is on Thursday and Friday.
• Complete one spelling activity and complete one Vocabulary activity.  Each has slightly different choices. The Theme 6 review, along with the Spelling and Vocabulary Choice Boards, went home today.  I am giving you the words. It is your job to learn them!
• Finish the Math review sheet.  Tomorrow is review day.  We will test before going out to Field Day on Wednesday.
• Do a Sun Dance.  We need sun on Wednesday.  Light clouds are o.k..  Please think positive thoughts, Team201!

Triptastic Thursday

Greetings Team201 Families,

Thank you, Leona, for today's title!  Your kids may be extra tired this evening.  We spent a full day at the Planetarium.  Special thanks go out to our parent volunteers: Makeda's dad, Alana's dad, Fiona's dad, and Manuel's mom.

This evening at home....

• Finish your IL Quarter page. Most students completed this today.
• Study for spelling!
• Ready, set, roll!  Place the finishing touches on your marble maze.  Tomorrow, we race!  Parents are welcome to join us.  We will be in the CAC from 11:15 until 12:40.

Writing Limericks Wednesday

Bring a bag lunch tomorrow.  Please label your lunch: write your name and 201

Homework:

• complete one additional vocabulary activity and one reading log activity.  To do the reading log, you must first read!

Triumphing Over Adversity Tuesday

Today's title is brought to us by Fatima.  Today we talked and learned about Helen Keller.

Reminders:

• Our Field Trip is Thursday.  Please bring a bag lunch.
• On Friday, we will hold our marble mazes. Parents are welcome to join us in the CAC.  We will be ready at about 11:15 and will stay in the CAC until about 12:40.

Tonight at home.....

• Complete one more section of the Reading Log.
• Complete one Vocabulary Activity.
• Complete the math page.  It is double sided.

Man Named Muir Monday

Good afternoon 201!

Reminders:

• Don't forget that all Field Trip forms and money are due tomorrow morning!
• Marble Maze Day is Friday!  Please make sure that your maze is regulation size: 24 inches long.  Remember,  once released, your marble must travel on its own.  No shaking of the maze! We will be set up in the CAC from about 11:15- 12:45.  Parents are welcome to join in the fun.
• Our Field Trip is this Thursday.  Bring a bag lunch.  Parents, let me know if you would like to join us.
• REACH literacy testing will take place on Wednesday.  Students will read  complex text selection and will respond to a prompt.   This assessment is similar to an Extended Response.  Success will depend on a student's ability to answer the question by citing specific examples from the text and offering interpretation.  We have been preparing all year.  Come to school ready to show what you can do and ready to think and write!

This evening at home....

• Complete the Capacity Practice page
• Vocabulary Tic Tac Toe: This entire activity is due on Friday.  I will be checking to make sure that you have completed the first activity tomorrow morning.
• Read for pleasure for 25-30 minutes and get a signature.  Work on one section of the Reading Log.  The entire reading log will be due on Friday.  I will be checking to see that one section is done tomorrow.