Friday, 11/30 Newsletter Updates

Welcome to Jordan
On Monday Jordan joined our class. No, not that Jordan, but a new student. So far we are trying to figure out what to call both of them now. Jordan S. and Jordan C.? New Jordan and Old Jordan? Maybe just use middle names? I guess we'll wait and see on that, but we certainly welcome him to Immanuel nevertheless! (And today is his birthday! Happy 10th, Jordan!)

Basketball Teams
Congratulations to the girls for winning their game last night! The boys, however, lost a squeaker. I was able to watch some of both games and it was exciting. When I left I thought both teams were on their way to W's. If both teams play like I say, I'm sure there will be more W's than L's in the future!

Next Week
It is shaping up to be a pretty normal week. No jury duty, no schedule quirks, no extras. Who knows what twists and turns the Lord has in store for us, but right now none of them are on my calendar. Enjoy the weekend!

The Upcoming Week
Memory - At Home: Quarter 2 Week 3 Slips At School: Christmas Program lyrics. We are practicing at school, and I'll assign them as we go.

Religion - We are moving up in the book to study the works on Jesus during his ministry on earth.

Reading - Charlotte's Web, theme, How to Babysit and Orangutan.

English - Compound sentences, clauses.

Math - Fractions of a dollar, fractions and mixed numbers on a number line, more multiplication facts.

Science - Finish chapter 1 on weather.

Social Studies - Finish Chapter 2 on the Atlantic Coast and Appalachian states.

Spelling - Unit 11: ground, frown, downtown, bounced, council, about, scout, counter, background, amount, bound, shower Additional words: mountain, county, cloud, south Bonus words: thousand, allowance

Choir Update and November Book Order

Choir Update
The 3rd and 4th grade choir is singing at Advent worship this Wednesday. Students are bringing home a pink note from Mr. Altis today as well. Church is at 6:30. Students should meet at 6:10 for a brief rehearsal. Check the pink note for more details.

November Book Order Recommendations
Books I've Read and Recommend
The Family Under the Bridge
Newbery Favorites Pack - I've read many of these. Some may be tough for 4th graders.
The Wright 3 - Sequel to Chasing Vermeer...but I don't see the first one in the order!
Room One - From the author or Frindle.
The Sign of the Beaver
Tuck Everlasting - A great book full of difficult choices.
Esperanza Rising
Princess Pack - Ella Enchanted is great, but I haven't read the other book.
Boys Vs. Girls Pack - the first 3 books and the fourth (Girls Rule) is right next to it in the order.

The November book order will be due on Thursday, November 29. That's only 4 days away. Parents, feel free to contact me if you wish to make purchases "quietly" due to the Christmas season.

Wednesday, 11/21 Newsletter Updates

Field Trip - Wow! and Thanks!
Again, what a great trip. The website has been cleaned up, and all the pictures should be clear and the gibberish cleared out. Thanks to the drivers for taking time to transport the kids. Thanks especially to Mrs. McDonald who volunteered to stay over night and be our second chaperone. Hopefully next week I'll have a slide show ready of all the photographs I took.

After School Speed Stacks Starts Next Week
A note is coming home tonight for the Speed Stackers. All of the year's dates are included as well as some other information.

Memory
We are starting our Christmas program practices more and more. Starting next week we will be working on songs from the program. Students now have a song sheet, and we will take care of individual songs as they come. Watch your child's planner for specific assignments.

The Upcoming Week - Sort Of...
It's been a crazy week as far as our normal schedule is concerned, and I haven't had a chance to look too far ahead yet. We'll continue in our reading journals and with our next reading story, begin compound subjects and predicates in English, lesson 31 in math, and will be starting new chapters in social studies and science. The spelling list is coming home today.

And that's it for today. I'm racing to get this done, posted, printed, copied, and distributed before the end of the day.

C.W.E.S. Field Trip and Pictures

The trip was great! Hopefully you have heard the same at home. I will be working on a slide show of all the pictures I took, and they will be available on CD or (possibly) on the website. I also have to take a look at the website and see why some pictures are showing up and why some are nothing but blank spots.

And this should be the last post from me today. Your inbox should stop beeping.

Lumberjack Olympics

Students participated in activities that lumberjacks would have done to pass the time on Sunday, their one day off. Lumberjacks would have races to cut logs, log tossing contests, "one-hit" nail driving contests, and light-the-match-with-the-ax contests.

Archeologists at work.

I'm updating the website after having sent all the pictures and wanted to share some information about this picture and activity. This house was built by New Hope Lutheran Church as their parsonage in 1857. It burned down in 1945 after a lightening strike. UWSP purchased the land recently and has been allowing students to dig up the area. We found many nails and pieces of melted glass, bricks upon bricks, forks, knives, and pieces of plates. One piece of ceramic looked like a decorative wall-hanging plate. The piece we found had a calendar from January of 1910. Around the outside we were able to see holly leaves and berries painted on. We found the shower head, part of an oven grill, and a table leg (?) with a wheel/caster at the bottom. Over time the forest had grown over the house. A tree stump was dug/whacked/pulled out from the middle of the house. Our most amazing discoveries were an unbroken light bulb and a plastic or vinyl table cloth under the tree stump that amazingly survived the fire. The tree roots were wrapped around the table cloth so we were unable to pull it all out. All of the "important" finds were cataloged in the logbook with the discoverer's name. The kids were asking to skip lunch to keep searching.

Good Morning, Girls!

Does this bright-eyed bunch look like they just woke up?

Good Morning, Boys!

Do they look like they just woke up?

Sing-Along Time

Before we went on our night hike we spent some time with our teachers from UW-SP learning some new songs. The swaying made some of the kids blurry.

Class Time

We spent some time inside learning lessons to use in the woods. This lesson was on tree identification.

Clearing Farmland

A pioneer family clearing stumps from their farmland. The lumberjacks have already clear cut all the trees.

We Made It!

Friday, 11/16 Newsletter Updates

Field Trip - MONDAY!!!
A final reminder note is coming home today with some final information. Please take a look in your child's take-home folder. Please remember to watch the weather and pack accordingly (it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!). Remember to be at school Monday morning by 8:15 behind the gym. We leave at 8:30. We will be back at school on Tuesday at 3:00, and students are excused at that time.

Next Week
Next week we will be at the Environmental Station on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday will be back at school where we'll be tying up some loose ends, and Thursday and Friday are off due to Thanksgiving. What a week!

Pictures
During the field trip I will take pictures and post them on the website for you to see what we are doing as it happens! I may even try a video! The website is located at http://loudestclass.blogspot.com.

Each picture will result in another email to you, however, and I want to apologize in advance for the inbox clutter. Feel free to delete them and see all of the pictures on the website. Also, there will be some clutter and gibbrish on the website at first. I will clean all that up when we return, but the pictures should be visible.

Conferences
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to visit with me this week. Every one of you should be proud of the work these kids are doing. Keep encouraging them. Keep helping them. And keep them focused on always doing their best.

The Upcoming Week
It's pretty much planned already. There will be no spelling or memory, but we will be working in our Reading Journals! Students should have their silent reading book and their journal for the field trip! There will be time to read and work.

Lots of Monday Updates

Parent Teacher Conferences Start Today
Don't forget our scheduled meetings. I will see 8 of you tonight. Report cards will be outside the room for you to see before our meeting.

Picture Retakes
Pictures will be retaken tomorrow. We had no absences, but if you are dissatisfied with your child's pictures, return them tomorrow and pictures will be retaken.

Field Trip One Week from Today
We are going to the Environmental Station one week from today. I will have a reminder note and some extra information for you soon - maybe today. Watch your child's take-home folder. If you haven't returned the permission slip or payment, please send that in as soon as possible. Some people did not return the driver form. I assume that means you can not drive. I should have a driver schedule soon as well. Thank you to all who volunteered to drive.

Possible Jury Duty on Thursday
I am still on call for jury duty through the month of November. My next potential date is Thursday, so I may be gone. I will know on Wednesday afternoon.

And, I'm Sorry to Say, Head Lice
This was discovered in the upper grades on Thursday. Grades 5-8 had a field trip and were all in the same bus together. Nothing has been reported for our class. I am sending home all extra sweatshirts, gym clothes, and other clothing. Please wash them and run them through a hot dryer. Also, encourage your child to not share hats and sweatshirts.

Friday Newsletter Updates on Thursday, 11/8

Parent - Teacher Conferences and Report Cards
All grades will be calculated tonight and tomorrow and report cards will be printed tomorrow. They will be available to you at your scheduled conference time. Swing by early to pick it up to see it before our meeting. I will attach them to the wall in envelopes.

Yesterday you should have recieved a note with your scheduled time. A few small changes, were made, so double check with your child if yours was switched. (If you sent me a note, it was switched. One other person was moved 15 minutes earlier.) I look forward to talking with everyone next week.

Quarter 2 Memory Assignments
All of the memory for the second quarter is coming home today. You will find both at-home and at-school assignments. Attached to the newsletter is next week's memory slip, Q2W1.

Speed Stacks World Record Attempt
The fourth grade did their part! We successfully stacked for 30 minutes, so 19 more people will be added to the list. For more information check www.speedstacks.com and http://www.worldsportstackingassociation.org/ for more information about the world record attempt.

Permission Slip, Driver Form, and Payment
One week from Monday is our field trip to the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station! (http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/cwes/ for more information) A little more than half of you have returned your permission slips, driver forms, and payment. I will be sending additional copies home next week along with some additional information about the trip.

Get Healthy!
There seems to be a lot of kids out sick - not too many in our class yet, but in school there is some general icky-ness. Keep those hands washed and keep some chicken soup handy! (I wonder if the candy corn I am munching helps...)

The Upcoming Week
Memory - At Home: Q2W1 Slips At School: 6th and 7th Commandment and meanings.

Religion - Continue Joseph and his brother in Egypt.

Reading -The Seven Children, predicting, back to our Reading Journals. There will be an added twist to what is required in Reading Journals in the second quarter.

English - Complete and simple predicates, simple and compound subjects and predicates.

Math - Multiplication facts, subtracting 3-digit numbers with regrouping, multiplication patterns.

Science - Light and sound.

Social Studies - Finish (?) the Middle Atlantic States.

Spelling - Unit 9 cared, dairy, unfair, rarely, stared, dared, glare, airplanes, barely, farewell, software, staircase Extra words: everywhere, carefully, square, therefore Bonus Words: comparison

Class Photo Test

I realized that I can take a picture with my phone, email it to the website where it gets posted on the site and emailed out to everyone. From my phone. Sorry for all the extra Alltel gibberish. That should be gone now. When we go on our field trip in two weeks, I can post occasional pictures of what we are doing.

Monday...Let's Catch Up!

We spent some time this morning helping Mr. Wilhorn get caught up with all that happened on Friday. Now it's my chance to catch you up with Friday's Newsletter.

Memory and Spelling
Memory slips and spelling lists are coming home today. It's a normal week concerning assignments, but it's a short week. No school Friday. Kids, don't procrastinate!

Speed Stacks
Thursday after school is the World Record Speed Stacking attempt. See the school newsletter for more information. The fourth grade boys and girls have basketball practice. We will take time that day setting up Kuechle Hall and doing our part to break the record. Their 30 minutes will count even if it's not after school.

Battle of the Books
Permission slips are coming home today. There will be more information in tomorrow's school newsletter like last week's. Students who wish to participate are to organize their own teams, get permission slips signed, and turn in their forms as teams to Mr. Wilhorn. The sign-up deadline is next week on Wednesday.

End of the Quarter
Thursday is it! The End of Quarter 1! All assignments must be turned in by Thursday or they will be zeros. Kids, make sure it's done and turned in...especially memory assignments.

Winter!
Now that winter is here, apparently, please make sure your child has the right clothing for recess. Hats and mittens/gloves are expected in cold weather. Boots and snowpants are expected when the snow flies. Kids won't be allowed outside without the right clothing.

This Week
Memory - Q1W8 due Thursday. 4th and 5th Commandment.
Reading -Finish Frindle
English -Finish final copies
Math - Continue, lessons 27, 28, 29.
Science - Light.
Social Studies -Middle Atlantic States.

I wrote that out pretty quick. Hopefully it's clear, and I didn't miss anything important.

Upcoming Field Trip

Three weeks from today is the annual fourth grade field trip to the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station. Fourth graders have been doing this trip for years, and it is one of the most memorable and educational trips we take.

Today an informational note, sample schedule, driver note, and permission/medical slip is coming home. Please return the last two pages - that's the driver's note and permission/medical slip. Payment needs to be returned as well.

This is still three weeks out, so there is no rush at this time. Read the note carefully. There's a lot of information in there. As the dates get closer, I'll send reminder notes home along with even more information like a supply list and emergency phone numbers.

Frindle

This week we started reading Frindle by Andrew Clements for reading class. As I am rereading it I am reminded how much I like this book. Today's assignment is to read chapters 5 and 6, and most kids will have it done by the end of the day. I'm going to have them bring their books home anyway for you to see.

People ask me, "What are some simple ways to help my child read?" Here's a simple way. Show an interest in what your children are reading. Ask questions about it. Read it. Tell them your favorite parts. This is a great book for that. It's short, creative, and there's some stuff that adults get a lot quicker than the kids. Parents can offer some insight that the kids might not pick up on their own. (And I think the 30 minutes it will take you will be time well spent.)

Have a great long weekend.

Wednesday, 10/24 Newsletter Updates

Spelling and Memory
Sometimes it's nice to have a short week off, but next week it's business as usual. Spelling lists and memory slips are attached to the printed newsletter coming home today.

Costume Day
Wednesday is costume day. The costume parade is immediately in the morning. Remember, costume judging will happen in the following categories: story book character, Biblical character, inanimate object, animal, historical character, and miscellaneous. Be creative, but of course, remember our school's guidelines - no ghosts, devils, weapons, etc.

The Costume Day Party will happen at the end of the day...and I don't have my note in front of me, but I think it is at 2:30. You should have received a note last week.

Chapel on Thursday
Because of Costume Day, Mr. Voelker and the seventh graders will lead chapel on Thursday morning instead of Wednesday. The theme will focus on Reformation Day and All Saints Day.

A Busy Week Ahead...And Possibly An Absolutely Crazy Week!!!
I will be gone next Friday, November 2. Last year I was invited to serve on the advisory board of the CCBC - that's the Cooperative Children's Book Center - at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Friday is our fall meeting. For more information click here http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/.

I also have the honor and priviledge of upholding my civic duty. In other words, I have been called for jury duty. My first possible date to report is next Thursday, November 1. I don't know how long it will last or how many days I report or, well, anything really. Every day I need to call and find out what to do the next day. Whether I am here or not is up in the air until the day before. I will do my best to have the children prepared for me being gone...if I'm gone. Thanks in advance for your understanding.

The Upcoming Week
Memory - At Home: Q1W7 Slips At School: 1. second commandment and meaning. 2. third commandment and meaning.

Religion - Joseph and his brothers and Joseph in Egypt.

Reading - Frindle. This is our reading book for a while. Frindle doesn't take the place of a silent reading book, so students need to be sure to have one of those as well.

English - Descriptive paragraphs. Revising, editing, proofreading, and publishing.

Math - Missing numbers in addition and subtraction, subtraction stories, fractions, multiplication, elapsed time.

Science - Electricity and magnetism. Test late in the week?

Social Studies - Finish chapter 3. Test late in the week? (I won't put both tests on the same day if I can avoid it.)

Spelling - SPELLING LIST, UNIT 7: carved, garden, harm, farther, barked, alarm, chart, starved, harder, parked, smartest, charge Extra Words: guard, hardware, harbor, garbage Bonus Words: compartment, argument